Fr. German’s Message
In certain countries, like the USA, there are
some dioceses that celebrate the Ascension of our Lord on the seventh Sunday of
Easter instead of the Thursday before it.
The archdiocese of Los Angeles is one of those
dioceses that chose to transfer the feast of Ascension Thursday to Sunday.
We celebrate, then, on this first weekend of
June, the feast by which we are mindful of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven and of the responsibility
that is ours to continue His mission on earth.
After the Ascension of Jesus to His Father’s
side, God’s presence on earth has been confided to all the baptized. On the day of Pentecost we receive the Holy
Spirit in order to have the
necessary insights and strength to give witness before all people to the presence and action of
God in today’s world.
The feast of the Ascension invites us to reflect
on the means that we have to
give witness and to announce to all that Jesus rose to save everyone. God is present in our world
through Christians who gather every Sunday to form the Body of Christ.
The fact that Jesus is no longer visible on
earth may fill us with nostalgia, but the feast of the Ascension invites us to
combat nostalgia and live with joy and hope. We are the Body of Christ and we have the mission of announcing
and revealing the presence and action of Him Who went to prepare a place for
us, so that where He is, we may also go.
Let us celebrate the feast of the Ascension
together and be grateful to the Lord for the community of St. Sebastian which
permits us to gather together every Sunday to celebrate, to instruct ourselves,
to nourish ourselves and to form the Body of Christ.
May this feast of the Ascension help us to be
conscientious about the great
gift that the Lord gave us in confiding us with the responsibility of giving
witness to
His presence.
May this feast of the Ascension help us to feel
responsible for the vitality and
the joy of our community so that all will discover the joy of living our
Baptism and allowing ourselves to be animated by the Holy
Spirit.
Happy feast of the Ascension and don’t forget that in the Community
there is a place for each one, without exception.
Have a great week
Fr. Germán June 4th
/ 5th 2011