UP WITH THE LORD

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord: 8^th May 2016

Acts 1: 1-11; Eph 1: 17-23; Lk 24: 46-53

The Lord ascends today to his Father and our Father! It is not an abandoning, as he himself very rightly had already assured us. It is an invitation! The invitation is to Go Up with the Lord. And this invitation to go up is given in 7 steps... let's call it 7-UP!

As the Lord goes up, let us reflect on the 7-UP

In the first reading we are presented with the THE EVENT: 
Christ ascends to the right hand of the Father!

                Christ, GAVE UP the divinity and became like one of us (Phil 2)

                He GOES UP today, by his obedience and fulfillment of the Divine Will (Heb 10:7) 

                He will SHOW UP leading everything to its fulfillment (Heb 10:36)

The second reading highlights THE EFFECT: 
Because of the Son who was raised by God to God's right hand, you and I are made worthy to accede to the presence of God!

                We are RAISED UP by the fact that Christ became like us (2Cor 8:9)

                We are DRESSED UP by the virtue of our baptism, (Col 2:12)and

                We are BUILT UP into the family of God (1 Cor 10:17).

The Gospel from Luke reminds us of what Jesus passed on to us, THE EDICT: 
You are and you shall be my Witnesses on the Earth!

                We are challenged to STAND UP for the Lord in the World today!!!

WORD 2day: 7th May, 2016

The Name: Jesus, the Christ

Saturday before Ascension Sunday

Acts 18: 23-28; Jn 16:23-28

Jesus was the name and Christ was a faith experience! Jesus, the Christ is no syntax error! Today we encounter Apollos, another contemporary preacher with Paul. It looks like there were some little misgivings in the Acts of the Apostles between the followers of Paul and followers of Apollos. But Paul makes no notice of such bickerings. Another great lesson we have is Priscilla and Aquilla instructing Apollos in the right doctrines! The role of the laity in the formation of the apostolic ministers comes out strongly...all of this to make people understand, Jesus was the Christ!

Jesus in the Gospel seems to harp on the same point too: anything you ask the Father in my name, my Father shall give you. He seems to say, because I am the Christ. As Acts so clearly says in another place (4:12) that there is no other name given in all the earth by which one could be saved! It is Jesus, because Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the one anointed and set apart for our salvation! That should not make us haughty as if we have the monopoly over that name, but it should make us humble in questioning our daily lives and priorities. Are we living worthy of that name? It is not an opportunity to judge the "others" but it is gratitude that should fill our hearts for the privilege given. 

Ask a question, Is Jesus my Christ? 

If you very easily said 'yes', ask that question again looking closely at your values and attitudes of daily life: Is Jesus really my Christ?