Gospel Meditation

May 16, 2021
The Ascension of the Lord

There is always something very tender and heartwarming about a kiss. When someone who loves us offers us a kiss, it sends a clear message that we are valued and special. We occupy a unique place in their lives and have a distinct purpose. Kissing celebrates the wonder and beauty of human life. In a very powerful way, we are connected, through intimate touch, with another human being. With the incarnation of Christ, God kissed humanity.  God, revealed so perfectly in Jesus Christ, showed us that we have value and are made in God’s image and likeness. Mortal human beings radiate with the presence of God and are worthy enough to reveal the intimacy of the Divine Mystery. The human race is not simply something God created from a distance but something special within which God dwells.

It is no wonder then, why the poor hold such an honored place in Jesus’ ministry. They speak of God’s love and they cry out for the compassion that is due them as children of God. Justice is about setting relationships right because we are all filled with God’s love and have dignity. The human story is understood as a partnership, a true and new covenant, celebrating a love relationship between all of creation and their Creator. It is a story that does not end with the Cross or even the Resurrection. The story finds its happy ending in the Ascension. Our human narrative is still evolving and moving ever more closely toward that day when all will be one in Christ.

Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father as the Christ of God. In the ascended state, we see what we are all meant to become and have before us the transformed life that awaits all of creation. The disciples got a glimpse of what this transfiguration would be on the holy mountain and it is an essential part of the Good News we are called to proclaim! Christ, now ascended to the Father, sets our paths straight and gives us a look at what awaits us. The day-to-day challenges of life often find us struggling with our incompleteness. Today’s celebration gives us the strength to persevere, knowing that we’ll eventually be well. May our hearts be enlightened so that we can know this hope and the surpassing greatness of Christ’s power!

©LPi

MEDITACIÓN EVANGÉLICO  (Gospel Meditation)

16 de Mayo 2021
La Ascensión del Señor

“Con su Ascensión el Señor Resucitado atrae nuestra mirada al Cielo, para mostrarnos que la meta de nuestro camino es el Padre” (Papa Francisco). La Solemnidad de la Ascensión es un tiempo para disfrutar de la alegría Pascual de un modo diferente. Jesús sube al Padre, de donde vino, y está sentado a la derecha de Dios. Vuelve a la casa del Padre y eso debe de llenar de gozo al cristiano. La raíz de nuestra esperanza es el gozo y la fe. El reto está lanzado, la misión espera y hay mucho campo para trabajar. Esto conlleva una invitación a responder al discipulado.

“Vayan por todo el mundo y anuncien la Buena Nueva a toda la creación. El que crea y se bautice, se salvará; el que se niegue a creer será condenado” (Marcos 16:15-16). Jesús nos marcó la tarea, es nuestro deber hacerla con atención y cuidado. Participar en la misión encomendada de Dios es un privilegio confiado a los que tienen fe. Jesús dejó las herramientas listas para ser usadas. Los once salieron de sus miedos y comenzaron a predicar el Evangelio: “Ellos por su parte, salieron a predicar en todos los lugares, el Señor actuaba con ellos y confirmaba el mensaje con los milagros que los acompañaban”. (Mateo 16:20). El desafío, hoy, es ser un nuevo Jesús para la sociedad actual. ¿Cómo es el desafío? ¿Dónde está el desafío? San Ignacio de Loyola lo miraba de este modo: “Ser contemplativos en la acción”. Contemplar es buscar a Dios en la oración, y la acción es escuchar y acompañar al que lo necesite. ¡Gracias, Señor por la misión!

©LPi