Ascension of the Lord (C) Jesus ascended into Heaven leaving behind an Israel still oppressed by the Romans and millions trapped in poverty and hunger and ignorance. The job wasn't finished -- why did He leave?

As a busy young pastor I found myself overwhelmed by all the work of ministry. The harder I worked, the more behind and inadequate I felt. Then I started actually talking to God and listening to His Spirit. I realized that I had been secretly serving myself instead of serving God. We won't thrive as a church, or as individuals, by trying to thrive. We will find ourselves thriving when we stop trying to thrive and just serve the Lord faithfully.

A Disciple of Jesus is a little Christ. Plug into Jesus and start living your mission. We want God to change the world, but He wants to change YOU. (2 Jun 2019)

Going Deeper: Does Fr. Joel's example of prayer resonate with you? How can your prayer be more focused on God and less focused on yourself?

Thank you Patrons for keeping the podcast humming. The month of May just smashed our old record for the best month of downloads ever!
[Image Credit]