May They Become Perfectly One
Introduction: May the Lord continue to open your life to the promptings of the Holy Spirit so that you may fulfill your on-going mission of spreading the Good News.
We recall Jesus’ return to His Abba-Father and His commissioning of His disciples to carry on His ministry and mission of proclaiming the Gospel to all people, with the promise of the further outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We all have a share in this mission of spreading the Good News and we also can look forward to a further empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Just a note: In Acts 1: 1-11, it says that Jesus remained with His disciples for forty days after His resurrection. On the fortieth day Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus remained with His disciples only a relatively short period of time after His resurrection on Easter Sunday. In the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke says it was forty days of occasional visits with His disciples. The other gospels accounts relate that Jesus only was with His followers at some times during those forty days, not consistently day after day. Today, we have a couple accounts of Jesus’ last words to His disciples before He returned to His Abba-Father in heaven. The question for us is, “what is the meaning of the Ascension?” Or more practically, “how am I going to live my life differently because of the Lord’s Ascension?” To be able to answer that, we need to look more closely at the readings for today.
First reading Acts 1:1-11: ‘As they were looking on, he was lifted up.’
Commentary: How are we to envisage what happened at the Ascension? Two feet disappearing into a cloud? It is mentioned only in the Acts. Luke, the author, is putting across several messages. Firstly, the 40 days since Easter should not be carefully counted. In biblical language ‘40’ makes just ‘a fairly long period’, often a period of preparation, like Jesus’ 40 days being tested in the desert, or Israel’s 40 years of the Exodus. For all that time Jesus has been preparing his apostles. Secondly, it is the definitive parting of the physical Jesus, after which the Risen Christ is no longer with his disciples. It is now the Spirit of Christ which is at the heart of the Church, inspiring all its activity. Thirdly, Luke represents Jesus as a prophet (and more than a prophet), so he leaves his disciples in the same way as the prophet Elijah, who was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot, leaving his disciple Elisha to carry on his work, filled with a double share of his spirit.
Responsorial Psalms 47(46):2-3. 6-7. 8-9: God has gone up with shouts of joy. The LORD goes up with trumpet blast.
Psalm 47 highlights God's supreme rule over all nations, emphasizing His authority and power. It calls for joyful praise, urging believers to sing with understanding and recognize Him as the King of all the earth. The psalm concludes by declaring that rulers gather in His presence, acknowledging His sovereignty and exalting Him above all.
Second reading Ephesians 1:16-23: ‘God seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.’
Commentary: The blessing which forms the core of this reading gives the sense of the Ascension for the Church. It is not the manner of Christ’s departure which is important, but the exalted position of Christ, and the power of God which raised Christ from the dead. This same power has called us to be believers, made us rich in the glory of his heritage, and has given us the strength to follow Christ. As Christians we believe that Jesus was divine not only from birth but from the moment of his conception. It was then that the Word of God became flesh. And yet something further happened at the glorification of Christ in his resurrection. Paul says he was ‘constituted Son of God in power’ at the resurrection. Is this the same as the claim which the high priest declared blasphemous, ‘You will see the son of man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven’? In the final scene of the gospel of Matthew Jesus declares, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me’, and the Book of Revelation shows the Risen Christ sharing the throne of God.
Gospel Luke 24:46-53: ‘While he blessed them, he was carried up into heaven.’
Commentary: In his two-volume history Luke has two versions of the Ascension, one at the end of the gospel (today’s gospel reading), one at the beginning of the second volume. The emphasis of the first reading was on the open-endedness of the mission of the apostles: they were to wait till the Spirit came, after which they would continue their mission until the return of Christ – whenever that was going to be. It is a bracket opening a clause, which will be closed only at the end of the world. The emphasis in the gospel reading is on the final blessing of Christ as he departs, and on the joy and thanksgiving which this imparts. There is a sense of completion, for the gospel began in the Temple with the annunciation to Zechariah, and it ends in the Temple with the disciples praising God. There is also a sense of beginning, as the Good News is to spread from Jerusalem to all nations. In either case, the challenge is there: Christ must now play his part through us, his followers. If we act in the Spirit, Christ is acting. If we do not, the Spirit is stifled.
Reflection: Why did Jesus leave his disciples forty days after his resurrection? Forty is a significant number in the Scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God. For forty days after his resurrection Jesus appeared numerous times to his disciples to assure them that he had risen indeed and to prepare them for the task of carrying on the work which he began during his earthy ministry.
The Risen Lord is with us always to the end of time: Jesus' departure and ascension into heaven was both an end and a beginning for his disciples. While it was the end of Jesus' physical presence with his beloved disciples, it marked the beginning of Jesus' presence with them in a new way. Jesus promised that he would be with them always to the end of time (Matthew 28:20). Now as the glorified and risen Lord and Savior, ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus promised to send them the Holy Spirit who would anoint them with power from on high on the Feast of Pentecost, just as Jesus was anointed for his ministry at the River Jordan (Luke 3:21-22, 4:1,18). When the Lord Jesus departed physically from the apostles, they were not left in sorrow or grief. Instead, they were filled with joy and with great anticipation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The Risen Lord empowers us to carry on his work: Why did the Risen Lord ascend into heaven? The Father raised the glorified body of his Son and enthroned him in glory at his right hand in heaven. The Lord Jesus in his glorified body now reigns as Lord over the heavens and the earth - over all that he has created. The Risen Lord reigns from the throne in heaven as our Merciful Redeemer and Gracious King. He intercedes for us and he empowers us through the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus gives us new life in his Spirit and he strengthens us in faith, hope and love so we can serve him and carry on his work as citizens of his kingdom here on earth.
You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth: Jesus' last words to his disciples point to the key mission and task he has entrusted to his followers on earth - to be his witnesses and ambassadors to the ends of the earth so that all peoples, tribes, and nations may hear the good news that Jesus Christ has come to set us free from sin, Satan, and death and has won for us a kingdom of peace, joy, and righteousness that will last forever.
How can we be effective witnesses for Christ? Jesus told his disciples, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you - and you shall be my witnesses... to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jesus gives his followers the same power he received when the Holy Spirit came upon him and anointed him at the beginning of his mission (John 1:32-33). The Gospel is the power of God, the power to release people from their burden of sin, guilt, and oppression, and the power to heal, restore, and make us whole. Do you believe in the power of the Gospel to change and transform your life?
We are ambassadors for Jesus Christ: Paul the Apostle reminds us that we are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Just as ambassadors are appointed to represent their country and to speak on behalf of their nation's ruler, we, too are appointed by the Lord Jesus to speak on his behalf and to bring others into a close and personal encounter with the Lord and Ruler of heaven and earth. This is the great commission which the risen Christ gives to the whole church. All believers have been given a share in this task - to be heralds of the good news and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world. We have not been left alone in this task, for the risen Lord works in and through us by the power of his Holy Spirit. Today we witness a new Pentecost as the Lord pours out his Holy Spirit upon his people to renew and strengthen the body of Christ and to equip it for effective ministry and mission world-wide. Do you witness to others the joy of the Gospel and the hope of the resurrection?
Lord Jesus, through the gift of your Holy Spirit, you fill us with an indomitable spirit of praise and joy which no earthly trial can subdue. Fill me with your resurrection joy and help me to live a life of praise and thanksgiving for your glory. May I witness to those around me the joy of the Gospel and the reality of your great victory over sin and death.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus ascends to heaven in his body - divine and human nature, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"You heard what came to our ears just now from the Gospel: 'Lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And it happened, while he was blessing them he withdrew from them, and was carried up to heaven.' Who was carried up to heaven? The Lord Christ was. Who is the Lord Christ? He is the Lord Jesus. What is this? Are you going to separate the human from the divine and make one person of God, another of the man, so that there is no longer a trinity of three but a quaternary of four? Just as you, a human being, are soul and body, so the Lord Christ is Word, soul and body. The Word did not depart from the Father. He both came to us and did not forsake the Father. He both took flesh in the womb and continued to govern the universe. What was lifted up into heaven, if not what had been taken from earth? That is to say, the very flesh, the very body, about which he was speaking when he said to the disciples, 'Feel, and see that a spirit does not have bones and flesh, as you can see that I have' (Luke 24:39). Let us believe this, brothers and sisters, and if we have difficulty in meeting the arguments of the philosophers, let us hold on to what was demonstrated in the Lord's case without any difficulty of faith. Let them chatter, but let us believe." (excerpt from Sermon 242,6)
stare or share?
“Why do you stand here looking up at the skies?” —Acts 1:11, After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles stared so long into the sky that “two men dressed in white,” presumably angels, addressed them, saying, “Men of Galilee…why do you stand here looking up at the skies?” (Acts 1:10-11) We modern-day people likewise spend a lot of time staring and standing around. We stare at the TV and our handheld electronic devices. We “people-watch.”
If we must stare, let’s stare like this: stare at the Scriptures, reading them daily (Acts 17:11),
stare upon the face of the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration (see Ps 27:4), and
stare at our loved ones with gratitude.
We need someone to rouse us to go out into the world and proclaim that since Jesus is risen and ascended, we have been given the promise of the Father (see Lk 24:49).
Now that Jesus has ascended, the Holy Spirit has descended with many gifts to help us live fruitful lives of evangelization (Eph 4:10-11). Be “witnesses” of the Good News of “penance for the remission of sins” (Lk 24:47-48). Give glory to Jesus for opening the way to heaven for us all (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 666-667).
Prayer: Ascended Jesus, thank You for interceding for me from heaven (1 Jn 2:1). Give me the grace to share the Good News with everyone I meet.: “See, I send down upon you the promise of My Father.” —Lk 24:49 Jesus “was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit; seen by the angels; preached among the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up into glory” (1 Tm 3:16). Alleluia!
The personal question/action for today: In what ways am I like the apostles in my standing around looking up to heaven, wondering what is happening without doing anything? To whom in my life is it most difficult to be sent and to minister? Which gift/fruit of the Holy Spirit (knowledge, wisdom, understanding, peace, joy, discernment, hope, faith, love, endurance, being in awe of GOD) do I need the most at this moment in my life? How can I more faithfully proclaim the GOoD News to those to whom I am sent?
*Saint Justin Martyr: Justin never ended his quest for religious truth even when he converted to Christianity after years of studying various pagan philosophies.
As a young man, he was principally attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian religion answered the great questions about life and existence better than the philosophers.
Upon his conversion he continued to wear the philosopher’s mantle, and became the first Christian philosopher. He combined the Christian religion with the best elements in Greek philosophy. In his view, philosophy was a pedagogue of Christ, an educator that was to lead one to Christ.
Justin is known as an apologist, one who defends in writing the Christian religion against the attacks and misunderstandings of the pagans. Two of his so-called apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor and to the Senate. For his staunch adherence to the Christian religion, Justin was beheaded in Rome in 165.
As patron of philosophers, Justin may inspire us to use our natural powers—especially our power to know and understand—in the service of Christ, and to build up the Christian life within us. Since we are prone to error, especially in reference to the deep questions concerning life and existence, we should also be willing to correct and check our natural thinking in light of religious truth. Thus we will be able to say with the learned saints of the Church: I believe in order to understand, and I understand in order to believe.