I’ve always felt that today’s feast, the Ascension, only makes sense in the light of next Sunday’s feast, Pentecost. If Ascension is about the great leaving of Jesus, then Pentecost is about the great return of Jesus. Or, as Jesus said in last Sunday’s gospel passage, “I am going away, and I am coming to you” (Jn. 14:28). To which I always want to ask, “Jesus, are you coming or are you going? Because this kind of talk is very ...
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How Hopeful are We About Heaven?
As we enter the month of June, many things in church world are slowing down, getting ready for the summer break. Parish councils are having their last meetings, diocesan committees are wrapping up another pastoral year and even faith development gatherings such as catechism and R.C.I.A. are taking a break. I am blessed to serve as part of the team that are facilitating the sessions entitled “Dying With Christ, Living With Hope”, and we are ...
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Twenty-one years ago, when I was young and foolish, I hopped in the car and drove 3,600 km to go to a retreat center in Tucson, Arizona. It was in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by giant cactus plants, some with arms stretching 25 feet into the air. In each of the retreatants’ rooms was the standard bed, desk, chair and a lamp. I had been on retreats before. So, I knew there would be a piece of ...
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