Witnessing to Others:
Now having met together, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom of Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to earth’s remotest end.”
To many people, Ascension may seem a paradox. It seems like a necessary means to an end -- that only after Ascension can there be a Pentecost. Thus, many people tend to gloss over the significance of the Ascension, and tend to focus more on Pentecost, that great birthday of the Church.
Thus, it may come as a surprise to most of us, that the Ascension is actually a new beginning by itself. The disciples’ last statement before Jesus went up to heaven is a somewhat selfish one, it is clearly stating the disciples wish that Israel regained its former glory and power, most likely at the expense of others. However, the Lord turned it into a much more positive slant, by exhorting them to witness to “earth’s remotest end”.
What then does this have to do with us? In fact, this has a lot in parallel with each of us. We can choose to follow the disciples’ mindset, or the Lord’s command. In the disciples’ mindset, they expected some rewards to follow immediately after the ascension, in this case power and dominion. It can be also be same for us, that just because Christ has risen from the dead, our salvation is assured, and therefore we are only waiting for the reward of eternal life. But that is clearly not what the Lord intended us to do.
The interesting fact here is that even though Jesus’ ministry on Earth is finished, neither the disciples nor ours are done yet. The Ascension will lose its true meaning unless we are a witness of the Good News to those around us. How then do we witness to others? The best way is by reaching out to others like Christ reached out to us, by loving others as Christ has loved us, by dying to others as Christ has died for us. There are many men and women in history, from St Vincent de Paul to St Francis of Assisi to Mother Theresa, who by their lives and examples, have touched more people than any earthly power can ever hope to achieve. Thus, by their actions, they have expanded the kingdom of God. Therefore, Jesus has made a very wise decision in choosing witnessing over power and dominion. It is up to us to do the same.
-Contributed by Raymond Ang, 03 May 2007,
Photo by Nana, taken in Oklahoma City.
Toppings
It is not how much we have, but how much we know we have.
One day, 2 young boys were talking under a palm tree. One was from a middle class family, and he has what the world calls "Luxuries of Life". The other boy was lucky if he could have breakfast the next morning. But there was always a smile on his face.
Rich boy: "Why are you always smiling?" You don't even have a roof over your head!
Rich in spirit answered: "I have the stars to watch me go to bed every night, the sky as my blanket, and the gentle night breeze as my fan.
Rich boy: "My mother just bought me the newest MP3 player, it’s really cool! Will you ever get one?
Rich in spirit replied: “I have a heart full of song, and God sings to me through the rustling of the trees, and the tweeting of the birds. Sometimes, even silence is a song of peace.”
Rich boy: “I go to school and I have all these books with beautiful pictures to teach me about the world and about life.”
Rich in spirit replied: I spend my whole day watching God’s creation. I watch the sun rise, till it sets at dusk. I watch little plants grow into tall sturdy trees. I watch the birds lay eggs, and I play with the baby birds when they hatch. I use mud and the river water to build myself a play pen. I know which plants I can eat from, and which shoots I can use to make my mom a basket for her things. I thank God for these lessons of life.
-Contributed by Nana Philea Moo, 05 May 2007
Extra Goodies
“For many are called,but few are chosen.”Matthew 22: 14
17 inspiring stories that make life a little fuller, smiles a little wider and hearts a little softer. A great trEAT! Where priests share their stories of being Called and Chosen... Takeaway
Confirmation Mass!
Share the “Holy Spirit” moment with them!
Date: Sunday, 20 May 2007
Time: 6pm Mass
Venue: Main Church Hall
No comments:
Post a Comment