23 September, 2020
Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:8
Heavenly Father, Merciful God, we offer you praise, worship and thanksgiving, for the immense and unconditional love and mercy you manifested in upholding lost and disgraced mankind by freeing us from the consequences of sin and bringing us to righteousness by faith.
We were in a most deplorable state of sinfulness and had distanced ourselves from you, to a point of no return. But only by your saving grace, by sending your Son Jesus, to become incarnate and assume the flesh of mortals, with the specific mission of ransoming us by shedding his precious blood, have we been reconciled to you, Father God.
We have been redeemed and released from the captivity of Satan’s grip. Jesus’ sacrificial offering averted your just wrath and restored us to be received by faith into your Kingdom with a rich inheritance as reward of our renewed status as children of God.
God, in your holiness and wrath, you upheld the glory of your name by condemning us to a process of penance and purification, which was a just punishment. We have, therefore, great cause to rejoice in Our Lord Jesus’ triumphant victory in saving many souls from the clutches of evil, where they were enslaved, and restoring them to you, Father, upon his Ascension into heaven.
Jesus, our Savior has fulfilled his promise in giving us the gift of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to dwell within us and lead us to the Kingdom, where we hope to enjoy your Presence forevermore, in Jesus’ Name. Amen