Jesus arranges to meet his eleven at the Mount of Olives. “They fall down before him,” says the Gospel, “though some hesitated.”  Is there any wonder?  Jesus came up and spoke to them. What powerful words: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus’ mandate to the apostles is based on his authority.  Because he is the risen Lord, he has authority to delegate his authority. The apostles are told to GO to the ends of the earth with the same authority of Jesus. I cannot emphasise enough the word ‘therefore’.  It has great meaning. It keeps us centered on the basic fact that evangelisation is a delegated ministry. We are empowered because of the authority of Jesus, a total authority in heaven and on earth.

What are the apostles delegated to do in Jesus’ name?  To make disciples of all the nations, to baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and finally to teach them all the commands I gave you.
 
Disciples in the Gospel of Matthew are people who leave the world and go up the mountain to be taught by Jesus (Mt 5 v.1). We are familiar with sacramental Baptism as a sacrament of initiation. The commands of Jesus are to love one another and to forgive unconditionally.
 
Today we as disciples are told by Jesus to GO. It is a command, not a polite dismissal. We are told to take with us all the delegated authority that Jesus has in heaven and on earth. We are told to lead people to Jesus, baptise them and teach them the commands of Jesus.

Today’s Readings describe the risen Jesus’ ascension from his physical earthly presence to the Father. The Gospel account of St. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ mandate to the apostles to “make disciples of all nations” (v.19) by Baptism and instruction in the Christian way. Jesus’ spiritual presence remains with them, and us, until the end of time!  However, the Ascension stories highlight two things we disciples of Jesus still tend to do, and they outline for us our Mission today.

"They worshiped, but they doubted." We worship him, but we doubt. We hold something back, don't we? Even in our most devout moments, we don't always give ourselves fully to the faith that our life is in his hands and that we have nothing to fear because he is always with us. In fact, we tend to live our day to day lives, not like people who fully believe in the resurrection and the hope and joy that gives us, but like people who can easily get upset by the smallest of things. It takes great grace to be freed by the Good News, "I am with you always."

The second thing we tend to do is to catch ourselves "standing there looking at the sky." Jesus will return in glory, but we aren't supposed to stand flat footed, waiting for the return. We have a mission. Too often we get caught realising that our faith in Jesus, the gift of grace given to us, is not just about keeping us from sin. It is not only about our relationship with Jesus - saying our prayers and avoiding evil. We are called to take his place in this world and to share the Good News with others - to make a real difference in bringing others to the Lord.

The Ascension of Our Lord marks the culmination of Christ’s mission on earth and marks the beginning of the apostles’ mission to all nations. The apostles and disciples are to spread to the entire world what Jesus Christ accomplished in his human life within the confines of Israel. This is how God has planned our salvation. 

Essentially, our task is to communicate the divine life of God, through Baptism, and to instruct in the ways of Christian life, after all it was Jesus himself who gave us the authority of the Holy Trinity to baptise the people of the world in their name. This is what makes the Ascension so important: we are now to act in the place of Christ, to take the place of the physically absent Christ in the world and make him visible and audible through our earthly lives. We are now the new disciples of the Lord, and it up to us when we are sent from Mass to “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord".

Items #659-664 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church say more about the Ascension.

After five weeks of Eastertide we are approaching Ascension and Pentecost. Today the Holy Spirit is foreshadowed by Jesus in His Last Supper prayer. 

It is interesting to note the names of the Spirit used by Jesus. Firstly, He is the Advocate. This means literally the one to whom I cry out. In the Greek it is the Paraclete, the one to whom I cry. The promise is he will be with you forever.

He is also called the Spirit of Truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows Him. Elsewhere the Spirit will teach us everything and remind us of all the things that Jesus said.

It is interesting to study how Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit. Here we see some examples: the Spirit of Truth and the Advocate, the Teacher and the  one who helps our memory.

“In a short time you will see me …..because I live and you will live. On the day you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you.”

Jesus’s promise  to us in His farewell prayer is union with the Father and the Son  and the Holy Spirit!!!
This is a far cry from being left as a orphan!!!!!!!

 In today’s Gospel (John 14:15-21), Jesus tells his disciples “I will not leave you orphans.” These are consoling and comforting words from Jesus who is about to ascend back to his Father in heaven. So Jesus tells his friends – and therefore us too – “Don’t worry. You won’t be orphans. I’ll be back in a little while. Trust me in that. In the “between time,” the Father will send you another Advocate (a helper) who will be with you always.”
What do you think prompted those words from Jesus? Well, obviously the Apostles were a bit on the scared side! They were probably feeling exactly like teenagers going off to Uni. Or TAFE for the first time- scared to death, going off on their own for the first time, and fearing the unknown. So they receive the comfort; encouragement and support of their parents. Jesus is saying, as long as you have the Holy Spirit with you, you’ll have absolutely nothing to fear. So get out there and spread the Good News.

Philip the Deacon worked mighty wonders (First Reading: Acts 8), but only because he was filled with the same Holy Spirit. In fact, his work of evangelising and healing was with the hated Samaritans, and the power of the Holy Spirit produced its results. Nevertheless, the bishops (the Apostles) came and “laid hands” upon these new Christians so that they could also receive the Holy Spirit.

That’s the message for us today. Never forget that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, not far away in some cosmic location! Baptism and Confirmation bring the fullness of the Holy Spirit into our lives – the same effect as if Jesus was walking with us and living in our house! That’s a tremendous consolation, knowing we can call upon the Spirit of God within us in our time of need – which is every day of our lives.

 The Father sends us the Holy Spirit because Jesus asks him to do so; this Spirit is the Advocate – “to be with you forever.” – The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us (CCC #692) that this Advocate (Holy Spirit) is always there to lead us to all Truth. The gift of the Spirit imparted by the Sacrament of Confirmation maintains the grace of Pentecost in the Church (see also CCC #1288).

Today we begin reading from the “Last Testament” of Jesus.  For the next four Chapters Jesus prays to the Father and opens up to the Apostles.

Thomas and Philip each have a question. Thomas asks: “How can we know the way?” and Philip asks, “Let us see the Father and we shall be satisfied.”

We have noted before that Jesus always answers sincere questions.  To Thomas, Jesus says “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”.

There are seven “I AM” phrases in John’s Gospel. I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the good shepherd. I am the gate of the sheepfold. I am the true vine. I am the resurrection and the Life and I am the way and the truth and the life. The “I AM” in all of these is a clear reference to God’s Holy Name. The divinity of Jesus is at the heart of the gospel of John from the very first verse of Chapter one. Jesus doesn’t show the way, He is the Way. He doesn’t just teach truth. He is the Truth. He doesn’t just bring life, He is Life. He is God. No other leader has every claimed this.
 
 Philip’s question is about the Father. He wants Jesus to show him the Father. Jesus explains to Philip and to us that the Father and He are one. “To have seen me is to have seen the Father.  The words I say to you I do not say from myself: it is the Father living in me…. You must believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

We can thank God today for Philip and Thomas for their questions. Through these questions Jesus is telling us of his divine life shared with the Father in unity. Trust in Jesus as God is our reason for not being afraid.

Today’s Gospel, (Jn 14:1-12) poses two questions for us. Firstly how does someone like Philip or me, “see Jesus” and thereby “see the Father”? And secondly,- what did Jesus mean when he said “one can do “greater” works that himself?

  Now, these verses come at the start of the “farewell discourse” or “speech” by Jesus in John’s gospel. He’s going away, but he’ll “come back.” It is this time “in-between,” as scholars call it, that Jesus is talking about.

 The basic point is whether or not one believes in Jesus, believes in his “name,” in who he truly is – the divine Son of God. Such a belief opens one’s eyes to see that the Father and the Son are One. Jesus even uses “imperative” verbs to make his point – and an imperative verb means it is a command. “Don’t be troubled”; “believe”; “have faith in me”; and so on.

 Once that belief becomes a reality in one’s heart, a true relationship is established between the believer and Jesus. Now one can approach Jesus in faith, and not demand a sign. Now all that remains is to carry on the work of Jesus, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, not our own power. Precisely what is it that makes a believer’s works “greater” than those of Jesus? As Fr. Francis Moloney (the noted theologian) says, the greatness comes from the very fact of his absence! Jesus is still present – in his absence! And as the number of members of the believing Body of Christ increase, the works of Jesus increase proportionately, because now he can spread his word and works of love through millions of believers!

 Once again that puts the burden of responsibility on the believer. Are we actually carrying on the mission of Jesus, by spreading his words and actions of love? Our answer determines whether or not we are in the proper relationship with Jesus. Because our journey is a pilgrim’s progress, it is always possible for us to make improvements in our relationships with Jesus.

 So, for a Christian, believing in God can’t be separated from believing in the One he sent, his “beloved Son” – the One to whom the Father commanded us to “listen.”  Jesus is our model of holiness; he is the Way, the Truth and the Life for us to follow.

Today is called Good Shepherd Sunday. Each year one of the passages about the Shepherd in John’s Gospel is read to us.

May I make two important observations? We all know the psalm about the Good Shepherd. The role of the shepherd is to protect and shelter and feed and water the sheep. We love that image and can relate it to God’s mercy. When Jesus talks about himself as the Shepherd, he adds a dimension that is not in the Old Testament. He adds the dimension of hearing and listening.  ‘My sheep know my voice”.  “I know mine and mine know me”. The voice of the Shepherd is easily and infallibly recognised by the dumb animal. God speaks to us!!!!!!!

Today the image is that Jesus is the GATE of the sheepfold. I would like to take a little time to explain this.

At the time of Jesus, a shepherd would have about ten sheep at the most. He would know them all by name. They would recognise his voice. After a hard day searching for food and water in desert conditions, they would return home to the sheepfold. This was a community compound fenced by thorny desert trees that had a gate less than five feet wide. Many shepherds would leave their sheep in this same compound. One shepherd would take his turn and be on duty for the evening.  He would sleep across the five foot gap. No predator could cross to attack the sheep.

We need to meditate on this image to understand Jesus’ image of protector and guardian of the Flock! It is a beautiful image that needs prayer.

We are safe with the Shepherd. We are safe from attack by day and by night.
“I came that you may have life and life to the full”.

We are still in the "Easter Season" - which lasts until Pentecost; but already we have some after Pentecost scenes and even a return to pre-Calvary images. Is there art reason for this?

Well, it’s almost like Jesus knew that the Resurrection might fade into the background of our minds, so he causes the Church to return to images that are so familiar to any baptised believer who knows something about the Bible -- or even to anyone who knows what a flock of sheep is, and what a shepherd is (Jn 10:27-30). The shepherd story in this Sunday’s gospel has a number of points to make.

In the Easter Season we do three things, all connected to the Resurrection. First, we "look back" and see the various forms of "Egypt" from which we have been saved, our slavery to sin.  Jesus redeemed us on his cruel cross and set us free! Secondly, we "look forward" to the promise of eternal life, a promise we know will come true because the Lord is Risen - proof that everything he said will come true. Finally, we "look within" at our present state of spirituality, and recognise that our spiritual journey is a lifelong journey of active involvement. It calls for daily conversion, and daily cooperation with God's Spirit dwelling within us.

This connection of past, present and future reminds us to listen carefully for the voice of The Shepherd every single day. Unless we’re strengthened daily by his Word and nourished by his Body and Blood, our response to God's call will be seriously threatened by the challenges of life in a world that does not share the values of Christ. Only those who truly listen and respond to the Shepherd's voice by following him can be called members of his flock.

This Sunday (Mothers’ Day) is also a special day because it reminds us of the great effort our mothers put in to nurture our spiritual formation. Today is also set aside as a day of prayers for vocations. Today, we praise the work our mothers have done in preparing us for reception of God’s call to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life.  Before any field can produce a harvest it must be tilled and nourished to prepare the ground so that when the seed is planted it can produce a rich harvest. The ground mothers prepare is the spiritual life  they give us so that when the call is given to us by God to came and be his special agents as priests, deacons  and religious we will be able to respond to His call. Let us pray that more men and women will hear and answer God’s call. 

Once again we come to this proud day – our day – ANZAC Day.  We Australians and our Kiwi cousins share a fierce rivalry on the football field and cricket pitch – that healthy rivalry is firmly based on a shared heritage forged on that first ANZAC Day 99 years go. The ANZACs were the only ones who successfully achieved their mission in landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey to guard the shipping routes of the Dardanelles.  They landed, pushed up into the Gallipoli hills and held their ground despite the inept and gutless leadership of Officers not their own.  Those Officers did not know our character, or  our strength, or our resolve.  They refused to accept the responsibility for their own mistakes and lack of preparation -  and so Gallipoli became the debacle immortalised in History.  Nevertheless, out of that misguided tragedy was born the Spirit of ANZAC that is our proud heritage today .  We are Australians, we are Kiwis:  proud, independent and free.
We have so many heroes, but today I want to honour some largely unsung heroes who have been exemplary in their  Australianness .  Australian women who lived out the ANZAC Spirit.
Since the 19th century Australian women have been involved in conflicts in the cause of freedom all over the world.  Even today, our Australian service women stand  tall in leadership roles in Army, Navy and Airforce. They radiate the ANZAC Spirit alongside our gallant  Australian servicemen  -  they too  are heroes.  Their stories are largely untold, but never forgotten.  Among them are Nancy Wake, born a Kiwi, grew up to become an Australian nurse and Journalist in World War II  She worked undercover in France. The Gestapo called her “the White Mouse” and were so afraid of her they put a bounty of 5 Million francs on her head – dead or alive.  She saved so many, and she is one of the most decorated  people of WWII.  She was an Australian.
Another was Sr Vivian Bullwinkle , born in the wine country of S.A.   With her best friend Wilma Oram, they became  Australian Army nurses. Actually Vivian wanted to join the RAAF, but failed  the medical!  The Army took her and she became another Australian heroine.
In 1941 Viv and Wilma sailed on the  SS Wanganella bound for the Malay Peninsula (Interestingly, the Wanganella itself has a history, finishing her life on the trans Tasman run from Sydney to Auckland)  Vivian and Wilma worked in Malacca in the Australian Army Field Hospital.  The Japanese advanced  down the Malay Peninsula towards Singapore.  Eventually our heroines they found them selves in Singapore just before it fell  -  another British disaster.  Vivian Bullwinkle’s story is well known  -  she was the sole survivor of the Banka Island massacre.  Although shot in the side as she was force marched into the surf.  She survived, her sisters didn’t!  Only recently, more evidence has surfaced about that massacre proving the story so poignantly told in Sr Betty Jeffries “White Coolies” was even more horrendous than previously thought.  Vivian, for several days, hiding in the jungle, secretly nursed an injured British soldier until he died – only then did she allow herself to become a POW.  Had the Japanese known she was a witness to what happened on Banka Island, she would not have been allowed to live.  But lived she did – another Australian heroine.
Nancy Wake, Vivian Bullwinkle, Wilma Oram, Betty Jeffries -  a few of the so many Australian women who have made significant contributions to our proud history and heritage. These are well known histories.
Perhaps not so well known are Mavis Parkinson and May Hayman.  These two Australian women worked in  Gona in Papua, at the Anglican Mission.  They nursed, educated and tended the local Papuans who they dearly loved, and were loved in return.  At the threat of the Japanese invasion, against all advice, they refused to leave.  Frances May Hayman – born in Canberra, went to Gona and by 1937 she was in charge of the Medical Centre. With her friend  Mavis they shared an ideal of care for the Papuans. In 1942 the threat of invasion was real – advised to leave, they remained.  By March 1941 the Japanese seemed invincible in their march south to capture Port Moresby – a stones throw from the rich resources of Australia.  After rescuing an American airman they were convinced by him to try to get to Port Moresby before it was too late.  Even then, horrific stories were being told about Japanese captivity.  So reluctantly they prepared to leave.  The Kokoda track, which would figure so prominently in our later history, was a daunting challenge.  240 Kms over the Owen Stanly mountains, with deep ravines , raging torrents, and dense tropical jungle - under good conditions it would take 5 days to reach Moresby.  At the last minute they refused to abandon their Papuan people.  Two of their companions; Lilla and Margery, and some of their Papuan friends were caught, accused of helping the Australians, and beheaded.  It was a frightening, desperate time.  May 1942 saw the decisive Battle of the Coral Sea (commemorated on the 1st Sunday in May).  The Japanese invasion fleet was defeated.   Unable to take Moresby by sea, they decided to come overland -  Gona, on the north caost of Papua was to be  the entry port.  May and Mavis watched as the Japanese fleet entered the shallow Gona harbour.  For the next 19 days May and Mavis hid in the jungle.  Their fear was extreme – they knew the consequences of being caught.
Together with 2 Australian soldiers and 5 wounded American airmen, they laid plans to cross the Owen Stanleys  by a less known track than Kokoda and try to get to Moresby. They braved the torrential rain, the mosquitoes, the poisonous snakes, and after 4 days became hopelessly lost.  They narrowly escaped a Japanese patrol, but lost all their water and provisions.  A seemingly miracle, that turned out to be otherwise, saw them “found” by a local villager who told them his village was Christian.  He betrayed them to the Japanese, and thought he was an angel!.
Taken by the Japanese into the jungle they were forced to dig  their own graves.  Mavis was bayonetted, gravely wounded, but alive.  May was stabbed in the throat and bled to death.  They  were Australian women who gave their lives in the cause of freedom and care of the wounded Australians and Americans.  They are revered to this day at a special memorial at Popondetta near Gona.  They are part of our history as a Nation.
The Japanese almost crossed the Kokoda track, but never reached Port Moresby -  they were stopped by Australian soldiers (including our own Col McLaurin, buried from this Church only a few years ago).  Kokoda  is yet another chapter of our incredible history.
All these women: Nancy Wake, Vivien Bullwinkle, Wilma Oram, Matron Drummond, Betty Jefferies, May Hayman, Mavis Parkinson – they are just a few Australian women who have exemplified the ANZAC Spirit.  Their stories help forge our ongoing history.  They stand beside the thousands who have given us a Nation to be proud of, a Nation of freedom and character, a Nation which carries an unpayable debt of gratitude.
This day marks our history, it is also a day within the Octave of Easter when we commemorate the victory of life over death in the person of the Risen Jesus.  Jesus died to save us.  Men and women who have been proud to wear the badge “Australian”, likewise died for us:  we are in their debt with nought to repay it  except our firm resolve to carry on the heritage we are so proud of:  a Christian Nation under the one true God.
These, our proud Australians who paid so much, must not die in vain.  ANZAC Day reminds us of our duty.  They are our heroes and heroines, our heritage.  Our future is ours -  as Australians we accept their legacy.  WE DARE NOT FAIL THEM      LEST WE FORGET.
God bless Australia
God bless Australians