Ascension Day

The Collect
Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm
47

The Readings
Acts 1:1-11     +     Ephesians 1:15-23     +     Luke 24:44-53

I pray that . . . you may know what is the hope to which he has called you . . . and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
~Ephesians 1:18-23

From a sermon by St. Augustine of Hippo:

"Today Jesus Christ our Lord went up to heaven: let our hearts go up with him. Listen to the words of Saint Paul: 'If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.' Just as he ascended without leaving us, so too we are already with him in heaven, although his promises have not yet been fulfilled in our bodies. Christ is now raised above the heavens; but he still experiences on earth whatever sufferings we his members feel. He showed that this is true when he called out from heaven: 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' And: 'I was thirsty and you gave me drink.' Why then do we not exert ourselves on earth so as to be happy with him already in heaven through the faith, hope, and charity which unite us with him? Christ, while in heaven, is also with us; and we, while on earth, are also with him. He is with us in his godhead and his power and his love; and we, though we cannot be with him in his godhead as he is with us, can be with him in our love, our love for him . . . the body in its unity is not separated from its head."

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Saint Philip and Saint James, Apostles

The Collect

Almighty God, who gave to your apostles Philip and James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


The Psalm
119:33-40


The Readings

Isaiah 30:18-21     +     II Corinthians 4:1-6     +     John 14:6-14

Since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.
~II Corinthians 4:1

At the Grow Christians blog, Maria Kane admits that we don't know much about the apostles James and Philip, whom we commemorate today, but they can help us "celebrate the ordinary" at the very time we need it:

As we enter the 6th or 60th week of the COVID-19 pandemic (I’ve lost track), there’s no question in my mind that their anonymous and often-forgotten nature is in fact what makes them the perfect saints for the “rest of us.” By that, I mean those of us who are not frontline responders but are instead fighting against this virus at home. In James and Philip’s faithfulness to the quotidian of daily living and in their willingness to yes to the way of Jesus day after day—even when it wasn’t glamorous— they helped build the community of faith that has been handed down to us today. In their willingness to seek after God in the ordinary moments of life regardless of whether they got the credit or even got it “right,” Philip and James prove that you don’t have to be on the frontlines to matter. Nor do you have to have all the answers. 

To all who are following the way of Jesus, flawed and uncertain as we all are: take heart. In refusing to give up and in to the darkness and fear, in saying yes to the life you have been given this day—which, let’s be honest, may or may not be the one you envisioned or wanted—the Spirit is doing her perfecting, loving work in you…and, it makes you a saint.

We may not know a lot about James and Philip, but I’m convinced that we know everything about them worth knowing: the ordinary is holy.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be faithful in the small things, in the everyday things, in the unexpected things, that with your servants Philip and James we may even now by your grace see you, who are the image of God. Amen.