"God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord!"
The Ascension reveals more of CHRIST'S IDENTITY: The Lord Jesus ascends into heavenly glory, before the awed gaze of his disciples. This is a crowning moment: they have seen him risen and changed, alive and victorious. And now, as the cloud takes him away from their sight, they have no doubt as to his divinity.
The Ascension of Christ reveals our DESTINY: Jesus enters into the presence of his Heavenly Father with something which he didn't have when he first descended into the womb of his Virgin Mother: in silence the Eternal Word comes down like the dew upon Mary; when everything had been accomplished, he he returns to his Father, amidst Royal and angelic fanfare, bearing with him the humanity that he shares with us. The ascension of Jesus--true God and true man--into heavenly glory signals the birth of our hope that we too will find ourselves there by his side, the high priest who intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. As we look at him, we gaze at our destiny, our goal: to be in heaven, glorious and transformed and loved!
The Ascension reminds us of our MISSION: Go and make disciples of all nations! Still on earth, awaiting his return, we are called to be WITNESSES. While nurturing our personal relationship with Christ, we are reminded that my faith is never a private matter, something to be kept in a bag, to be let out at church, and to be kept behind my public persona. No. Our joyful acceptance of the Gospel, our reception of the Lord's command to go and be witnesses has SOCIAL, ECONOMIC and even POLITICAL consequences (conscious at the same time that the mission of the Church is primordially spiritual). We live by the Gospel, and the Gospel can be a potent and positive force for what we currently seek: the transformation of our society. We are called to bring forth into society that great gift that we need to hear in our hearts, the renewing message of the Good News.
With this, as Christians, as Catholics, we need to understand, that far from being enclosed in ghettoes, we need to participate actively in our society: to engage in dialogue, to build, to strengthen, to enlighten. We are called to be the leaven that helps society to rise. But we do this keeping our eyes fixed on heaven. The Gospel reminds us that true justice and peace is seen only in heaven. We work for a better society, but we must realistically acknowledge that we live in an imperfect world, one that awaits for the coming of its fullness in Christ.
The Ascension reveals more of CHRIST'S IDENTITY: The Lord Jesus ascends into heavenly glory, before the awed gaze of his disciples. This is a crowning moment: they have seen him risen and changed, alive and victorious. And now, as the cloud takes him away from their sight, they have no doubt as to his divinity.
The Ascension of Christ reveals our DESTINY: Jesus enters into the presence of his Heavenly Father with something which he didn't have when he first descended into the womb of his Virgin Mother: in silence the Eternal Word comes down like the dew upon Mary; when everything had been accomplished, he he returns to his Father, amidst Royal and angelic fanfare, bearing with him the humanity that he shares with us. The ascension of Jesus--true God and true man--into heavenly glory signals the birth of our hope that we too will find ourselves there by his side, the high priest who intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. As we look at him, we gaze at our destiny, our goal: to be in heaven, glorious and transformed and loved!
The Ascension reminds us of our MISSION: Go and make disciples of all nations! Still on earth, awaiting his return, we are called to be WITNESSES. While nurturing our personal relationship with Christ, we are reminded that my faith is never a private matter, something to be kept in a bag, to be let out at church, and to be kept behind my public persona. No. Our joyful acceptance of the Gospel, our reception of the Lord's command to go and be witnesses has SOCIAL, ECONOMIC and even POLITICAL consequences (conscious at the same time that the mission of the Church is primordially spiritual). We live by the Gospel, and the Gospel can be a potent and positive force for what we currently seek: the transformation of our society. We are called to bring forth into society that great gift that we need to hear in our hearts, the renewing message of the Good News.
With this, as Christians, as Catholics, we need to understand, that far from being enclosed in ghettoes, we need to participate actively in our society: to engage in dialogue, to build, to strengthen, to enlighten. We are called to be the leaven that helps society to rise. But we do this keeping our eyes fixed on heaven. The Gospel reminds us that true justice and peace is seen only in heaven. We work for a better society, but we must realistically acknowledge that we live in an imperfect world, one that awaits for the coming of its fullness in Christ.
