"Follow me!"

The daughter of a friend of mine was back-packing in the USA. At a terminus she put her heavy pack down to check the next stage of her journey. On turning or returning, I don’t know how far or if she had moved away, the pack was nowhere to be seen. ‘Cops’ are sometimes abundant in America and one armed with a mobile communication device came to her aid and had soon established, more to his than her surprise, that her bag had been found and handed in. Commenting how unusual this was and how lucky she was he took her to be reunited with her belongings. To more mentions of her luck she responded “Yes, my grandmother prays for me.”

Forty days after celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus we come to the feast of the Ascension, a feast that has been moved from Thursday to the following Sunday. I like to think the move shows the wisdom and compassion of the Church in protecting us from the possible sin of ignoring a day of obligation.

Only Luke gives us the familiar story of the Ascension, of Jesus being carried up into heaven. Matthew, Mark and Luke, each in their own way, tell us that Jesus’ followers were sent out by him to “all nations” to “the whole creation” to preach and to baptize. Their mission was to make disciples of all nations. John ends his account of Jesus’ life somewhat differently. He tells us of Jesus’ special call to Peter to “feed my lambs”, “tend my sheep”, “feed my sheep” and “Follow me”. Peter, according to John, responded “Lord, what about this man?” indicating him, “John,” Jesus responded “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”

So we learn in these post-resurrection stories of our own calling to discipleship, of our own mission to others and of our need to follow Jesus.

In our prayers we don’t always know the detail of what we are praying for but a grandmother’s prayers are important. My often repeated prayer for my family is the grace: -  “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.” Then I thank God and try not to make a litany of their faults and failings.

Valerie Clapham