Leave-Taking of the Ascension. The Holy Martyr Lucillianus and those with him
Acts 27:1-44; John 17:18-26
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read Acts 27:1-44
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today is the leave-taking of the Feast of the Ascension, and we have almost arrived at the Feast of Pentecost! We encounter a very long reading from a chapter of the Acts of the Apostles which recounts a detailed story of a storm and shipwreck in which Luke, Paul, and many others were involved.
Luke mentions that after traveling for a long time in difficult weather, “sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over” (Acts 27:9). In his Homily LIII on Acts 26, John Chrysostom notes that the “Fast” Luke is referring to is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) which falls in late September or early October after the autumnal equinox when navigation was considered dangerous. When Paul gives his advice that it was too dangerous to set sail again, he says, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives” (Acts 27:10). The men do not listen to Paul, and they suffered the wrath of the storm. Instead of demeaning them for not listening to him, Chrysostom says Paul spoke to them in such a way that he would be believed in the future. What had happened to them so far during the storm was allowed to happen as a testimony of the truth that was about to be said in his prophecy in verses 21-26 where he reveals the message he received from the angel of God.
Some time after making his prophecy, there came an opportunity for some sailors to abandon the ship. Paul tells the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved” (Acts 27:31). At this point, the centurion and the soldiers were inclined to believe Paul and listened to him. Notably, while enduring the storm after not having eaten for two weeks, Paul finally urges them to eat, taking bread and giving thanks to God. Even in the midst of a terrible storm when things seem hopeless, Paul leads by example and shows us to always give thanks to God. Elsewhere in other contexts in his letters he writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18), and “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18-20).
There are many lessons we can learn from the story of this storm and shipwreck. I am reminded of the fact that the Church is so often compared to a ship, likened to Noah’s ark. One of the terms for the main body of a church where the faithful are is the “nave” which comes from the Latin word navis, meaning “ship.” It is from this word that we get our English word “navy.” Although it is not a perfect analogy, the story we read today is similar to the story of Noah’s ark because the men had to stay in the ship if they were to survive the storm. Likewise, we must stay in communion with the Church, the Body of Christ, in order to remain connected as members of the Body of Christ. As we will soon celebrate the unity of the Church at Pentecost, we must remain connected to that community formed in the Upper Room. Also, it is important for us to remember to always give thanks to God even during the metaphorical “storms” of our lives. Life is not easy, and we will definitely be tossed about by its waves. However, the difficulties of life are never an excuse to withhold our gratitude from God.