Prayer & the Ascension

Sermon preached on Sunday, May 4, 2008.
YEAR A, EASTER 7: SUNDAY MASS
PSALM 47; ACTS 1:8-14; 1 PETER 4:12-19; JOHN 17:1-11


My wife, Nicole and I went to Sicily a week ago. We were there for a press trip featuring the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, specifically olive oil. I can tell you personally that I greatly benefited from eating the Mediterranean Diet in Sicily. I benefited by about 5 pounds over 7 days. (In all seriousness, the trip was fantastic, but the health benefits of the Mediteranian Diet will have to wait for a future sermon.) As wonderful a time as we had, I think we were both ready to leave after about the fifth day because we missed our son Liam – who is just about 18 month old. I knew he didn’t know where we were, I hoped he wanted us to come back, and I really hoped that when we did come back he would remember us. He did. I will never forget this hug he gave me when we got home.

While we were still in Sicily, I found my self praying for Liam more and more as the week progressed. In my life prayer is important. I pray for family and friends and the people I work with and go to church with. I pray for my enemies and those people who are enemies of the people I love. I pray the Daily Office with the clergy and sisters nearly every morning and evening here at Saint Mary’s. I pray at mass most days of the week and every Sunday. I pray alone. I pray with others. Why?

On Thursday we celebrated the Ascension of Jesus to the Father. The brief catechism at the back of the Prayer Book explains the Ascension as followed. “Jesus took our human nature into heaven where he now reigns with the Father and intercedes for us.” I believe that prayer is a very real way of experiencing the unity of humanity with God which is brought about through the Ascension of Jesus. I also find that prayer is a way of truly experiencing the unity of the body of Christ. No matter how far away from my family I might be, I know that we are part of the one Body of Christ, and when I pray for them, I experience that unity in a way that is difficult to describe. No matter how upset I might be with someone, if I pray for them I have a hard time holding onto the anger.

Some Christians take issue with praying for the dead or asking for the prayers of the saints. I do not. I am comfortable asking the saints for prayers. I pray for my friends and family who have died. On All Souls Day and for several days after the parish community prays by name for many of our loved ones who have died. I don’t think we do this to make ourselves feel better. I can only speak for myself, but I think prayer is one great way that we experience our oneness – that is not broken even by death – with God in Christ and with all of the members of the Body of Christ throughout history. That is the power of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

Today’s Gospel is a selection of Jesus’ great prayer to the Father from the Gospel according to John. He prays for his disciples. This is the last thing he will do before arriving in the Garden of Gethsemane where he will undergo the Passion. In our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we find out what happens immediately after Jesus’ ascension. The Eleven, the blessed Virgin Mary, the other women, and all of the disciples gather together and pray.

It may have sounded like my prayer life is perfectly structured, but its not. Aside from those times where I am scheduled to be in church on Sundays and during the week, I always find it difficult to keep up my prayer life. There are days when I don’t say my prayers. I know it can be a challenge to build up a life of prayer beyond nighttime and Sunday morning prayers. I think its worth taking that challenge on and I hope that each of us can continue to pray and teach those around us to pray.