The Christian is to be a witness to heaven (Luke 24:46-53)
The joy of faith manifests itself in different ways and is also an original witness of heaven.

Do you also watch the entertaining program “Even the Wise Shrink” on television? How about choosing the answers? We aren’t usually the ones that handle that. Now let us ask ourselves: How would we answer if we had something to say about heaven? Wouldn’t that provoke laughter? Surely. But also severe thought. Indeed, pointing their finger to the sky, those would say heaven is there. But a well-mannered child will tell his little heart that heaven is there. Some would say they would like to go to heaven, but not yet today. Others, especially those suffering and living in friendship with God, desire to get to heaven as soon as possible. For others, heaven is a fairy tale, and still, others fulfill their duties responsibly and faithfully and expect to be rewarded by God in heaven. Some leave heaven to the birds and the stars. Still others, at the sight of a starry sky or the presence of a skylark aloft, experience at the same time the nearness of heaven and its joy. There are certainly those who philosophize about heaven, where all things will be abundant, and do not realize the words about heaven: “…eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Some are already looking forward to heaven on earth, which awaits them after death; others prefer heaven on earth and do not care what happens after death. During their lifetime, they have not remembered God, and when old age and sickness come, and the end of life approaches, they change their mindset, attitude, and opinion. This is an even better case. But what about the one who curses God at the hour of death? What kind of life, what kind of death? God is a righteous Judge.

At His ascension, Jesus said: “You are witnesses of this” (Lk 24:48).

According to St. Luke, today’s Gospel passage is from the end of the Gospel, who is also the author of the Book of Acts. St. Luke tells the story of the ascension of the Lord Jesus. Jesus led the disciples out of Jerusalem and into Bethany. There he said goodbye to the apostles. He raised his hands and blessed them. “As he blessed them, he withdrew from them and ascended into heaven” (Lk 24:50-51). “He was lifted before their eyes, and a cloud took him from before them” (Acts 1:9). It is a different departure of Jesus from the apostles that they had become accustomed to after Jesus’ resurrection when Jesus came and went. Jesus was preparing the apostles for this departure. After the resurrection, the apostles received new commands and commissions that they would not have understood before Jesus’ death. Even before their final release to the Father, there is much they still do not understand. The Holy Spirit, whom the Father promised to send, has not yet descended upon them. But even then, Jesus took care of the apostles as they looked heavenward. “Two men in white stood by them and said: “Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up into heaven, will come just as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11). The apostles respond to these words with their lives. “With great joy, they returned to Jerusalem. They were still in the temple, glorifying God” (Lk 24:53).

As he put it, Jesus’ ascension had to be preceded, “… that the Messiah would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (Lk 24:46). This is so that every person who encounters the teachings of Christ will realize the importance of Christ’s death to salvation. The spread of the teachings of the Lord Jesus is to be taken care of by everyone who believes in the mission of Christ. The ever-present meaning of Christ’s words is, “Ye are witnesses of this” (Lk 24:48). The apostles fulfilled their mission as witnesses. But the crowning witness is God Himself, His Holy Spirit, who uses the human word to endow them with God’s graces and gifts. The apostles will return to Jerusalem with joy. They have believed the words of Christ. Jesus had spoken many times of his Kingdom. After sending the Holy Spirit, the Apostles understood what they had been competing for wrongly among themselves when they longed to take their places at Jesus’ right and left in His Kingdom.

What is heaven? We encounter misconceptions that in heaven, we will only pray. Heaven is only for the elect. Mostly with irony and mockery, heaven, God, saints, and angels are presented. We know that heaven is not just our folded hands, downcast eyes, serious to sad faces, boredom… What is the heaven Jesus is talking about really like? He speaks of heaven in union with the Father, who is love. The Father has prepared for those who persevere in goodness a dwelling place of love, and happiness, which the tongue, reason, and heart of man cannot and does not imagine. Let us think about how to explain to the blind the colors, the deaf the sound of a child’s laughter, the song of a lark, or the voice of a confession of love?
Whoever would give a detailed description of heaven would resemble what Herakles speaks. Do you know what he did? He wanted to sell his magnificent palace, so he took one stone from it and called out to the people: “Do you want to buy my palace? This is his painting!” And he showed them just one precious, precious stone from the palace.
Jesus left us several symbols, comparisons, and images. For example, the parable of the wedding of the king’s son. What does a wedding evoke in our hearts and minds? Likewise, the description of the heavenly Jerusalem in St. John the Apostle’s account permeates us with the beautiful thought of an eternity close to God. How much beauty we have seen on earth and in heaven we will see God face to face (cf. Rev 22:4). Elsewhere we are reminded, “… we shall see Him as He is…” (1 Jn 3:2). Jesus himself says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). How to understand seeing God? In Scripture, it means not only intellectual knowledge, contemplative, which can be realized in natural life, it means living in the presence of someone. The commoner very rarely saw his sovereign, and it was from a distance if he did. Only those closest to him, those who dined with him, saw him indeed. Seeing God is understood not only as intellectual knowledge but as an eternal and endlessly lasting presence with God. To be in constant, more than natural, personal contact with God, the angels, and the saints. In heaven, he will not marry or be given in marriage (cf. Matt. 22:30).

We also understand the happiness of heaven as the joy of the beautiful works of God, of the victory of truth and love in our lives and the lives of others. Heaven is the reward and crown of life and, therefore, the fruit of life on earth when one has earned it in one’s lifetime. Heaven is the joy of victory over sin. This means there will also be degrees of glory and joy in heaven. Everyone will receive a just reward according to merit, and no one will envy anyone. Everyone will encompass the happiness appropriate to him. Heaven is a world of love. And we enter this world already here on earth, today, by our life, by our relationship to how we love God, our neighbor, and ourselves. Heaven begins today. We have already decided on heaven today. How do we cooperate with the graces, the gifts that God gives us? God, our reward, our goal, blesses us today, and our response to his talents becomes our ticket.
Today, on the Solemnity of the Ascension, we realize that our goal is not our earth. Life on earth is but a stage, at the end of which the Father’s house awaits us. Heaven is truly our homeland. God himself invites us. There is God, our true happiness and reward. Life on earth must come to an end one day. For the world is also God’s creation, and God is eternal. And in the same way, we need to remember that we are the engineers of our eternity, happiness, and rejection.
The older woman is dying. She prays the entire holy rosary daily. The priest asks her which tithe she likes to pray best. “Which one entered heaven, and: which one took you, Virgin, to heaven.” “Why?” “‘Cause I look forward in advance, when I glorify them here on earth, they will allow me to continue doing so in heavenly glory. I trust that I will see it through and experience it with them in heavenly glory.”
Imagine you are standing at the crib of a small child. What do you say to his little face? In the eyes of such children, it is said that you can see heaven. And can you imagine such a child dying? I know a woman who has had several such innocent children die. She can say that it was great pain in her heart then. But today, she invokes them daily and asks for help for her now-grown children, her husband, and herself.

May the thought of Christ going to the Father stir in us an even greater desire and effort to work in this life for eternal life. When we can approach the values of this world correctly, the more we want to come to eternal values responsibly and honestly.

We are not here for the entertainment of the foolish. We may have also made mistakes in our life so far, but we would like to make things right. God is. That is why we are already on earth to live as if we were in the antechamber of heaven. To be friends of God. To love the truth, live in love, and stand on the side of righteousness.

Man, the -mason built the house. He needed bricks, stones, sand, mortar, wood, tools, and more. But God made heaven and earth and the universe in general out of nothing. To create is to make something out of nothing. Only God can do that. It is sometimes to us that even a magician can create something. For example, he pulls a live rabbit out of a hat where nothing was before. But that’s just a trick.

The first people in paradise were holy. /Aureola over their heart./ They were blissful. /In paradise, they had everything/. They were bodily immortal./ An open gate to heaven were to come without death.

Among the most-watched information is the weather forecast. According to this, we can arrange many things to our better satisfaction or avoid inconveniences and difficulties.

This gospel also has the character of information. Jesus said to His disciples: “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into the full truth…” (Jn. 16:13).

This information about the Holy Spirit is valuable to us as believers. First of all, we knew very little about the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus spoke more often about the Holy Spirit, but he says it in more detail today. The Holy Spirit causes the disciples and us to know the fullness of the truth and become teachers of it. That is why many things, initially, the apostles and believers were not ready to accept and understand. It is only with the coming of the Holy Spirit that significant obstacles such as unstable faith and fear-filled hearts are removed. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will do nothing that contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ. He will not speak for Himself, but only what He has heard from the Father and the Son. Thus, he is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, and therefore he cannot begin to teach a new doctrine that the Lord Jesus has not already preached. His mission will be to make people aware of what is to come, that is, to give people a sign of the times so that the teachings of Jesus must be interpreted correctly and acceptably in the spirit of the times, for the needs of the times because every age wants to find for itself a satisfactory answer to the problematic questions and pains of the teachings of the Lord Jesus, and this will be the task of the Holy Spirit. In this way, the Church will understand the message of the Lord Jesus ever more fully and present it ever better in changed circumstances.

When we think of the history of the Church, we see the admirable vitality of the Church, which is the work of the Holy Spirit. We see that already ancient man was satisfied with the teaching of the Lord Jesus. Jesus became the summit even in the Middle Ages. Therefore, the Holy Spirit works so that in every age, He wants to captivate the whole man: his thinking, his desires, his wishes. Therefore, there is nothing new under the sun when we witness that the teachings of Christ also interest the attention of a modern man. Nothing prevents man from pursuing his art, sport, science, and politics; only let it be for his eternal salvation and that of other immortal souls.
It would be ridiculous if, in this atomic age, the teachings of Christ were preached in the spirit of antiquity or the medieval manner. But even today, the Holy Spirit directs the Church and her leaders so that not error but truth is proclaimed because even today, man has his task, which must be carried out in Spirit and truth. Today, there is always talk about the actual freedom and dignity of man, his purpose, the content of his life, and man’s place in God’s plan.

Today, the believing Christian is not impoverished by being a believer; on the contrary, he is distinguished from the unbeliever by the still more wonderful idea that he believes in eternal life. He does not live only for this world but, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, directs and corrects his actions to pass successfully through life, stand the test of life, and thus merit eternal life.

Nothing has changed in words recorded for us by the scribe:
– We are in the world to know the Lord God, to love him, to serve him, and so to come to eternal life -.

It is said that many an enemy of Christ has broken his teeth or broken his bonds against the Church. Perhaps there is some truth in this. Many have wished for the death, the demise of the Church, which is the work of Jesus Christ, but which is governed by the Holy Spirit through the visible head, the hierarchy of the Church, headed by the Pope. In the Church, there have been times that many of the faithful have fallen into despair and fear for the Church. However, they forgot that the Church is not man’s work but of God. Therefore, it does not hurt us today to reflect on the Gospel passage and to be strengthened in our faith.

“It is better for you that I go away. If I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7).

These words must have surprised the apostles when they heard them from the Lord Jesus. He wants to depart from them. They do not understand and do not comprehend, so He explains to them that when He goes away, it will indeed only be to their benefit and the future Church until the end of the world because they will only gain by it, and this precisely by the work of the Holy Spirit. Although after Jesus’ resurrection, the apostles could have been even more convinced of the mission of the Lord Jesus, they had, however, been intoxicated by the environment and especially by the long period of waiting for the Messiah, a different idea of Jesus. There were still many unclear points left for them, and therefore his absence after his departure cured them of the earthly understanding of the teaching they had received. This will be given to them through the “intercessor,” through the third Divine Person-the Holy Spirit, a faithful God with the Father and the Son. This Holy Spirit will become the link in the invisible process between the Lord Jesus and the visible Head of the Church on earth until the end of time. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the world will recognize that it is not the Lord Jesus but the world that has committed the crime of unbelief. Thus, we can understand that the one who does not believe will condemn himself because he does not cooperate with the One who not only created this, redeemed it after the commission of sin, but also controls it until the end of the world. The world will realize that the death of the Lord Jesus is not a defeat for us; on the contrary, it is a victory. Christ’s resurrection is the most significant defeat for the unbelieving world.

Today, none of us doubts that the Holy Spirit is active. Although Jesus, our Redeemer, and Savior, has departed from us, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the whole world can progress more and more and know more deeply the person of the Lord Jesus.

We can say that although we have not met the physical Christ as a person, our faith is no less, no weaker, precisely because by the departure of the Lord Jesus to the Father, not only then in Jerusalem but also today, we have become able to receive the Holy Spirit, and under His influence, we can grow in faith and love.

How many times has the Eucharist’s mystery given us an extraordinary impulse of faith? Further, the reminder that the Holy Spirit is in me, in my brothers and sisters, powerfully confirms my belief in the one God in three divine persons. We do not see the Lord Jesus face to face here on earth is no obstacle at all. But we do believe that Jesus has promised us such an encounter. Therefore, since He also fulfilled His words surrounding His passion, death, and resurrection, we believe that our resurrection will not be a problem for Jesus.

Yes, even though we often don’t fully grasp these connections with our minds because it is still beyond our understanding today, we work and educate ourselves so that we can know as much as possible about this and give further witness to it. These difficulties will pass for us one day, and our faith will not be a difficulty but a joy in glorifying God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, foretold and communicated, is for everyone who turns to Him in faith, strength, and light on the way to eternity.

We have boldly laid aside our fear for the future of the Church. Even if we do not see it in rosy colors, even if we encounter significant opposition and hatred against the Church, the words of the Lord Jesus, which have proven themselves many times over two thousand years, are valid: “… the gates of hell shall not prevail against her” (Mt 16:18).

Where your treasure is, there is your heart.
Entrance to the church: solemn organ prelude.
Entrance song: We come to you 2x
Welcome by the priest
Dear children! The great day is here. This is the day of your first Holy Communion. I warmly welcome you, your parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters on this festive day. Jesus is already knocking. He says to you. Child, open your heart to me. I want to make you rich and happy. Yes, dear children, you also want to be satisfied when Jesus dwells in your hearts. Jesus is God, Jesus loves you, and no one can give you as much as Jesus. Now I give the floor to the children.
Welcome by EK children
1st child Paul
Dear parishioners!
Today is the day. The day of our First Communion has finally arrived! We have been preparing for it for a long time. So we First Communion children would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you. We are happy to stand here to receive Jesus for the 1st time in the holy bread.
2nd child Pia
The theme of our First Communion is. Where your treasure is, so is your heart. Jesus himself is this precious treasure that we have discovered. He gives us gifts today in an extraordinary way. So let us make our hearts ready for it.
Act of Repentance
Priest: If we celebrate such a great feast today, we must do it in a community where everything that separates us and could hinder our encounter with Jesus is removed. The joy of the precious treasure is even greater.
Child 1: Jesus, you are invisible to our eyes and yet close to us. We do not always believe it.
2nd child: Jesus, you are like a good friend and companion. Sometimes we forget that.
3rd child: Jesus, you are like a precious treasure in my life. But often, something seems more important to me.
Song: Lord, have mercy
Priest: Almighty God, have mercy on us, forgive our sins, and lead us to eternal life.
Baptismal promise: Godparents go forward in pairs, light the baptismal candle on the Easter candle, present it to their godchild, and stand behind it.- Organ music
PRIEST’S INTRODUCTION: At the beginning of your life, your parents carried you to church to be baptized. They brought you to Jesus, the source of energy. At your baptism, the baptismal candle was lit in the same way. Your godparents or substitutes took the light from the Easter candle, which symbolizes Jesus himself. With this light in your hand and under the protection of your godparents, you will now make your baptismal vows:
At your baptism, you were still small. Your godparents answered for you. Today, you can answer Jesus himself. I ask you:
God created heaven and earth. He also gave us life. Like a good father and a loving mother, do you believe in God?
Yes, I believe!
Through Jesus, God showed us how much He loves us. Jesus died for us. He rose from the dead. Do you believe in Jesus?
Yes, I believe!
The Holy Spirit gives us joy in life. He makes us strong. He is our helper. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
Yes, I believe.
Jesus wants to be our friend. Do you like this friendship with Jesus?
Yes, I do!
Jesus wants more joy, love, and peace in the world. Do you want to help make life on earth more beautiful?
Yes, I do!
/Children blow out candles and hand them to the godparents, who go into the pews/.
Gloria: Gloria, Gloria, Glory to God
Prayer of the day
Reading
Reading from the book of Proverbs/2,1-7a/
If you accept my words and heed my commandments, if you give ear to wisdom, if you incline your heart to insight, if you cry out for knowledge, if you ask for understanding with a loud voice, if you seek it like silver, if you search for it like for treasures, then you will understand God’s greatness and know what God is like. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and insight. For those who strive to live well, he has helped in-store.
Word of the living God.
Thanks are to God
Interlude: Word, word, God’s word.
Evangelism: Where your treasure is, there your heart is also Lk 12, 33-34
Homily
Dear children, today is a great day for you. You are going to receive Jesus in your heart for the first time. You already know who Jesus is. Jesus is our greatest treasure. I ask you a question: do you know what is asked of you? It is love. Will it be difficult for you to awaken love in yourselves before Holy Communion? Certainly not. You only need to remember how dear Jesus is to you. He gave his life for you. How much he must love you! And it was not enough for him to give his life for you. In Holy Communion, he wants to give himself entirely to you. He wants to be in you and remain in you. Before Holy Communion, think of his love and goodness and say, “Oh, Jesus, when I think of how much you love me, I know what I would like to tell you. I want to love you with all my heart. I love you more than anything in the world. I want to be entirely your child. I want to be all yours and always do only what you want me to do. How can you awaken love before Holy Communion? If you love Jesus, you will undoubtedly have desire and longing for him. Say to Jesus: Oh, Jesus, come to me at last. My heart is already longing for you. You are all my happiness; you are my treasure. Jesus will gladly come to you when he sees that you long for him. And what will you think after Holy Communion, and what will you say to Jesus? First of all, remember who is with you now. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus is sitting in heaven on an indescribably gloriously luminous throne. Around him, Our Lady and the innumerable hosts of angels and saints are standing and kneeling, singing their praises to him. After Holy Communion, however, Jesus has also opened his throne in your hearts. You can say to him: Holy, holy, holy are you, Jesus. All the world is full of your glory. So what is the first thing you should do after Holy Communion? You should worship Jesus. What will be the second thing? You must thank Jesus. He is always exceedingly kind and bountiful to you. But he gives you the greatest and the best in Holy Communion. There he shows himself to you. There is nothing more significant and more beautiful if he gives himself, his body and blood, his soul, his divinity to you, how dear he must be to you. Thank him for it with all your heart. Say to him: I thank you, Jesus, for loving me and coming to me. Because Jesus will give himself entirely to you, you should also provide him with something. What do you think? He wants you to give him your heart. Therefore, after Holy Communion, say to Him. Oh, Jesus, with joy, I now give you my heart and myself ultimately. Amen
Intercessions
Let us now pray to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has prepared the table for us and given us the food of life.
1st child: Good God, we are happy that we can receive communion for the first time today. This is an excellent day for us. Open our hearts to this gift and let us feel that the Holy Bread is a precious treasure that makes our lives rich.
All: We ask you to hear us.
2nd child: Communion means community. We have prepared together for a great feast. It was wonderful. Let us come here often in the future and celebrate with you.
Mother: Good God, when we baptized our children, we promised that we would be an excellent example for them and help them grow more and more into the Christian community. Grant that our children may feel that your love for us and faith in you are treasures that give meaning and depth to our lives.
Father: Good God, there is so much that can make our lives rich. Our children are such a treasure of it. You have entrusted them to us, and we thank you for it. We want to encourage and accompany them in love so that they can develop their abilities and use them for themselves and others.
Table Mother: Good God, we table mothers have accompanied these children for a while, and together with them, we have tried to get to know you better and better. Together, we experienced beautiful hours when we could discover many new treasures of life and faith. For this, we thank you. Grant that you will not only be incredibly precious to them today but that Jesus is the Holy Bread will continually strengthen and accompany them.
Priest: Merciful God, hear these and all other petitions, through Christ our Lord. Amen
Offertory Song: In the gifts, we bring 1-3 parts.
Offertory: 5 children bring bread, wine, and candles to the altar.
Priest. Pray to God the Father Almighty, brothers and sisters, that He may accept this gift for His praise and the salvation of the whole Church.
1. child /bread/ Good God, we bring you bread. It grew from many grains. Again and again, it had to change. Transform it into your body.
2nd child /Cup/ Good God, we bring the wine. From many sweet grapes, it was pressed. Let this wine be a sign of joy and communion.
3rd child/candle/ We also bring our candles to the altar. They are a sign of your warmth and closeness. Whenever they burn, they remind us that you are there.
Priest: Good God, we have brought bread, wine, and candles to the altar. We need solid food to live, but love, security, and meaning. Transform these gifts for us into the treasure of life. Let us recognize in them Jesus, who is always there for us.
Daily Prayer
Preface
Sanctus
Our Father prayed-children joined hands and formed a circle with priests and altar servers.
Greeting of peace: Squeeze hands-peace passes through all.
Agnus Dei prayed
Song before communion: Bread in my hand
Communion: children all go in pairs to the center aisle.
Organ music
Prayer of Thanksgiving:
1st child: Good God! You have given us rich gifts today. We thank you for everything. We thank you, especially for Jesus, who came to us in the holy bread and made our lives even more prosperous.
2nd child: Now we also want to thank all those who celebrated with us. We thank you heartfelt to those who helped make this day a beautiful celebration.
Song of thanks: We say thank you
Closing prayer
Benediction:
Theme: Great God, we praise you.
Excerpt
Community photo