Gospel
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’
Matthew 28:16-20
Matthew 28:16-20
At that time: The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
The Gospel of the Lord
A Rocket to Heaven
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Today we celebrate that humanity has reached God, because Christ became man. If mankind’s arrival on the moon was celebrated with such grandeur, how much more should we celebrate this feast—the arrival of man in God? With the greatest rejoicing imaginable—and quite literally, to the highest heights.
Man reached the moon by rocket—but what has been the means of propulsion to reach Heaven? Our weakness.
That is why the Apostle Paul boasts precisely in his weakness, because it is there that he most deeply experiences the victory of God’s power: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is our weakness—not our strength—that Christ uses, filling it with His power in order to save us. How astonishing are the works of God’s love!
Man reached the moon by rocket—but what has been the means of propulsion to reach Heaven? Our weakness.
That is why the Apostle Paul boasts precisely in his weakness, because it is there that he most deeply experiences the victory of God’s power: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is our weakness—not our strength—that Christ uses, filling it with His power in order to save us. How astonishing are the works of God’s love!
Applied to Married Life
Once again, John has fallen into one of those perfectionist spirals that sometimes overtake him. He begins to think that nothing is working properly, and that it is up to him to put everything in order at home.
Those days become difficult. He starts correcting everyone, criticising every little thing. The joy seems to vanish from his face as though stolen away. He becomes tense, impatient, and demanding.
Until, at last, he becomes aware of it.
Who do I think I am? he asks himself. As though everything depended on me! Goodness me… (quite literally, God help me).
And so, with a humbled and contrite heart, he turns back to the Father.
There, in prayer, he discovers anew that he has a wonderful wife—far more than he deserves. He sees that he is not worthy of such a gift. He realises that his children, despite their struggles and imperfections, are gifts from God. He sees that his family is a treasure.
He discovers God present in his life—in the ordinary things, in the everyday moments. He encounters the God who became man: close, human, approachable—yet now seated at the right hand of the Father, possessing all power.
After going to confession, John returns home with joy in his heart—once more a weak man, but a weak man living with God.
And his wife rejoices, because once again the joy that only God can give is shining on John’s face.
Those days become difficult. He starts correcting everyone, criticising every little thing. The joy seems to vanish from his face as though stolen away. He becomes tense, impatient, and demanding.
Until, at last, he becomes aware of it.
Who do I think I am? he asks himself. As though everything depended on me! Goodness me… (quite literally, God help me).
And so, with a humbled and contrite heart, he turns back to the Father.
There, in prayer, he discovers anew that he has a wonderful wife—far more than he deserves. He sees that he is not worthy of such a gift. He realises that his children, despite their struggles and imperfections, are gifts from God. He sees that his family is a treasure.
He discovers God present in his life—in the ordinary things, in the everyday moments. He encounters the God who became man: close, human, approachable—yet now seated at the right hand of the Father, possessing all power.
After going to confession, John returns home with joy in his heart—once more a weak man, but a weak man living with God.
And his wife rejoices, because once again the joy that only God can give is shining on John’s face.
Mother,
my Brother Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. From there, He cares for me, pours out His grace upon me, and intercedes for me. What an honour that is. Praised be the Lord, who makes of my weakness a witness to His power. To Him be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen.