The Ascension of the Lord lifts us off the earth, lifts us to heaven. By spiritual eyes we touch otherness, we inweave earthly life into eternal life. Following Christ, we gradually

After the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles were confused at first: The Savior left them. But that's not true! Ascension is not separation. This is the beginning of the path to salvation. It’s the gates which connect the heavenly and the earthly, the temporal and the eternal.

The feeling of God's abandonment has no place in the heart of a believer, no matter what happens in his life. The Lord never leaves His chosen ones.

In the parable of the unjust judge, Jesus clearly said this: «...There was a judge in a certain town, who had no fear of God or respect for man: And there was a widow in that town, and she kept on coming to him and saying, Give me my right against the man who has done me wrong. And for a time he would not: but later, he said to himself, Though I have no fear of God or respect for man, Because this widow is a trouble to me, I will give her her right; for if not, I will be completely tired out by her frequent coming. And the Lord said, Give ear to the words of the evil judge. And will not God do right in the cause of his saints, whose cries come day and night to his ears, though he is long in doing it? I say to you that he will quickly do right in their cause» (Luke 18:2–8).

If the judge, being unrighteous, protected the poor widow, then «will not God do right in the cause of his saints, whose cries come day and night to his ears, though he is long in doing it? I say to you that he will quickly do right in their cause».

Is it even possible to think that the Righteous Judge, the Lord and God, will not hear the prayers of those who are His chosen ones? Those who coordinate all their thoughts, words and actions with His will?

The Lord sometimes hesitates to give what we ask, challenging the strength of our beliefs and the strength of faith. Everything will be served at the right time.

Our business is to follow Christ's commandment to «always pray and not lose heart». If we, defending the Truth, see injustice or face betrayal, it is necessary to strengthen prayers and requests, like an unhappy widow, and not give up and retreat, giving up.

The Lord is always there!

Recorded by Natalia Goroshkova