Let's Go Up!

Solemnity of the Lord's Ascension
Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 16:15-20
May 3-4, 2008
Goodbye Forever?

As we do every year, forty days after Easter, we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Lord into Heaven. In the first reading the Apostles heard as they looked up towards Heaven from the two men dressed in white garments (Angels) saying: This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven (Acts 1:11).

Is Jesus up in the sky or floating somewhere in heaven or in the galaxies? It is important to clarify what we Christians mean when we profess "Jesus ascended into heaven" or when we pray "Our Father who art in heaven," or when we say that someone "went to heaven."

In talking about heaven as God's dwelling place we understand it more as a state of being than a place. That God is "in the heavens" means that he "dwells in inaccessible light," that he is as far beyond us "as the heavens are above the earth."

We recite in the Creed. "He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Christ’s ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity into God’s heavenly domain… (CCC 665).
That Christ has ascended into heaven means that he "is seated at the right hand of the Father," that is, as human like us, he has entered into God's world and brought our humanity. His Ascension thus brings us great hope – “where He has gone, we hope to follow.”



Farewell
At first glance, the Ascension seems to be a sad “farewell” to Jesus. We all know Jesus spent three years with his disciples, teaching them about the kingdom of God, instructing each of them how to show love, compassion and justice, showing them miracles. For the last three years Jesus and his disciples created a strong bond tested by trials, betrayal, death and victory. It’s sad to hear that Jesus is apparently leaving his disciples and Mary.

Airport
I was in the airport last Thursday night to send off my eldest sister and her three children who are now in the Philippines. Last night I went to the airport again to say good bye to other sister Marsha, who also went to the Philippines with her family for holidays. (During this part of year fiestas are celebrated in the Philippines).

For two consecutive nights that I was in the airport I noticed two kinds of group of people – happy and sad. Those who are waiting at the arrival, you see people, families, children, parents, they are happy and excited and waiting patiently as they wait for coming of their loved ones. Once they found each other they embrace and kiss with joy.

When you go to the departure gate the atmosphere is different, it is rather sad. You see people, families, lovers, hugging each other with tears in their eyes as they say goodbye to each other. Some people couldn’t let go their loved ones perhaps they knew that it would be a long time before they see each other again.

We learn from our experience that there is always sadness in saying goodbye.

Difference: Disappearance & departure
The feast of the Ascension is not really goodbye. There is an apparent contradiction in this leaving of Jesus: while leaving, he assures us that he is staying with us. While Jesus’ body and spirit ascended into heaven he promised us, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age (Mt.28:20)

Ascension is not a sad "farewell," but rather a true feast. There is difference between a disappearance and a departure.

Jesus has not departed, he has not become absent; he has only disappeared from our sight. Those who leave are no longer here; those who only go out of our sight, however, can still be near us.

Jesus does disappear from the apostles' sight at the ascension but he does so to be present in another more intimate way through the Holy Spirit. He is not exclusively belong to his apostles alone – he belongs to everyone.

We heard from the Second Reading St. Paul reminds us of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to give us wisdom and understanding, to enlighten our hearts and minds to clearly the presence of Jesus.
Jesus is no longer outside the apostles but He is within them in their hearts.

Eucharist – Jesus is here
This is similar to the Eucharist. So long as the host is outside of us we see it, we adore it; when we receive the host we no longer see it, it has disappeared, but it has disappeared to be within us. Through the Holy Spirit, our Lord becomes present in us in a new, more powerful way.

When First Communion Students receive our Lord in a short while, their hearts will become a living tabernacle, where our Lord rests to strengthen them in their faith. You will help your friends to see Jesus.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
Jesus is no longer visible, but through the Holy Spirit Jesus wants himself to be known to everyone – to our friends, loved ones, neighbour, people we know. Jesus wants all people to discover him, to have relationship with him, to be closely united with him.

When we are baptised, our eyes, our ears, our tongue, our hands and feet, becomes the eyes, ears, toungue, hands and feet of Jesus.

Let us pray that through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can obey the commandment of Jesus to to make disciples of all nations. Let us help others to make Jesus known and to make Jesus loved, and together we will share the joy and happiness in heaven. Amen.

Readings: Gospel Commentary for Feast of the Ascension by Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, www.zenit.org