May 31st, 2019 Motjari meeting: Fr. Foeckler’s lecture

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May 31st, 2019 Motjari meeting Fr. Foeckler’s lecture note

Father Foeckler’s opening question was “what had happened 6 weeks ago?”. 

Easter, was the answer, in other words, Jesus had resurrected. We were able to see the cloth that had been used to wrap his body to bury him in the cave had imprint of Him. We know that is the cloth used on Him, mainly because huge flash of lights left mark on the cloth. According to Bible, Mary Magdalene was weeping when she wasn’t able to find Jesus’s body. Jesus was standing next to her. She asked, not knowing it was Him, where Jesus’s body went, begged to let her know so that she could give Him proper funeral. Jesus called her name, Mary Magdalene, made her fall to the ground and hugged His feet. That was truly an action of happiness. But Jesus answered, “Don’t cling to me, I have not yet ascended to the Father.”

So, here comes today’s topic. “ Jesus’ going to the Father.”

John 17:26

I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

All His disciples will be where he is going, heaven.

**Where is heaven?**

Heaven is not a place in our universe. On Thurday, the Church celebrated “Ascension Thursday”, which marks 40 days after Easter. That means Jesus had spent 40 days with his disciples before He had ascended. Jesus went up to heaven, went out of the universe. We will celebrate about His ascension on this Sunday. (Not in the past Thursday.)

On the Thursday, 40th days from Easter, Jesus was on Mt. Olivet, preached to the apostles

1. Gave them great mission: Go the whole world, preach the good news, and baptize people. 

Matthew 28: 16-20

The Commissioning of the Disciples

16 The eleven* disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

18 Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Go, therefore,* and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, 

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.* And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Acts, 1:3-5

1:3 He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days* and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father* about which you have heard me speak; 5 for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”

1:8 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

2. Holy spirit: “ Before you go out though, I would like you to wait for the Holy Spirit, which will come and give you power to become my witnesses. Tongue of fire descended on them like flames to enlighten them. They started preaching in all other languages. They were doing miracles. Though, there still exist oppositions.

Acts 2

The Coming of the Spirit.

1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.a

2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind,* and it filled the entire house in which they were.b

3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,* which parted and came to rest on each one of them.c

4 And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,* as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.d

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?e

8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language?

9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome,

11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”f

12 They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?”

13 But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.”

9 days after the ascension of Jesus was Feast of Pentecost.

Amen, Amen, I say to you. I will be with you always to the end of time.

We live in the same age where Jesus left us behind. All these things are applied to us.

**How is Jesus with us?**

1. By baptism. Sanctifying grace. Present of God within. Father, Son, Holy Spirit dwell in us.

2. By the Bible. That’s why Jesus asked us teach and baptize them.

3. Holy Eucharist. Which is real presence. Jesus lives in your heart by sanctifying grace. Eucharist is in other term, “the substance”, which means real thing or the heart of it. Eucharist is His body and blood. Jesus made them palatable for us to taste. 

**What is He going to do when He goes to the Father?” **

To send the Holy Spirit to His apostles “I will send you the Holy Spirit”

To prepare our room in heaven

Pray for us. Intercede for us, that we will be forgiven by the Father.

St. Paul has said in the letter to Corinthians 1

2:9  But as it is written:

“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,

and what has not entered the human heart,

what God has prepared for those who love him,”

I will know God as I am known by Him in heaven. Only way to know Him is by the mind of God. Everything God knows, I’ll know in heaven. God exists out of time. God lives in the presence, here and now. It goes beyond our experience. I will love God as He loves Himself.

Moses’s story.

When Moses asked God that he wanted to see God’s face. God answered, “ I will put my hand off you. You will see my back, but you may not see my face.”

Why? (at this point, I lost my attention, sorry)

Jesus’s last desire at the last supper. “These are you have given me, may be with me to see my glory”

Any corrections or comments are welcome. -Michaela Park

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