Ascension Day 2012

The Feast of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven is an integral part of the work of our salvation. Having conquered death and having risen from the dead, after 40 days He ascends in glory to His Father to take possession of his Kingdom. He will return at the end of the time to complete His work. Today’s Feast celebrates His going to His Father: the Feast of Christ the King at the end of the liturgical year looks forward to His return at the end of time. These are ‘the last days’.

When Jesus was taken from His disciples and put on the Cross, they all fled in terror. When Jesus went from them into heaven, they were puzzled but not sorrowful. The forty days between the resurrection and the Ascension had assured them that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, but they did not fully understand what was happening. At first they were terrified, then they were incredulous and finally with joy they accepted the reality that Jesus is alive. But they still did not fully understand. Even as they were at the Mount of Olives with Jesus about to ascend to His Father they asked, ‘Lord, will you now restore the kingdom to Israel? They still don’t get it! Jesus had not come to establish a worldly kingdom, not even to restore the glorious days of King David. Jesus’ reply is to require them to go back to Jerusalem and there to await the coming of the Holy Spirit. This they do and when the Holy Spirit comes down on them at Pentecost, then they knew what they must do. Jesus had constantly warned them not to depend on His visible, physical presence. The Spirit is His Spirit and it is for the renewal of our lives by His Spirit that we await Pentecost in prayer.

Today is ‘World Communication Day’ for the Church. Nowadays there is much slick and clever advertising of all kinds of wares, some of them unsavory, others luxurious. Politicians, sports managers, all kinds of public figures use all kinds of ways to get their message across. We have the best message of all: the Good News. We have the privilege and duty of using all moral means available to promote our Faith. It is not only our words but also our deeds and lives which promote effectively the message of the Gospel. If we are lukewarm Christians or semi-detached Catholics, our lives will attend to that and others will draw their own conclusions. Let us, then, pray that God’s Holy Spirit will renew our lives this Pentecost and that like the apostles we may go forth and spread the Good News of our Salvation.

And Mary was with them too when the Holy Spirit came. She can show us the way to proclaim Her Son – by her life of faith, obedience, service and love.

Father Boniface

Newsletter Pastoral Area 14

St Anne's Church
St Anne's Priory
23 Prescot Road, Ormskirk, Lancs, L39 4TG
Telephone: 01695 572168
e-mail: admin@st-annes-ormskirk.org.uk
(for general enquiries)

St Elizabeth's Church
St Elizabeth’s Presbytery,
10 Hall Road, Scarisbrick, L40 9QE
Tel: 01704 880226
e-mail: stelizabethscar@btinternet.com