“On this Ascension Sunday, being invigorated with the Spirit of Mission and Evangelisation, and becoming ‘doctors of healing and love’ in our world of suffering and pain!”

(Based on the Ascension of the Lord, Cycle C)

A very poor family by the name of Carpenter, lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

The oldest boy was given education in the city, with the help of some family friends, who generously financed his studies when they realized he wanted to become a doctor.

The boy Carpenter, graduated with honours…
… but declined all job offers to practice medicine in the city.

He decided to go back to the mountains, where there were many sick people and few doctors.

For many years he ministered to the sick. Some paid, most couldn’t.
He gave his very best and helped everyone he could.

In his old age, he was in broken health himself and almost penniless.

Two small rooms above the town grocery store were his home and office.

At the foot of the creaky stairs leading up to his office was a sign with these words: “Dr Carpenter is upstairs.”

One morning someone climbed those stairs to find their devoted doctor dead. The entire community was plunged into grief. They wanted to erect some kind of monument to him.

But they decided to simply write these words on a large tombstone: “Dr Carpenter is upstairs.”

Today, on this Ascension Day, the Church proudly displays the placard of hope and salvation: “Dr Carpenter is upstairs!”

But unlike the doctor boy who died, Jesus – the Divine Doctor of our souls – is alive…
… and continues to heal people and bring salvation to all people!

Yes, “Jesus, the Dr Carpenter is upstairs!”

The Solemnity of the Ascension proclaims the day when which Jesus ascended to the heavens, as a culmination of the glory of the Resurrection: “While Jesus blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Lk 24:51)

We are also reminded today of the Mission mandate of preaching His Good News to everyone: “and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Lk 24: 47-48)

The Ascension of Jesus completes the resurrection.

The Resurrection is victory over death.
The Ascension lifts humanity to heaven.

Acts 1:10-11 says, “And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?’”

While it is quite natural for us to seek Jesus, who apparently “has gone far away from us,” the reality is that Jesus is now closer to us – closer than we can ever imagine!

It is as if they are saying to us, “Don’t misunderstand this moment. Don’t deny yourselves the gift that is being given you.”

The Ascension of the Lord is not about His absence but about His Presence.

It is not about His leaving but about His Presence that is assured and promised to all of us
It is not about a location but about a relationship.

This Feast is the beautiful invitation to every Christian on the way to live – to look upward

To transcend the needs of this world, and to have our highest priorities on God
To go beyond the pilgrim journey of this earth, and prepare meaningfully for eternity.

St Paul reminds us, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God!” (Col 3:1)

Every moment, every hour and every day – Jesus tugs at our hearts, and invites us to “look upward” and to have our focus on Him, Who was Crucified, but now is Risen and seated at God’s Right Hand!

The Psalmist states, “Blessed [are those]… in whose heart are the highways to Zion! (Ps 84:5)

We need to make an examination of our lives and make suitable changes for the good…

Is sin enslaving us?
Let us rise with His Mercy – in holiness and purity of life!

Is regret and remorse discouraging us?
Let us rise with His Healing – in joy and hope!
Is anger and jealousy pulling us down?
Let us rise with His Grace – in gentleness and gratitude!

May this Feast of the Ascension invigorate the Spirit of Mission and Evangelisation, and spur us to be “doctors of healing and love” in our world of suffering and pain!

Yes, “Dr Carpenter is Upstairs!”

Happy Feast of the Ascension!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
WHEN IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? LITURGICAL SEASONS -THE LORD’S DAY

“By a tradition handed down from the apostles which took its origin from the very day of Christ’s Resurrection, the Church celebrates the Paschal mystery every seventh day, which day is appropriately called the Lord’s Day or Sunday.”
The day of Christ’s Resurrection is both the first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation, and the “eighth day,” on which Christ after his “rest” on the great sabbath inaugurates the “day that the Lord has made,” the “day that knows no evening.”
The Lord’s Supper is its centre, for there the whole community of the faithful encounters the risen Lord who invites them to his banquet: The Lord’s day, the day of Resurrection, the day of Christians, is our day. It is called the Lord’s day because on it the Lord rose victorious to the Father. If pagans call it the “day of the sun,” we willingly agree, for today the light of the world is raised, today is revealed the sun of justice with healing in his rays.
Sunday is the pre-eminent day for the liturgical assembly, when the faithful gather “to listen to the word of God and take part in the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the Passion, Resurrection, and glory of the Lord Jesus…
… and giving thanks to God who ‘has begotten them again, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ unto a living hope”
When we ponder, O Christ, the marvels accomplished on this day, the Sunday of your holy resurrection, we say: “Blessed is Sunday, for on it began creation… the world’s salvation… the renewal of the human race.

On Sunday, heaven and earth rejoiced and the whole universe was filled with light. Blessed is Sunday, for on it were opened the gates of paradise so that Adam and all the exiles might enter it without fear. (CCC #1166-1167)