Good morning Digital Neighbors! Happy 40 Days of Joy! Normally the Solemn Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, but many of the bishops transferred this feast to the upcoming Sunday. I think they did it for a two-fold reason, to make it more accessible to the faithful who often seemed to forget the feast, even the ones who faithfully attend Sundays as well free them from the burden of mortal sin. As I mentioned yesterday, I think the main thrust of mortal sin is never to be indignant in the face of mortal sin. If you are among those brazen souls who say: “Is God gonna send me to Hell for this?” ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY!!! Not the sin itself, but your arrogance in the face of sin. None of us know how much pride we possess until it is poked, and on Judgment Day it will be exposed, we will be naked before the Lord and we will either fall down in contrition, adoration and gratitude or arrogantly prefer our own will to the One that saves us.
I hope no one is that arrogant, but if angels can be so arrogant as to oppose God, then we must acknowledge that human beings are capable of the same conceit and hardness of heart. All of our life the Holy Spirit is whispering into our heart to seek Jesus, all of our life Jesus is knocking on the door of our soul to enter and sup with us. They want to bring us to the Father, to the fearsome One of Siani, and behold a loving Father who has labored to bring His children to spiritual maturity and fruitfulness in His holy will. Love can never be forced; it must be freely offered. Love can never be imposed; it must be freely accepted. The Love at the center of reality, the Holy Triune love of total communion is offered to us in these days of joy. The loving arms of the Father are His Son and Their Holy Spirit. The Apostles knew this and understood it after Pentecost. The Blessed Mother knew it from the moment of the Annunciation and in the contemplation of her pregnancy and the infancy of Our Lord, beheld divine humility like no one else.
The enemy never expects humility, cannot comprehend humility, sees it as something weak and ineffective. The Fallen always want to break our souls by means of the body; by ensnaring us in sin or breaking us with pain. Their only consolation is to try and hurt the Divine through His creation, corrupting it, distorting it, enslaving it. But the enemy and his minions have lost the battle. They can still do immense damage in the time that God gives them and us in this time of waiting for the Return of the Lord. It is a joyful time that ought to compel us to share the Good News, to proclaim the Gospel and its promise and freedom. Happy Easter my friends!
I always think of this song on Ascension, I hope God has a good sense of humor.
