Lessons from Jairus to all the Phantom Fathers of the modern world by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

WONDERING GURU

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Introduction: Mark’s Gospel brings us face to face with two stories of God’s amazing healing power. We find a woman who had been sick with an incurable condition for 12 years, and a little girl who had been well for 12 years, but now at the point of death. Let’s focus on the father figure of that little girl named Jairus.

Modern Tragedy: Many homes today are suffering from the phantom father or the absent father. The father who is not there & in some homes even when he is there, they’re not there.  Thousands of men have fathered children, & simply walked away from the family.  Other men though living in the family, are so absorbed by their careers that they seldom spend time with the children the effects have & are devastating, not only to the family unit, but also in our society. Off late, the number of murders committed by teen is increasing year by year.  Some would like to blame poverty, broken homes, physical & mental abuse.  Psychological findings tell us that the lack of father figure in the Homes in the past few years have seen tremendous increase in violent crimes, illegitimate births, teen pregnancies and teen suicides. In America alone nearly 70% of all juveniles in state reform institutions come from fatherless homes. The home doesn’t need a man in the house, it needs a father!

Let’s revert back to Jairus the father of that dying 12 year old girl.  Here we see a man with a high social position, a man known among the people, a man of prestige & power, but a man who had a desperate need. This man’s little girl, the apple of his eye, was dying. Those of you that have children you can feel the feelings that man may have felt.

Fatherly lessons from Jairus:

Lesson 1. He was not ashamed to seek out Jesus: He did not send his wife or someone else to take his place but he as the father sought out the Lord himself. Regardless of his social position, regardless of the onlookers of the town, Jarius humbly knelt before Jesus pleading with him: Please come, for my child is dying.  It’s so important in todays world that fathers play an important role in bringing not only themselves but their whole family to the Lord.  As the head of the family a father’s role in leading his family to Jesus cannot be underestimated.  Fathers in the families need to be seekers of Jesus who is the wisdom, strength, guidance and healing.  Children must know, that their parents are not ashamed of the Gospel, nor the God of the Gospel. It like one preacher said, “it’s time for some men to get off their blessed assurance (empty promises), & start being fathers & the leaders of the home god intended them to be”.

Lesson 2. he was not afraid to bring Christ into his home: One thing that the world today needs is some Christian homes, home where Christ resides. Homes where Christ is welcome, homes where Christ is more than a picture on the wall, but a place where his presence is acknowledged, his name is honored, his word is obeyed. Psalm 127:1 says “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain”.  Parents should realize that there could be death angel passing through the world. He’s coming with drugs, sexual disease, & rebellion. He wants to enter through the TV, laptops, ipads, through all of social media. He wants to enter through acquaintances and through wrong or bad friendships.  John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. This thief may steal your children’s virginity & dignity and may be even their bodies & souls.

Lesson 3. He loved his daughter-the girl child:  What took him from his daughter’s side, to seek out a Jewish teacher, what compelled him to fall at Jesus feet & cry out I beg you, please come, what would cause a man to forget his place in society, and what others might think or say.  Love--He loved his daughter. We don’t know how long she lived but I am sure she said “I’m alive today because of my daddy’s love. May be just maybe she grew to have children--Those grandchildren heard the story of how grandpa sought a man put his reputation on the line, how their mother was brought back to life--Because of a daddy’s love for his child. Her life, her living was an example of the power of God

Conclusion: The absence of a father in the house and worse the physical or sexual abuse in the families can cause unimaginable pain in the family. Unfortunately, pain is the only constant reality of life. We all live with pain. The No one can go through the pain for us. We don’t have to bear it alone. We ask where is God when life hurts? Jesus offers hope in the midst of our pain. Jesus is never too busy for you. Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. Jesus cannot help you unless you go to Him. Jesus cannot heal your hurts until you offer them to Him. Jesus offers healing for our pain.  The peace Jesus offers allows us to live. Peace gives us power for life. This peace gives us the ability to weather any storm that life may bring. The love of Jesus transforms life.  The love of Jesus begins the healing process. There is nothing Jesus doesn’t already know about you. He knows your every weakness, your every care, your every difficulty, your every heartache. So start handing your hurts and pain over to Christ. Jesus wants to restore your life. Jesus wants to restore your wholeness. Jesus makes life worth living. Jesus takes the old pain and offers new living. Jesus allows us to find wholeness. Without a personal relationship with Jesus; you will never be whole. Wholeness begins and ends with God. The Father created you. Jesus restores you. The Holy Spirit empowers you.

“Christ did not come to do away with suffering; He did not come to explain it; He came to fill it with His presence” – Paul Claudel.

 

Don’t Despair when Your Boat Rocks. God is Good even in Bad Times by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 WONDERING GURU

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Job 38: 1, 8-11; 2 Cor 5: 14-17; Mark 4: 35-41

Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Introduction: Have you ever experienced storms in your life? Those times where things just didn’t make sense. Times where your problems seemed so big and your faith seemed so small. Times where you felt so swamped and so afraid that you were going to be taken over by the storm. We have all had that “sinking feeling,” haven’t we? We’ve all had our share of storms.  Jesus’ disciples were no different.  How did the disciples deal with the storm?

Poem: Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed a dream. As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

TYPES OF STORMS IN OUR LIVES. 

1. Situational storms. This is when circumstances seem to plot against us and everything seems to go wrong. Murphy’s law seems to be right. "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Sometimes everything seems to go wrong at once. There are situational storms.
2. Relationship storms. This is when there is tension between people. When a relationship has been strained to the breaking point - parent and child, husband and wife, friends - life becomes stormy.
3. Secret storms. These are often hidden on the surface. We have a nice smile, but inside we’re crying. We have “Secret Storms” which we don’t want others to know. Specially with regard to our finances or family issues. Paralyzed by fear. Overcome by guilt. Raging with anger. Consumed with worry or jealousy. Those are the emotional storms of life.

COMMON FEATURES OF ALL THESE STORMS: 

1. Storms in life are inevitable. They will happen. We will experience them. They are a part of life. In James 1:2 it says "When you face trials..." It does not say “If you face trials.” Nobody goes through life sailing easy from the cradle to the grave. We all will have tough times.
2. Storms in life are unpredictable. They come suddenly. They come unexpectedly. Try as we may, we cannot predict the things that will happen to us.
3. Storms are impartial. They happen to good people; they happen to bad people. They happen to believers; they happen to unbelievers. They happen to all of us. Mat 5:45 says, "He sends the rain on the just and the unjust." Being a Christian does not exempt us from being in storms.

FACTS OF HUMAN LIFE

1. THE STORMS WILL COME! -- Even if everything is going great right now, remember to have faith in Jesus, because the storms will come. It only takes a split second for everything to change for everything to be flipped upside down. Maybe unemployment, financial crisis, sickness, relationship failures or even death. When the disciples left the docks that day, everything was fine. However, it only took a few minutes for things to go horribly wrong. When the storms come, they bring emotions of fear, anger, frustration, and uncertainty.
2. THE STORMS WILL GO – Mark Twain and a friend walked outside one day in the rain. The friend said, “You think it will stop?” Mark Twain said, “It always does.” Storms come and go just like the waves of the sea. We can always take hope in the fact, that no matter how bad things get, the storms will pass. Jesus’ disciples thought that this storm may last long. But what do we see from the story, the SON not the SUN come out and calms the winds and the waves and the storm that they were so worried about is over. When we realize that we can’t do it on our own, that’s when we ask for help. That’s when we start looking for Jesus. We know that Jesus will always be there to calm the winds and the waves of our spiritual lives. He will always be there to strengthen and comfort us.  
3. JESUS ALWAYS STAYS-God is good all the time even during bad times in our lives. Read the poem called the Footprints.

WHAT TO DO WHEN STORM COMES?

1. The first thing we need to do is to never give up.
2. The next thing we need to do is to keep focused. It’s so easy when times are hard to lose our focus from the things that are really important or the tasks that we need to accomplish.
3. The third and final thing we need to do is that we must remember to have faith in Jesus!

Conclusion: What’s rocking your boat? What’s flooding your ship? What kind of storm are you going through? Is it a strained relationship? Is it a financial difficulty? Is it a painful memory? Is it a health problem? Is it a secret storm? Something on the inside? An emotion that’s overwhelming you? Guilt or grief or anger or bitterness or worry or fear? Maybe you feel like the circumstances of life are tossing you back and forth and you feel like you’re just a little toy boat out there in a big ocean and you’re getting bashed back and forth every day. And you’re thinking, “I’m going under! I’m not going to make it!” God has not promised us a storm-free life. This is not heaven where everything is perfect and where God’s will is perfectly done. We have choices, and we make mistakes, and we get hurt. That’s why we’re to pray, "Thy will be done on earth like it is in heaven" because it’s done perfectly in heaven. God has not guaranteed us a storm-free life. There are two ways we can respond to storms. They are seen in this story in the way the disciples responded and in the way that Jesus responded. One responded in fear, one responded in faith. One trembled, the other trusted. The two sets of footprints in the sand remind us that we must put our faith in Jesus. For the simple fact that Jesus is always there! His peace and patience and kindness are always there! And most of all for the simple fact that Jesus Always Stays!

1 Peter 5:7 - "Cast all your care on Him because He cares for you."

 

 

The Unpardonable Sin-What is it? by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

10^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 9, 2024-Year B

Genesis 3:9-15; Ps 130:1-8; 2 Cor 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35

 

Today the church keeps the Memoria of St. Ephrem of Syria, a deacon, hermit, and Doctor of the Church who made important contributions to the spirituality and theology of the Christian East during the 4th century.

REFLECTION- The Unpardonable Sin

After appointing the twelve apostles, He and His disciples go to a house where a multitude gathers again. In the discussion that follows, Jesus warns against the unpardonable sin. In this story the strong man is Satan. The house is Satan’s kingdom on earth. His possessions are the victims that he holds in bondage. Beelzebul literally means “lord of the house.”

Scholars Speak

•“To blaspheme is to speak evil of, to offer intentional indignity to God or to sacred things” (Schubert 50).

•“Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit forever removes a man beyond the sphere where forgiveness is possible” (Lane 145).

•“It refers to Satan as somewhat of a king of the underworld, the head of a demoniac mafia. Beelzebul was the godfather who sat back in his big chair and gave orders to the rest of the little demons” (Schubert 49).

•“They were accusing Jesus of being demonized and claimed that the demon which controlled him was the one that ruled over the evil spirits” (Hughes 1:91).

•“They could not deny that He cast out demons, but they would not accept the conclusion that Jesus was empowered by God” (Black 84).

•“They may be venomously attempting to undermine Jesus by branding him as the devil’s spawn” (Garland 132).

Jesus responded with two parabolic sayings: Scholars give their opinion on the sayings of Jesus. In the first saying…

•“all develop the same basic theme, that since strength depends on unity, an attack on any part of Satan’s domain is a sign not of collusion with him but of threat to his power” (France 171).

•“Jesus said that if there is internal dissension in a kingdom, the kingdom cannot last” (Schubert 49). In other words, “if it was by the power of Satan that He had cast out the demon, then Satan was actually fighting against Himself!” (Wiersbe 1:122). “But internal revolution is not the only way to topple a regime; an alternative method is invasion…” (Hooker 116).

•In the second parabolic saying, Jesus said “the defeat of the demons showed that Jesus was not in league with Satan. It showed that Satan’s defenses had been breached, a stronger power had arrived, and the conquest of Satan had begun” (Schubert 50).

•Overall, “Jesus explains that his ability to cast out demons by the Spirit of God is evidence that the Kingdom of God has come” (Mt. 12:28; Lk 11:20) (Black 84).

What is this sin?

§  “Anyone who is worried about having committed the sin against the Holy Spirit has not yet committed it, for anxiety of having done so is evidence of the potential for repentance. There is no record in Scripture of anyone asking forgiveness of God and being denied it!” (Edwards 124).

§  “The blasphemy Jesus was talking about results from a stubbornness of heart on the part of those who do the blaspheming” (Schubert 51).

§   “It is the ongoing, continual rejection of the witness of the Holy Spirit to the Divinity and Saviourhood of Christ” (Hughes 1:92).

§   “Any sin that is committed with such arrogance and hardness of heart that its perpetrator cannot and will not confess it is beyond pardon — not because of the action itself but on account of the sinner’s insolence” (R. Shelly).

§   “For such, there can be no forgiveness, for they have refused the only way of forgiveness that God has provided, they have slammed the door” (Cole 142).

Simply put it means, the sin for which we cannot be forgiven is the sin for which we will not ask forgiveness. We Christians we don’t have this problem because we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and we constantly invoke the power of the Holy Spirit and when we fail we seek the sacrament of reconciliation.

 

“You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God”.   -C. S. Lewis

 

Feast of the Body & Blood of Christ/ Corpus Christi by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

2 June 2024-Sunday- Year B

Exodus 24: 3-8; Hebrews 9: 11-15; Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26

Key Eucharistic Miracles: Lanciano, Italy (8th Century, Circa 750)--The Miracle of Lanciano involved a priest who experienced doubts concerning Jesus’ actual presence in the Eucharist. Italy (1236)--The Miracle of Bolsena-Orvieto appeared to a priest who doubted the doctrine of transubstantiation — that the bread and wine turn into the literal body and blood of Christ during Communion.

Key Biblical Quotes on Eucharist:

Mat 26:17-30-“Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?...” The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:22-24  Luke 22:19-20-“Take it; this is My body.”  “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

John 6:35- “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

John 6:51-I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

John 6:53-57- “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.

Acts 2:46-47 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 20:7 -On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

1 Cor 10:16-22- Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

Key Eucharistic Events:

·      Wedding at Cana- the prefiguration.

·      Multiplication of bread at Capernaum-the promise

·      The Last Supper-the institution

·      Dinner with the disciples at Emmaus- the Celebration

 

Key Word: Transubstantiation

 

“When Jesus gave His body and blood He gave everything to us because He loves us”.

 

HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY 26th May 2024 by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

                                         

                                                               WONDERING GURU

                                          Let's Thank the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

Deut 4: 32-34, 39-40; Rom 8: 14-17; Mat 28: 16-20

Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Story: An American Jewish father was concerned about his son. He had not truly raised him to be grounded in the faith of Judaism. So, hoping to remedy this he sent his son to Israel so the boy could experience his heritage. A year later the young man returned home. He said, "Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our Fathers. It was wonderful and enlightening. However, I must confess that while in Israel I converted to Christianity." "Oh the father groaned what have I done?" So in the tradition of the patriarchs he went to his best friend and sought advice and solace. "It is amazing that you should come to me," stated his friend, "I too sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian." So in the traditions of the Patriarchs they went to the Rabbi. "It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi, "I too sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian. What is happening to our sons? "Brothers, we must take this to the Lord," said the Rabbi. They fell to their knees and began to wail and pour out their hearts to the Almighty. As they prayed, the clouds above opened and a mighty voice stated, "Amazing that you should come to Me. I, too, sent My Son to Israel..." (Pause)

This is Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, a day the Catholic Church historically has celebrated one of its central beliefs that of a triune God.  Coming from the Catholic faith tradition, we as Catholics express belief in the Trinity every time we pray for we begin all prayers with the Sign of the Cross, praying in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, the most common greeting used at the celebration of the Eucharist is from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor 13:13)

Even though the word “trinity” is not mentioned in the Bible there are many references in the bible pointing to Trinity. Jesus is talking to his disciples, and He refers to the Holy Spirit as well as to the Father. He says, “unless I go away, the Counselor [Comforter] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Many times, people refer to the Holy Spirit as “it” but Jesus goes on to say, “when he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment...” Then he refers to the Father when he says...”I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer.” One of the better-known scriptures referring to the Trinity is Mark 1:10. “As Jesus was coming up out of the water [at his baptism], he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Again, you see evidence of all three persons in the Godhead.

There are several ways to visually explain it. One is with an egg--you have the egg shell, the egg yolk, and the egg white. They are three distinct parts--but they are all EGG. Another way to explain the Trinity is by referring to water--a glass of water, an ice cube, or steam--it is different but all WATER. It is said that St. Patrick explained the Trinity with a shamrock. The three parts of the shamrock represented the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--but at the same time they were all shamrock.

What do you mean when you say that you believe in One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Do you believe in one God or three Gods? St Augustine of Hippo took nearly thirty years to write fifteen volumes called “About the Trinity” and was constantly updating and revising his work.   St. Augustine - so the story goes - was struggling to understand the doctrine of the Trinity. So he decided to go for a walk on the beach, where he saw a little boy digging a hole in the sand with a seashell. The boy then ran off to the ocean, filling the shell, and rushed back to pour it into the hole he had made. “What are you doing, my little man,” St. Augustine asked. “I’m trying to put the ocean into this hole”, the boy replied. Augustine suddenly realized that this was precisely what he was trying to do…to fit the great mysteries of God into his mind. But I do think we need to have some understanding of the nature of the Trinity.

Today on Trinity Sunday let’s thank God for the Father, thank God for the Son and Thank God for the Holy Spirit.

Yes, God is the Father, but I thank Him for being the Father. He is the everlasting God, whom Abraham and David of old worshipped. He is the Lord Jehovah, who helped His people. He is unchangeable, enduring, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is the Most High, supreme God, the ruler of Heaven and earth.  He is a big God. He is my provider.  He is my sustainer. He is my shepherd. He is my comfort. He is my hope. He is my healer. He is my peace. He is my constant companion. He is my Master. He is the Rock of Ages.  He is the great I am. He is the judge of all the earth. He is my father which means He constantly takes care of me. I am His child. He constantly watches over me.

Thank God for Jesus! For He died on the cross for my sins and paid the price for my redemption. Isaiah said He is “wonderful, counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Paul said He is, “the exalted one,” Peter said He is, “the Chief Shepherd” Matthew said He is, “the anointed one” James said He is, “the Lord of Glory” God said, “This is my beloved Son” The Angel said, “ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Thank God for Jesus!

The Word of God says He is Almighty, Alpha and Omega, Our Advocate, He is blessed and holy, He is the desire of all nations, He is the door, He is called Emmanuel, He is the first and the last, Horn of our salvation, The great I am He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords, He is our Mediator, He is the Messiah, The Morning Star, Our Passover, Our Savior, Our Shepherd. He is the Son of God, He is the Sun of Righteousness, Bright and Morning Star, Chief Corner Stone, The Living Stone, He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the true vine, He is the Living water, Our Physician, Prince of life and Prince of Peace, He is the propitiation for our sins, The mediator of a better covenant, Our redeemer, refuge and resurrection. He is our coming King who shall appear in the clouds of glory and take us home to be with Him forever and ever! Thank God for Jesus! He’s the well-spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance, He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness He’s the gateway of glory. He’s the prince of princes, He’s the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords. His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough.

Thirdly, Thank God for the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit gives me comfort. The Holy Spirit gives me power. The Holy Spirit testifies and glorifies Jesus Christ. He guides us into all truth. He convicts us of our sins.  And what is so wonderful is, He lives inside every Child of God!  Thank God for the Holy Spirit! He teaches us spiritual things.  Helps us search the deep things of God. He empowers us in our witnessing. He gives us assurance, and edification.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit! He helps us to become over-comers. He helps us bear good fruit. He gives us joy, peace, liberty, hope and life!

Like St. Augustine let’s not struggle to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity rather let us be grateful and thank each person of the Holy Trinity. Let’s thank God for the Father, thank God for the Son and Thank God for the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

 

 

The 3 Purposes of Pentecost by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

19 May 2024

Acts 2: 1-11;1 Cor 12: 3b-7, 12-13 or (Gal 5: 16-25)

Jn 20: 19-23 or (Jn 15: 26-27; 16: 12-15)

We celebrate the birth of Jesus & most of the world pauses to celebrate Christmas with us. We celebrate His resurrection and recognize Easter as a very special day on the calendar. But unfortunately, Pentecost does not receive the worldwide fame and importance. Yet, this day is important to us, because Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, & God has given us the wonderful opportunity of being a part of it. Pentecost was a once in history event, when the Church was born. So let me share with you three things that we learn from "Pentecost."

 

I. THE CHURCH IS THE WORK OF GOD- It’s God who started the Church not any man. God brought the Church into existence & it is His Church, not ours. We are just a part of it. It is essential for us to realize that.

II. THE CHURCH WAS BORN TO COMMUNICATE THE LOVE OF GOD-The mission of the Church is to communicate the love of God to a lost & dying world. The theme of Pentecost actually is communication. God gave the gift of tongues to the apostles for one purpose, & that was for the purpose of communication.  They had a problem because of different languages and cultures. So language barrier was the main issue.  Because God wanted each of them to hear the message in his/her own language, He performed a miracle, & gave the apostles the gift of tongues so they could communicate His message to everyone there.  The mission of the Church is to communicate the message. Today that gift of speaking in tongues is put into black and white. And therefore today, we have translated the Bible into hundreds of different languages & dialects.

III. THE CHURCH WAS BORN TO CREATE UNIQUE FELLOWSHIP AMONG BELIEVERS-On the Day of Pentecost there are 3,000 new converts, & they suddenly share something that has never been shared before. All of them know they are guilty - by their sins they are guilty of crucifying Christ. But now they have repented of their sins. They've been baptized. They've been redeemed, & they've been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, they are part of a new society, new fellowship.  They've come out of a world of slavery & superstition, of selfishness & greed.  Now they're part of a new fellowship where they can share things about themselves with others whom they know will listen & be kind & compassionate towards them.

IV THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD- How does the feast of Pentecost affect the church in the modern world? Let me share a story.  "A young man was apprenticed to a master artist who produced the most beautiful stained glass windows anywhere. The apprentice could not approach the master’s genius so he borrowed his master’s tools, thinking that was the answer. After several weeks, the young man said to his teacher, ’I’m not doing any better with your tools than I did with mine.’ The teacher replied,’ So, it’s not the tools of the master you need; it’s the spirit of the master you need.’

The Spirit of our master Jesus Christ has been with the Church since the first Pentecost, so that it could enter our spirit and enable us to be the kind of people God intended for us to be. Each day we need to renew ourselves and allow God’s Holy Spirit to replace our pride full spirit so that we can bear His cross in this world. The Holy Spirit works constantly with our spirit so that our lives may be transformed, be made new and rewarding.

 

 

 

Ascension- Good Bye! by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

May 12 2024

7^th Sunday of Easter, Year B

(Acts 1:15-17, 20A, 20C-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11B-19)

Introduction: The Ascension is largely overshadowed by the Incarnation and Resurrection. Christmas and Easter are great celebrations, but Ascension Day goes by without a trace, barely recognized—yet it is no minor event in the life of Jesus and His church. The Ascension means there can be no neutrality about Jesus. We cannot simply pick and choose from His teachings. We can’t treat him like any other religious leader or a political figure. The Ascension is the final proof that we are dealing with more than a man. All the Bible says about who Jesus is makes little sense without the Ascension. Through His ascent we know we are dealing with God.

It’s been said, Our Lord’s ascension is a climactic, glorious event—it is His exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Paul writes, “He who descended is the very One who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe” (Eph 4:10). Jesus humbly came to this earth; He descended to a sin-ruined planet, and went even to the gates of hell for us. Now He is seen returning to glory. It’s important that this event is described in the Bible. Luke tells us it took place “before their very eyes.” He wants us to know that something tangible, something real took place. Just as with the Resurrection, there were eyewitnesses to this historical event. It was a unique and spectacular moment! They saw the cloud take their Master to His heavenly home; this cloud was an OT image of the presence and glory of God, first seen in the wilderness wanderings of the Jews enroute to the Promised Land.

Easter Joy: On the day Jesus ascended to Heaven, 40 days after His Resurrection, His followers stood on the Mount of Olives grief-stricken. Their Easter-joy seemed short-lived. It took two angels to reassure them that this was part of the eternal Plan. Luke’s Gospel says that they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (24:52). The Ascension proved to be a blessing as it prepared for the coming of Jesus’ spiritual presence, no longer confined to the limitations of time and of a physical body. St Augustine reflects this benefit to us in a prayer: “You ascended from before our eyes, and we turned back grieving, only to find You in our hearts.” Jesus is present in us, wherever we go. He is our constant Companion. Author Philip Yancy suggests that, “ever since the Ascension, Jesus has sought other bodies in which to begin again the life He lived on earth…the Ascension represents my greatest struggle of faith—not whether it happened but why…by ascending, Jesus took the risk of being forgotten.” Like the disciples, we really don’t want Jesus to go. We feel detached from Him. We’re looking up into the blank sky, wishing Jesus were closer to us. Even though we may not feel His presence, we are assured that He will never leave or forsake us!

Why did Jesus say Good Bye to his apostles?

•So that He could keep His promise of sending the Holy Spirit. Jn. 16:7—It is necessary for you that I go away, for if I don’t the Comforter won’t come!

•So that He might serve as our High Priest. Rev. 1:13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.    These are the garments of the high priest, in Exodus 28.

What has Jesus been doing since He left this earth? Resting?

•Intercession-(Heb. 7:25) We pray to the ascended Lord, “Thy will be done; Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Jesus hears our prayers and intercedes for us; He responds to our prayers because we are His people. He is our Mediator, Advocate and great High Priest. No angel could adequately represent us. Calvin writes, “Jesus has entered heaven in our flesh, as if in our name.” So, in a sense, as Paul writes, we are seated with God “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6).

•Intervention-Our Lord’s ascension assures us that we too will be taken up to Heaven. He’s preparing a place for us. Many people fear or obsess over death, yet for believers, death is no longer an issue. Our eternal home is a settled promise. And Jesus is busy working to bring about His Kingdom rule on earth, in preparation for His return: “Jesus, who has been taken up from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven” (Acts 1:11). One day He’ll call us to cross over to Glory and join Him in His victory.  In the meantime, we’re waiting, and often experiencing pain and hardship. When we focus on our losses, like the disciples on the day of Ascension, we need to take a step back and look beyond our personal experiences, and seek what God wants us to have—HOPE. Hope invites us to confess and to repent of our sins. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess…” That is not talking about salvation but rather the daily confession, repentance, and forgiveness needed in the life of a believer.

“Easter is incomplete, Pentecost is impeded, and the Second Coming is impossible without the Ascension” (Robert Ramsey).