The promise of empty space/La promesa del espacio abierto

Ascension Sunday/Domingo del Ascension 2014


The mystery of the Ascension is a mystery of absence. El misterio del Ascension es un misterio de ausensia.

The beloved Master and Lord is taken from the disciples. El Maestro y Senor tan amable se tomo desde los discipulos.

Right when they need him the most is when they lose him. Cuando ellos se necesitan, el se sale.

The mystery of the Ascension is a mystery of confusion. El misterio del Ascension es un misterio de confusion.

I wonder what the disciples were thinking and feeling when the Lord was taken from them. Quiero saber que pensaron los discipulos cuando su Senor se salio. Even the Gospel of Luke says that they were confused as to what all these amazing events really meant. Aunque el Evangelio de San Lucas dice que eran confusado que significa todas de estas cosas tan maravillosas. “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?” “Señor, ¿vas a restablecer en este momento el reino de Israel?” Are you going to defeat the Romans and the corrupt priests in the Temple? ?Derrotaras a los Romanos y los sacerdotes corruptos en el Templo?

So when the Lord was taken from them, here’s what I imagine they were thinking…Esto es que yo pienso que los discipulos pensaron cuando el Senor se salio:

Where is he going, and is he coming right back? ?Adonde va, y se regresara pronto?

Who’s in charge now? ?Quien esta encargada?

What do we do now? ?Que hacemos ahora?

And maybe, does anyone know where we parked? ?Quien sabe donde estamos estacionado?

It’s the same kind of confusion. Es lo mismo tipo de confusion.

The mystery of the Ascension is a mystery of doubt and faith. El misterio del Ascension es un misterio de duda y de confianza.

As the disciples returned to Jerusalem, what did they talk about? Or did they share a long silence? ?Cuando regresaron los discipulos a Jerusalem, que les hablaron? ?O les quedaron en silencio?

One thing they did was to stay together. Another thing they did was pray. Les quedaron juntos. Y ademas les oraron. They went back to the Temple, the place that their faith told them was where prayers were heard by God. Les regresaron al Templo donde ellos creeian que el Dios se escucha a sus oraciones.

And they believed that that Advocate, of whom Jesus spoke, would come. Y ademas creeian que el Paracleto de quien hablaba el Senor se viene.

We also often wonder where Jesus has gone. Nosotros tambien queremos saber adonde va el Senor Jesus. We also wonder what it is we are supposed to do next. Y queremos saber que tenemos a hacer. We wonder who is in charge, or who will cut the church grass, or any number of things that seem so important to people. Queremos saber quien esta encargada, o quien puede cortar el pasto afuera de la iglesia, o muchas otros cosas que parecen tan important por la gente.

But we stay together as a new and different people at Saints Peter and Paul. Quedamos juntos como un pueblo nuevo y diferente a San Pedro y San Pablo. And we pray, here in this place where God hears prayer. And we hope. Oramos aqui en este lugar donde el Dios se escucha a nuestras oraciones. Y tambien esperamos.

We believe the Spirit of God has already been poured out upon us. Creemos que el Espiritu de Dios ya esta derramada en nuestras corazones.

God-Spirit is here. And yet, God-Spirit is coming. Dios el Espiritu Santo esta aqui y ademas se viene.

Today we meet even if we have confusion and doubt. Reunimos todavia aunque tenemos confusion y dudas. Today we meet and pray. Todavia reunimos y oramos. We look at one another and wonder who is in charge, what is the plan? A ver uno al otro y preguntamos quien esta encargada y que es el plan. But instead of easy answers or going somewhere else, we are asking for God-Spirit. Pero en vez de contestas faciles o andamos a un otro lugar, se pedimos por el Espiritu Santo.