Year C. Feast of the Ascension

Corpus Christi Church

The Feast of the Ascension is a great Feast Day. Perhaps we don’t always pay enough attention to it. For forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, he did really important things – like sending the apostles out on the mission of proclaiming peace and forgiveness, confirming Peter as the first Pope, drawing the scattered community back together again to be ready to receive the Holy Spirit. With the Ascension, however, it might seem like Jesus is disappearing. He is going away. The disciples will no longer see him. It seems it should be a really sad day for them. And yet, the Gospel tells us they were filled with joy, and they went back to the Temple praising God. That seems odd, doesn’t it?

And, yet, it is only odd if we misunderstand what is going on. It would be sad if Jesus was removing himself from them and going somewhere distant no longer in contact. It would be sad if they would never hear from him again. It would be sad if by saying Jesus was going to heaven, he was going somewhere miles away from them. It would be sad if they were just to be left like orphans.

But the truth is that is not what Jesus’ Ascension is about. Rather, it tells us something very positive. Jesus is, yes, going away from that specific place, near Bethany, near Jerusalem, on that particular day, but he is doing that so he can now be present everywhere and at all times, sending the Holy Spirit to all of humanity. When we say Jesus ascended to “heaven”, we’re not saying he was going to another building in another country. To say Jesus ascended to heaven is to say that Jesus has entered a different way of living, one that is not far from us. Heaven is all around us! Jesus is beyond all time and space so that he can now be present to all time and space. Jesus in heaven is now present to all of humanity, to each of us, in every situation and time. Not only that, but he has taken our humanity with him into heaven. In some ways, because of Jesus, we now can experience heaven already each time we love others.

That’s why the disciples were so filled with joy. They weren’t left as orphans. God is really among us.

Yes, we don’t see Jesus any more with our human eyes. But we have the eyes of faith and love that help us see him and feel him close in his Word, in the sacraments and in the teachings of the Church. We find him in our heart, in each neighbour, especially in the poor. The risen ascended Jesus is now present to us in each moment, drawing us like a magnet to him, to heaven, to the Kingdom of God where there is peace, no more tears, reconciliation.

For the past few months, I’ve been travelling around the Diocese administering the sacrament of Confirmation. I was here yesterday. The celebrations are always wonderful occasions. One of the songs the children sometimes sing is a song composed by the Irish composer Liam Lawton. It became famous after the Twin Tower tragedy in 2001. The words are as follows: “Even when the rain hides the stars, even though the mist swirls the hills, even when the dark clouds veil the sky, God is by my side”.

I thought of those words when preparing for today’s homily. In the readings for the Feast of the Ascension we hear of clouds as Jesus is drawn back into heaven. We know from the Old Testament that when Jesus will come again, he will come, the Book of Daniel says, on the clouds. It’s imagery that helps our imagination. But the great meaning of the Feast of the Ascension is that Jesus is already on the way. He is ascended to heaven and his now drawing us to heaven. But he is always coming to us in each moment. He is always drawing us to him, always helping us to improve a little every day, always assisting us to grow in holiness, love of God and neighbour.

And from today’s Readings we can say he is always doing two things to help us improve a little every day. First, he is always sending us the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the One who comes to help us if we are falling or getting weak in any way. And, secondly, he is always blessing us. He is blessing us because he is now always interceding for us, talking to God the Father about us, explaining our situation to him, advocating for us, putting a word in for us. Always.

What is it Jesus asked us to do before he ascended to heaven? He asked us to give witness to him, spread the Good News, tell people about how he makes such a huge difference in life. Because of Jesus we have hope. Because of Jesus risen and ascended into heaven, we can live differently. Because of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, I know there is someone always by my side to come to my help.

In this Jubilee Year of Hope, let us thank God for Jesus ascended into heaven who gives us hope no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in and then let’s give witness to him by our own life, by helping others and by our words.