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Open To Understand

31/5/2019

A Reflection on the Gospel for June 2nd, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Luke 24.44-53

Jesus said to the disciples, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
“And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Have you ever tried really hard to solve a difficult problem? To crack a riddle, or unravel a hopelessly tangled necklace or ball of yarn? To find orientation in the midst of an all-too-real, complicated personal situation? To confront awkwardness or pain in our relationships with others? To make sense of a traumatic event beyond our control, or to admit fault? These things can be oh, so difficult — and in my experience, the more I stare at and wrestle with a problem, often the harder it gets to solve.

As humans, we desire to understand and control things. Part of the mystery of faith is that it is difficult to understand — but in my experience, oddly enough, it seems that if I surrender my desire to understand, somehow I become able to do so. God continually makes things make sense in and through Jesus. This is the line that stood out to me in this reading: “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures”. Without Jesus to explain, how could the disciples possibly have understood what was happening in those days of complete disorientation?

Before I knew about faith, I lived with great confidence in my own ability to understand and to control, and I soon discovered I was moving deeper and deeper into disorientation. I lived through times when I didn’t know which end was up; where there were many possible solutions to problems, but the best one was not obvious. Into places where my own mind, my own decisions, and my own desires seemed to just keep me moving deeper into dissatisfaction, into division, and into despair. Where that ball of yarn just kept becoming more and more tangled, and I just couldn’t find the end. It still amazes me that it was Christianity, the thing that had always seemed most unlikely to help me, that drew me in. It was what intrigued me, what made me look. The beauty of the mystery, the space that is created for hope in the promise of true and deep restoration and reconciliation — I had never truly found that anywhere else.

"It still amazes me that it was Christianity, the thing that had always seemed most unlikely to help me, that drew me in."

For me, the beauty of our faith lies in that God has given us the gift of Jesus’ life that so beautifully mirrors our own lives — not that we are without sin, but that we are born with a purpose, that we live, we love, and we suffer. Through Jesus, we can see where we have contributed to our own suffering, and we can see where what has happened to us was not what God would have wanted. Through His forgiveness and His tender love, we can be healed. The restoration of His body in the resurrection orients us toward the One who restores us and the ascension shows us we can be raised up to be fully who we are intended to be, and to live with authentic joy. He opens our minds to understand the scriptures; He is the answer to the puzzle, which, at first glance, makes no sense at all.

Lindsay Elford

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Anchored in Hope

30/5/2019

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A Reflection on the Second Reading for June 2nd, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Ephesians 1.17-23

Brothers and sisters: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

For many years, I misunderstood what it means to hope — thinking of it as only “a desire for something”. We often use the word hope to express a preference or sentiment, such as, “I hope that it doesn’t rain tomorrow” or, “I hope that my sister left the last doughnut for me”. The outcome is something fleeting, and we either get what we want, or we miss out.

Historically, I didn’t like to let myself hope in this way for anything, whether it was trivial or vital. There was a defence mechanism at work when I strived for indifference. I would operate based on the illusion that numbing my desire prevented me from being disappointed when I didn’t get what I longed for and that it just made me pleasantly surprised when things did go my way. However, I typically found myself expecting the worst (and being miserable) and regretting the time that I wasted needlessly worrying when things did go alright. The pain I tried to protect myself from showed up in different ways, within my own anticipation of being let down.

Looking exclusively at this world, it is easy to hold a negative bias. In fact, this attitude is engrained in us as a survival instinct, because expecting potentially lethal situations allows us to prepare for them. Our brains work against us, and I would argue that, on a spiritual level, sin also works against us. Apart from God, we may conclude that hope makes us weak and opens us up to frustration and failure.

The truth is that hope, in its intended context, is courageous. Hope is the virtue that anchors us and helps us move towards victory and life.

"The truth is that hope, in its intended context, is courageous. Hope is the virtue that anchors us and helps us move towards victory and life."

Hope is more than desiring something — it is the expectation of receiving it. And of course, looking at anything that is transient (i.e., In this world), acts of hope are mostly foolish. Even that which I may eventually receive will also eventually be taken away from me. The only way that hope makes sense is when we possess faith first — faith in something that, or someone who, does not fade away.

Faith, a gift from God and a function of the intellect, requires enough knowledge and understanding to believe in something that has not been fully revealed. We come to know Christ, only in part, and we have faith that He is with us — journeying with us and revealing Himself more and more each day. And eventually we come to understand that He is our greatest desire.

In Jesus we find lasting hope, and He calls us to “the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints”. Our hope is found in the knowledge that He is preparing a place for each one of us — a home with Him, where we can live for all eternity in love and fullness of life. He is our hope, heaven is our destination (or our destined nation), and we can hold fast to Christ with expectant hearts, knowing He is the way who will get us there.

Kendra Chisholm

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Who is God to You?

29/5/2019

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A Reflection on the Psalm for June 2nd, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Psalm 47

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth.

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a Psalm. God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

The psalms were written to communicate different feelings and thoughts as a reflection of what the author was feeling at the time based on his/her situation. They cover an array of emotions from sorrow, lament, and depression to joy, praise and celebration. They are not meant to simply read, but rather to be prayed.

To me, Psalm 47 is a psalm of praise. On my own, I would not have selected this scripture prayer to reflect my mood today, but God in His wisdom led me here today, at this moment in time and this frame of mind, to ponder these words. It is a reminder of how I can get so caught up in my own struggles and feelings that I can neglect to focus on why God is always worthy of my praise despite what I am going through.

“For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth”. Whomever wrote this psalm wanted to vocalize God’s impact in their life. This is something we all should learn and practice doing. Psalms of praise like this one can be a good way to build up our own vocabulary of praise if we are struggling. “The Lord”, “The Most High”, “awesome”, “a Great King over all the earth”. Who is God to you?

"Psalms of praise like this one can be a good way to build up our own vocabulary of praise if we are struggling."

Inspired by this psalm, as I reflect on who God is to me and why He deserves my praise, some of the examples that come to mind are: “my Safe Place”, “my Saviour and Redeemer”, “my Creator who formed me with great intentionality”, “the Centre of my Life”, “my Light”, and “my Hope”. It is important that we regularly reflect on who God is to us in order that we can share this with others. As we grow in our praise to God, our love for Him will also grow.

Heavenly Father, today I choose to praise You despite my broken and selfish ways. We trust in Your greatness and Your plan for each one of us, that regardless of what we are currently going through, You know what is best for us and for that we praise You.

Tammy LeBlanc

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Know Less, Trust More

28/5/2019

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A Reflection on the First Reading for June 2, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1.1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

These are the words that jumped off the page as I read this scripture, “It is not for you to know…”
This statement and others like it have always been very difficult for me to accept. I remember as a child being “tortured” by words such as these, “It’s not your business”, or “This has nothing to do with you so you don’t need to know.” It would peak my curiosity to a painful level when I knew someone was talking about something, ANYTHING, but wouldn’t share it with me.

Over the years I have felt God say these words to me many times. Words like, “It’s none of your business what that street person does with the money you give him. Just give it.”

“It’s not for you to know how I am going to use this gesture of hospitality. Just do it.”

“You don’t need to know the plans I have for your children. Just trust me.”

I have learned that when I embrace these words my trust in God has grown, sometimes just a little, but more often than not, by leaps and bounds. I learn that God is God and I am not. I don’t always need to know the time or the season.

"When I let go of the need to know, I am rewarded."

When I let go of the need to know, I am rewarded. Rewarded with the peace that only He can give. Peace that comes from knowing that I don’t need to be in control of everything in my life. Peace that comes from knowing that God has a plan for me, and for my family and friends. I’m rewarded with freedom. Freedom from trying to control what happens next.

“It is not for you to know…” are words of great love from Jesus to us. In these words He is releasing us from the responsibility of trying to make everything right for everybody. He knows what is coming next and we can trust that it will be GOOD because He loves us!

Maxine Brown

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Open To Understand

A Reflection on the Gospel for June 2nd, 2019:The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Anchored in Hope

A Reflection on the Second Reading for June 2nd, 2019:The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Who is God to You?

A Reflection on the Psalm for June 2nd, 2019:The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Know Less, Trust More

A Reflection on the First Reading for June 2, 2019:The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Archives

A Reflection on the Gospel for June 2nd, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

A Reflection on the Second Reading for June 2nd, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

A Reflection on the Psalm for June 2nd, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

A Reflection on the First Reading for June 2, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord