Holy Angels Anglican Church
Homily for the Sunday after Ascension Day
(June 1, 2025)
St. John 15:26-16:4a
Take Comfort
Given by: The Rev. Fr. Vincent J. Varnas
Today is the Sunday after the Ascension. It is a week before Whitsunday, also known as Pentecost: the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles with the fire of evangelization and the power to go forth, “… teach [ing] all nations, [and] baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: …” (Matt.28:19).
Before the Ascension, the disciples had received the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment about Jesus’ mission when He breathed upon them in the upper room. However, they had not yet received the power of the Holy Spirit. They were lacking the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude.
After the Ascension, “… They … returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God”, because Jesus had opened their eyes and their hearts and their minds to His mission (Lk. 24:52-53). Finally, they understood who was this Jesus? He is the only true Son of God and the Paschal Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29).
Now, they fully comprehended the Old Testament predictions of the coming of the Messiah and most importantly why Jesus had to die for the atonement of our sins. And subsequently, He re-open the gates of God’s heavenly kingdom for themselves and for all of us. For this total outpouring of love, they praised and blessed God continually in the Temple in Jerusalem (Lk. 24:53).
Now they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, also known as, the Comforter or Paraclete, or Advocate or Counselor.
I think this wait is something like that which we experience in our lives. We have been told of the glories of God and of His heavenly Kingdom, but are not yet there. We wait both in apprehension and in joyful anticipation!
This must have been how the disciples felt. The risen Lord had returned to them from the dead, but soon after, left them with the promise of the “Spirit of Truth” to come on Pentecost and to, “… be endued with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49).
They were no longer afraid because they knew in their hearts that Jesus would never leave them. After all, He said to them: “… I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). As Jesus ascended to heaven, they were filled with joy because they saw before their very eyes the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven opened for humanity to enter.
My friends in Christ, the disciples knew not what was to befall them except what Jesus had said to them: “They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God’s service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (Jn. 16:2-3).
Before the day of the Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the disciples had been outside their comfort zone.
Do you ever feel uncomfortable about your spiritual life?
It seems as if it had been an awkward time for the disciples, because Jesus was incarnate. He was crucified and died. He rose again and then left them a second time by ascending to Heaven with only a promise of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to take His place!
Awkward for the disciples, but for us, it should be comfortable because we have almost 2000 years of biblical interpretation behind us and should not be afraid of evangelizing our faith knowing that Jesus is with us always and the Holy Spirit is upon us by and through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
Are you comfortable with that? Do you understand God’s Word?
As a disciple of Christ, can you go forth and spread His truth among those who do not know Him?
Now, let’s consider what our faith means to us in terms of jeopardy.
All but one of the 12 Apostles and many more of the other disciples would suffer martyrdom for their faith in Jesus. Only St. John was spared that fate. Is that anything we have to fear?
Probably not martyrdom, but our religious freedom is under attack every day from an increasingly secularized world and many are reviled for their belief in God’s Word and in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Are you uncomfortable with that?
My friends in Christ, we must all leave our comfort zones in order to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all those who will listen!
Yes, there is a degree of danger in evangelizing, but also great reward for talking about our faith to those in need of hearing the truth of God’s Word as spoken to humanity by Christ Jesus.
And, it is up to us to put on the armor of Christ and pick up the sword of truth, spreading the Gospel, the good news, to all those in need of hearing it.
There is risk in this, however. Being religious or even spiritual is often ridiculed by others who do not know God.
Nonetheless, you should take those opportunities as they arise to inform, comfort and elucidate those who are apparently confused, lost or worried about their future and the future of our society, for they are not at peace. And just as the Holy Spirit brought comfort and peace to the minds and hearts of the Apostles, so too will He bring peace to you and others through God’s Word.
There is a teaching I learned in the Mt. Angel seminary: “Where you find the Holy Spirit, you will find peace and joy”. And the opposite is also true: division, dissension, anger, hate, disrespect, and selfishness are the hallmarks of the evil one who revels in driving a wedge between God and ourselves. There one finds no peace and no joy.
Through baptism and confirmation, we are tasked to bring God’s loving Word to those around us and in so doing, we become agents of the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of Truth”. We are disciples of the Word. We are blessed by God, with the beatitude that Jesus spoke of in this respect in the Sermon on the Mount assuring us: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9). Thusly, by the presence of the Holy Spirit, we bring peace and joy to those who are spiritually troubled. The Holy Spirit is both the Comforter and the Counselor.
The Holy Spirit is also the Advocate. Through you, His presence brings help to those in need. And for yourself, the peace and joy of knowing that stepping outside your artificial comfort zone to reconcile differences is an act of charitable involvement. In effect, the Holy Spirit will expand your spiritual comfort zone and put you at ease in talking about our faith to others. Thusly, we know and understand our mission on earth between the time Jesus ascended to Heaven and the time He will come again. It is to become messengers of His truth, a conduit for the Holy Spirit bringing peace and joy to all those we encounter in our daily lives.