The Feast Of The Ascension
Father Stephen’s Homily
O Captain! My Captain!
The final scene of the movie, Dead Poet Society, is one of the most moving in modern cinema. Beloved teacher, Mr Keating is saying a final farewell to his students, who have been inspired by his unorthodox teaching methods and his encouragement to make their lives extraordinary. As he leaves the classroom, the students, in defiance of their strict headmaster, stand on their desks and salute him with the words, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ – referring to a poem he taught them.
Goodbyes are often emotional, particularly if we know we might not see the other person again for a long time, if ever. In films and TV programmes, a farewell scene can be a pivotal moment, or even the climax of the drama. Sometimes, when characters sat goodbye to each other, we see a shot of one of them left behind, bereft, gazing into the distance after their loved one. In this context, one line in today’s reading always grabs my attention: ‘They were still staring into sky.’ The apostles had just witnessed Jesus being ‘lifted up’ and taken from their sight. They had lost him once with his death, and now they are losing him a second time, after precious time spent with him following his resurrection.
But this Feast Day of the Ascension is no ordinary goodbye. It is not a dramatic scene written for a film script. In fact, Jesus does not seem to say goodbye at all. His last words are a promise to the disciples: the Holy Spirit will be with them as they set out on their mission. They have not been left alone. The Lord is telling the disciples in the Gospel and us the same today – in the meantime you – that you and me – we must preach everywhere, assured that he will work with us from heaven, confirming their word, and our actions with powerful signs. Please remember to sign on for the diocesan Pentecost Novena
Beginning today we have our Pentecost Novena – “ I invite you to join me in praying our Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit again this year, when as a diocesan family, we prepare ourselves for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our Church and on our mission” – Bishop John. The Diocesan Commission for Evangelisation is promoting this Novena for the nine days from Ascension Thursday (21st May) till Pentecost Sunday (31st May). To sign up please access the web address http://eepurl.com/g2D9yP alternatively you can log on each day to the diocesan web page www.rcdop.org.uk or the Facebook page.
Praying deliberately and intentionally for what we need, it is not like inviting somebody to afternoon tea, in a take it or leave it kind of way. Praying deliberately and intentionally involves praying with confidence, praying in the belief God already wants to answer our prayer and grant our request. It means the conviction that God is just waiting for us to ask. It is not God who tires of giving; it is we who tire of asking. This is going to be a wonderful movement of prayer and a transforming movement of prayer and I invite as many people reading now to be part of this.
Crucially and importantly, do not just participate yourself. Invite others, family, friends, neighbours, workmates, anybody and everybody to participate in this prayer of invoking insistently the Holy Spirit for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pray that we might all be renewed and that the face of the earth will be renewed at this time by the Holy Spirit this Pentecost. Renewed in the Holy Spirit we will indeed be able to have our answer ready for people who ask the reason for the hope that is in us. The reason for the hope that is in us is not of this world, it is of God. And we gain access to God through prayer. We need to be a praying people, constantly invoking the Holy Spirit.
