Deacon Larry

Ascension Sunday

Acts 1: 1-11; Heb 9: 24-28; 10: 19-23; Luke 24: 46-53

Dc. Larry Brockman

What will you do?  Imagine that you were there for the Lord’s Ascension.  You are there as one of the Apostles.  Before your very eyes, this man whom you had come to love and depend on, who suffered and died a horrible death; and then, in the middle of a desperate feeling of depression three days later, when you felt abandoned, and confused, and without hope; you saw him resurrected in body, eating and talking with you.  Wow.  And this goes on for 40 days, this Easter experience.  

But now, after the 40 days, he tells you that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem”.  Then he tells you that you are witnesses to all of that.  He doesn’t mean that you were there for it, although as an Apostle, you surely would have been that kind of witness.  No, what he means is that you are to witness to all of that, meaning you are to give testimony to what happened.  You are the one being asked to proclaim what happened.  Indeed, you are to be the person who proclaims the message of repentance beginning in Jerusalem.  You, as a party to all of what happened, are called to be that kind of witness- just think about that.   

But then, even before all of that could sink in your mind,  He takes you out to a neighborhood hill overlooking a garden valley, and while he is blessing you, He parts from you.  Parts from you- what does that mean?  The reading from Acts, also authored by St. Luke but later, says that he was lifted up and disappeared from them in a cloud.  But that’s not what Luke’s Gospel says.  It says that He “parted” from them.  It is as if He vanished from them- poof- right in the middle of the blessing, just as he did to the two Emmaus brothers in Luke’s earlier story.  How would you feel if you experienced all that?  What will you do?   

Some 2000 years later, all of us hearing this story of the Ascension in the pews this morning, can hear the story of the Ascension one of several ways.  First, you can hear the story of the Ascension as a detached critical observer.  That means you hear it like any other old story from history- something that is quite a yarn, and something that you hope is true, but deep down- you need more proof.  You will just have to wait and see, maintaining all your options.   

A second way you can hear the story is in your head, in which case, the Ascension story is something you decide to believe in, something that becomes part of your “faith”.  That means that you believe that God, in the person of Jesus, took on our nature and became human, that Jesus underwent suffering and death, then was Resurrected, and finally ascended into heaven.  Theologically, that means that God came very close to us for a while, close enough for some people that lived at the time to see and touch God.  And then, He  went back to God in heaven.  Wow! Isn’t that awesome, the one God dwelt amongst us as one of our own.  God who is the creator of everything, was that close to us.  That, in itself is a mind numbing piece of knowledge for those who believe. 

The fact that God so loved us that he came close to us is unique to our Christian Faith.  It is not something that Jews or Moslems or Hindus or Oriental Faiths believe that God would or could do.  It is unique to Christianity; we call this the Immanence of God.  Other faiths believe that God is so immeasurably greater than us that there is, and always will be, a separation between us, called a “Transcendence”- and so God Transcends us.  The Ascension shows us both the Immanence and the Transcendence of God- it is the transition from Immanence to Transcendence that we witness in the Ascension story today.  And that is all very good for us to understand with our heads.   

But there is a third way to hear the story of the Ascension- with our hearts.  As we come to realize the full revelation of the mystery of God, the simultaneous Immanence and Transcendence of God, we can feel that in our hearts.  It is a feeling of tremendous Joy, the joy of knowing that we are that close to the one true God who is also so far above us.  That’s what the Apostles realized in the Gospel.  Not only did they experience the story of the Ascension with their minds, but they also experienced it with their hearts. And that’s why they did him homage, returned to Jerusalem, and continually praised Him in the temple.  Because the Apostles realized that if God was that close to them, and also infinite in power, then nothing, absolutely nothing, could harm them.  They trusted in the God that they experienced, no matter what.  They trusted Him so much that they went into the Temple where Jesus had been hauled before a tribunal for Trial and conviction and execution.  They were no longer afraid of anything like that, but rather, were ready to be the witnesses He had called them to be.   

If you heard the story of the Ascension with your heart today, then you, too, can experience the joy of complete trust in God, and be His witness here and now, 2000 years later.   Next week, the Church celebrates Pentecost, when the energy, the life force, the inspiration, and the strength to follow through on your joy will be given to you.  As the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, then when we are armed with the Holy Spirit, we, who trust in God’s will for us, can all do great things. We do this as we witness for Him in this cold, secular, and increasingly Godless world-  wherever we work; we shop; we go to school; we play; we vote; we talk; and we walk.  We can be His witnesses, witnesses to the truth of Christianity, preaching the repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His name, by what we do and say.

What will you do?    

 

Divine Mercy Sunday

Acts 5: 12-16; Rev 1: 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19; John 20: 19-31

Dc. Larry Brockman

Imagine the joy the Apostles experienced as they actually saw and talked to the Risen Jesus Christ!  They had eaten and drank with Jesus at the Last Supper, and listened to his prophesy in confusion.  They had seen the trial and Crucifixion in horror; they had fled for cover into the upper room in fear; they had seen the empty tomb and were in awe; they had heard the story of the two men from Emmaus; but they had not yet understood the prophesies that Jesus had foretold and they had not seen the Risen Lord.  And so, they were confused and conflicted; not believing in what was implied- the Resurrection, but rather, wondering what it all meant. 

And then it happened.  Jesus stood before them in the Risen State.  He was real flesh and blood too- with the wounds still in his side and hands.  And he even ate with them proving He was not just some apparition.  Wow, that was surely something else!  Imagine the joy they felt. 

But as awesome as all that was, it was not the source of their lasting joy, because their joy was about to become much deeper than that.  You see Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of it all.  Jesus explains that all that happened to Him was done to complete God’s overall plan for salvation for all people, that everything Jesus experienced fulfilled the prophesies of the prophets just the way the Father had planned it, and that through His suffering and death, he, Jesus had brought redemption to all of us.  Jesus explained how he had to do God’s will, not his own, as hard and as painful as that was, and that the reward for His obedience to God the Father, as humbling as it was for God-made-man, was everlasting Life in a Resurrected body,  For as it says in Revelations:  “Once I was dead, but now I am alive for ever and ever”.

This was the source of lasting joy- as the Apostles came to understand that they, too, would be resurrected after death for everlasting life if they lived out their lives in the way Jesus showed them.  And not only that, but the Apostles and their successors were commissioned by Jesus to spread this Good News.  Jesus says: “As the Father sends me, so also I send you”.  And so, the apostles were being sent out to preach the good news of the Gospel to all men- about His obedience to the Father, and the suffering and death and Resurrection that was a consequence.  He told them to preach that all mankind is called to repent and follow His example. That’s why Jesus gives the Apostles the power to forgive or retain sins, because there is more to our Salvation than just believing in the Resurrection and the potential for everlasting life.  We have to seek forgiveness of our sins, and then repent, that is, change our way of life, to bring it in harmony with God’s plan for us.   

That message has been preached by the Church down through the centuries,   We have just heard that message during our Lenten experience.  Indeed, living the life God has given us, God’s will for us, is the challenge we all now face even if it means we have to suffer for a while- a physical disability, a terrible disease, a limitation; or the need to sacrifice our ambitions to serve others; or any of a number of other constraints on our agenda to assure that God’s agenda is met.  That’s what it means to live God’s will for us.  That’s what it means to be a Christian.  But the reward is our salvation, and the everlasting life with God that comes with it.   

Now part of the joy of Easter is that it lasts for 50 days.  But that 50 days is a meant to be a process, not just a celebration   And so, our Easter experience comes in stages.  First, on Easter Sunday, there is the joyful realization that Jesus rose from the dead, that God so loved us that he sent His only son to live among us as a man, to bring Salvation for all of us through his suffering and death.  That is our Faith- that we believe in Jesus and the Resurrection. 

But then comes the next stage, the realization that to benefit from the Resurrection, we need God’s mercy to repent from our former ways, and change our lives.  We need to live the life that God calls us to, whatever that is, and to bear with the suffering and joys of all that that involves. 

Today, we celebrate a great feast- Divine Mercy Sunday.  Jesus promised St. Faustina back in the 1930’s, that today would be a special day in our yearly Church calendar.   Today, the Sunday in the Octave of the Easter, is the day each year that Jesus calls on us to seek God’s mercy, to seek forgiveness and to resolve to repent.  Jesus revealed that if we confess our sins and receive the Body and Blood of Christ on Divine Mercy Sunday, then our sins will be forgiven, and so will the punishment due us for those sins, this is how immeasurably vast God’s mercy is on this special day. 

Many of us have already gone to Confession this Easter in the wonderful Penance service held here the Monday before Easter.   But, all of us still have time to complete our Easter Duty by asking for forgiveness for our sins here today, and then completing the process by going to Confession before Pentecost.  And so, when we receive Communion today, we can all be assured we will receive the second tremendous gift of the Easter Season- the mercy that is the essence of The Divine Mercy promise.   

And then there is the third stage of our Easter experience, the reception of the Holy Spirit.  It is through the gifts that come with the Holy Spirit that all of are given the strength to follow Jesus’ footsteps. 

Truly, we have an awesome God.  A God who Loves us; who shows us mercy and forgiveness for whatever we have done, and one who gives us strength to do incredible things in God’s name.   

Now I suspect that there are some out there who are skeptical that the Easter experience can be that profound, that it can fundamentally transform our lives.  So let me give you an example of a man who fully experienced Easter.  Look at Peter.  Just two days before the Resurrection, Peter denied Jesus three times, an incredible sin of abandonment to a best friend.  And now, just 10 or so days later, Peter has confessed, experienced God’s infinite mercy, and has received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Now, we see a vibrant, confident, fearless, faith-filled Peter.  One who heals in the name of Jesus, just by casting his shadow.  Indeed, Peter has learned his Easter experience well.  Let us pray that all of us can make the same kind of transformation.   

 

Third Sunday of Lent

Ex 3: 1-81, 13-15; Luke 13: 1-9

Dc. Larry Brockman

Are you ready to repent?  After all, Jesus is talking to you and I, not just the Jews of the first century, because we are all likely guilty of their sin- by concerning ourselves with our brother’s sins, and not our own sins.  And just like them, we need to repent.   

How so?  Well, which of us does not read the paper, or watch the TV news, or browse the internet each day to learn about, and then dwell on, everybody else’s sins- the public official who went to a prostitute or travelled to visit his mistress on public funds; the Caribbean people suffering from an earthquake whose leaders long ago allegedly made a pact with the devil; The army doctor who went berserk in a recruiting center; or the well respected rich man who runs a Ponzi scheme and bilks millions of folks out of their life savings.  Don’t some of these stories actually make us feel better about ourselves?  Because we compare ourselves to these people and come away with a certain comfort about our lack of guilt.  “Thank God I am not like these great sinners”.  We may even say that the dire consequences some of these sinners experienced served them right for what they did, and that God is punishing them for it.   

Somewhat closer to home, but still in the same vein, what about the people close to us in our lives who have wronged us, or whose sins are being exposed- the coworker who said something in gossip about us; the neighbor who allegedly is having an affair?  Are we so pre-occupied with these things that we don’t look at our own sins?   

All of that sounds so much like today’s Gospel story, doesn’t it-  people pointing fingers at others who suffered and asking Jesus if they were punished because of their sins.  But what does Jesus say?  He says no, they were not singled out for their sin, not just once but twice.  He says they are not greater sinners than the rest of the people.  Jesus tells his people to look at their own sins, and not to concern themselves with the sins of others.  And the reason that they should look at their own sins is that time is urgent.  Because you could experience a disaster at any time, just like the people in the two stories; and when you face judgment, the Lord will be concerned with your conduct, not the conduct of others.  And so, Jesus tells them to repent or they will perish just like those in the two notorious stories.   

That’s when he tells the parable of the fig tree.  You see, the fig tree is like the people that question Jesus.  The fig tree is passively biding time- three years in time, signifying an indefinite length of time- not too short, and not too long.  The fig tree has not taken in nourishment to grow and bear fruit in that time, it is just sitting there, watching the world go by.  Jesus wants each of us to bear fruit; not to be passive in the indefinite length of time we live.  He wants us to make an effort.  Like the fig tree, God will give us fertilizer and water, and give us yet more time, yet another chance, to repent and change our ways.  In other words, He gives us the grace we need to do something with our lives, no matter what we’ve done in the past.  But, we cannot be passive observers, and dwell on the sins of others.  We need to pay attention now to our own failings.   

This is a hard lesson for us all to learn,  To forget about our brothers sin, and just concentrate on ourselves.  Leonardo Da Vinci learned this lesson while he was painting his famous “Last Supper” in Milan.  While he was working on the painting, he had a bitter argument with another painter, an enemy who he had long despised.  To vent his anger at this other artist,   Da Vinci used the artist’s face as a model for the face of Judas Iscariot, the Apostle who betrayed the Lord.   Leonardo felt a sense of evil satisfaction in coming up with a humiliation that all his peers would recognize, and one that would last though the centuries.   As he worked on the faces of the other Apostles, he often tried to paint the face of Jesus, but couldn’t make any progress.   He advanced steadily in painting all the figures, except that of Jesus, the most important one.   He became more and more frustrated and confused.   In time he realized what was wrong.  His hatred for the other painter was holding him back from finishing the face of Jesus; it kept him from being able to see Jesus clearly.  Only after making peace with his fellow painter and repainting the face of Judas was he able to paint the face of Jesus and complete his masterpiece.  Da Vinci was so pre-occupied with others perceived failings, he was blind to his own failings, and to what Jesus intended for him.  When he recognized that this was the problem, he also recognized his need to repent, to change his way of thinking and reconcile with his enemy.  Only then was his mind and heart free to feel the inspiration that God had for him.   

Lent is a season of reflection.  All of us are asked to fast and abstain and give something up.  Why?  Not for others to see, or to keep score; but rather, because it makes us more sensitive, more in tune with our feelings.  By experiencing real sacrifice and some self mortification, we can look deeper in our own lives and get to the core of how we are not measuring up, and then reflect on how we can change our lives for the better.  In other words, we can discern how we need to repent.  

I will leave you now with some very sobering words- the parting words of St. Paul this morning:  “Whoever thinks that he is standing secure, should take care not to fall”.