Fr. Tom's Weekly Message 9/12/20
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:24-25)
On Monday September 14 we celebrate a wonderful feast of the Church, the Finding of the Holy Cross. (please this link on various articles and insights into the feast and its meaning).
Some 17 centuries ago the very Cross on which our Lord was crucified was discovered and lifted up for people to see. How are we supposed to respond to this event? We can easily reduce this miraculous event to history or nostalgia and tradition. But, like all the feasts of our Lord, its remembrance is much more than that.
The finding of the Cross must move us to a remembrance of our Lord’s passion and His love for us. It is another reminder of John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
The finding of the Cross is a profound reminder of our Lord’s love for us in a world that is so often beset with hardships and tribulations. It reminds us of the greater purpose to our lives: To be one with God and to live with Him in His glorious presence for eternity. It is a declaration of hope and peace. It is the promise of righteousness and justice for all. The Cross of Christ is our healing from our brokenness and sin. It is the understanding of our existence and the merciful gift salvation All our prejudices, shortcomings, struggles and sin as human beings are overcome and destroyed with Christ crucified and resurrected. He frees us to be His sons and daughters.
Have a blessed celebration of the Cross,
Fr. Tom
More Insights and Resources for the Feast of the Holy Cross
St. John of Kronstadt cautions: “In order that the unbelieving heart should not think that the sign of the Cross and the name of Christ act miraculously by themselves, apart from, and independently of Christ Himself, this same Cross and name perform no miracles until I see Jesus Christ with the eyes of my heart…and believe with my whole heart all that it has accomplished for our salvation.”
The Cross, once a tool of death, has become a means to life, an instrument of our salvation; it gives strength to resist temptation, to refrain from gossip or harsh words; it dispels fear. If we learn to use the Cross effectively, we shall come through experience to understand the Apostle’s words:
"But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Source).
Weekly Message from Fr. Tom 9/5/20
Dear Parishioners of Ascension Cathedral:
I pray that you and your loved ones are well. Much is happening around us and it is important to take some time to pray and ask our gracious Lord for His peace and love. At the same time pray for those who have suffered loss from the fires, economic hardship, and illness. Let us also pray for peace and understanding in our society and culture. We may not be able to change immediately the larger narrative in our country, but we can affect how we interact with each other. As our Lord instructed, “love on another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
Next Sunday, September 13, we are hopeful to be able to offer an outdoor live Divine Liturgy for a limited number of people. An announcement and reservation request will be sent out Monday of next week (9/6). We will follow the same rules we had in place for the brief opening of the Cathedral in July. Everyone will be masked, we will practice social distancing, there will be reservations and a check in table. We will also live stream a Divine Liturgy from inside the Cathedral.
The times will be as follows:
8am Matins (Orthros) in the Cathedral
9:30am Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral
10am Divine Liturgy in the courtyard between the Cathedral and Hall.
Again, a confirmation of the outside Liturgy will be sent out early next week with the guidelines.
Our Lord’s blessing and peace be with you,
Fr. Tom