THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

The Ascension of Our Lord Ss. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Ben Lomond, California

 

Christian faith is the paschal experience: encountering the Risen Lord and witnessing his resurrection in life. The Lord’s resurrection includes his Ascension to heaven, his goodbye to his disciples and followers.

In the Christian world, the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated as a great feast, that is, a solemnity. In fact, it has been traditionally considered one of the most important solemnities. There is a Spanish saying that goes this way: “Three days are in the year shining more than the sun: Holy Thursday, Corpus Christi and the Day of the Ascension.”  (“Tres días hay en el año que relumbran más que el sol: Jueves Santo, Corpus Christi y el Día de la Ascensión”).

The four gospels speak explicitly or implicitly of Jesus’ Ascension (see Mt 28:20; Mk 16:19; Lk 24:50-51; Jn 20:17). Luke also mentions the Ascension in his Acts of the Apostles (1:9).

What is the meaning of the Ascension for us?

MEDITATION

The Lord’s Ascension is an integral part of the paschal mystery, which began with the death and resurrection of Jesus, continues with his Ascension and closes with Pentecost or the Coming of the Holy Spirit. The Ascension signifies the triumph, glorification and enthronement of Jesus in heaven at the right hand of God the Father.

On the Ascension of our Lord, two points may be underlined. Number one: Jesus is going up to heaven but not as he came down from heaven. Why? Because Jesus came down from heaven as the Son of God, and He goes up to heaven as the Son of God and also as the Son of Mary: as our Lord and brother! Number two: Jesus goes up to heaven without really leaving us. He stays with us as the Risen Lord, that is, He is not physically but spiritually present in and among us: present in the Holy Spirit He sends to us – the Spirit of the Father and the Son. The real presence of the Blessed Trinity in us is the presence of grace and love, of God’s grace and love.

Saint Mark tells us beautifully that the Lord “acted in them,” that is, He led Jesus’ disciples in the mission of proclaiming the Good News of salvation. Matthew gives us these consoling words of Jesus before He goes up to heaven: “I will be with you until the end of time.” He continues to be with us really in the Eucharist, in common and fraternal prayer, in the neighbor – especially the poor neighbor -, in those who evangelize for the Lord.

Ascension is not a change of place for Jesus. We must avoid the danger of “boxing” Jesus in heaven, away from us (Andrés Pardo).  After all, heaven is for us living in God’s presence – a presence which begins here with grace and ends in heaven with glory.

Do we really care about heaven? Heaven does not have a good press today. Seldom we read an article on heaven or hear a sermon on heaven. After all – some say -, we know very little about heaven, which is true: Heaven is Mystery. I remember the story of a doctor and his terminally ill patient, who was very scared of dying. The patient asked his physician: “What is there in heaven?” The physician answered: “I do not know.” The patient: “You do not know? How come? You are a devout Catholic and daily Mass-goer!” At that time, there was a big noise produced by someone who wanted to force the door of the clinic open. It was a big dog. Entering the clinic, the dog runs, jumps, and embraces and kisses the doctor. The physician tells his patient: “Did you see my dog? He did not know what was in this room, but he knew that someone, his master was here, and that was enough for him. I do not know what is in heaven, but I know one thing: God my Father is there, and that is enough for me.”

Saint Luke tells us in Acts that the disciples looked up to heaven as Jesus went up. They seemed to enjoy that vision. But an angel said to them: “Go down and be witnesses of the Good News of the Lord.”  Saint Matthew for his part tells us that before leaving Jesus told the disciples: “Make disciples from all nations and peoples; baptize them and teach them to live according to the Good News of salvation.” According to St. Mark, Jesus tells the apostles to preach the Good News to the whole creation.

 

RESPONSE

How may we, disciples of Jesus today, respond to his Ascension?

First, let us reaffirm our faith in Jesus – in his Gospel, in heaven. Saint Paul tells us that we are citizens of heaven.

Second, let us commit ourselves in a deeper way to be witnesses of the death and resurrection of Christ, that is, dead to sin (to selfishness, to injustice, to violence) and alive in love for God and all neighbors, particularly the needy and poor neighbors.

Third, let us realize more fully our identity as pilgrims on the way to heaven: to living in the full presence of God after this earthly life.  A 90-year old Dominican priest was asked: “How are you today?” His answer: “Very well, one day closer to heaven.”  How are we today, my friends?

I wish to share with you a lovely and well-known story. There was an old man trying to climb the Himalayan Mountain on a cold and rainy winter day. The old man stopped for a while in an inn along the path to the top. The innkeeper asked the old man: “How will you ever get to the top in this kind of weather?” The old man answered: “It will not be so difficult: my heart got there first, so it is easy for the rest of me to follow.”

Dear co-pilgrims, where is our heart? Saint Paul encourages you and me: “With the goal in view, let us press on,” let us go on journeying towards heaven, where there will be no death, no mourning, but life, love and happiness. Meanwhile, let us walk with others and for others; let us love God, neighbor, creation. We remember the words of St. Augustine: we can only walk forward to heaven with steps of love!

According to Saint Luke, Jesus before ascending up into heaven blessed his disciples. “As He blessed, He left them, and was taken up to heaven. The disciples felled down to do him reverence, and then returned to Jerusalem filled with joy.” We are Jesus’ disciples today. May He bless us all! And may we be joyful, for we are Easter People: Easter People not only during Easter but through life. The Easter season reminds us every year of Easter as an attitude of life – of our life as a pilgrimage to the house of the Father.

 

FR. FAUSTO GOMEZ BERLANA, OP

Macau, May 2011.