May 12, 2024
(Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ)
Jesus said to His disciples, “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.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. Acts_1:1-11
The Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs. Mk_16:15-20
“For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Having hand-held His disciples for three years, through teething and first steps, through stories and mission trips, through miracles and tragedies, it was now time for Jesus to send His disciples off – ON THEIR OWN, with training wheels removed, and engines almost roaring. Almost, because in just another week, they would receive that final kickstart that would blast them into fervent, heart-felt, zealous ACTION, forever.
And like any truly great story, there’s always that “Happily ever after” moment, and lots of room for a sequel. Our celebration of the Ascension of Jesus today, and His Commissioning of the Apostles, fits both bills in this, the Greatest Story ever told, which, as we know, is still in the telling!
And yet, we’ll often hear people ask, even today, “Why did Jesus have to leave, and in such a dramatic way? Well, just as Jesus would do, we can answer that question with a question of our own. A question that goes like this:
What do all of the following scenarios have in common?
– a Car – without a key,
– a College Degree – without a job,
– a Fig Tree – without figs,
– a Bird – that has never stretched out its wings, and
– a perfectly healthy young Adult who has never left his parent’s home?
You see, IF Jesus didn’t leave the key, offer the job, nourish the tree, encourage the bird, and free the young adult from the apron strings of dependence, just as He freed the Apostles by His Ascension, then, all we’d be left with, is a conglomeration of uselessness!
Instead, not only did He send His disciples off with a Purpose, with Power and Wisdom, with Sacraments and Authority, with Faith and Hope for as glorious a departure as His, but He pointed us in the precise direction to where He IS, and WILL be, right there, next to His Father, waiting for our return, our reunion with Him.
You see, with Jesus at His Father’s side, we discover that there’s nothing we cannot accomplish through His intercession. And if that were not enough, on top of it all, we are given the Guidance, the Love, and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit, whom we’ll hear more about next week!
So, was this Ascension of Jesus really necessary?
ABSOLUTELY!
Because, it gave us the Freedom, the Responsibility and the Accountability to GO FORTH, and to represent, to Re-Present, Jesus to our world every day, at our work or school, at home with our families, and even with total strangers.
Now, we all know that this Call of Jesus can actually BE pretty challenging, and pretty demanding at times. And that is Exactly WHY we have our Church, our Sacraments and our Leadership!
Did you happen to notice the progression of the Sacraments in our Readings today?
They’re all there, from Baptism, all the way through Anointing of the Sick.
St. Luke, for example, speaks of John’s “Baptism of Repentance,” referring to our Sacrament of Reconciliation, our Sacrament of Spiritual cleansing and renewal.
And then, he mentions the Baptism of Jesus,“the baptism of water and the Spirit, without which no one can enter the kingdom of God,” as Jesus so eloquently portrays it to Nicodemus.
And yet, even though our Baptismal Salvation initiates our Faith Journey to God, it’s not quite enough to give us all we need to answer that demanding Call of Jesus. As we’re all, well aware, there are pitfalls, temptations, and avalanches of death that can smother the fire in our hearts, for the Lord.
So, in many, and varied ways, St. Luke and Jesus point us to that all-empowering, that enlightening, discerning and strengthening Sacrament, specifically designed for our souls and wills, the Sacrament of Confirmation. Through its visible signs of Chrism Anointing and Laying on of Hands, the Holy Spirit had endowed the Apostles and us, brothers and sisters, with the Power: to overcome sicknesses of body and spirit, to be able to understand and discern Truth from deceit, and to actually LIVE in the Righteousness of Jesus.
And even more so, to be ABLE to truly ACT on Jesus’s Commission, His Call, for us to share His Love in our world.
Some of us have followed that Call, all the way to devoting our entire lives in Religious, Diaconal, or Priestly vocations, through Professions, or Vows, or the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Some of us have been blessed with the vocation of Holy Matrimony, in order to populate the world with beautiful, young, zealous Christian families, led by fathers, and mothers, whom we honor today (Mother’s Day).
And ALL of us, in our constant need of Spiritual and Physical nourishment, always come back to our Home here; our home with one another, and with our Jesus. This is our Sacrament of Church, and our union with Jesus, through the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, we are ONE!
And all of it, from the Incarnation to the Ascension of Jesus, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, all of it is absolutely mind boggling, when you think about the immensity of God’s Love!
And all of it, from Adam and Eve through the ‘Grand unification’ of all of us, and the Beatific Vision of God, is beyond our wildest imaginations. And so, we know that this is NOT the End of the Story.
We have so, so very much more to DO, and to SEE: souls to save, wars to end, prayers to be prayed, lives to bid farewell to (for a time), and beautiful New Lives to welcome into our sheepfold, our family.
No more Training Wheels for us! Our Call is clear. The Road is open, And our Time to fly is NOW! So, let’s not keep Jesus waiting any longer, as we look forward to “the Life of the world to come. Amen” †
jmp 05-12-24
________________________end of post
Then the LORD said (to Elijah), “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD – but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake – but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire – but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” 1 Kings 19:11-13
Was it to discover magnificent colors? Was it to find colorful music or awesome videos? Was it just curiosity? Was it accidental? Were you really looking for God, for Hope, for true LOVE somewhere in this menagerie we call the web?
Or were you just hiding in a cave, waiting on the Lord to Whisper in your ear – a Word – LIFE! Life, it’s in You! And YOU are beautiful in the Eyes of God, no matter what the world may say or think.
Every day the Lord whispers in our ears – Words of HOPE, Words of LOVE, and maybe not even words – just His JOY in our hearts.
Whispers to the Wind 