OUR MISSION IS HERE BELOW
“And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you;
but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” -Lk 24:49
What is the grace of Christ’s Ascension for us? For me it is to receive our mission from Christ. He goes before us, but we must remain; He goes up to higher ground like a general in the heat of battle, but we cannot yet follow Him. We must stay and soldier on.
We can read about Christ’s parting words at the end of each of the Gospels (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 21) as well as at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1). Reading these five chapters could be a rewarding undertaking that might allow us to cherish the final words that Christ intended to speak to us while on earth and receive the mission that He intended for us, knowing full well our weakness and need for help. Help us He will, by sending the Paraclete!
As Christ ascends on high, He pushes us to remain steadfast, with feet firmly planted on the ground. It can be tempting to want to follow Him now and flee from the anxieties and cares of this woeful world. But our mission is here: in our beloved Northeast Minneapolis, in our daily duties and the places we live and work, in our families and among our friends and coworkers. Our NE Eucharistic Procession next Sunday, June 8th, is a living example of our deep commitment to the city. Join us! Together we have a weighty but beautiful mission. I will be speaking more about our parish mission and vision this summer.
I will be making my annual Silent Retreat the week of June 9th. As I embark on retreat I ask your prayers that I may be “rooted and grounded in love, [and] may have strength to comprehend...what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that [I] may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
I am delighted to welcome Hanna McLevish who has joined our parish staff in a vital role of service and support. Hanna is following in the footsteps of Diane Soderberg who is retiring this coming week after over nineteen years serving within our parish (originally at St. Anthony of Padua, before the 2013 merger). I express the gratitude of all the many priests, deacons and parishioners that Diane has supported in her role. Join me in expressing thanks to Diane and a warm welcome to Hanna!
Come, Holy Spirit!
~Fr. Howe