The Blessing of Departure … Saturday, April 20

The Ascension rock on Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, said to bear the imprint of the right foot of Jesus as he ascended, venerated by Christians as the last point on earth touched by the incarnate Christ.

A Rosary Meditation … The Second Glorious Mystery, the Ascension. “And it came to pass as He blessed them, that He parted from them.” Luke 24:51. There are times when loved ones have to leave us. Isn’t it nice when a parting is on good terms? It makes you look forward to the return, doesn’t it? When Jesus left His followers here on earth, and His followers comprised His Church and we’re a part of that, He blessed them. A blessing is a wonderful thing. Simply put we might call it a gift of good. Good whatever, whatever good pertains, whatever good is needed at the time. Open ended in a way. Like Jesus’ ascension, His leaving. That’s open-ended as well. Because it’s not the end of the matter, it’s simply the first installment of a saga. The last installment comes when He comes again. The leaving us on good terms leaves us with a current blessing, that of being a part of His Body here and now, and a future blessing to look forward to. The next time we leave church, or home, or school, or work, or where ever and who ever you leave, lets keep in mind that we’ll probably be coming back. Leaving on good terms makes a return something to look forward too.

Today …

St. Marian

When St. Mamertinus was Abbot of the monastery which St. Germanus had founded at Auxerre, there came to him a young man called Marcian (also known as Marian), a fugitive from Bourges then occupied by the Visigoths. St. Mamertinus gave him the habit, and the novice edified all by his piety and obedience. The Abbot, wishing to test him, gave him the lowest possible post – that of cowman and shepherd in the Abbey farm at Merille. Marcian accepted the work cheerfully, and it was noticed that the beasts under his charge thrived and multiplied astonishingly. He seemed to have a strange power over all animals. The birds flocked to eat out of his hands: bears and wolves departed at his command; and when a hunted wild boar fled to him for protection, he defended it from its assailants and set it free. After his death, the Abbey took the name of the humble monk. Now, when he left the monastery to go into the fields and tend the animals every day, do you think he left on good terms? Did the other monks look forward to his return? And his job was the lowest! His rank the lowest! Leaving on good terms isn’t about our job or rank. Leaving on good terms is about the heart that leaves and the hearts that are left behind waiting.

Quote … “Anger is an expensive luxury in which only men of a certain income can indulge.” ~ St. Gregory The Great ~ It makes the purchase of the return ticket an unbearable burden.