Introduction to
the Celebration
The image we have of the Ascension is that of departing,
going away, disappearing; but our belief as Christians is that it represents
the silent presence of Christ everywhere in the universe. He is no longer
limited by earthly conditions — to be in one place at one time in his presence
to his followers — but now dwells in the heavens with the Father: present in
every gathering of his people — so he is present among us now, present whenever
his people are in need, present in hearts calling us to be disciples and to be
his hands, and feet, and voice in our lives. To celebrate this feast today is
not to recall a past event — that day long ago ‘when he went up to heaven’ —
but to rejoice that Jesus is our living Lord, with us now, leading and guiding
us, because he is not tied down to a moment in earthly history.
********************Michel de Verteuil
General Textual
comments
The Ascension of Jesus was an essential stage in his
relationship with this followers. He had walked with them in their moments of
strength and of weakness, and now he was leaving them.
It is, of course, significant that this moment occurred immediately after his apparent defeat and after they had betrayed him.
It is, of course, significant that this moment occurred immediately after his apparent defeat and after they had betrayed him.
By meditating on the story, we discover similar moments in our own relationship with God, with a cause, or with people who have touched our lives.
St Luke tells us the
story in three sections:
- Verses 47 and 48 are the conclusion of a teaching by which Jesus “opened the minds of the apostles to understand the scriptures.” You can interpret “the scriptures” as referring to all traditional wisdom.
- Verse 19 stands by itself as a dramatic call to wait patiently until the moment of grace.
- Verses 50 to 53 are St Luke’s account of the ascension; every word is symbolical.
Discover through your meditation the paradox of the apostles “returning to Jerusalem
full of joy” after such a sorrowful parting.
- Verses 47 and 48 are the conclusion of a teaching by which Jesus “opened the minds of the apostles to understand the scriptures.” You can interpret “the scriptures” as referring to all traditional wisdom.
- Verse 19 stands by itself as a dramatic call to wait patiently until the moment of grace.
- Verses 50 to 53 are St Luke’s account of the ascension; every word is symbolical.
Discover through your meditation the paradox of the apostles “returning to Jerusalem
full of joy” after such a sorrowful parting.
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Gospel
NotesToday we read the story — only found in Luke in his gospel which we are about to read now, and in his book of Acts which we have just read a few moments ago — of the mystery we are celebrating. Jesus commanded that the forgiveness of sins be preached to all and then was carried from their sight but was still with them in their hearts and in their gathering: that is how Jesus is with us here now, and still commanding us to make known the forgiveness of sins.
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John Littleton
Gospel Reflection
In order to appreciate the Church’s nature (that is, what
the Church actually is) and its role in the world, we need to understand as
fully as possible the Church’s mission. This is because, essentially, the
Church’s nature is the Church’s mission. And as members of the Church, we are
obliged to participate in its mission.
The Church’s mission is best summarised in the mandate given
by Jesus to his disciples before he ascended to heaven, having accomplished
what the Father had sent him to do. He had been sent into the world to save
God’s people from the devastation of sin so that they might have life to the
full. Jesus had taught that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
At the Ascension, before moving beyond their sight, Jesus
told his disciples to continue his saving activity. They were to be his
witnesses. They were to make disciples of all the nations by going out to the
whole world. They were effectively commissioned to lead people to conversion by
proclaiming the Good News to everyone, thus bringing them to salvation. They
were to teach those who were baptised to observe all that Jesus had taught
during his earthly ministry.
So the Ascension was not the conclusion of Christ’s
redemptive work. Rather, it marked the handing over of his mission to his
disciples and, in turn, to their disciples. It was the beginning of their
response in faith to all that he had done for them. He was making each of them
‘another Christ’ who would assume some responsibility for continuing Christ’s
saving work among the peoples of the world.
Thus his physical departure had implications for his
disciples — including us. This is the basis of the Church. This is why the
Church’s mission and the Church’s nature are identical. Both are of divine
origin.
Although Jesus has ascended to the Father, he continues to
be present to us in many ways. He is present in the word of God as it is
proclaimed in truth and faithfulness, especially when we gather to celebrate
the sacred liturgy. He is present in a unique way in the Church’s sacraments
when they are celebrated, and particularly by his real and abiding presence in
the Eucharist. He is present in each one of us, his brothers and sisters
through baptism, as we live in accordance with his teaching and example. While
he is no longer present in a human body, he is present in many other ways. The
Holy Spirit is also with us.
The Feast of the Ascension is a call to renew our
participation in the Church’s mission. We help to make disciples by our words
and good example. When we are committed to the Church and its teaching, we help
those who are preparing for baptism. We teach other people about the eternal
life that is offered to them whenever we speak about our faith and its
relevance to our lives. This is how we participate in the Church’s mission and
begin to understand more fully its nature.
On the Feast of the Ascension we focus our minds and hearts
not so much on Jesus’ departure from this world but rather on his continued
presence among us, albeit in different ways. While his earthly mission
concludes with the Ascension, his mission of salvation continues in the Church.
We, together, are the Church. We are the Body of Christ which is a sign of
God’s loving presence to the entire world. We are reminded to assume the
responsibility that comes with baptism as we renew our commitment to being the
Church and to loving the Church.
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Background:
Today’s passage is part of what is often called Jesus’s
“priestly prayer” because he is picture as praying for his apostles, the first
priests. While it is legitimate to see the prayer in this fashion, it is a
narrow interpretation, much too narrow for John’s intent which was to reassure
all those in the community for which he was writing and not only its leaders.
The apostles in this
story represent the whole community, everyone who is embraced by the love of
Jesus and therefore by the love of God. Jesus prays to the Father to take care
of each one of his followers, to protect them from evil, to perfect them in
goodness, to promote their growth in grace. The Irish blessing summarizes
exactly the meaning of this prayer: “Until we meet again, may God hold you all
in the palm of his hand.”
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Homily notes
1. Preaching on the priesthood of Christ, and so of our
identi~ as a priestly people, always seems such a difficult task tha most of us
try to avoid it! Yet, if Ascension Day is our ritua celebration of his entry
into the true heavenly sanctuary, jm as Good Friday was the celebration of his
sacrifice, his shed ding his blood for our reconciliation – and this in one of
th classic ways that the tradition has understood this mystery then it is
something we should not try to avoid. The temptation is to treat the Ascension
as simply some sort of historic” recollection of ‘the final act’ of the earthly
Jesus (see the Not on Ascension and Pentecost), and to forget that the theology
( Hebrews is one of the basic ways by which we as Christian understand the
mystery of the Cross (see the note on today’ alternative second reading).
2. However, to open up this vision of today, and of the sacr
fice / redemption of Christ, we need a convenient vehicle. Th liturgy provides
just such an entry-point in today’s magnif
cent preface (Preface of the Ascension I, P 26; Missal, p. 429). So the homily could take the form of a meditation on that preface with a few glosses of explanation. Alas, when this preface is simply spoken out in the Liturgy of the Eucharist today, it is all over so quickly that its beauty and theology can be simply missed – so a meditation on upon it will prepare the assembly to appreciate it more when actually used.
cent preface (Preface of the Ascension I, P 26; Missal, p. 429). So the homily could take the form of a meditation on that preface with a few glosses of explanation. Alas, when this preface is simply spoken out in the Liturgy of the Eucharist today, it is all over so quickly that its beauty and theology can be simply missed – so a meditation on upon it will prepare the assembly to appreciate it more when actually used.
3. Today the Lord Jesus, the king of Glory’ – we are
speaking now about our living, risen Lord, we are not recalling an event two
millennia ago. And, we are celebrating today through the mystery of our
baptism we are being brought into the actual ascension now, for we are with
Christ who is in the Father’s presence giving us and all people his reconciliation.
The ascension is a means of giving us images that speak to us as
image-loving-beings of what Christ’s love is all about.
The conqueror of sin and death.’ Jesus is the one who suffered
and died on the Cross, and this shedding of blood showed his love and obedience
to the Father and so has destroyed our death.
Ascended to heaven while the angels sang his praises.’ Our
celebration today is that Jesus is the true high priest, higher than the angels
(see Heb 1:5-13), who has entered the true temple – the Father’s presence.
‘Christ, the mediator … and Lord of all’. Jesus is priest
and Lord.
‘Has passed beyond our sight, not to abandon us but to be
our hope.’ We are not abandoned nor do we look backwards, but look forwards
with confidence because Jesus has prepared the way for us.
‘Christ is the beginning, the head of the church.’ We are
united with him in baptism; we have been sprinkled with his pure water and are
able to stand before the Father because we belong to him. We are a priestly
people because he is our Way, our high priest.
And, the preface concludes with the pithiest statement of
what is meant by Christian hope / confidence that is no mere optimism: ‘where
he has gone, we hope to follow.’
This is why we can say in the line leading to the Sanctus
(when we claim that our praises at this eucharistic assembly become joined with
that of the heavenly assembly) that the joy of his resurrection and ascension
renews the whole world: Christ the priest has reconciled the world to the
Father, and soon we will celebrate the presence of the Spirit whom the Father
has sent among us for the forgiveness of sins (see the formula of absolution).
4. When a text has been used with glosses as a meditation,
it is then useful to conclude the meditation by reading the text through again
from beginning to end without comment to let the hearers ‘own’ the words that
have been commented upon.
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Prayer commentsLord, we remember a time when we had given ourselves to a cause and became disillusioned:
- a trusted companion let us down,
- the political party we had joined was rejected at the polls,
- we turned away from an addiction but fell back into it,
- our Church community closed down a movement we had started.
Then something happened to make us realize that the movement was still alive:
- a new leader took charge,
- old companions returned and new ones joined us,
- in a moment of prayer we felt a new heart had been put into us.
It was as if Jesus had appeared to us and said,
“So you see how it is written that an Anointed One must suffer,
and only on the third day rise from the dead.”
“We have closed the
book on apartheid.” F.W. De Klerk on television,18 March 1992
“Not yet, mister.” Response of an evangelical pastor
Lord, we pray for the people of South Africa,
and all those who are starting on the path of conversion.
Let them not forget how it is written
that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.
“Not yet, mister.” Response of an evangelical pastor
Lord, we pray for the people of South Africa,
and all those who are starting on the path of conversion.
Let them not forget how it is written
that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.
Lord, we would always
prefer to preach the name of Jesus from a position of strength
-we have turned away from sin;
-we have completed a course of study and now understand the message;
-many people admire us.
Send Jesus to remind us that if we want repentance for the forgiveness of sins
to be preached to all the nations,
we must begin from Jerusalem where we betrayed our cause and were welcomed back.
Then we will be witnesses to your forgiveness.
-we have turned away from sin;
-we have completed a course of study and now understand the message;
-many people admire us.
Send Jesus to remind us that if we want repentance for the forgiveness of sins
to be preached to all the nations,
we must begin from Jerusalem where we betrayed our cause and were welcomed back.
Then we will be witnesses to your forgiveness.
”I continue to
believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in
reality.”
Martin Luther King, accepting the Nobel Peace prize
Lord, we pray today for those who are tired of waiting for your grace
-parents with a child addicted to drugs,
-leaders working for Church renewal,
-radical politicians,
-third world people caught in the debt trap.
Though you are delaying, you are sending down what you promised,
so they must stay in the city until they are clothed with the power from on high.
Martin Luther King, accepting the Nobel Peace prize
Lord, we pray today for those who are tired of waiting for your grace
-parents with a child addicted to drugs,
-leaders working for Church renewal,
-radical politicians,
-third world people caught in the debt trap.
Though you are delaying, you are sending down what you promised,
so they must stay in the city until they are clothed with the power from on high.
“The person of prayer
leads the world beyond the dichotomy of life and death and is therefore a
witness to life.”
Thomas Merton
Lord, we thank you for the great people you have sent into our lives
- they widened our horizons,
- helped us to see new possibilities,
- showed us the implications of our sins.
Like Jesus with his disciples, they led us to the outskirts of where we lived,
lifted their hands and blessed us and then withdrew from us,
leaving us to return to our daily lives full of joy.
We were sad, of course, and felt tremendous respect for them,
but their being carried up to heaven did not destroy us.
We went back to Jerusalem full of joy,
and from then on we were continually in the temple praising you.
Thomas Merton
Lord, we thank you for the great people you have sent into our lives
- they widened our horizons,
- helped us to see new possibilities,
- showed us the implications of our sins.
Like Jesus with his disciples, they led us to the outskirts of where we lived,
lifted their hands and blessed us and then withdrew from us,
leaving us to return to our daily lives full of joy.
We were sad, of course, and felt tremendous respect for them,
but their being carried up to heaven did not destroy us.
We went back to Jerusalem full of joy,
and from then on we were continually in the temple praising you.
Nine Reasons to Celebrate Ascension
While blessing them, He was carried up to Heaven. Welcome my brothers and sisters in Christ to today's celebration of the Feast the "Ascension of the Lord" Jesus.
While reflecting on this Feast that the Holy Catholic Church has found worthy of including in the Liturgical Calendar, I asked myself, "What does the Ascension of Jesus mean to us?" After spiritual reflections, I was able to perceive some important factors that are associated with the Ascension of the Lord Jesus.
1. First of all, the visible departure of the Lord concluded the Risen Jesus' sojourn on earth. For 40 days after His Resurrection, Jesus had been appearing to many of His followers and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. [Acts 1:3] The days of His apparitions had come to an end.
If we are to take Chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke or Chapter 20 of the Gospel of John as they stand, we would get the impression that all three, the Resurrection, the Ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit happened on the same day. But this is not so. As I have just mentioned, there was "40 days" [Acts 1:3] between the day of the Resurrection and the day of the Ascension. This knowledge is made known to us by St. Luke who also wrote "The Acts of the Apostles."
2. Secondly, I have come to perceive that the Ascension of Jesus completes our understanding of the awesomeness of the glorious Resurrection. Because the Lord Jesus was raised to Heaven after His glorious Resurrection, it is made known to us that our blessed hope of eternal life does not consist of dwelling in this world, but rather in Heaven.
3. Thirdly, the Ascension of the Lord affirms that Jesus was the Messiah. As the Gospel of Luke tells us, "He was carried up into Heaven." [Lk. 24:51] The questions to ask here are, "Who carried Him?" and "Why did they carry Him?" It was the angels who carried Jesus to Heaven because they were created to "adore Him" [Heb. 1:6] and serve Him.
In concluding the writing of his Gospel, St. Luke emphasized that the proclaiming of repentance and the forgiveness of sins was to be proclaimed in His Name. [Lk. 24:47] This emphasis, in "His Name," shifts the faith of the believers from Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, to the divinity of Jesus. "For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell bodily." [Col. 1:19, 2:9]
4. Next, the Ascension of the Lord Jesus opened the door for the beginning of the Divine ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Heavenly Father. [Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4]
5. Fifth, during the Gospel Reading, we heard that Jesus raised His hands and blessed His disciples. [Lk. 24:50] This action echoes a similar action that is found in the Book of Sirach in the Old Testament.
While reflecting on this Feast that the Holy Catholic Church has found worthy of including in the Liturgical Calendar, I asked myself, "What does the Ascension of Jesus mean to us?" After spiritual reflections, I was able to perceive some important factors that are associated with the Ascension of the Lord Jesus.
1. First of all, the visible departure of the Lord concluded the Risen Jesus' sojourn on earth. For 40 days after His Resurrection, Jesus had been appearing to many of His followers and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. [Acts 1:3] The days of His apparitions had come to an end.
If we are to take Chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke or Chapter 20 of the Gospel of John as they stand, we would get the impression that all three, the Resurrection, the Ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit happened on the same day. But this is not so. As I have just mentioned, there was "40 days" [Acts 1:3] between the day of the Resurrection and the day of the Ascension. This knowledge is made known to us by St. Luke who also wrote "The Acts of the Apostles."
2. Secondly, I have come to perceive that the Ascension of Jesus completes our understanding of the awesomeness of the glorious Resurrection. Because the Lord Jesus was raised to Heaven after His glorious Resurrection, it is made known to us that our blessed hope of eternal life does not consist of dwelling in this world, but rather in Heaven.
3. Thirdly, the Ascension of the Lord affirms that Jesus was the Messiah. As the Gospel of Luke tells us, "He was carried up into Heaven." [Lk. 24:51] The questions to ask here are, "Who carried Him?" and "Why did they carry Him?" It was the angels who carried Jesus to Heaven because they were created to "adore Him" [Heb. 1:6] and serve Him.
In concluding the writing of his Gospel, St. Luke emphasized that the proclaiming of repentance and the forgiveness of sins was to be proclaimed in His Name. [Lk. 24:47] This emphasis, in "His Name," shifts the faith of the believers from Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, to the divinity of Jesus. "For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell bodily." [Col. 1:19, 2:9]
4. Next, the Ascension of the Lord Jesus opened the door for the beginning of the Divine ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Heavenly Father. [Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4]
5. Fifth, during the Gospel Reading, we heard that Jesus raised His hands and blessed His disciples. [Lk. 24:50] This action echoes a similar action that is found in the Book of Sirach in the Old Testament.
"The leader of his brothers and the pride of his people was the high priest, Simon son of Onias..." [Sir. 50:1] "Then Simon came down and raised his hands over the whole congregation of Israelites to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips, and to glory in his name." [Sir. 50:20]
From this passage, we come to perceive that the blessing of Jesus was not just an ordinary blessing. It was a blessing from the True High Priest, He who is a priest forever, according to the Order of Melchizedek. [Heb. 5:6, 7:17, 7:21]
6. Sixth, from the moment of the Ascension, the living hope of all Christians has been for the Second Coming of Christ, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. At the moment of the Ascension of the Lord, the countdown began. "About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." [Mt. 24:36] "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." [Mt. 24:44]
7. Seventh, once the Lord Jesus had ascended into Heaven, He sat at the right hand of God. [Mk. 16:19; Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 8:1, 10:12; 1 Pet. 3:22; Acts 2:33, 7:56-7] Since then, He has been the Mediator between God and humankind. [1 Tim. 2:5] "Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree He is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which has been enacted through better promises." [Heb. 8:6]
8. Eight, from the moment of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, His glorious reign began as the King of kings. Through the Resurrection of Jesus, death was conquered. "The great dragon was thrown down (out of Heaven), that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world." [Rev. 12:9]
Following the glorious moment of the Ascension of Jesus, the souls that dwelled in Limbo were finally released "Christ was the first fruits of those who had died." [1 Cor. 15:20]
6. Sixth, from the moment of the Ascension, the living hope of all Christians has been for the Second Coming of Christ, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. At the moment of the Ascension of the Lord, the countdown began. "About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." [Mt. 24:36] "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." [Mt. 24:44]
7. Seventh, once the Lord Jesus had ascended into Heaven, He sat at the right hand of God. [Mk. 16:19; Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 8:1, 10:12; 1 Pet. 3:22; Acts 2:33, 7:56-7] Since then, He has been the Mediator between God and humankind. [1 Tim. 2:5] "Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree He is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which has been enacted through better promises." [Heb. 8:6]
8. Eight, from the moment of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, His glorious reign began as the King of kings. Through the Resurrection of Jesus, death was conquered. "The great dragon was thrown down (out of Heaven), that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world." [Rev. 12:9]
Following the glorious moment of the Ascension of Jesus, the souls that dwelled in Limbo were finally released "Christ was the first fruits of those who had died." [1 Cor. 15:20]
In theological usage the name "Limbo" has two meanings. The first is the temporary place or state of the souls of the just who, although purified from sin, were excluded from the beatific vision until Christ's triumphant ascension into Heaven (the "limbus patrum").
According to apocryphal Jewish literature that refers to the abode of the departed just, the following condition of the souls is generally agreed upon:
- that their condition is one of happiness,
- that it is temporary, and
- that it is to be replaced by a condition of final and permanent bliss when the Messianic Kingdom is established.
(See Catholic Encyclopedia Online; Subject: Limbo.)
9. Ninth, while Jesus has ascended into Heaven, His Divine Presence continues to be with us where He is adored daily in the Sacred Tabernacles of the Catholic Churches.
The last verse from today's Gospel Reading states, "And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the Temple blessing God." [Lk. 24:53] What is stressed here is that the believers were "continually" in the Temple and their "great joy."
From this passage, it can be perceived that the physical Church mirrors the invisible Kingdom of God. The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church mirrors the new Jerusalem and the new Temple. The Divine Presence of Jesus in the Sacred Tabernacles mirrors His Divine Presence among the saints and the angels in the Kingdom of God.
Why is there great joy? Because the celebration of the Holy Mass and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist mirror the Heavenly Feast in which Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints and all the angels are partaking. To receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is to "worship God in spirit and truth." [Jn. 4:24]
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the aforementioned raises the importance of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord above the fact that the Lord Jesus was carried up to Heaven by the angels. While the Resurrection was the turning point in history regarding salvation, the Ascension was the turning point in history regarding the beginning of the Kingdom of God.
Following the glorious Ascension of the Lord, the endless righteous souls who had died from the days of Adam to the days of Jesus, all were finally released from their prison in Limbo. Finally, they could enjoy the eternal Presence of Christ the King. For these souls, the Resurrection of Jesus prepared the way for their freedom from a dwelling where they did not enjoy the beatific vision of Christ.
These are reasons to celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. There may be more than those that I have mentioned. But these are sufficient for us to rejoice, not only for ourselves, but for the countless souls of the days of the Old Testament who finally entered the Kingdom of God.
The last verse from today's Gospel Reading states, "And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the Temple blessing God." [Lk. 24:53] What is stressed here is that the believers were "continually" in the Temple and their "great joy."
From this passage, it can be perceived that the physical Church mirrors the invisible Kingdom of God. The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church mirrors the new Jerusalem and the new Temple. The Divine Presence of Jesus in the Sacred Tabernacles mirrors His Divine Presence among the saints and the angels in the Kingdom of God.
Why is there great joy? Because the celebration of the Holy Mass and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist mirror the Heavenly Feast in which Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints and all the angels are partaking. To receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is to "worship God in spirit and truth." [Jn. 4:24]
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the aforementioned raises the importance of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord above the fact that the Lord Jesus was carried up to Heaven by the angels. While the Resurrection was the turning point in history regarding salvation, the Ascension was the turning point in history regarding the beginning of the Kingdom of God.
Following the glorious Ascension of the Lord, the endless righteous souls who had died from the days of Adam to the days of Jesus, all were finally released from their prison in Limbo. Finally, they could enjoy the eternal Presence of Christ the King. For these souls, the Resurrection of Jesus prepared the way for their freedom from a dwelling where they did not enjoy the beatific vision of Christ.
These are reasons to celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. There may be more than those that I have mentioned. But these are sufficient for us to rejoice, not only for ourselves, but for the countless souls of the days of the Old Testament who finally entered the Kingdom of God.
ILLUSTRATIONS:
1. Once upon a time a
great coach was retiring
He and his teams had won many championships. He was very
proud of them and they very proud of him. He knew that it was time for him to
pull back from the daily grind of practices and the frequent strain and tension
of the games. He was fraying around the edges and he knew it. So did the
smarter players but they loved him so
much that they would not admit this even to themselves. He did not want to leave the school or give
up the sport, not yet anyway. So it was agreed that he would become athletic
director and his best assistant would become the coach. He promised that he
would never interfere in the daily running of the team. Since he was a man of
his word, everyone knew that he was telling the truth. Yet there was terrible
ambivalence in the team. On the one hand they were glad the coach was doing
what was good for him. On the other hand they didn’t want to lose him, not even
the man who was going to take over as head coach. The old coach would still be
around, but in the background. It would never be like it used to be, like it
had been for such a long time.
At his farewell
dinner, the players, the coaches, the
teachers, the parents were all deeply moved. They did not want to say goodbye,
yet they knew the change would be good and that it was wise to say goodbye. In
his farewell speech the coach commended his players to the new coach. Take good
care of them, he said. I know you will and I promise not to interfere, but take
good care of them because I love them all. This is now Jesus felt about us when
he said goodbye to return to the father in heaven. More important, that is the
way he still feels about us and he has a lot more power than an athletic
director.
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2. The disciples who completed Puccini’s opera
Turandot
The Italian composer Giacomo Puccini wrote La Boheme, Madama
Butterfly and Tosca. It was during his
battle with terminal cancer in 1922 that he began to write Turandot, which many
now consider his best work. He worked on the score day and night, despite his
friends' advice to rest, and to save his energy. When his sickness worsened,
Puccini said to his disciples, 'If I don't finish Turandot, I want you to finish
it.' He died in 1924, leaving the work unfinished. His disciples gathered all
that was written of Turandot, studied it in great detail, and then proceeded to
write the remainder of the opera. The world premier took place in La Scala
Opera House in Milan in 1926, and Toscanini, Puccini’s favorite student,
conducted it. The opera went beautifully, until Toscanini came to the end of
the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music, put down the baton, turned
to the audience, and announced, “Thus far the master wrote, but he died.” There
was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to
the audience and, with tears in his eyes, announced, “But his disciples
finished his work.” The opera closed to thunderous applause, and found a permanent
place in the annals of great works. Jesus instructs us in his Ascension message
to finish his work of saving mankind by proclaiming His good news in words and
deeds.
3. “Is this thing working?”
There is the funny story of the raw army recruit standing
at attention on the drill field. The
drill instructor yells, "Forward, march!" And the entire ranks begin
to move, all except this one raw recruit. He's still standing there at
attention. So the drill instructor strolls over to him and yells in his right
ear, "Is this thing
working?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The recruit yells. Then the drill instructor
walks around to the other ear and yells, "Is this thing working?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The soldier says. "Then why didn't you march
when I gave the order?" "Sir, I didn't hear you call my name."
Some of us are like that soldier, standing around waiting for God to call our
names. But the great commission given by Jesus on the day of his Ascension is a
blanket order. It has everyone's name on it. And you can be sure that the man
in charge says, "Go! Make disciples! Teach!” It is your mission and my
mission.
4. "I have no
other plan -- it must work."
A beautiful old story tells of how Jesus, after his ascension
into Heaven, was
surrounded by the
Holy Angels who
began to enquire about his work
on earth. Jesus told them about His
birth, life, preaching, death and resurrection, and how he had accomplished the salvation of the world.
The angel Gabriel asked, “Well, now that you are back in Heaven, who will continue your work on earth?" Jesus said, "While I was on earth, I gathered a group of people around me who believed in me and loved me. They will continue to spread the Gospel and carry on the work of the Church.” Gabriel was perplexed. "You mean Peter, who denied you thrice and all the rest who ran away when you were crucified? You mean to tell us that you left them to carry on your work? And what will you do if this plan doesn't work?" Jesus said, "I have no other plan -- it must work." Truly, Jesus has no other plan than to depend on the efforts of his followers!
5. The ascension mission to preach the gospel:
After
attending a convention led by Billy Graham a woman wrote to him. “Dear Sir, I
feel that God is calling me to preach the gospel. But the trouble is that I
have twelve children. What shall I do?” The televangelist replied: “Dear Madam,
I am delighted to hear that God has called you to preach the Gospel. I am even
more delighted to hear that He has already provided you with a congregation in
your own home.”
6. Ascension walk-out:
There was a long-winded pastor who
preached salvation history from Genesis to Revelation in every sermon. On the
feast of Ascension as he reached Isaiah, he remarked that the prophet said
nothing about the ascension of Our Lord. He asked his audience, “What shall we
do with him?” One old man in the front seat said, “He can have my seat, Father,
I am leaving.”
7. And after death ascend or descend?
At the end of school what do you want to
do? I want to do my Senior Certificate.
After your Senior Certificate what do you want
to do? - I
want to go
to college. After college
what do you want
to do?
- I want to
get a job. Then what do you want to do? - I want to make big money. What do
you want to
do after making
money? - I
want to build
a big house. After that what do you intend to do? -
I want to get married. What will you do after getting married? - I will have a
family. What will you do after having a family? - I will retire. What do you
want to do after you retire? - I want to take a rest. What will you do after
taking a rest? - I don’t know. Will you die? - Oh yes, I will die too. What
will happen after death? I am not sure!
*********************
Additional
Anecdotes from Father Tony Kadavil’s collection:
1) The Unfinished Painting:
Leonardo da Vinci had started to
work on a large canvas in his studio.
For a while he worked at it – choosing the subject, planning the
perspective, sketching the outline, applying the colors, with his own inimitable
genius. Then suddenly he stopped working
on it. Summoning one of his talented
students, the master invited him to complete the work. The horrified student protested that he was
both unworthy and unable to complete the great painting which his master had
begun. But da Vinci silenced him. "Will not what I have done inspire you
to do your best?" Jesus our Master
began to spread the Good News two thousand years ago, by what he said and did,
and supremely by what he suffered. He illustrated his message, and he has left
us to finish the picture. Will his life
not inspire us to finish the picture? This is the message of the Ascension
(John Rose in John's Sunday Homilies).
2) Solar Power:
One of the national coordinators of Sun Day
held early in May every year is Denis Hayes. He worked as researcher at a
Washington D.C. ‘think-tank’ and has written a book on solar energy entitled Rays of Hope: The Transition to a Post-
Petroleum World. Hayes claims that we are at the crossroads of making a
critical choice for mankind – the choice between going solar or going nuclear
for a power source. Hayes opts for the sun because it is “the world’s only
inexhaustible, predictable, egalitarian, non-polluting, safe,
terrorist-resistant and free energy source.” We’ve already learned to use the
power of the sun to grow food, make wine and operate greenhouses. All we need
to do is develop better technology to harness solar energy to heat houses,
drive our cars and run our industry. People like Hayes are looking at the sky
with its sun as the main source of our future energy supply. Today we turn our
attention to the sky for another reason – to commemorate our Lord’s Ascension
into heaven. In the first reading, from Acts,
Jesus makes a promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
down on you.” That Spirit is the power source that can give us all the energy
we need to live our lives to the full. (Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’)
3) Passing the Baton:
The critical moment in a relay race
is the passing of the baton from one runner to another. More relays are won or
lost at that moment than at any other. The feast of the ascension might be
compared to the passing of the baton in a relay race. On this day over 2,000
years ago, Jesus passed the baton of responsibility for the Kingdom of God to
his followers. Jesus commissioned them to complete the work he had begun.
Practically, what does this mean? How do you and I, in the 20th century, carry
out Jesus’ commission to be his witnesses to the world and his teachers to the
nations? There are as many ways to do this as there are Christians. We can do
what two 25-year-old university graduates did recently. After completing their
degrees, one from Georgetown and the other from Marquette, they entered the
Seminary. We can do what Albert Schweitzer did. At the age of 30 he abandoned
his music career in Europe to study medicine and became
a missionary doctor
in Africa. We can do what the baseball coach of Spring Hill College,
Alabama, did a few years back. At the age of 35 he resigned his position and
began his studies for the priesthood.
[Mark Link
in ‘Sunday Homilies’ (quoted in
Net for
Life)]
Actually there have been many
persons given exciting commissions in their lifetimes. There was Michelangelo's
commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Sir Christopher Wren's
commission to build St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Walter Reed's assignment to
stop yellow fever at the "Big Ditch" in Panama, Chamberlain's orders
to stop the Confederates at Little Roundtop in
Gettysburg and most recently
the mission of the
U.S. Navy Seals to
get the terrorist master-mind,
Bin Laden, dead or alive. But I tell you, in my life and yours, there is an
even greater commission. It is found here in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus
Christ turns to his disciples and says, “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.”
5) "Torpedo evangelism."
Rebecca Pippert, the author of Out of the Salt Shaker: Into the World,
tells of a time she was sitting in her car at a traffic light with her window
rolled down. As the light turned green a car drove by and its occupant threw
something into her car hitting her on the cheek. It didn't hurt but she was so
startled that she pulled over immediately. When she unrolled the paper, she
discovered it was a gospel tract. She says she was the apparent victim of what she
refers to as "torpedo evangelism." I'm sure the torpedoer meant well.
At least I hope so, but he or she did the wrong thing for the right reason in
the wrong way. We can engage people in conversation about their faith and their
relationship with God in a non- judgmental manner. We can encourage. We can
invite. We can offer counsel. But we leave the hard work, the heart work, up to
Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You see, we are not on some sort of spiritual
mugging mission.
6) Reaching Peak Performance:
One of the superstars in that
professional speakers’ circuit is a man named Charles Garfield. He is a
psychologist from San Francisco. He makes up to 150 speeches a year, he says.
Actually, if the truth were known, he makes one speech 150 times. He began his
career as a mathematician for NASA. He was part of the Apollo Project that put
a man on the moon. He left NASA to study psychology. He became interested in
what motivates people to reach their highest possible achievement in this life.
He went to Berkeley and got a PhD in psychology. Then he interviewed 1,500
people on how they achieved what he called "peak performance." He
published that result in a book, and then he started on the lecture circuit. He
said the one thing that all peak performers have in common is a sense of
mission. "What you need in this life if you want to have fulfillment is a
sense of mission." It is giving yourself to something that is greater than
yourself. That is what a mission is. Our mission is found at the conclusion of
Matthew's gospel: "All power in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And behold,
I am with you always, until the end
of the age." Not only does the Church
have a mission to perform in this world, but everybody in the Church is
supposed to have a part in performing that mission.
7) “They don't drink no water."
The chief warrant officer was
brought before the provost marshal and asked if he had received the general's
order. "Yes, Sir." "Then why didn't you comply?" roared the
provost.
"Well,
Sir, I didn't think it applied to us." "And why not?"
"Because,
Sir, when my men go to town, they don't drink no water."[Robert L.
Jamison, "Humor in Uniform," Laughter,
the Best Medicine, (New York: Berkley Books,
1981), p.
29.] Fortunately, those men who first heard the ascending Lord's orders did not
look for ways to get around them but did what they told.
8) Nietchze and Hitler:
Nietchze, the German philosopher, said,
"God is dead and the stench of his corpse is all across Europe." He
advocated humanism and proposed the development of a "superman" of
Aryan heritage, protected by selective breeding and superior education. The
Nazi Party picked up his idea, and men like Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, Mengle,
Himmler, and Rommel set about building such a society in Germany's Third Reich.
But it all ended with bullets and bombs, chaos and suffering such as the world
has seldom seen. The Christian faith has no less a plan. But it involves a
higher order. Hitler would have renewed man by his own efforts. We seek to
renew the human race by the work of God. Our mission as given by the ascending
Jesus is not to make converts or church members, but baptized, obedient disciples!
9) Three-step baptism:
In one of the great cathedrals of Europe there is a baptistery that
tells the story. The water flows through it reminding us that Jesus says he is
the living water. To be baptized, a person walks down three steps, each one
marked by a word: the world,
the flesh, and
the devil. Descending
the steps the
convert is plunged beneath the
water to die to sin and then raised from the depths to newness of life in
Christ. To leave the baptistery now he must climb three steps, each one marked
by a word: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So it is that a new
creature is born, a new breed of man, a citizen of a new kingdom, a breed
apart. Dead to sin, he is alive to God and is sent forth to grow to love and to
give light to a lost, dying world. He doesn't do it alone. He does it in the
Church, in little communities. In these, people demonstrate, in their way of
being together, God's eternal kingdom come upon them. It took Michelangelo over
ten years to paint the Sistine Chapel. Our missionary commission lasts until
the job gets done, until life is over, "until the close of the age."
10) “Alter your course 10 degrees north.”
Have you heard the story of a sea
captain who was guiding his ship on a very dark night? He saw faint lights in
the distance and told his signalman to send a message, “Alter your course 10
degrees south.” A prompt message returned, “Alter your course 10 degrees
north.” The captain became angry because his command had been ignored, so he
sent a second message, “I command you to alter your course 10 degrees south!”
Again a message promptly returned, “Alter your course 10 degrees north.”
Infuriated, the captain sent off a third message: “I am the captain and this is
a battleship. Alter your course 10 degrees south!” Once again a prompt reply
came, “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am a lighthouse.” These last
words of Jesus are the signal we are
to obey. No wonder we label the call “the Great Commission.” The tragedy of the
church – our great sin – is that the Great Commission of Jesus is our
“great omission.”
11) Plus
Ultra = "More beyond!”
“In Fourteen Hundred
Ninety-two/Columbus sailed the ocean
blue!" In 1992
the world marked
the 500th anniversary
of Christopher Columbus' adventure
in the Santa Maria.
As we all
now know, Columbus did not end up
where he was headed, which is why some native Americans are now called Indians.
This man from Genoa believed, "God granted me the gift of knowledge ...
(and) revealed to me that it was feasible to sail ... to the Indies, and placed
in me a burning desire to carry out this plan." Columbus set out with a
belief that he had tested with his mind, and with a faith to which he was
willing to give his life! How many of us can walk in Columbus' shoes? When, on
Friday, August 3, 1492, the Nina, the
Pinta, and the Santa Maria, eased away from their moorings at Palos, in southern
Spain, Columbus was putting his beliefs and his faith into the realities of
life. Before the reports of his trans-Atlantic travel penetrated the Old World,
Spanish coins had stamped upon them an outline of the Straits of Gibraltar.
Underneath the outline of the Straits was the Latin inscription Ne Plus Ultra. It translates, "No
more beyond." It meant that the world ended in the great expansive voids
of water beyond the Straits. There was nothing more. But once Columbus returned
home and told of what he had seen, of what he had discovered, and once that
report was widely shared, new coins were minted. The inscription was changed to
Plus Ultra. It translates, "More
beyond!" That is the mountaintop affirmation which came to the disciples
in Galilee and the word that ends Matthew's gospel.
12) Wellington defeated:
13) "I am the smartest man in the world”
A
ridiculous story with religious significance
has been making
the rounds lately.
It is about
a pilot and
three passengers a boy scout, a priest, and an atomic scientist in a
plane that develops engine trouble in mid-flight. The pilot rushes back to the
passenger compartment and exclaims, "The plane is going down! We only have
three parachutes, and there are four of us! I have a family waiting for me at
home. I must survive!" With that, he grabs one of the parachutes and jumps
out of the plane. The atomic scientist jumps to his feet at this point and
declares, "I am the smartest man in the world. It would be a great tragedy
if my life were snuffed out!" With that, he also grabs a parachute and
exits the plane. With an alarmed look on his face, the priest says to the Boy
Scout, "My son, I have no family. I am ready to meet my Maker. You are
still young with much ahead of you. You take the last parachute.” At this
point, the Boy Scout interrupts the priest, "Hold on, Father. Don't say
any more. We're all right. The world's smartest man just jumped out of the
plane wearing my knapsack!" For
such smart people who do not believe in an afterlife, today’s feast of
ascension seems a myth. But it is the guarantee of their resurrection and
ascension to heaven for Christians.
14) Are we going to them?
95% of
North American Christians will not lead a single person to Christ in their
lifetime, and I cry, “Lord, help us!” Some of you know the story: 36 million
Americans (14% of the population) live in poverty. Of those, the portion living
in our urban centers has increased from 30% in 1968 to about 47% today. Are we going to them? And are we going
to the 57% of the 36 million poor who remain in rural America? Seventy million
individuals in the United States are under the
age of 18—are we
going to them? Nearly one
million foreign-born people immigrate to this country every year. Are we going to them? Thirty-two million
people in America speak some language other than English as their primary
language. Are we going to them? We
have more unsaved and unchurched people in our nation than ever before in our
history—172 million. Are we going to
them? Ninety percent of the population of the United States now lives in
urban settings. Are we going to them? Over
150 million people in America claim to be “born-again Christians.” We have to
question what that
means. And we wonder if
people are not
interpreting the Christian faith
as mere mental assent to correct doctrine, accepting forgiveness and professing
Christ as an insurance policy – a way to get into heaven when we die and leave
this earth – missing the whole notion of discipleship, growing into the
likeness of Christ. If all born-again Christians were disciples, would there
not be greater signs of the transforming power of Christ at work in the world?
15) “The City of the World increasingly oozes
its decay.”
Peter
Kreeft, professor at Boston College, has perceptively noted, “The City of the
World increasingly oozes its decay.” We saw signs of it in the half-time show
of the 38th Super Bowl. One hundred million people – how many children were
among them? – saw Justin Timberlake rip off a portion of Janet Jackson’s upper
clothing, exposing a private part of her body. We cringed at that and the media
talked about it for days. But not much was said about the “dirty” dancing and
lewd lyrics, including words about getting a woman naked before the song was
done. Other singers through lyrics and dance displayed
sexual lust
as they gyrated with female
dancing partners. The
truth, friends, is that halftime show is not the exception in
television fare. In fact, it was rather tame compared to what constantly flows
from television and the Internet. “The City of the World increasingly oozes its
decay.” But what about disciples of Jesus? What about the Church? What about
the City set on a hill? What are we doing about “the fact that all the septic
tanks on the hill are backing up”? We need
disciples with a passion of shedding the light of Christ into
every dark corner of the world.
16) Gaze
heavenward but go worldwide!
Nicky often boasted about his deep faith. Once, a storm arose and the
rains threatened to flood Nicky’s house. A fireman rushed
in and said,
“Come, I’ll carry
you away!” Pointing
upward, Nicky exclaimed, “Jesus is the way!” The downpour continued and
the waters reached Nicky’s waist. A fisherman rowe d by and screamed, “Jump in,
I’ll steer you to safety!” gazing heavenward, Nicky retorted, “Only Jesus
saves!” Later, rising rainwater forced Nicky to climb onto the rood. The pilot
of a helicopter hovering overhead shouted, “I’ll help you!” Nicky replied: “I
trust in God alone!” Nicky drowned in the raging waters. In heaven, he
complained: “Lord, I trusted you, but you abandoned me!” God replied, “No, I
didn’t! I tried to save you as fireman, fisherman and pilot! Why didn’t you do
anything besides gazing heavenward?” [Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for daily Deeds ’(quoted in Net for Life)]
17) He is the same yet different……Lech Walesa worked for years as an
electrician in the Gdansk shipyards. During those years he and his fellow
workers founded the movement which came to be known as “Solidarity.” Walesa
became its leader. This brought them into open conflict with the communist
leaders. Eventually the workers won out. The communist regime collapsed and
democracy returned to Poland. Then on December 9, 1990 something happened which
a few years prior would have been unthinkable. Walesa the shipyard worker was
elected the first president of a free and democratic Poland. It was a great
honor for Walesa. His fellow workers were delighted. They too felt honored
because of their association with him. However there was sadness too. They knew
that it would change forever the way they related to him. They knew they were
losing him. However, they were hoping that he would not forget them, and that
he would help them from his new and more influential position. -The
illustration may go some way in helping us to understand what we are
celebrating on this great feast of Ascension. [Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’ (quoted
in Net for Life)]
18) The power within: A priest, Walter Ciszek by name, was in Russia
for 23 years, five of which were spent in the dreaded Lubyanka prison in Moscow
and ten of which were spent in the harsh Siberian slave labour camp. He was
finally released from Russia in 1963, in exchange for two Soviet spies held in
USA. He died in 1984 at the age of 84. After release he wrote a book He Leadeth Me. In this book he
tries to answer
the question: “How
did you manage
to survive in Russia?” He says: “I was able to endure
the inhuman conditions in which I found myself because I experienced somehow
the presence of God. I never lost my faith that God was with me, even in the
worst of circumstances.” What was true of Fr. Walter Ciszek
is true of
each of us. Jesus
is with us; God is with us in the power of his Holy Spirit. [Vima Dasan
in ‘His Word Lives’ (quoted in Net for Life)]
19) Footprints: In the familiar story entitled
“Footprints” a man at the end of his life wanted to know why in though times
there was only one set of footprints in the sand. After all, the Lord had
promised to walk with him all the way. The Lord replied by telling him that he
never left him in times of trial. When the man saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that the Lord carried him. The Lord was with Fr. Ciszek for
twenty-three years of hardship in Russia. The Lord was with the man walking in
the sand. May the risen Lord be with us all the days of our life. [Albert
Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’ (quoted
in Net for Life)]
20) Run the race well: Many years ago, a great Arctic
explorer started on an expedition to the North Pole. After having spent two
years in the freezing and lonely place, he wrote a message, tied it to the leg
of a carrier pigeon, and let it loose to make the two thousand miles journey to
Norway. The bird circled thrice, and then started its southward flight in the
freezing cold for hundreds of miles; it traveled and crossed the icy frozen
oceans and wastelands until it reached and dropped into the lap of the explorer’s
wife. The arrival of the bird proved that everything was well with her husband
in that deserted, lonely and frozen arctic North. Likewise,
the coming of
the Holy Spirit
on the day
of the Pentecost proved to the disciples that Jesus had
entered the heavenly sanctuary after His Ascension as He had promised. Now He
was seated at the right hand of God the Father, for His redemption work was
over. The coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of the promise of
Christ. [John Rose in ‘John’s Sunday
Homilies’(quoted in Net for Life)]
L/12
