The Ascension of Our Lord (Year A)

The Ascension of Our Lord, May 21, 2023

Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20

(image courtesy: Google)

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 colours, with his own inimitable genius. Then suddenly he ceased, the painting still unfinished, and summoning one of his students, invited him to complete the work. The student protested that he was both unworthy and unable to complete the great painting, which the master had begun. But da Vinci silenced him. "Will not what I have done inspire you to do your best?" - Jesus our Master began His Good News two thousand years ago -by what he said, by what he did, and supremely by what He suffered. He illustrated His message and has left us to complete the picture. This is the message of the Ascension.

After his resurrection, having spent forty days with his disciples, our Lord ascends to his beloved Father.  Indeed, this feast of the Ascension of Jesus to his Father is a Mystery and not easy to grasp but at the same time it marks the beginning of the Mission of the Church. 

In today’s Gospel we have the farewell scenario between the disciples and Jesus and we read the intimate moment of separation between friends. As he prepares to depart from the earth he offers them his parting gifts: the gift of understanding so that they can now fully comprehend the meaning of the Scriptures; the promise that they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit; a final loving blessing and promise that he will not abandon them but be with them till the end of times. He gives them the command to preach the Good News to all nations.  The reaction of the disciples indicates a striking transformation.

The Gospels contain many parables of a master who sets out on a long journey and gives his servants charge of his estate until his return. In the feast of the Ascension of the Lord parable becomes reality. Jesus departs to his heavenly Father and leaves his disciples in charge of the affairs of his kingdom till his return in glory. Each of the Gospels we have ends with a scene in which Jesus finally takes leave of his disciples. These farewell scenes focus not on describing the event in detail but on the last words that Jesus leaves with his disciples. In fact, the very fact of a bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven is described only by Luke. It is Luke who wrote the Acts of the Apostles from which we got our first reading today.

The Ascension of Jesus was an essential stage in his relationship with his 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.

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.

Ascension Jesus left his disciples and passed to the glory of heaven, he became to his disciples more than a memory of a great person who had died. First, he is still alive as the risen Lord; second, he is gone but he stays with us by his Spirit of strength and wisdom and love and in this way he is our companion in life. He still speaks his word to us, he still gives himself to us as our food and drink, and he is alive in our communities. Listen to him present among us here and let him nourish us with his word and his body.

We are reminded today that it is not the task of Christians to ‘stand looking up into the sky’ either to mourn Jesus’ departure from earth or to simply await his return. Our role until his Second Coming is to witness to him. This we do through recognising that we have indeed been clothed with power from on high. As his body, the church, we are to be Jesus’ continued presence on earth bringing freedom, healing and forgiveness to all who long to know the true God.

Happy and Blessed Sunday