From the Garden to Ascension Thursday Sunday

Garden Thoughts



Pictured above are some of the first produce from our garden. These are thinned carrots, so they are a bit small but very tasty. The tomatoes are from a plant we got from friends, but the tomato plants we started from seeds are starting to show some blossoms. Also pictured is some cilantro(coriander) which I pulled just to thin out the bush of cilantro we had.



The onions are struggling along, and the peppers were decimated by something which ate them down to the ground. We shall see what comes of them.



The squash - zucchini - is growing like crazy. There are multiple blossoms, with little zucchinis growing from most of them. I am hoping some of the blossoms will turn into the yellow squash. Either way, I anticipate a lot of squash in my diet in the future.



At 0530 this morning, as I let the dog out for a walk, I went over to the garden and noticed that all the squash flowers were wide open.



Ascension Thursday Thoughts



Last week, we celebrated the Solemnity of Ascension Thursday on Thursday. We were blessed with the ability to make it to Mass and receive our Lord. In addition, we heard the final words of Jesus, commanding us to go and teach and baptize people throughout the WHOLE world. what a good thing to hear on the day we celebrate his ascension.



This brings me to two thoughts:



One is that there is very little recording of what Jesus was teaching the disciples during the forty days after the Resurrection. It seems reasonable that He was teaching them, since they still were asking stupid questions of Him up to the point of the Ascension, such as, 'Are you going to restore the kingdom of Israel?'



I think that the teachings of Jesus during those forty days time would constitute the initiation of the 'Tradition' that makes up so much of the Church. What did NOT come out of the forty days was the Gospel written by Christ Himself.



The second thought is that when I was a child, I always thought that the time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost was a time when the Apostles were in hiding, afraid to be seen in public. Now the story is a bit clearer, where the Apostles spent the time preparing for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. I think it shows the faith and courage of the Apostles; their faith in waiting for the Holy Spirit to come as Jesus said, and their courage in preparing for their roles as bishops and martyrs.


Ascension Thursday Sunday Thoughts



Then yesterday we celebrated Ascension Thursday Sunday, since we have been dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass on the Solemnity of the Ascension on the Thursday 10 days before Pentecost. I am not sure of who decided we could skip Mass on Thursday, but I am confident that their reason went something like this,



"God forbid we inconvenience the flock with additional time spent in Church.

I mean, what could possibly come of extra time spent in prayer?"



Perhaps that extra time in prayer would result in the Holy Spirit coming down on a few more souls this Pentecost, inflaming more men and women with Love for God and the desire to spread the Gospel.



I can only hope.



While I was blessed to go to Mass with my family, I had to go to work afterwards and didn't get home until after 1 a.m. I missed a piano recital yesterday where seven of the Noisykids played the piano beautifully. This is one of the down sides of being a doctor. I recall telling my wife a month ago, 'what are the chances I'll get called in during the recital?'


My wife looked at me lovingly....