Being Jesus
The Ascension of the Lord
Announcements for May 15, 2021:
May's beyond-the-tithe opportunity is Peter's Pence, a collection for the Holy Father to provide emergency assistance. You can check it out here.
We celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension this weekend. The bishops of NJ have said we'll get back to normal (Ascension Thursday) next year.
We've made major improvements to our Listen Everywhere system. If you need help hearing what's going on during Mass, check out our Pew Resources.
I have reshuffled some things on the website, but you can still find all of our announcements in our Parishioner Portal.
Please be in touch with me if you need anything at all, or if you'd like to share any questions or concerns.
Dear Saints,
Jesus’ Ascension into heaven - which we celebrate this Sunday - means he has entered earth’s control room. It is from heaven that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit -- that he inspires (breathes into!) and animates the lives of his faithful followers.
Another way of saying this, following Saint Paul, is that Jesus is the head of the body, the Church. Being his body, you should imagine, has massive significance for our lives:
We are called, individually and together, to be Jesus in the world.
The mission of Jesus - his continuing 2,000-year campaign to bring heaven to earth - is our mission.
Our lives are eternally meaningful only inasmuch as we, trusting and following Jesus, give ourselves over totally to God and his purposes.
What we ask for in prayer, when we are totally given over to God's mission, is always given.
I’m getting ahead of myself just a bit here. We've still got a week (by the liturgical calendar) to wait for the Spirit. In this period before Pentecost, it's ours to join the disciples in nine days (minus a couple) of prayer, observing the Church’s first novena. As the Apostles were gathered together after Jesus’ Ascension they prayed fervently in preparation to be clothed with power from on high.
Join with me in prayer, that with a fresh outpouring of his Spirit God will enkindle our hearts anew that we might bring the fire of his love to everyone we encounter!
I love you, my friends, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
In the Peace of the Risen Christ,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend's readings:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
The Ascension
Rembrandt, 1636