My God, may I ask You?
Today in church during the sermon I heard these words.
Although I haven't taken any notes, so I can't quote the priest* verbatim, it
comes down to this:
The message of the Lord's Ascension is that we are pilgrims. We are on our way, we are in this world, but not of this world. Man has the promise of Christ that He will always be with us until the end of the world. But that man must regard this whole world as a place of pilgrimage, that we must not lose ourselves in the delusions of the day, that we are on our way, and that the promise of Christ is that spiritual life, eternal life, is the goal.
It is precisely during this period that it touches me very much. Around me and in myself, I see us losing ourselves in the fears and anxieties of life, the war in Ukraine, the destruction of the environment, the discord in society, and so on. And suddenly through these words of the monsignor that we are pilgrims, I make contact with You again, with the example of Christ, with the promise of eternal life. I realize again that this earthly valley of tears, which lasts only a maximum of 90 years for every human being, is only a path and not the goal. My heart is touched in this sermon, in this mass, and I reconnect with our real purpose on earth: never, ever forget that we are children of God, that an eternal and special life awaits us, that all this is only temporary and that we must remember it every time.
Would You like to comment on this?
My son, man is a pilgrim, life on earth is only a beginning. The promise of the beauty, happiness, and perfection of eternal life make up for everything, truly everything you experience in difficulties, misery, and sorrows. Once you have arrived in the spiritual world after this temporary and brief phase on earth, all negativity, all sadness, all imperfections, all blockages are swept away. And your long and beautiful path is then perfectly paved to the house of God.
Ascension Day is the most beautiful holiday on earth. The Christ has lived for your future, lifted up the earth, paved the way to eternal life. The son of God has triumphed over the evil forces on earth and belittled them, enslaved them, dealt them a very great blow. Ascension Day is the greatest success experience of the greatest spiritual being that the earth has ever visited and was truly a great sacrifice. A son of God who immerses Himself in man and is willing to become the son of men.
Great commission, great task, great sacrifice.
And the priest calls you to remember that on this day.
The monsignor is blessed.
My blessings to you all
*Monsignor Ad van Luyn, Emeritus Bishop of Rotterdam
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