The Sacred Heart~The Rt Rev Michael Beckett,OPI

Y’all…..Those of you who know me well, or have just hung around with me for more than a hot minute, know that I’m easily confused and not always the sharpest knife in the drawer….  And here lately, I’ve become more befuddled, baffled, and bewildered than I think I ever have.

Ya see, June is the month the catholic (yes, little “c” coz there are more catholic churches than the Roman one)  churches of the world dedicate to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  In fact, 27 June is the Feast Day thereof.  (That’s today, y’all.)  The feast of the Sacred Heart is a day of devotion that especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion, and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity.  In other words, it’s a day when we recognize, be thankful for, emulate, and show the world what Jesus and His love is all about.  And y’all know how often I preach and teach and rant about those of us who proport to be Christians who are supposed to be showing love….and this confuses me.

Now, I know y’all have seen those pictures of Jesus with his heart hanging out of his chest, complete with arteries and blood and stuff.  Or the ones where his heart is kinda glowing like some super religious valentine.  The bloody yucky ones always creeped me out as a kid, but anyway…………

Fun fact:  Did you know the phrase “bleeding heart” stems directly from this feast?  Atlas Obscura teaches us that before the 20th century, the phrase “bleeding heart” was popular in the religious-tinged oratory of 19th century America. Throughout the 1860s, it comes up often in poetry, essays, and political speeches, as an expression of empathy and emotion. “I come to you with a bleeding heart, honest and sincere motives, desiring to give you some plain thoughts,” said one politician in an 1862 speech. The phrase comes from the religious image of Christ’s wounded heart, which symbolizes his compassion and love.

Today, according to the dictionary, a person who is a “bleeding heart” is a person considered to be dangerously softhearted, typically someone considered too liberal in political beliefs. (Woke, anyone?)  In the 1930s a dude named Westbrook Pegler (Google him) was the first to use the term “bleeding heart” in reference to folks who were protesting lynching…coz he felt there was certainly nothing wrong with hanging random black folks.  Then in the 50s, Joe McCarthy hopped on the “bleeding heart liberal” name calling bandwagon and that’s kinda when the phrase came into common use as a way to crack on, denigrate, and make fun of folks WHO ACTUALLY TRY TO FOLLOW JESUS’S COMMANDMENTS TO LOVE.

And that’s the whole entire reason for my befuddlement.  We hear and read all these “good Christian folks” talking about the evils of immigrants, not helping the homeless, demanding the rights to discriminate against anyone they don’t particularly agree with, outlawing medical care for women and trans folk.  These “good Christian folk” think breaking the law is a good thing as long as it gets them what they want, and they whoop and holler, and celebrate when one of their good Christian politicians say something diametrically opposed to what Jesus stands for.  And then, they use the Bible as a basis for whatever-it-is that they believe, using any scripture they can find EXCEPT the words of Jesus to prove their point.  This makes them even more “Christian.” 

Now, I, personally, don’t believe any of that.  I believe that the words of Jesus (y’all remember those “red letter bibles?) supersedes any other words in da Bible.  I believe that anyone who wrote anything before or after Jesus, no matter what the circumstance, has to be read through the lens of what Jesus taught and did and if it doesn’t follow what Christ taught and did, then it doesn’t count.  And according to those good Christians, things like the Beatitudes no longer apply in the world today coz only “bleeding heart liberals” believe what Jesus said.  I believe that if we are truly followers of Jesus, then we must, most certainly, believe and live and breathe his commandments to love, love, and when yer finished loving, love some more, even if it’s hard, even if we don’t want to, even if it’s not popular, even if it’s dangerous (I mean, Jesus was crucified by the religious people of the day coz they didn’t agree with what he taught.  So there’s that.)

SO…..does this mean that I, and others who believe like me, aren’t Christian?  In its most basic definition, a Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.  Now, I know better than most that words and phrases and language itself changes and evolves.  (It was drummed into my head in elementary school that the word “too” is ALWAYS offset with a comma before it.  Today not so much, but that’s a whole ‘nother rant…sorry.)  So, if “Christian” no longer means what it meant when it meant that a Christian follows what Jesus taught, then what the heck am I posta be called regarding my faith?  Is there some new label ain’t nobody told me about? 

Today, I believe more than any other time in recent history, we all of us need to focus on what it means to be truly Christian, to follow that Sacred, Bleeding Heart of Jesus.  Amen.

The Feast of The Nativity of St John the Baptist~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood,OPI

Today, we as come together as the church to commemorate the Nativity of St John the Baptist, who is often referred to as the ‘Forerunner’.

John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. In the Gospel of Luke, we are informed that Zechariah was told beforehand about the birth, and that he was to be named John. The meaning of the name John is  “God is Gracious” (LK 1 :8=2:3).

John whilst still forming within his mother’s womb, instantly recognised the presence of Our Lord Jesus, who was also still in his mother’s womb, when Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth (LK 1 :41). John lept for joy in Elizabeth’s womb as soon as Mary and Elizabeth met, and this is when John was cleansed of original sin. This came to pass just as the Angel Gabriel had previously promised Zechariah in LK 1 :15.When John was older, he left the home of his parents and went to live in the desert. He wore only a garment made of camel skin and only had Locusts and wild honey to eat. John would preach in the desert (MK 1:6; Matt 3:4).

John went about preaching and proclaiming about the Kingdom of God and of a time of coming judgement. He invited those who wanted to repent, to accept him to baptise them as a sign of their repentance.

John, just like the prophets, disturbed the comfortable and gave much comfort to the disturbed. The message of John spread far and wide. The Gospel of Mark tells us that all peoples of both Jerusalem and Judea travelled to him and confessed their sins as John baptised them in the river Jordan (MK 1:5).

John clearly shows his humility because he never wanted attention for himself, he always directed people to Jesus. Some wondered if John was the Messiah, but John reassured them that indeed he wasn’t and he declared that his ministry was merely for to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. John said, “I have baptised you with water, but He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” (MK 1:8)

Then Jesus himself came to John to be baptised and John immediately recognised Jesus as the Messiah and he declared, “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. (JN 1 :29). This statement from John is still used in Mass prayer today, when the Priest holds up the sacred Host as we prepare for the Holy Eucharist, as the Priest says, “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…”.

It was after being baptised by John, that our Lord Jesus began his Earthly ministry. When John had been baptised by John, John again showed his humility as again, he turned his attention to Jesus, declaring, “He must increase, I must decrease”(JN 3:30).

St John the Baptist is an excellent example that we as Christians should take much notice of within our lives of faith. Just as John always showed his humility by turning his attention away from himself and towards our Lord Jesus, we too, also need to show this same humility if we are truly to serve and follow the Lord. We also, must turn attention away from ourselves and towards Jesus. Just as John himself declared, “He must increase, I must decrease”.

Let us pray:

O glorious St John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman, although you were sanctified in your mother’s womb and lived a most innocent life, nevertheless, it was your will to live in the wilderness of the desert, there to devote yourself to the practice of austerity, penance and humility;

Obtain for us by your intercession, the grace of the Lord to be wholly detached within our hearts, from earthly goods and self attention. Increasing our humility and service, by making ourselves far lesser and in the never ending increasing, to be ever greater within our hearts and lives.

Amen.

Do Not Enter!~The Rt Rev Michael Beckett, OPI

Have y’all seen those signs in front of many churches?  The one’s that say, “All Are Welcome,” or “We love everyone,” or “Come as you are!”   They’re pretty great, huh?

Not so much.

I continue to be amazed and appalled at some of the things that our “good Christian” brothers and sisters are saying and doing in our country, in our churches today.  No immigrants.  No Democrats.  No Trans folks.  No gay folks.  No black folks.  No Native American folks.  If you do not fit this exact profile, if you are not this exact kind of person, you are not allowed. 

Exclude.  Exclude.  Exclude.  Exclude. 

Today is a great Feast Day in the life of the liturgical church throughout Christendom:  The Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  This day is celebrated in recognition of the Eucharist, and everything the Eucharist is and means.  Today we celebrate, literally, the Body of Christ.  We all know that the Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.  We all know that Catholics believe that the bread and the wine become the body and blood of Our Lord.  We all know that our Protestant brothers and sisters believe that the bread and the wine are symbolic of the body and blood of our Lord.  We all know that wars have been fought over these two basic, yet entirely different, beliefs.  We also know that from many, if not most, of the liturgical pulpits in the world, today the Word will be proclaimed concerning the Eucharist. 

Today, however, I would like to put a different spin on Corpus Christi.  I would like for us to leave the upper room of Christ and the disciples, and jump ahead a few years to Corinth, and to listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about “the body of Christ” in his first letter to the Corinthians:

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into[c] one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 

We, the Church, we, the people of God, we, those of us who confess Christ as our Lord, puny imperfect people that we are, WE are the body of Christ.  Some of us dress funny.  Some of us talk funny.  Some of us have emotional issues.  Some of us just have issues.  But we, ALL of us, together, make up the body of Christ.  Warts and all.  Some of us are wildly and multiply talented.  Some of us are incredibly intelligent.  Some of us have been blessed with physical beauty.  Some of us have none of those things.  Some of us have been blessed with spiritual beauty.  Be we, ALL of us together, make up the body of Christ.

Because we are all of us different, it can be said that we make up different parts of the body of Christ.  We each of us have different gifts.  Some make up the head, some the heart.  Others are the feet and the hands of the body of Christ.  Granted there are parts of the body of Christ that we would rather keep hidden, under wraps (oh I want to be snarky here…  I’m really trying, y’all.)  But are these parts any less important?  Do these parts not serve a major and important function in the working of the body?  I believe that they do.

My point, here, folks, if I haven’t made it already is simply this:  WE, all of us, make up the body of Christ.  What one person brings to the table may not be of particular interest or value to another person, but there is someone at that table who needs just that.  Perhaps we feel that this person or that person isn’t quite what we would like to see in our church, or in our family, or in our lives, but to someone, somewhere, that person is exactly who is needed.  The very person whom we consider to be “less than worthy” to represent Christ and His church may just be the exact one who is needed in certain situations.

Can you imagine Jesus saying to anyone, “You’re not a member of the club.  You don’t belong here.” 

So, that drag queen you’re hating on?  That transman or transwoman?  That politician?  That bigot down the street?  That news anchor?  Those immigrants?  Yep.  God loves ‘em.  They are part of the body of Christ.

The music artist, John Michael Talbot, sums it up nicely:

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.

And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Gentile or Jew, woman or man, no more.   Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.

Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to one, for all.

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.  And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

So….who are you excluding?  Should you be?  Would Jesus tell ‘em no?

As we go along in our daily lives, let us remember the lessons of today, this Feast of Corpus Christi, that we all of us make up the One Bread, the One Body, the One Cup, that is the Body of Christ.  Amen.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity~The Rev. Frank Bellino, OPI

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, gathered as we are within the embrace of the Unified Old Catholic Church, and in communion with the universal Body of Christ.

Today is a truly special day, as we gather on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and for many, it also coincides with Father’s Day. How fitting it is that on the day we celebrate the profound mystery of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we also take a moment to honor the fathers and father figures in our lives, those who reflect, however imperfectly, the boundless love of our Creator.

The Trinity, for many, remains the most profound and perhaps the most perplexing mystery of our faith. We speak of one God in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s a truth that defies simple logic, a reality that no human mind can fully grasp or contain within neat categories. And as a Dominican, an Order of Preachers, Independent (OPI), I can tell you that for centuries, holy men and women have wrestled with this very mystery, not to solve it like a riddle, but to plunge ever deeper into its depths, seeking not merely intellectual understanding, but profound encounter.

In a world that prizes clarity, certainty, and immediate answers, the Trinity stands as a divine paradox. Yet, it is precisely in this paradox that we find the most profound truths for our lives today.

Consider, first, God the Father, the source of all being, the Creator. Today, as we celebrate Father’s Day, our minds turn naturally to this ultimate Father. In our fragmented, often anxious world, many feel adrift, searching for meaning and purpose. We are bombarded by information, often contradictory, and sometimes feel disconnected from any fundamental grounding. The Solemnity of the Trinity reminds us that at the heart of all reality is a loving, generative force, a divine Parent who calls us into existence and sustains us with unwavering care. Our search for meaning begins and ends in this foundational love, a love that brought forth the universe and continues to call us into deeper relationship.

And this divine Fatherhood casts a beautiful light on human fatherhood. To all fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, godfathers, and those who serve as father figures in our lives, we acknowledge your vital role. You are called to reflect the patience, provision, protection, and unconditional love of our Heavenly Father. It is a sacred calling, one often marked by quiet sacrifice, steady guidance, and unwavering presence, even when unseen. We pray for all fathers, that they may be strengthened in their vocation, and for those who yearn to be fathers, and for those who have lost their fathers, as well as those that have no relationship or troubled relationships with their fathers that they may find comfort in God’s eternal embrace.

Then we encounter God the Son, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the perfect revelation of the Father’s love. Jesus’s life was a testament to His intimate relationship with “Abba,” Father. He showed us loving obedience, profound trust, and a boundless love that extended to all of humanity. In our world, where empathy often seems scarce or scorned, and divisions run deep – whether by politics, economics, or identity – Jesus stands as the ultimate reconciler. He walked among us, healed the sick, comforted the afflicted, challenged injustice, and ultimately laid down His life out of selfless love. Today, as we grapple with inequality, suffering, and the yearning for true justice, we are called to look to Christ. He shows us what it means to be truly human, truly divine, and truly in solidarity with one another. He calls us to build bridges, to advocate for the marginalized, and to embody compassion in every interaction, just as He did.

And finally, God the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, the Sanctifier, the bond of love between the Father and the Son, poured out upon us. In a society that often feels isolated, where true community can be elusive despite constant digital connection, the Holy Spirit is the principle of unity. The Spirit breathes life into our Church, into our hearts, and into our world. The Spirit empowers us to move beyond our limitations, to speak truth with charity, to love beyond our comfort zones, and to recognize the divine spark in every person. For us, as a Parish of the Unified Old Catholic Church, our commitment to inclusivity, to the dignity of all God’s people, and to actively living out the Gospel in the world, is truly animated by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit nudges us to open our doors wider, to listen more deeply, and to act more courageously for justice and peace, enabling fathers and families to flourish in grace.

My friends, the Most Holy Trinity is not just a theological formula; it is the very blueprint for abundant life. It is a divine dance of relationship, a perfect communion of love, self-giving, and mutuality. It is the model for what humanity is called to be: a community of people bound by love, seeking the good of one another, and participating in the divine life. This profound truth illuminates the sacred role of fatherhood or what fatherhood should be, inviting all fathers to participate in God’s creative and sustaining love.

So, on this Solemnity, and on this Father’s Day, let us not merely acknowledge the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, but let us allow it to transform us. Let us pray that the Father’s love sustains us, that the Son’s example guides us, and that the Holy Spirit’s power empowers us to live as true reflections of divine communion in our world today, honoring the fathers who strive to embody that divine love in their own lives.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

The Feast of St Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood, OPI

The Book of Acts tells the story of a man called Barnabas, which translates to, “son of Encouragement. We come together as the church today to commemorate his Feast day.” Barnabas’ gift of encouragement shows us five ways in we can encourage others in the world today.

Firstly, Barnabas encouraged others by practicing stewardship.

In Acts 4:36, We read that Barnabas sold his property and then he gave all the profits from that sale to the Church. He decided to meet the needs of others with the resources which God had blessed him, no matter what the personal cost was to himself. Encouragers like Barnabas understand that each and every person has something they are able to give. Encouragers find needy people and enrich them, whether it’s by their money, by giving of their time, or by their service.

Secondly, Barnabas encouraged others by extending the hand of friendship.

After the Apostle Paul’s conversion, Barnabas was despised by his old colleagues, and was feared by his new brothers and sisters in Christ. He was a man who needed a friend; Barnabas found him and became a friend to this very lonely new disciple. A lot of new Christians need somebody to find and to befriend them. We must seek out the lonely and the neglected and the vulnerable, put our outstretched arms around them, and bring them into the Lord’s fold.

Thirdly, Barnabas encouraged others by building partnerships with others.

In Acts 11, the Gospel was spreading quickly, and new believers were sprouting up everywhere. There were some concerns that some of them were not truly sincere. But Barnabas’s encouragement validated and affirmed those who were misunderstood by others.

Fourthly, Barnabas encouraged others by developing leaders within the Lord’s church.

He found the hidden gifts and talents within the new followers of the Lord and he helped them to develop these gifts and talents. Our churches are full of very talented people with abilities vast array of blessed abilities which are waiting to be discovered and to be developed. But it takes a person who encourages such as “Barnabas” to find them.

Finally, Barnabas encouraged others by rebuilding relationships.

After the disciple Mark ran away from his calling, Barnabas sought him out and gave him a second chance. This young disciple went on to write the Gospel of Mark. Thank God for the encouragers in our churches and in our world, who see second chances in us when no one else seems to be able to.

We should apply the examples given to us in the life of Barnabas within our own lives today.

 Barnabas was indeed a good man, who was filled with the Holy Spirit; it was God who acted within Him. We can all be encouragers like Barnabas. We need to ask God the Father to fan the Holy Spirit within us to meet the needs of others, to befriend the lonely, to affirm the misunderstood, to develop disciples, and to offer people second chances.

Let us pray:

St. Barnabas, you who were known as the ‘son of encouragement,’ We ask for your intercession. Help us to find strength and perseverance in our faith, especially when we feel discouraged or weary. May we be like you, a source of comfort and hope to others, and may we have the courage to stand up for what is right. Help us to be a beacon of light and love in this world. Pray for us, that we may live a life of faith and devotion, just as you did.

Amen.”

Pentecost!~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ and fellow seekers of Truth,

Grace and peace be with you this radiant Pentecost Sunday!

As a Dominican priest, one called to a life of study, contemplation, and preaching, there is no more vibrant feast for the soul than this one. Fifty days ago, we celebrated the glorious Resurrection of our Lord, and then His Ascension, leaving His disciples with a promise: “I will send you another Advocate.” Today, that promise explodes into reality.

Just as we heard in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples were gathered, perhaps still a little bewildered, certainly anxious, locked away for fear. Then, suddenly, there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, filling the entire house. And tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

What an extraordinary moment! This isn’t just a historical event; it’s the very birth of the Church, the moment when God’s Spirit transforms a fearful huddle of followers into a courageous, outward-looking community. It’s the reversal of Babel, where instead of division, the Spirit brings understanding. People from every nation, every language, heard the Good News in their own tongue. This is a profound truth for us in the Unified Old Catholic Church, a Church committed to bridging divides, to embracing the glorious diversity of God’s creation, and to seeking unity in Christ.

The Spirit that descended on that first Pentecost is not a historical relic, but a living, breathing, active presence in our world, and most profoundly, within each one of us. As our Gospel from John reminds us, Jesus promised the Spirit of Truth, who “will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” The Spirit is our constant guide, our divine teacher, our Advocate in a world often confused and disheartened.

So, how does this Pentecost, this ancient outpouring, apply to our lives today?

Firstly, the Spirit empowers us to overcome fear. Look at the Apostles: timid, hiding. After Pentecost, they are bold, proclaiming the Risen Christ even unto martyrdom. In our own lives, we often face fear: fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of uncertainty, fear of speaking truth to power. The Holy Spirit instills fortitude, courage, and a holy boldness. It’s strength to stand up for justice, to speak out against injustice, to forgive when it’s hard, to love when it feels impossible.

Secondly, the Spirit calls us to unity in diversity. In a world increasingly fragmented by politics, ideologies, and even religious differences, Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit unites without erasing our distinctiveness. We don’t have to be uniform to be united. The Spirit allows us to hear and understand one another, even across seemingly insurmountable barriers. This is a core calling for us as Old Catholics: to be a bridge, to foster understanding, and to exemplify a Church where all are welcome and all gifts are honored, regardless of gender, orientation, or marital status. We are called to be a visible sign of God’s unifying love in a divided world.

Thirdly, the Spirit ignites our mission. The disciples weren’t just filled with the Spirit to feel good; they were filled to go forth. Each one of us, through our Baptism and Confirmation, has received the same Holy Spirit. We have been endowed with gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. And beyond these, charismatic gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ. You might think, “I’m just a layperson,” but Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit falls on all flesh. Your unique talents, your compassionate heart, your discerning mind, these are tools for the Kingdom. Are you called to serve the poor? To teach? To console? To bring beauty into the world? To advocate for change? The Spirit is your guide and your strength.

Finally, as Dominicans, we speak of Veritas – Truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, leading us deeper into the mysteries of God and the reality of creation. In a world awash with misinformation and conflicting narratives, the Spirit empowers us to discern, to seek what is truly good and true, and to proclaim it not with arrogance, but with conviction born of love and rigorous inquiry.

My friends, Pentecost is not merely a commemoration of what happened long ago. It is a vibrant, ongoing reality. The same Holy Spirit who descended upon the Apostles is waiting to fill us anew today. Open your hearts, pray for a fresh outpouring of grace. Let your fears be transformed into fortitude. Let your divisions be healed into authentic communion. And let your lives become living homilies, proclaiming the boundless love and truth of God, empowered by the very breath of God.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love. Renew the face of the earth, and through us, renew the face of your Church.

Amen.

“Poof! I’m Out”: Jesus ~ The Rt Rev Michael Beckett, OPI

Today we celebrate the most important day of the year.  Wait, lemme try again.  TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF THE YEAR!!!! 

Yeah, that’s better.  And no, it’s not any day that you or I think is the most important day of the year.    I’m gonna give you a couple of hints coz I’m a nice guy like that.  It’s not Christmas.  It’s not Easter.  It’s MORE important than either of those days.

“What?” you say to me, mystified.  “What could be more important than celebrating our Lord’s birth?”   Meh.  Without celebrating today’s importance, Jesus’s birth is no more important than any other baby born at any time in history.

“What?” you say to me, getting a bit hot under the collar.  “What could be more important than celebrating the Lord’s resurrection, when He died for us all and rose again, saving us all?”  Meh.  Without celebrating today’s importance, Jesus’s resurrection is no more important than that of  those folks Elijah and Elisha raised, or Lazarus of Bethany, or the widow of Nain’s son, or Jairus’s daughter, or Tabitha, or any and all of  those other folks who made an encore appearance when Jesus rose from the dead on Easter.   “But, but, but…….” you say.  OK, calm down….lemme finish.   Yeah, it was a pretty great thing that Lazarus was resurrected, as well as those other folks who popped out of their tombs when Jesus did, but super important???  Not so much.

And I can hear you going all “Michael what are you talking about.  So….  Imma tell ya.  All those resurrected folks?  Lazarus and all the others included?  THEY DIED AGAIN and stayed that way.  They all got  up and did whatever it was that newly un-unalived people do, and then, when it was time, they died.  Again. 

However, Jesus?  He did not.  He.  Did.  Not.  We read what happened in the Book of Luke  (Luke 24:51) and in Acts (Acts 1:1-9)  In a nutshell, Jesus kinda levitates and then levitates a bunch more and soon He’s levitated himself so high that He is surrounded by the clouds and goes out of sight.    Gone.  Ascended into Heaven.  Not Dead.

 St. Augustine, the great fifth century theologian, called the ascension the most important Christian festival of the year, more important than Christmas, more important than Pentecost, even more important than Easter. (See, told ya.  It’s not just me!) For the ascension reminds us just how high Jesus was raised, and what that means.  Aquinas states:

‘This is that festival which confirms the grace of all the festivals together, without which the profitableness of every festival would have perished. For unless the Saviour had ascended into heaven, his Nativity would have come to nothing…and his Passion would have borne no fruit for us, and his most holy Resurrection would have been useless.’

What Saint Augustine says here resonates with the passage in Ephesians 4:10, where Saint Paul says that ‘He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things’ – i.e.; that by ascending into Heaven, and taking our human nature up with Him into the heavenly places, He completed the process of redemption by reclaiming His place as rightful sovereign of the universe, so that He might be present to us in a different way. If He had not so returned, the process would not have been completed, and as Jesus said in John 16:7, ‘it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you’.

The gospel writer Luke is renowned as a careful historian. When he recorded the birth of Jesus he rooted the event in its historical setting within the Roman Empire. He continues that same preciseness at the end of our Lord’s earthly ministry by recalling the place of the Ascension – at Bethany. He dates the event – 40 days after the resurrection on Easter Day. He emphases the presence of eyewitnesses – the Ascension took place he writes “before their very eyes” (Acts 1:9). Yes, the Ascension was a real event of history.

Some people are puzzled as to why Jesus waited around on Earth 40 days after his resurrection, but that period is no accident, and Jesus had things to do.

Jesus had endured the Devil’s temptation for 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his public ministry, but now the tables were turned. In the period after Jesus’ resurrection, He triumphantly paraded his victory over the Satan. During this time, the conqueror of death displayed his supremacy before his faithful followers so that they might share in the joy of his victory. But there was another reason. Those 40 days of his appearing after the resurrection were of immense value to the believers for they established the reality of his lordship. A single sighting of the risen Christ may have been open to question, but his continuous encounters with the disciples would remove the doubts of the most skeptical among them and assure them of his power and authority.

The resurrection of Jesus marked the ending of a chapter in his earthly life. Things could never be the same again and it was essential that there should be a clear-cut event to bring the chapter to a close. It’s true that Jesus was making a series of appearances to his followers, but they couldn’t go on forever.

It would have been odd if Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances had grown fewer until finally they just stopped – that would only cause confusion and even loss of faith. No, there had to be a single, miraculous occurrence, separating the time when the Jesus of Earth would become the Christ of heaven. The Ascension was the only fitting conclusion to the life of Jesus on Earth.

Luke tells us of the disciples with their eyes straining to catch the last glimpse of the cloud bearing up their Lord. But then they were quickly brought back to earth. It would seem that with their eyes heavenward they didn’t notice the two heavenly beings that slipped quietly alongside them until they spoke: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking unto heaven?,” as if to remind the disciples of the work that they had been given to do.  The angels, for angels they were, had to tell the disciples to get to business.

And so it is with us.  Ascension Day reminds us of the Mystery of Faith: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”

Christ will come again.  And as we await the “coming again” of Christ, we, like the disciples, have a job to do, business to attend to.  Although we live in the time between Jesus’ Ascension and his coming again, we have something to do now.   In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, “Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,  and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.”

Where do we start?   Jesus has the answer for that, too.  In John 13 Jesus says to us, “ But I am giving you a new commandment. You must love each other, just as I have loved you.  If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.”  We are to continue to change the world in the work that Jesus has given us to do by helping others to see Jesus through and in us, by showing that love that he demonstrated, by bringing that love to everyone.

Jesus told us to love everyone.  Love.  Everyone.  Period.   Not just those whose politics are the same as ours.  Not only those whose religion is the same as ours, not only those whose lifestyles are the same as ours.  Love.  Everyone.  Period. 

Come Lord Jesus. 

Amen.

Peace Y’all! ~The Rt Rev Michael Beckett OPI

Y’all…..   So here’s a little riddle for ya!!!  What do a song by recording artist Lynn Anderson, a novel about nuns, and some of the words spoken by Jesus all have in common?  I’ll give you a minute.

Ya got nothing?  I didn’t figure.  So here are a few hints:

Way back, a hundred and ninety-‘leven years ago when I was a wee baby gay, Lynn Anderson sang the hit song, “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.”

And from the Gospel Reading appointed for today:

Jesus said to his disciples:  “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.  The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. 

And finally, from the first page of my very favorite, much beloved, read, and internalized novel, “In This House of Brede” by Rumer Godden, she writes:

The motto was “pax” but the word was set in a circle of thorns.  Pax:  Peace, but what a strange peace, made of unremitting toil and effort—seldom with a seen result:  subject to constant interruptions, unexpected demands, short sleep at nights, little comfort, sometimes scant food:  beset with disappointments and usually misunderstood, yet peace all the same, undeviating, filled with joy and gratitude, and love.  “it is my own peace I give unto you.’  Not, notice, the world’s peace.

So the answer to the riddle, is this:  It’s gonna be OK.

Do y’all remember what the deal was when Jesus was asleep in a boat on the sea  nd then it stormed???  Not just your average run of the mill storm, but a STORM…..at sea even.  Thunder.  BOOM!  Lightening.  FLASH!  Waves so high over the little boat that it was tossed about.  CRASH!  And to top it off, the boat started filling up with water.  SLOSH…..Sink?  And Jesus slept on.  And on.  And on.

And then it happened.  The disciples, those stalwart fishermen, panicked; so much so that they wanted Jesus to panic, too.  So, they woke him.

Now, I dunno about Jesus, and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have a Keurig on that boat, but anyone who knows me well, knows, that no matter what, one does NOT speak to the Bishop when he first wakes up until after his (at least) first cup of coffee.  Can you not see Jesus?  He throws the blanket off and says, WHAT?

Y’all….we’re in the midst of a storm now, even as I type.  Many of us are fearful and dismayed.  Many of us are angry.  Many of us are in turmoil.  And rightly so.  With so much uncertainty on the horizon, many of us feel that we are in danger of sinking.  And, I rather suspect, that many of us wonder if God is, indeed, sleeping, or if the Creator exists at all.

The disciples point out the storm, Jesus’s eyes focus, and then he gets it.  He understands what all the fuss is about…..and then, like so many of us, he says,

“Really?”

I can just imagine him rolling his eyes, and then saying to the storm, in much the way I talk to our cats, he says, “Stoppit!”  The storm quiets, Jesus  grumbles about nonbelieving disciples, and goes back to sleep…..and the (nonbelieving) disciples are tripped!

But ya know, I can assure you that God is very much awake, and involved, in our lives.  Or at least the Redeemer wants to be.  How, you ask? 

Remember that reading from the Gospel a minute ago?  Here: 

Jesus said to his disciples:  “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

So that’s how.  By living through and with and in us.  By us showing forgiveness. Charity.  Good will.  Reaching out. Love.  By standing up for what is right and good and true.  By peacefully protesting.  By donating time and money to those who are less fortunate that we ourselves.  By examining what we believe, what we hold dear, and comparing that to what Jesus has taught us that we SHOULD hold dear and believe.  (For those of you who may be wondering what that is, focus on the Beatitudes and Matthew 25.  Oh, and the greatest commandment (hint:  it’s not one of the 10.))  Try:  Love one another.

This storm is far from over.  FAR from over.  Before this storm ends, hearts will have to change, attitudes will have to change, laws, rules, regulations, the government, will have to change, society will have to change.  And before any of that can happen, WE will have to change.  We will, ALL of us, have to examine ourselves carefully, and honestly, to find the roots of our prejudice, our fears of those who are ‘other’ than ourselves.  We will have to look with new eyes at all of those with whom we come into contact, ALL of them, EVERY ONE of them, and strive to find the Jesus in each of them.  The Jesus in us must reach out to the Jesus in our brothers and sisters, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, sexual preference, ability or disability, political affiliation, or any of the other million and one things we use to denigrate, disgrace, and damn our brothers and sisters.

Like the disciples, we will be afraid.  Sometimes we may even panic.  But I can assure you that, like the disciples, we can go to Jesus.  And when we do, he will say to us, “Peace.  Be still.”  And in the calm and quiet that results from our trust in Him, we will be able, with full hearts, to grow, and to learn to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Christopher West used the words of St Francis to write this hymn:

Make me a channel of your peace.

Where there is hatred let me bring your love.

Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord

And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace

Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope

Where there is darkness, only light

And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek

So much to be consoled as to console

To be understood as to understand

To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned

In giving to all men that we receive

And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek

So much to be consoled as to console

To be understood as to understand

To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned

In giving to all men that we receive

And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Peace.  It’s up to us. 

Amen.

Love and Cymbals~The Rt Rev Michael Beckett,OPI

Y’all……Do you ever get tired of saying the same thing over and over and over again, ad infinitum?  Do you ever struggle to try to find a different way to say the same thing over and over and over again?  It occurs to me that this is exactly what I do.  Ya see, the Gospel reading appointed for today is this: 

Jesus said,
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”

After over 2,000 years, countless sermons, essays, and writings, and an infinite number of words, what is there left to say?  The whole of Jesus’s ministry, the foundation of the Christian faith, the very basis of our being, our salvation, comes from that little central premise, love. 

Love God.  Love people.  Love. 
Love God.  Show God’s Love by Loving People.
Love God.  Show God’s Ways by Changing Your Ways By Loving People.
Love God.  Show God’s Ways by Changing Your Ways By Loving People Who are Different Than You.  Whose values, beliefs, bodies, and ways of Being are Different from Yours.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.

Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.  For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do the same.

If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.  Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.  Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.  For the  measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”  Luke 6:27-38

Paul teaches us in Galatians that,  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.  (Galatians 3:28)  And again in Colossians, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”  (Colossians 3:11) 

And again from Paul:  If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.    Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Love God.  Love people.  Love. 

Flat out:  If your politics, your posts, your premises, your words, your actions, your beliefs don’t show a love of God and his people, you cannot rightly claim to be of Christ.  Period.  So the question remains, are you a Christian, or a clanging cymbal?

GUEST POST: The Root Command~The Rev Seminarian Donna Rex Geist

John 15:9-17

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.  I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the Master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you and I appoint you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

These verses in John are so simple yet hold so much power. All Jesus is asking for, for His friends, is that we “love one another.” Sounds easy on the surface, except life happens, and we are not as kind as we should be, or that He wants us to be, to others. Smile at that stranger on the street, hold the door open for someone, just be kind.

Once we can hand over our struggles to God, lay them at his feet and lighten our load, it gets easier to stop thinking about us and we can start caring for and thinking about others. We need to put our trust in Jesus, pray, be still, and listen for Him to answer. He loves us so much with his unconditional parental love. Does that mean we will not have struggles? Of course there will be challenges, bumps in the road, bad days, but if we can keep our focus on Jesus, he will guide us through the tough times.

My faith journey has been growing for the past 25 years. I have watched how God has worked through me, grown in me, and is still molding me into the person He wants me to be. But there have been struggles. This January I lost a son to cancer. It was a 6-year battle. The last three months of his life were very difficult to watch. My best friend had been visiting from out of state the weekend that he passed. She asked me, knowing that I am in seminary, “aren’t you mad at God?” My response was why? What would that accomplish? Steve will still be gone. My love for Jesus helps me let go of some of that pain. Instead, I am grateful that God gave me such a wonderful gift to have and to love for over 40 years. I will miss my son, will miss his hugs, his smiles, but I have those memories locked away in my heart. My love for God and my gratitude for all of the blessings he gives me daily helps ease the pain of losing a child. But it also shows me the pain that God must have felt as he lost his son.

As a parent we should love our children unconditionally, the way Jesus loves us. It does not mean we might not disappoint Him from time to time, just like our children can disappoint us, but we do not stop loving them. We love them through hard things, so we can mold them to be kind loving adults. So, they can grow up and love Jesus and others the way Jesus loves us. Never stop teaching your children about Gods love and His commandments and keep molding your children to be kind loving adults that care for others.  Be kind to one another.

The Rev. Seminarian Donna Rex Geist, The Affirming Catholic Church of Christ