God is building a Kingdom on His compassion and grace. We need God’s compassion and guidance because the human heart can become a dark and desperate thing. The Gospel today tells us about how King Herod had John the Baptist put in prison and then Herod is tricked into beheading the prophet. This king got trapped by his own pride and later regretted it. We all feel such moments of confusion and self-deception. But our God is great and He can make something better. When we trust God to care for us it removes the helpless desperation of our hearts. Within God’s protective kingdom we can make better choices, and God brings to earth His wisdom and love, just as it is in heaven.

You probably have a couple of amazing stories: things you have seen or learned that make the world a bigger and more amazing place. The apostle Paul could tell some tales. But at the same time there was at least one thing that kept him very grounded to the earth, “a thorn in the flesh,” he called it. This kept him humble and needful. He tells us that it was in his weakness that he really began to understand how great God is. One of the most amazing things in Paul’s life was to hear God say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

As we witness the compassion of Jesus in the lives of those He healed we are seeing Him give us reasons to believe that God will be faithful to us. He invites our trust, and walks with us in all of our waiting. In faithfully waiting for God we take to heart the words of Lamentations 3:26: "It is good that we should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

Jesus answers the need of His disciples with great compassion and power. With the wind howling, the boat taking on water, and the disciples afraid for their lives, Jesus speaks. "Peace, be still," and the wind and the waves become still. All of nature must follow His command. Today His voice speaks to the deepest part of our mind and spirit as Jesus quiets us with His still peace.

Jesus tells us that the mustard seed "is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade" (Mark 4:31-32). Jesus wants to spark the imagination of His listeners. Almighty God is infinite and creative. God loves to see life thrive and grow. God’s Kingdom is a place where small things are significant. Jesus’ story is about all this and more. We celebrate all the wondrous ways God can care and nurture us today and forever.

God is eternal, and that forms the foundation of our faith and hope. With every hard or difficult thing we face, God is with us. Seeing that God has come to us in His eternal nature, in all the compassion and love of Jesus, is reason for trust. God has eternally and victoriously triumphed. We have eternal reasons to celebrate our God every day and forever.

God has revealed Himself to us as one God in three different ways.  We rejoice in this mystery of God and in all the blessings that He provides to us. In the sacred name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we celebrate God in infinite and eternal ways.

The Holy Spirit is the living spirit of God among us now. On Pentecost, after Jesus' resurrection, the Spirit was given to the apostles and then, through them by Baptism, to 3,000 people. Today we remember that day and thank God for the gift of the Spirit, who brings the life-giving eternal things of God into our lives.

Jesus’ ascension means His triumph is complete and total. He who was crucified, died, and risen, now takes His victory with Him to sit at God's right hand in power and majesty. He is triumphant over all things forever.

Jesus’ Living Resurrection inspires us to believe in the power of God’s love. Our hope is anchored on God’s love. His love is our confidence, comfort and strength, today and forever.