or the jetty to the New Life
The liturgical way helps to understand
our Christian life-style and encourages
us to embody the Spirit of God: Easter-Feast gives hope of Resurrection; Ascension shows where we go; Pentecost informs us about the source of strength.This way is an encouragement. Let's go this way together with the Church, our Christian Community.
The problem is: it's not so easy for us, people of today. to understand the message.
How do we understand "Resurrection" ? "Heaven" ? "Holy Spirit" ?
Fifth ears ago most Christians had quite a good imagination (mental frames) of these
Holy Words. This now is going to change.
Today: Resurrection means going into a new vibrant Life-Style.
Ascension means fullness of Life is ahead.
Holy Spirit means a special Energy.
Gifted with the special Energy - Holy Spirit
we take on a New Life-Style - Resurrection
on the way into the fullness of Life - Heaven.
between present and absent !!!
In the Easter-Time the Church presents every Sunday "EXPERIENCES" of the disciples
of Jesus; we hope all these experiences are also given to us... in our life-time.
Exp 01: Easter-Sunday John 20.1-9 resurrection / exp: empty tomb
Exp 02: Sec. Sunday John 20.19-23 Jesus-shows-up-exp (giving peace, sending, Spirit)
Exp 03: John 20.24-29 Thomas' exp ! (the perception of reality)
Exp 04: Third Sunday Lk 24.13-35 Emmaus exp ! (liturgy)
Exp 05: 4th Sunday John 10.1-10 Shepherd-exp! (leading into the fullness of Life)
Exp 06: 5th Sunday John 14.1-6 Jesus-as-way-exp (going or making the way)
Exp 07: John 14.7-10 Jesus-Father-exp (Jesus represents God)
Exp 08: 6th Sunday John 14.15-21 Holy-Spirit-Unity-Exp (God + Jesus + Me)
Exp 09: Ascension Mt 28.16-20 presence in the given mission-exp.
As we celebrate Ascension... we are still on the way...
EvMt will tell us a) Jesus has given a MISSION
b) Jesus has given a PROMISE to stay with us for ever
In this Easter-Time we discover RESURRECTION is a dynamic process between disappearance and coming-up. Jesus is against us "between absent + present".
verdwyn - disappearance
We came together to celebrate EASTER and we are full of joy: Jesus is now the
"Risen Lord". We know now: there is resurrection. It gives us a good feeling.
Within this life and sure after this life there is not nothing but more, much more:
fullness of Life. What a wonderful message!
But - something we have forgotten. Did you discover: at the tomb, at the beach, in the
hall and especially in Galilee Jesus all the time has disappeared. This is strange.
It looks like resurrection is only one side of the medal, of the coin, the other side is his disappearance. He is not here and not here - he has really disappeared; he has gone into
a total other world; some people know: He has gone into HEAVEN. It's good to know. But today: who knows where is heaven? Sure not high above behind the clouds. Maybe we
are not able any more to locate HEAVEN. We are a little bit lost.
This his famous disappearance has a reason. or not ?
As a human being, well versed in strategical thinking, Jesus knows: the place you occupy
is occupied. Therefore nobody can take it in. Only if the occupier goes, the place becomes free... at disposal. That's a human natural law. Now Jesus has stood up and gone, disappeared - you can not see HIM, not hear HIM, you can not touch HIM, you can not discuss with HIM, He is off - to make his place free, given at disposal...
This disappearance has high level consequences... we will think about !!!
Since then people are invited to take over his place, his "seat", his work, his message -
this is why HE has gone, risen, disappeared.
And we are asked very strongly never to forget HE has gone, HE is not any more at disposal,he has really disappeared.
