Feast of the Ascension (C)

Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Lk 24:46-53

Was the Ascension not supposed to be a sad event in the life of the Church? Interestingly, the gospel narrates that soon after Jesus parted from them and was lifted up to heaven, the disciples “worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy” (Lk 24: 52). Why were they rejoicing Jesus’ disappearance? And why do we continue to commemorate the Lord’s Ascension as a feast? We can think of some possible reasons for this joyful attitude.

First, in the mystery of the Ascension, Jesus preceded his disciples into the kingdom of God the Father. Because of this, we, who are parts of his Body, live in the hope that one day we will be with him in eternity. A human situation might help explain this point:

A huge, beautiful house is located near your place. You have been dreaming all your life of seeing the inside of the mansion. However, such is not possible because you have no relationship with the proprietor of the house. Entering would be a criminal offense of trespassing. One day, the only son of the house-owner decides to make friends with people in the neighborhood. He is so kind and charismatic, and after a short time, you become his closest friends. Now, the most amazing thing follows: He invites you to come to his house and meet his father. Imagine how excited you are of the prospect of entering the place of your dreams and of knowing its owner.

This we know for a fact from the Scriptures: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man” (Jn 3:13). Clearly then, by our own capacity, we cannot enter God’s abode. But Christ, the only begotten Son of God, has gained for us access to the kingdom and there prepared our special rooms (Jn 14:2-3). The preface of today’s Eucharist says it beautifully: “Christ . . . has passed beyond our sight, not to abandon us but to be our hope . . . where he has gone, we hope to follow.”

Second, having Jesus once and for all in the sanctuary of heaven, disciples are now blessed with a mediator per excellence. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, “entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands . . . but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (Heb 9:24). With Jesus at the right hand of the Father, we are now assured of an Advocate who will speak for us.

Humanly speaking, it would be nice to have an advocate or somebody who promotes us when we are not known, who defends us when we are at a disadvantage, or who explains our side when we are less understood. In heaven, Jesus is our perfect intercessor, supporter and defender because he knows everything human. He understands our joys and pains, consolations and trials, strengths and weaknesses. As the Book of Hebrews says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin” (4:15).

Finally, the Lord’s Ascension became a special occasion to remind disciples of their universal mission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. . . .” (Mt 28:18-19). The Risen Christ has chosen to share with us the mission that he received from his Father. He empowers us to share the good news of salvation with every person we meet.

Jesus has ascended to heaven, but his spirit remains with us. He has disappeared, but he has not departed. In fact, he wills to make himself present in the life of all his disciples. “You are witnesses of these things” (Lk 24:48). The “You” here refers not only to the apostles but to all followers of Jesus. Every Christian is called to bring the person and love of Christ into the world.

As Jesus was lifted up to the sky, the disciples kept looking up, mesmerized by the beauty of the mysterious event unfolding right before their very eyes. They seemed to forget everything. And the angels have to call their attention: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?” (Acts 1:11). This question still is relevant to remind Christians that they are not to remain passive worshipers. We are left with a mission. Our principal concern in life is to bring God’s love to the world by making Jesus present in the daily lives of people. We can do this by living and promoting gospel values such as love, understanding and forgiveness. We must respond to this challenge or the world will never know the immensity of God’s love.

Mike was a Christian, and his pal Joe, an atheist. Joe lost no opportunity to have a “go” at Mike about what he saw as the irrelevance of Christianity.

One day they were out for a walk when they came across a gang of “toughies,” who were fighting and swearing. Joe pointed to the scene, and said, “Look, Mike, it’s been 2000 years since Jesus came into the world, and it’s still filled with aggression and violence.” Mike said nothing.

Five minutes later they came upon a group of dirty faced children. Now it was Mike’s turn. He pointed to the kids and said to Joe, “Look, Joe, it’s over 2000 years since soap was first discovered, and yet the world’s still filled with dirty faces.”

(The story is from 150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers by Jack McArdle)