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“The Ascension of Christ”
by Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi), 1510-20 |
Readings for The Ascension of the Lord [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “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.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
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Commentary on Acts 1:1-11
These are the introductory comments of St. Luke, as he begins the Acts of the Apostles. Like any well written-story, he connects the events that have just taken place in his first volume, the Gospel of Luke, with what will follow.
Using the interval of days, Luke links the resurrection, Christ’s glorification, and his ascension with the appearance of the Holy Spirit – the paschal mystery. Christ’s departure marks the end of his direct involvement with the apostles, except for his appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus. The passage concludes with a unique description of the actual event of Jesus being taken into heaven.
CCC: Acts 1:1-2 512; Acts 1:3 659; Acts 1:6-7 672; Acts 1:7 474, 673; Acts 1:8 672, 730, 735, 857, 1287; Acts 1:9 659, 697; Acts 1:10-11 333; Acts 1:11 665
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Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
Psalm 47 is a hymn of praise celebrating God’s enthronement and kingship over the people. The imagery in the second strophe (v. 6) strongly suggests the movement of the Ark of the Covenant being processed and installed as part of this celebration. The song concludes with a proclamation of the universal claim of God – King of all the earth.
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Ephesians 1:17-23
Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might:
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
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Commentary on Eph 1:17-23
The selection provided is part of St. Paul’s introductory comments to the Ephesians. His focus in this passage underlines the enlightenment flowing from the Holy Spirit. The final sentences provide an understanding of the power assumed by the Lord as he ascends to the Father.
The prayer for enlightenment promotes the idea that only through an understanding of God’s great sacrifice can the hope offered by the Savior be realized. The Apostle emphasizes the power and majesty of Jesus, placing his sacrifice in perspective: “he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things.” How much love was shown to God’s creation by offering up one whose state is so exalted? St. Paul’s concluding verse also introduces his concept of the Church as the living body of Christ, a theme that he developed in earlier letters to other congregations (cf. Romans 12: 4f; 1 Corinthians 12:12ff).
CCC: Eph 1:16-23 2632; Eph 1:18 158; Eph 1:19-22 272, 648; Eph 1:20-22 668; Eph 1:22-23 830; Eph 1:22 669, 753, 2045
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Or: Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23
Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that men and women die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus
we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,
that is, his flesh,
and since we have (a great priest over the house of God, “
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,
for he who made the promise is trustworthy.
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Commentary on Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23
Supporting the Solemnity of the Ascension, this passage from Hebrews contrasts the earthly temple to the heavenly throne mounted by the Lord. We also see the contrast between the traditions of the Hebrew priests, constantly offering sacrifices of atonement, and the sacrifice of Christ, offered once and for all so that sins might be forgiven.
After his introductory address and blessing, St. Paul offers a prayer that the community may receive full spiritual understanding of the mystery decreed in Christ. His opening statement, “your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones,” provides a strong link between “faith” and “love.” Faith in Christ and love of each other form a cornerstone of the community, connected perpetually. The prayer for “wisdom and revelation” goes beyond a simple understanding of God’s plan to knowledge of God, himself.
CCC: Heb 9:24 519, 662, 2741; Heb 9:25 662; Heb 9:26 571; Heb 9:27 1013, 1021; Heb 10:19-21 1137; Heb 10:19 2778; Heb 10:23 1817
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Luke 24:46-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you;
but stay in the city
until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Then he led them out as far as Bethany,
raised his hands, and blessed them.
As he blessed them he parted from them
and was taken up to heaven.
They did him homage
and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
and they were continually in the temple praising God.
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Commentary on Lk 24:46-53
Luke’s Gospel provides us with a shortened version of the ascension story. The emphasis in our Gospel is that what was promised has been fulfilled and now the next stage in God’s revelation is to begin. This short version is setting the stage for a more completed record of the events that follow in Acts of the Apostles (cf Acts 1:4-14)
"St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, because his immediate audience was Jews, who would accept this as proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. St Luke does not usually argue along these lines because he is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epilogue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ's statement to the effect that everything foretold about him had come true. By doing so he shows the unity of Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah."[5]
CCC: Lk 24:46 627; Lk 24:47-48 730; Lk 24:47 981, 1120, 1122; Lk 24:48-49 1304; Lk 24:51 659
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Reflection:
As we celebrate the great Feast of the Ascension today, let’s think about how we must respond to our own conviction that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was killed by the masters of killing – the Roman soldiers. He was buried. And three days later he, after releasing all our distant ancestors from the power of death (there condemned by the Original Sin of Adam and Eve), returned to say goodbye to his closest friends. These friends testified to having met with him, spoken with him and eaten with him in this brief interval. Having done this, for our benefit, that we might believe, he returned to the Father and sits at his right hand.
The Feast of the Ascension marks the beginning of the end of the beginning of our Easter celebration. For the past six weeks we have rejoiced in the glow of the Easter Candle, a flame from the new fire, the Risen Christ. That flame has another meaning, especially when it is lit for baptisms. It represents the presence of the Holy Spirit, the gift we will celebrate next week at Pentecost.
During this Easter season we have heard the Lord speak through Scripture of his departure, his return to his heavenly home. When he first encountered Mary Magdalene, he said:
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)
He told his disciples that he would go to prepare a place for them, and that they could not go with him (at that time). And today, on this Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate a promise fulfilled. He has shown us his love and fidelity once more.
If we put ourselves in the place of the disciples, we can only imagine what they were experiencing as they finally understood what Jesus had been telling them. What a roller coaster ride of emotions they were on. First, the fear they experienced as the Lord was arrested. Next their fear was mixed with guilt as they saw the Lord’s passion: then grief as he died upon the cross. Then, just three days later, joy as the risen and glorified Lord came to them, giving them his peace. There must have been an intense feeling of relief now that they had their teacher and mentor back.
Even though the Lord had explained things to them, they were probably not quite prepared for his ascension. We can almost feel their thoughts: “Oh, he’s gone! What are we going to do now?” The Lord left the answer, of course. He left them the gift he gives us all, the guidance and peace of the Holy Spirit.
We don’t share their surprise. For most of us, we know this story well. Rather than being surprised by the Lord’s departure, we rejoice in it. It is one more proof of his great love for us. The Ascension is a necessary prelude to Pentecost. How could the Lord have said he would leave us an Advocate, when he was still with us?
He left to assume his place at the right hand of the Father, and he does as he promised: he intercedes for us, preparing a place in the heavenly Kingdom.
We have talked about how the disciples probably reacted when the Lord ascended. We should also consider how Jesus’ mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, would have reacted as well. Like any mother, she knows her child better than anyone. She was first to have faith in him and from the very first hour, when Jesus began to grow in her womb, she loved him.
Because of her faith, we think Mary would have understood the Lord’s words and actions more clearly than even his closest friends, the disciples. She would not have been surprised when the Lord announced that he would be returning to the Father. The Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church likely had a calming influence on the disciples and faithful during this time.
Think about how any earthly mother would react if she saw her child fulfill their destiny. She would be proud, the first supporter of her child throughout their life. She would have felt more keenly the pang of parting, and have a deep and abiding faith that she would join him as he promised. She is, indeed, the model for all mothers, biological or acting in that role. It is with gratitude that we recall her strength, as we think of those whose maternal guidance we have received.
For our part, the Ascension is almost like the preparatory command before the start of a race. The starter says, “On your mark.” At Easter we are promised the great prize. “Get set,” is the next. That is where we are, at the Ascension. The command, “Go,” is Pentecost when we are given the Holy Spirit and sent to take the Good News into the world.
If we use the analogy of a race, we know that we need to train if we are to compete. Anyone who has done so will say the training is the hardest part. It requires discipline and fidelity. This is what our vision statement prepares us to do. Our race to the place the Lord has made for us in the heavenly Kingdom is a distance race. God willing, we will be at it for a long time and need to develop endurance, which means building spiritual muscle and stamina. To do that we know what we must do. We need to develop what I call the “Jesus Reflex,” that is, doing without thinking what Jesus would do. It means that we have practiced so well that, when the time comes, we will automatically love as Jesus loved, we will be one with him in reaching out to those we meet, sharing his promise and invitation.
On this feast day, we give thanks to the Lord once more for going before us to prepare a place. We pray that we can run the race he would be proud of, and that he welcome us across the finish line when our time comes. In the meantime, we pray for the strength to be faithful and to carry out the work the Lord left for his disciples. And we thank him for the Blessed Virgin Mary, his mother, and all those who share that title today.
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The image today is “The Ascension of Christ” by Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi), 1510-20.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 516.
