Monthly Archives: August 2025

The Second GLORIOUS Mystery – THE ASCENSION by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Abortion, Ascension, Blessed Virgin Mary, Church, Community, Conversion, Eucharist, Evangelism, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Life in the Spirit, Prayer, Relationships, Resurrection, Rosary, Scripture, Spirituality, Teaching, , , ,

This mystery recalls how Jesus, at the end of his earthly ministry, ascended in to heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father. This occurred forty days after His resurrection. Both the gospel of Mark (16:19 ) and the Acts of the Apostles (1:8-9) mention this in the scriptures. The Church associates the Ascension with Jesus’ call for His disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. This happened nine days after the Ascension on the Feast of Pentecost. We, to this day, celebrate novenas (prayers for nine days) because of this. Also associated with His Ascension is the Great Commission from Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus tells us, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is the mission of the Church.

This second Glorious mystery is so important as it celebrates the very successful culmination of Jesus’ ministry here on earth AND His triumphal return to the Father in Heaven. It also celebrates the elevated human condition of all mankind as Jesus takes His glorified, human body in to Heaven. We, as His human children, will follow Him. Now, and forever, humanity is a permanent part of the Godhead. Think about that….. It is so amazing. God has lifted up humanity to share in His divinity. At mass, in the preparation of the cup, as he pours water in to the wine, the deacon (or if there is no deacon, the priest) quietly says, “By the mystery of this water in wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” Because of Jesus, we share in the Divinity and the Divinity shares in our humanity. That is quite mind-blowing when you really think about it. The Jesus that we follow and pray to is BOTH the Word (2nd person of the Trinity) and the glorified human born of the Virgin Mary, now and forevermore in Heaven.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus was preparing His disciples for His absence and said to them, in John 16: 7, “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I depart. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, whereas if I go, I will send Him to you.“ As much as the apostles wanted Jesus to stay, He made it quite clear to them that it was better for Him to go. When He went to the Father, He, would send the Holy Spirit to be with them, and to all of us, forever. Jesus’s Ascension to the Father allowed us to receive the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ promise to be with us always, until the end of the world, is kept in our receiving THE power from heaven, the Holy Spirit.

The departure of Jesus in the Ascension led to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, just nine days later. This Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles and disciples of Jesus at the beginning of the Church and has continued to do so to the present day. Jesus, in John 16: 12 said, “I have much more to tell you, but you would not be able to bear it now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth”; but more about that next week in the third Glorious Mystery.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – Do I honor all humanity by recognizing it sharing in the divinity of God?

2 – Do I respect, and help others to respect human life from conception to natural death?

3 – Do I really believe in the power of prayer?

4 – When is the last time that I prayed a novena?

5 – Do I rely upon the power of God’s Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me.

6 – Do I try to live out the mission of the Church by trying to “make disciples” by teaching others the Christian Way through my words and the way I live my life?

7 – Do I encourage others to seek the Christian baptism?

8 – Do I read and study the scriptures on a regular basis?

9 – Do I pay attention to all the words of the mass?

10 – Do I feel the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit and through the Church?

The First GLORIOUS Mystery – THE RESURRECTION – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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The First GLORIOUS Mystery: The RESURRECTION – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about the resurrection of Jesus. They vary in different details, and order, but essentially tell us the profound truth that Jesus rose from the dead after being crucified and buried. This is essential to our faith. This is the heart of our faith. This is the heart of the good news. The resurrection of Jesus shows us that that death no longer has a hold on the world, or on us. This is so essential to our faith that EVERY Sunday we celebrate it by going to mass where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus and we follow His command in John chapter 6, verse 54 to “eat my body and drink my blood”. The Eucharist that we receive is the resurrected-glorious, body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. It is so important to do this that the Church has made it an obligation to attend mass EVERY Sunday (or Saturday evening in anticipation). Sunday, as the day of Jesus’ Resurrection was so important to the early Church that, even though they were good Jews, they started to move the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday to recognize the Resurrection. We should reflect on this central facet of our faith even more than just once a week. Reciting the Rosary and the Glorious Mystery helps us to do this.

The gospel accounts tell us that after Jesus died on the cross (clearly shown by the gospels and eyewitness accounts), he was taken down and laid in a tomb. On the third day, the women went to visit His tomb and He was gone. They were greeted by angels and by the resurrected Jesus himself and given instructions to tell the GOOD NEWS of His resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus is further shown by His glorified presence to the apostles and disciples for a forty day period before His Ascension to Heaven. One of my favorite stories from the Gospel during this period is the story of how Jesus appeared to His disciples in His glorified body in the Upper Room. Thomas was not there and when the disciples told Thomas of seeing the resurrected Jesus, he told them that he could not believe this unless he, himself, put his fingers in to the nail holes and his hand in to the pierced side of Jesus. Shortly after, the disciples were again gathered and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus again appeared in His resurrected, glorious body and looked to Thomas and told him to place his fingers in His nail holes and His pierced side. Thomas responded with, “my Lord, and my God”. I think that it is interesting that Thomas, forever known as DOUBTING Thomas because of his initial doubt, gave one of the greatest expressions of belief and faith found in the gospels. This gives us all hope. In Mark 9:24 the father of a boy possessed by a demon said to Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” This is a cry we too can utter at times, especially in difficult moments.

Another resurrection story that I love is the walk to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35). In this narrative, we have two of Jesus’ disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus (7 mile walk). As they walk, they are discussing the death of Jesus and how the women found an empty tomb. It appears that they didn’t fully understand that this meant that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. The resurrected Jesus then appeared to them and walked along with them, but they did not recognize Him. As they walked, He explained to them all of the Scriptures that talked about the Messiah and His death and resurrection. When they came to an Inn, they stopped for some rest and food. It was here that Jesus took bread and broke it and at that time they recognized Him in the “breaking of the bread”. After that, He disappeared and they immediately walked back to Jerusalem to tell the others that they had seen the resurrected Jesus. This is definitely an eucharistic moment. As a matter of fact, the whole story reminds us of the two parts of the mass that we celebrate, (and the final dismissal where we are given our mission). His explaining the scriptures reminds us of the Liturgy of the Word, and His breaking of the bread reminds us of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We too are called, each time we attend mass, to recognize Jesus in both Word and Eucharist. At the end of mass we are told to GO FORTH and share the gospel message with others, just as the disciples on the walk to Emmaus did. This is our mission.

I cannot stress enough that the Resurrection of Jesus is the important event that allowed the Good News to spread. It is essential to our faith. Even St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:14) says, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith”. It is so important for us to celebrate His Resurrection and remember this always. The First Glorious Mystery of the Rosary helps us to do this.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – How often do I think about how Jesus ROSE from the dead?

2 – Do I offer Him thanks and praise for dying and rising for me?

3 – Do I attend mass at least on Sunday (or Saturday evening) every week?

4 – Do I listen closely to all the readings in the “Liturgy of the Word”?

5 – Do I pay close attention to the Homily and think about it afterwards?

6 – Do I recognize that the Eucharist is the risen, glorified, body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus?

7 – When I have moments of unbelief, do I ask God to help my unbelief?

8 – When a friend or family member loses a loved one, do I offer HOPE and FAITH and LOVE?

9 – Do I ponder the Mystery of the Resurrection in my prayer life and in the rosary?

10 – Do I follow the mission given to me to share the GOOD NEWS with others?

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: Unity Within Diversity – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Apologetics, Church, Community, Family, Holy Orders, How to be Catholic, Liturgy, Prayer, Priesthood, Relationships, Rites of the Church, Sacraments, Scripture, Spirituality, Unity

One of the greatest things about the Catholic Church is its unity within a great deal of diversity. We can see this on a small scale by visiting different churches within our living areas and even by listening to different priests or deacons preach within our home parish. You can really see this when you understand that the Catholic Church consists of 24 different, or particular Churces using six different rites all under one Pope. All of these Catholic churches have the same core beliefs, they just express them in different ways. One of the churches is the Roman Catholic Church which follows the Latin rite, and is the church most readily recognized as Catholic. This is the largest of all 24. The other 23 churches follow the Eastern Rites and may look quite different in their appearances and liturgy, but follow the same core beliefs. ALL OF THESE CHURCHES ARE CATHOLIC and have the same head, the Pope.

Each church and rite developed within its own area and own history, but it is important to see that we are one. Someday we hope that the Orthodox churches and the Catholic churches will be again united after a 1,000 year separation. Many Popes and Patriarchs have worked on this, and I am hoping to see it happen within my lifetime. Nonetheless, we should celebrate the unity that we have within our Catholic diversity. One can even hope for the return of the Protestant churches. All of the Churches, and Rites (as listed below) are in full communion with each other and recognize the Pope as their head.

Jesus said in John 17: 21-23

May they all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be one in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, so that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, and thus the world may know that you have sent me and that you have loved them even as you have loved me.

Latin Rite
Roman Catholic Church

Alexandrian Rite
Coptic Catholic Church
Eritrean Catholic Church
Ethiopian Catholic Church

West Syrian (or Antiochene) Rite
Maronite Catholic Church
Syriac Catholic Church
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

Armenian Rite
Armenian Catholic Church

East Syrian (or Chaldean) Rite
Chaldean Catholic Church
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Constantinopolitan (or Byzantine) Rite
Albanian Catholic Church
Belarusian Catholic Church
Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church
Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro
Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
Hungarian Greek Catholic Church
Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
Macedonian Catholic Church
Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Romanian Catholic Church
Russian Catholic Church
Ruthenian Catholic Church (Byzantine Catholic Church in America)
Slovak Catholic Church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church