The Ascension of the Lord – Yr A
For today’s Gospel reading click the link below:
Mass Readings
(Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20)
Homily Reflection by Fr. JJ Fenelon
that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).
All partings are difficult. It is never easy to say, “Goodbye.” Even under normal circumstances it is difficult. Let alone the many who died from the pandemic throughout the world, without their loved ones by their side.
The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ is described in (Acts 1:1-11) and is also noted in Mark 16:19 and Luke 24:50-53. Jesus refers to his Ascension in the Gospel of John when he tells Mary Magdalene, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17). Before his Ascension, Christ spent forty days teaching the Apostles and disciples about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). The Lord informed them that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The Ascension occurred at Bethany on the Mount of Olives (Luke 19:29). Christ’s work of redemption has become known as the Paschal Mystery of Christ and was accomplished principally by his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Glorious Ascension into Heaven. The Paschal Mystery of Christ constitutes one action for the salvation of mankind, for Jesus “was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25).
His glorious Ascension signified the completion of his time on earth, which is celebrated by the Church, forty days after the Resurrection and ten days before the Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us hope by promising that “when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).
It was not easy for the apostles to accept his departure which was going to be permanent. “Christ’s going to the Father”, “was at once a source of sorrow because it involved his absence, and of joy because it involved his presence,”(Blessed John Henry Newman). He had told them “I will not leave you orphans” which we heard in last Sunday’s Gospel.
But the disciples did not understand since they asked Jesus, as we heard in the 1st Reading, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) They had a mistaken view of Jesus and his mission. These disciples did not yet understand the huge change from the Old to the New Covenant.
How did Jesus respond to the question of the disciples in the 1st reading about restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:7-8)
In the Gospel Jesus issued the commandment, “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.”(Matt.28:19-20)
So the Ascension marks first of all the completion of Jesus’ mission and His permanent return to His Father and the sending of the Holy Spirit for the ongoing mission of the Church.
Once the Apostles received the Holy Spirit they went out to accomplish the command of Jesus in Samaria and Judea and to the ends of the earth. Likewise, we who have received the same Holy Spirit at our Baptism and reborn at our Confirmation, need to do the same. Our Judea and Samaria is our family, our neighbourhood, our parish and the society we live in. We are called to make our society and the culture holy and we can do so by witnessing to Christ.
The Second Vatican Council published 16 very important documents and one of the documents Lumen Gentium, The Light of the Nations (LG) reminds us that the laity are called to make the world holy in ways which only the laity can.
Now the laity are called in a special way to make the Church present and operative in those places and circumstances where only through them can it become the salt of the earth (LG #33)
…even when preoccupied with temporal cares, the laity can and must perform a work of great value for the evangelization of the world. (LG #35)
…let the laity also by their combined efforts remedy the customs and conditions of the world, if they are an inducement to sin, so that they all may be conformed to the norms of justice and may favour the practice of virtue rather than hinder it. By so doing they will imbue culture and human activity with genuine moral values(LG #36)
While that mission was entrusted to the Apostles, and to the bishops who are the successors of the Apostles, and their assistants, the priests, you can assist them in their mission to evangelize by praying for them and by giving witness that you follow Christ, especially in those situations where you are the one to witness to Christ, especially in Family Life. Be it in the area of medical ethics e.g. abortion, IVF, surrogate motherhood, artificial contraception or trans-gender and LGBT relationships. To oppose the world view which encourages a life style based on pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth and wrath.
When Jesus withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven, they went back to Jerusalem full of joy. So today is a feast not of loss but of gain: of greater gain indeed than we could ever comprehend. We can never come to an end of marveling at the mystery, the blessing, the grace of the Ascension, or of rejoicing in it, or of praising God for it. For today Jesus has entered heaven in his glorified humanity, and he has established for us a place in the eternal life and light of God. Today, with and in Jesus we go forth with courage and belief to be His witnesses. “Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your Life”
For today Jesus has entered heaven in his glorified humanity, and he has established for us a place in the eternal life and light of God. Today, with and in Jesus we go forth with courage and belief to be His witnesses. “Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your Life”
I conclude with part of the prayer in the 2nd reading today, “May God our Father…enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that He has exercised for us believers. (Eph 1:17-19)