Newsletter - 12 May 2024
Happy Feast of The Ascension
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In the Creed we say that Jesus “ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father”. Jesus’ life on earth culminated with Ascension, when he passed from this world to the Father and was raised. The Gospel of Mark – which we are invited to meditate this year – specifies that “there at the right hand of God, he took his place”. What does this mean? How does it affect our life? What does contemplating Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father mean?
We might have the impression that Ascension points to Jesus’ absence. For sure it is: he will no longer be with his disciples in the way he used to be before, when he initially called them and then when he was working with them during his 3-year ministry on earth, sharing all simple and very fraternal experiences, growing in mutual knowledge and appreciation of one another. Now the disciples will have to experience and accept a new kind of relationship with him, a relationship which goes beyond his physical presence with them.
On our side, should we too have to accept the sad reality that he is not to be experienced in a human way on earth? We who did not even have the chance to experience his 3-year ministry prior to his death and resurrection some 2000 years ago. Certainly, Ascension does have to tell us something else, which is a good news for us today. Actually Ascension points out that he is alive in our midst in a new way. He is now in the lordship of God, present in every space and time, close to each one of us as he himself says “at the right hand of God… working with them and confirming the word by signs”. The Lord, who is seated with God the Father, is present with us on this earth, in all our doings and activities.
Most important of all, it is not the same Son who is going back to heaven and taking his place at the Father’s right. It is the incarnated Son, meaning he is bringing humanity with him, next to his Father. The Feast of Ascension sheds light on the completion of God’s salvation plan for the whole humanity: God has accepted to take humanity with him, in him, to bring salvation to us in this most wonderful way.
Fr Pascal Sullivan, ccn
Focus of the Week
Change to mass times on Sunday 12 May
Mass times : 10am and 12 noon
We will be celebrating 20 children receiving First Holy Communion.
On this occasion the masses will be at 10am and 12 noon.
Both of the First Holy Communion masses will be live-streamed.
Pentecost
Saturday 18 May at 8 PM
We will be joined by High Barnet Parish