7 th Sunday From Easter

7 th Sunday From Easter of the Holy Fathers of the 1 st Ecumenical Council Κυριακή Ζ από του Πάσχα Των Αγίων Πατέρων Όρθρος Κυριακής στις 8:45 π.μ. και Θ. Λειτουργία στις 10:00 π.μ. Sunday Orthros at 8:45 a.m. and D. Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. Presiding Priest: Fr. Nicholas Dassouras 28 Μαΐου 2017 28 May 2017

Ήχος πλ. β Εωθινόν Ι Tone: Plagal 2 nd Morning Gospel: 10 th Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, Κυριακῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πάσχα, τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πρώτην Οἰκουμενικὴν Σύνοδον ἑορτάζομεν, τῶν τριακοσίων δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ θεοφόρων Πατέρων και την μνήμη τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἱερομάρτυρος Εὐτυχοῦς, Ἐπισκόπου Μελιτινῆς, & τῆς Ἁγίας Μάρτυρος Ἑλικωνίδος.

On this day, the seventh Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the First Ecumenical Synod in Nicaea of the three hundred eighteen God-bearing Fathers and we, also, commemorate the Holy Hiero-Martyr Eutychius, Bishop of Melitene & the Ηoly Martyr Heliconis.

ΝΕΑ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ / NEWS OF THE DAY Εξάμηνον Μνημόσυνον υπέρ αναπαύσεως του δούλου του Θεού Βασιλείου Κυριαζίδη & Ετήσιον Μνημόσυνον υπέρ αναπαύσεως του δούλου του Θεού Γεωργίου Παπαδόπουλου Sixth Month Memorial Service for the servant of God Vasilios Kiriazidis & One Year Memorial Service for the servant of God George Papadopoulos Σαραντισμός της Ελπίδας Τζιλιάνου και των τέκνων της Θεοχάρους & Ευτυχίας Άννης Fortieth Day Blessing (Churching) for Elpida Tzilianos and her son Theoharis & daughter Eftihia Anna

Ο καφές και τα γλυκά που θα προσφερθούν στην κοινοτική αίθουσα μετά την Θ. Λειτουργία είναι προσφορά εις μνήμην Γεωργίου Παπαδοπούλου & Βασιλείου Κυριαζιδη, από τις οικογένειές τους The coffee fellowship hour which will be offered at the church house, following the Divine Liturgy, is offered in memory of George Papadopoulos & Vasilios Kiriazidis, by their families Το ερχόμενο Σάββατο 3 Ιουνίου, (Ψυχοσάββατον), Ο π. Νικόλαος θα ευρίσκεται στο κοιμητήριο Riverside στις 11:00 π.μ. και St. John στις 12:30 μ.μ. δι όσους επιθυμούν να επιτελέσουν τρισάγια υπέρ αναπαύσεως των κεκοιμημένων. This coming Saturday, June 3 rd, (Saturday of Souls), Fr. Nicholas will be at the Riverside Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. and at the St. John s Cemetery, at 12:30 p.m., for Trissagia in memory of our brothers and sisters in Christ who have fallen asleep

ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΟΣ Παρασκευή 2 Ιουνίου 6:00 μ.μ.: Εσπερινός διά το Ψυχοσάββατον. Σάββατο 3 Ιουνίου 8:00 π.μ.: Όρθρος & Θ. Λειτουργία διά το Ψυχοσάββατον.

WORSHIP SERVICES Friday, June 2 nd - 6:00-p.m.: Vespers for the Saturday of Souls. Saturday, June 3 rd - 8:00 a.m. : Orthros & D. Liturgy for the Saturday of Souls.

Αναστάσιμον Απολυτίκιον, Ηχος πλ. β' Αγγελικαί Δυνάμεις επί τό μνήμά σου, καί οι φυλάσσοντες απενεκρώθησαν, καί ίστατο Μαρία εν τώ τάφω, ζητούσα τό άχραντόν σου σώμα. Εσκύλευσας τόν Άδην, μή πειρασθείς υπ' αυτού, υπήντησας τη Παρθένω, δωρούμενος τήν ζωήν, ο αναστάς εκ των νεκρών, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Απολυτίκιον της Αναλήψεως. Ἦχος δ. Ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, χαροποιήσας τοὺς Μαθητάς, τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος βεβαιωθέντων αὐτῶν διὰ τῆς εὐλογίας, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ λυτρωτὴς τοῦ κόσμου. Απολυτίκιον των Πατέρων. Ἦχος πλ. δ. Ὑπερδεδοξασμένος εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ φωστῆρας ἐπὶ γῆς τοὺς Πατέρας ἡμῶν θεμελιώσας, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν πρὸς τὴν ἀληθινὴν πίστιν, πάντας ἡμᾶς ὁδηγήσας πολυεύσπλαγχνε, δόξα σοι. Απολυτίκιον Αγίου Γεωργίου, Hχος δ. Ὡς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐλευθερωτὴς καὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ὑπερασπιστής, ἀσθενούντων ἰατρός, βασιλέων ὑπέρμαχος, Τροπαιοφόρε Μεγαλομάρτυς Γεώργιε, πρεσβεῦε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τάς ψυχὰς ἠμῶν. Κοντάκιο, Ήχος πλ. δ Τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πληρώσας οἰκονομίαν, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς ἑνώσας τοῖς οὐρανίοις, ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐδαμόθεν χωριζόμενος, ἀλλὰ μένων ἀδιάστατος, καὶ βοῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε Ἐγώ εἰμι μεθ' ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐδεὶς καθ' ὑμῶν.

Αpolytikion of Resurrection, Plagal of the Second Tone O Christ, the angelic powers appeared at Your tomb, the guards were as dead, and Mary stood by the sepulcher, seeking Your sacred body. You destroyed Hades yet remained untouched by it. You encountered the Virgin and through her, bestowed Life. Glory to You who has risen from the dead! Αpolytikion of the Ascension, Fourth Tone O Christ our God, You ascended in Glory and gladdened Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Your blessing assured them that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. Αpolytikion of the Fathers, Plagal Fourth Tone You are greatly glorified, O Christ our God, who established our Fathers as luminaries upon the earth, and through them led us all to the true Faith. O Most compassionate, glory to You. Αpolytikion for St. George, tone fourth As the one renowned for setting captives free, and for defending those in poverty, the physician of the sick and the champion of kings, do thou, o Victory-bearer and Great Martyr George, intercede to Christ our God for the salvation of our souls. Kontakion, Tone Plagal Fourth O Christ our God, upon fulfilling Your dispensation for our sake, You ascended in Glory, uniting the earthly with the heavenly. You were never separate but remained inseparable, and cried out to those who love You, "I am with you and no one is against you.

Αποστολικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ των Πράξεων των Αποστόλων 20:16-18,28-36 Ἐν ταῖς ἡμεραῖς ἐκείναις, ἔκρινεν ὁ Παῦλος παραπλεῦσαι τὴν Ἔφεσον ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ ἔσπευδεν γὰρ εἰ δυνατὸν εἴη αὐτῷ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς γενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Μιλήτου πέμψας εἰς Ἔφεσον μετεκαλέσατο τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Ὡς δὲ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ἀπὸ πρώτης ἡμέρας ἀφ ἧς ἐπέβην εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν πῶς μεθ ὑμῶν τὸν πάντα χρόνον ἐγενόμην προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου. Ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσονται ἄνδρες λαλοῦντες διεστραμμένα τοῦ ἀποσπᾶν τοὺς μαθητὰς ὀπίσω αὐτῶν. Διὸ γρηγορεῖτε μνημονεύοντες ὅτι τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον. Καὶ τὰ νῦν παρατίθεμαι ὑμᾶς τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ τῷ δυναμένῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν κληρονομίαν ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πᾶσιν. Ἀργυρίου ἢ χρυσίου ἢ ἱματισμοῦ οὐδενὸς ἐπεθύμησα αὐτοὶ γινώσκετε ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσιν μετ ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται. Πάντα ὑπέδειξα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὕτως κοπιῶντας δεῖ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενούντων μνημονεύειν τε τῶν λόγων τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπεν Μακάριόν ἐστιν μᾶλλον διδόναι ἢ λαμβάνειν. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν θεὶς τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ σὺν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς προσηύξατο.

The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18,28-36 IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

Ευαγγελικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ του κατά Ιωάννην 17:1-13 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐπάρας ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶπεν Πάτερ ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν ἵνα ὁ υἱὸς δοξάσῃ σέ καθὼς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ δώσῃ αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. Ἐγώ σε ἐδόξασα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὸ ἔργον τελειώσας ὃ δέδωκάς μοι ἵνα ποιήσω καὶ νῦν δόξασόν με σύ πάτερ παρὰ σεαυτῷ τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί. Ἐφανέρωσά σου τὸ ὄνομα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὓς ἔδωκάς μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. σοὶ ἦσαν κἀμοὶ αὐτοὺς ἔδωκας καὶ τὸν λόγον σου τετήρηκαν. Νῦν ἔγνωκαν ὅτι πάντα ὅσα δέδωκάς μοι παρὰ σοῦ εἰσιν ὅτι τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἔδωκάς μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀληθῶς ὅτι παρὰ σοῦ ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας. Ἐγὼ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐρωτῶ οὐ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου ἐρωτῶ ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν δέδωκάς μοι ὅτι σοί εἰσιν καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πάντα σά ἐστιν καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά καὶ δεδόξασμαι ἐν αὐτοῖς. Καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εἰσίν κἀγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι. Πάτερ ἅγιε τήρησον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν καθὼς ἡμεῖς. Ὅτε ἤμην μετ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι καὶ ἐφύλαξα καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπώλετο εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ. Νῦν δὲ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι καὶ ταῦτα λαλῶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἵνα ἔχωσιν τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἐμὴν πεπληρωμένην ἐν αὑτοῖς.

The Reading is from John 17:1-13 At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. "I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."

Αποστολικό Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ των Πράξεων των Αποστόλων 20:16-18,28-36 Τότε ο Παύλος αποφάσισε να παρακάμψει την Έφεσο, για να μη χρονοτριβήσει στην επαρχία της Ασίας βιαζόταν να είναι στα Ιεροσόλυμα, αν του ήταν δυνατό, την ημέρα της Πεντηκοστής. Από τη Μίλητο ο Παύλος έστειλε στην Έφεσο και κάλεσε τους πρεσβυτέρους της εκκλησίας. Όταν ήρθαν και τον συνάντησαν τους είπε: «Εσείς οι ίδιοι ξέρετε πώς συμπεριφέρθηκα απέναντί σας όλον τον καιρό, από την πρώτη μέρα που πάτησα το πόδι μου στην επαρχία της Ασίας. Προσέχετε, λοιπόν, τον εαυτό σας και όλο το ποίμνιο, στο οποίο το Πνεύμα το Άγιο σας έθεσε επισκόπους για να ποιμαίνετε την εκκλησία του Κυρίου και Θεού, που την έκανε δική του με το αίμα του. Εγώ το ξέρω ότι μετά την αναχώρησή μου θα εισβάλουν σ εσάς λύκοι άγριοι, που δε θα λυπηθούν το ποίμνιο. Ακόμα και από ανάμεσά σας θα βγουν πρόσωπα που θα διδάσκουν πλάνες για να παρασύρουν τους πιστούς με το μέρος τους. Γι αυτό να αγρυπνείτε, και να θυμάστε ότι τρία χρόνια συνέχεια δεν έπαψα νύχτα και μέρα να νουθετώ με δάκρυα τον καθένα σας. Τώρα, αδερφοί, σάς εμπιστεύομαι στο Θεό και στο κήρυγμα που σας αποκάλυψε η χάρη του. Αυτός μπορεί να σας κάνει ώριμους στην πίστη και να σας δώσει την επουράνια ζωή μαζί με όλους όσοι είναι δικοί του. Ασήμι ή χρυσάφι ή ιματισμό από κανένα δε ζήτησα. Εσείς οι ίδιοι ξέρετε ότι για τις ανάγκες τις δικές μου και των συνοδών μου δούλεψαν αυτά εδώ τα χέρια. Με κάθε τρόπο σάς έδωσα το παράδειγμα, ότι πρέπει να εργάζεστε έτσι σκληρά, για να μπορείτε να βοηθάτε αυτούς που έχουν

ανάγκη. Να θυμάστε τα λόγια του Κυρίου μας Ιησού, που είπε: καλύτερο είναι να δίνεις παρά να παίρνεις». Αφού είπε αυτά τα λόγια, γονάτισε αυτός κι όλοι εκείνοι και προσευχήθηκε Ευαγγελικό Ανάγνωσμα: Εκ του κατά Ιωάννη 17:1-13 Εκείνο τον καιρό, ο Ιησούς, σήκωσε τα μάτια του στον ουρανό και είπε: «Πατέρα, έφτασε η ώρα φανέρωσε τη δόξα του Υιού σου, ώστε κι ο Υιός σου να φανερώσει τη δική σου δόξα. Εσύ του έδωσες εξουσία πάνω σε όλους τους ανθρώπους έτσι κι αυτός θα δώσει την αιώνια ζωή σε όλους αυτούς που του εμπιστεύτηκες. Και να ποια είναι η αιώνια ζωή: Ν αναγνωρίζουν οι άνθρωποι εσένα ως τον μόνο αληθινό Θεό, καθώς κι εκείνον που έστειλες, τον Ιησού Χριστό. Εγώ φανέρωσα τη δόξα σου πάνω στη γη, αφού ολοκλήρωσα το έργο που μου ανέθεσες να κάνω. Τώρα λοιπόν εσύ, Πατέρα, δόξασέ με κοντά σ εσένα με τη δόξα που είχα κοντά σου προτού να γίνει ο κόσμος. Εγώ σε έκανα γνωστό στους ανθρώπους που τους πήρες μέσα από τον κόσμο και μου τους εμπιστεύτηκες. Ανήκαν σ εσένα, κι εσύ τους έδωσες σ εμένα, κι έχουν δεχτεί το λόγο σου. Αυτοί τώρα ξέρουν πως όλα όσα μου έδωσες προέρχονται από σένα γιατί τις διδαχές που μου έδωσες, εγώ τις έδωσα σ αυτούς, κι αυτοί τις δέχτηκαν και αναγνώρισαν πως πραγματικά από σένα προέρχομαι, και πίστεψαν πως εσύ με έστειλες στον κόσμο. Εγώ γι αυτούς παρακαλώ. Δεν παρακαλώ για τον κόσμο αλλά γι αυτούς που μου έδωσες,

γιατί ανήκουν σ εσένα. Κι όλα όσα είναι δικά μου είναι και δικά σου, και τα δικά σου είναι και δικά μου, και δι αυτών θα φανερωθεί η δόξα μου. Τώρα δεν είμαι πια μέσα στον κόσμο ενώ αυτοί μένουν μέσα στον κόσμο, κι εγώ έρχομαι σ εσένα. Άγιε Πατέρα, διατήρησέ τους στην πίστη με τη δύναμη του ονόματός σου που μου χάρισες, για να μείνουν ενωμένοι όπως εμείς. Όταν ήμουν μαζί τους στον κόσμο, εγώ τους διατηρούσα στην πίστη με τη δύναμη του ονόματός σου. Αυτούς που μου έδωσες τους φύλαξα, και κανένας απ αυτούς δε χάθηκε, παρά μόνο ο άνθρωπος της απώλειας, για να εκπληρωθούν τα λόγια της Γραφής. Τώρα όμως εγώ έρχομαι σ εσένα, και τα λέω αυτά όσο είμαι ακόμα στον κόσμο, ώστε να έχουν τη δική μου τη χαρά μέσα τους σ όλη την πληρότητά της.

The Ascension of the Lord The Gospel for the feast of the Ascension tells us that, with his return to the Father, Jesus completed his mission on earth. But just before his Ascension, he entrusted to his disciples the mission of preaching and teaching the Good News and evangelizing the whole world by bearing witness to him through their lives. In the descriptions of Christ after his Resurrection, we are given a hint of what life will be like in Heaven. But it is in his Ascension that we see him entering fully into the life and glory of God. The prospect of sharing in that glory should be the driving force of our lives. Matthew s Gospel begins with the promise of Emmanuel God is with us; it concludes with the promise of the Risen Christ, I am with you always, even to the end of time. The ascended Jesus is still with us because of his promise, "I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. He is with us at all times and in all places,

releasing a new energy upon the earth, the energy of the Holy Spirit to preach his Good News of salvation by bearing witness to him. Hence, this feast is the celebration of Jesus glory after his suffering and death the glory in which we also hope to share. The Ascension and Pentecost, taken together, mark the beginning of the Church. The feast of the Ascension tells us that the Church must be a community in mission, guided by the Holy Spirit and confident of God s protection even amid suffering and death. Jesus Ascension is both an ending and a beginning. The physical appearances of Jesus are at an end; his revelation of the Good News is complete; the promise of the Messiah is fulfilled. Now begins the work of the disciples to teach what they have learned and to share what they have witnessed. Each Sunday we profess through the Creed, "He ascended into Heaven." Christ s Ascension was the culmination of God s divine plan for Christ Jesus, his return to his Father with Mission Accomplished." Ascension is the grand finale of all his words and works done for us and for our salvation. It was a culmination, but not the conclusion. As Jesus is now with God in glory, he is now with us in Spirit: "Lo, I am with you always." The feast of the Ascension celebrates one aspect of the Resurrection, namely Jesus exaltation. He did not wait 40 days to be glorified at God s right hand. That had already happened at his Resurrection. Like the 40 days after Easter during which He appeared to many in Israel, this public Ascension in to Heaven was given to us for our sakes. The 40 days allowed many to experience personally his Resurrection and his being alive in a glorified body as fact to be counted upon, reality, and the fulfillment of prophecy. The focus of this feast is

the Heavenly reign of Christ, and the Lord s being seated at God s right hand, meaning He alone will be in control of the continuing plan of salvation through the Holy Spirit, unrestricted by time, space or culture. It is there, at the right hand of God, that he continues to make intercession for all of us with the Father. Thus, the Paschal Mystery -- Jesus' passion, death, Resurrection, Ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit is a single, unbroken Reality which is to be understood by Faith. By His Ascension, Jesus, the risen Christ, True God and True Man, is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit in glory forever. Life messages: 1) We need to be proclaimers and evangelizers: In the Gospel, Jesus gives his mission to all the believers: "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. This mission is not given to a select few but to all believers. To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer. There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming. We preach with words but we proclaim with our lives. As we celebrate the Lord s return to His Father in Heaven His Ascension -- we are being

commissioned to go forth and proclaim the Gospel of life and love, of hope and peace, by the witness of our lives. On this day of hope, encouragement and commissioning, let us renew our commitment to be true disciples everywhere we go, beginning with our family and our parish, "living in a manner worthy of the call [we] have received. 2) We need to live a life of Christian joy in the presence of the ascended Lord. According to Luke, the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy." Apparently, Jesus' exaltation and final blessing gave them, as it gives us, the assurance that, though absent, he is still present, present even in the pain and sorrow we undergo. That is why St. Augustine assures us, Christ is now exalted above the Heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his Body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' and when he said: 'I was hungry and you gave me food.' While in Heaven he is also with us; and while on earth we are with him. He is here with us by his Divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in Heaven, as he is on earth, by Divinity, but in him, we can be there by love." With a spirit of wisdom and insight to know him clearly, we can discover Christ's presence at every turn of our life s journeys to his final return at the end of time. 3) We have a teaching mission: Jesus taught us lessons of Faith, Hope, forgiveness, mercy, Redemption and Love. We cannot put these lessons on a shelf and ignore them. They stand before us in the person of Jesus. Although no longer visibly present in the world, He is present in his words. We must make his words real in our lives and in the lives of others. Christianity was meant to be a Faith in which Jesus followers would help and care for others, just

as Jesus had done, and in so doing, care for him in them. But the spreading of the Good News to all nations is not a goal that can be attained by human might and craft. This is why Jesus promises to empower his messengers with His abiding presence and that of the Holy Spirit. The challenge of sharing the Good News with all mankind should, therefore, begin with our admission that we have often been arrogant and overbearing. We must learn to be humble and let the Holy Spirit lead the way. 4) The ascended Jesus is our source of strength and encouragement: Perhaps some of the nagging doubts, which inevitably accompany the journey of Faith, could be lessened by our meditating on the Ascension and its implications. When we are too far from Faith to pray on our own, let us remember that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, praying for us. When the trials of life feel too heavy to bear, we must remember that Christ will come again in glory, the same glory in which he arose from the tomb, the same glory in which he ascended, and the same glory in which he currently abides.

Though our limited perception might find him absent, he is fully present, participating in every moment of our lives. By His Ascension, Christ has not deserted us but has made it possible for the Holy Spirit to enter all times and places. In this way, it is possible for each of us to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into agents or instruments of Christ. We are enlivened and our actions become animated in a new way by Holy Spirit as we serve the God we love We have become Christs in the world. Prepared by Fr. Anthony Kadavil

The First Ecumenical Council Today, we are more likely to think of Christ only in divine terms: we know that he is God; what we have difficulty with is explaining how he is human as we are. Again, God and human beings are held apart; communion and fellowship have not been restored. But our confession, following the Fathers of Nicaea, is that through what he has done as a human being, we see the transcendent power of God at work. Most importantly, as we have been singing for many weeks now, it is by his death an all-too-human act that he destroys death, for he died willingly as a spotless self-offering for our sakes. It is not that because he is God he conquered death automatically, but that in the way he died a human death he shows himself to be God. He does this by freely giving himself to death, so showing that he is stronger than death, that death could not hold him, with the result that the tomb is empty; and so, by his elevation on the Cross, he has ascended into heaven, from where we await the descent of the Holy Spirit and the coming again of our Lord. Fr. John Behr, The Cross Stands While the World Turns: Homilies for the Cycles of the Year, pp 94-95

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.