1. In His Ascension to Heaven, Jesus took His place at the right hand of the Father. It is important to remember that Jesus did not leave His human body behind, as if it were a machine or a mere container or even some form of prison. Rather, Jesus ascended in the totality of His humanity (together with His divinity), a totality which included His whole person, body and soul. That is what happened in the Ascension of our Lord, but what does it mean?
2. Saint Paul refers to Jesus as the new Adam- that is the new Man (human) (1 Corinthians 15:45). Whatever happens to Him is destined to happen to us (1 Corinthians 15:48). To be fully human, we must be like the New Man who is Jesus the Christ. In His resurrection, Jesus has conquered the power of death for every human being. We still die, but death will not have power over us. In the Ascension, we discover that the whole human person is the subject of redemption and salvation and glory, not merely the spirit or the mind. Just as all of Resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, so will the full completeness of our resurrected selves go to heaven on the last day (if we are in union with Jesus the Christ). As wonderful and glorious as Jesus’ resurrection was, that was not all He came to accomplish. Human beings are not destined for this life and this existence alone. God has made us for much more.
3. Jesus told His disciples that there were many dwelling places in His Father’s house and that He was going to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3). That is our true destiny- life in the house of the Father forever- without sorrow, without suffering, without want.
4. But there is a catch. In the Acts of the Apostles, as the disciples stood looking up into heaven after Jesus ascended, the angel of the Lord told them that Jesus indeed was going to return at a time of God’s choosing (See Acts 1:1-11). However, those who are His followers have a job to do. In the Gospel, Jesus told them Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). In Acts, He said you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). We may be destined for eternal life in Heaven, but in the meantime we must obey the will of the Father and the instructions of the Son.
5. The mission of proclaiming the Gospel to every creature belongs to every Christian regardless of age, status, or position. In fact whether we like it or not, we are witnesses of Jesus Christ. We might be bad witnesses and tell lies about Him, or we might be good witnesses and tell the truth. But whatever we say, do, or think will not be without effect. The ultimate goal of this mission of course, is the salvation of the whole world. This task is serious business, too. Jesus said Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).
6. It is serious for us, because the Lord wants us to have salvation, therefore we must believe and be baptized (not just be baptized). That does not mean that our belief must be fully formed. Certainly the apostles are ample proof of that. Jesus chose them and they had to grow in knowledge and wisdom. But we must believe.
7. The act of belief has two aspects. The first aspect is consent to hold the Good News of Salvation in our minds and hearts. To make this kind of assent, we must grow in knowledge. Because if the faith does not grow, it will wither. The Christian is obligated to learn more about the truths of our faith. Some people describe to me what they interpret to be a period of doubt in their lives. And it is not doubt- it is the desire to know and understand more. God is permitting it so that we will be motivated to learn.
8. Another aspect of faith is trust. This aspect is probably more important than gaining intellectual knowledge. Trust is an acknowledgment that we do not have all the answers, that we cannot save ourselves, that we are not in control, and yet, we will follow Jesus anyway. Faith as Trust is plunging into the dark cloud of unknowing, placing ourselves at the disposal of God for His Glory and our good. Trust is Mary saying be it done to me according to thy word (Luke 1:38) and Peter saying to whom shall we go Master, you have the words of eternal life (John 6:68).
9. The Ascension also means hope for us. The angel told us that Jesus would come back again in glory. Jesus Himself works through the Church with through the sacraments and the teaching capacity of the bishops, as well as through miracles and signs. Jesus said He would not leave us orphans (John 14:18), and He has not. In truth, at the right hand of the Father, Jesus is more present to His Church than He was walking the earth.
Showing posts with label Acension. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acension. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Our Glory and Our Hope
This was my homily for the Solemnity of the Ascension (moved to Sunday in our area).
1. Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? When Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples stood there, I presume with mouths open, staring at the sky. Who wouldn’t have? Jesus had died a brutally horrible death and was buried. Then He rose from the dead. He could walk through walls, appear and disappear, but He would still eat food and drink wine and they could touch Him. Now all at once, He ascended into the sky body and spirit and everything. No wonder they were looking up at the sky.
2. So there they were, staring into space, wondering what was going to happen next. What was going to happen next was that it was time for them to get to work. Jesus had promised that He would come back, but they had a few things that they had to do first, like tell everyone in the world about what happened, baptized them and bring them into the Church. The angels had to get them started.
3. But first, the disciples had to do some serious prayer. They had to prepare themselves to receive one more gift- the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit of God would make all the difference in the world to their attitude, their knowledge, their abilities. But they had to prepare themselves with prayer and meditation. So for the next 9 days, the disciples would gather in the upper room and pray. They did not know what the gift from on high would be like, or what it would do to them. There was only one there present who had experience the gift of the Holy Spirit. And that was the Virgin Mary. So she accompanied them on their journey of prayer, fasting, and meditation.
4. In just a few days, they would indeed receive the Holy Spirit, just as we did at Baptism. But before we focus on the gift of the Indwelling of the Spirit of God, maybe we should look at what the Ascension teaches us. Was the Ascension significant for the Church?
5. There are a few things that the Ascension helps us to realize and believe. First, it is another reminder that the Resurrection to new life in Christ is not a resurrection to the same kind of life we have here. It is not even a resurrection to a new and excited kind of life of walking through walls while eating and drinking. The new life Jesus has obtained for us is life in the house of His Father in heaven. Jesus promised that He would go and prepare a place for us in His Father’s house.
6. Second, when Jesus ascended, He did not leave His body behind. If He had, the disciples would have been looking at Jesus' cadaver, and not up at the sky. No, Jesus took it all to heaven. We say in the creed that we believe Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. That is, the new life we are to live with Jesus forever in heaven will not be as disembodied spirits, nor as angels. We will be human, with human bodies, although glorified like Jesus’. The opening prayer this morning says that Jesus’ ascension is “our glory and our hope.” It is our glory and our hope because everything that happens to Jesus is so that it can happen to us- resurrection from the dead, and ascension into glory.
7. Third, which brings us back to what the disciples had been commissioned to do, we are called to make everyone a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now it is true in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus is speaking to the Eleven- that is, to the Apostles. But the great commission He gave them was not for themselves alone to accomplish, nor even for their successors the bishops. We are all called to make disciples of all nations, each according to a particular circumstance.
8. For example, when married couples accept the gift of children from God and present those children for Baptism, they are helping to make disciples. When those same parents fulfill their duties to teach their children how to pray, what to believe and how to go to Church, that also is making a disciple. When someone volunteers to be a catechist or a classroom aide for Religious Education and prepares lessons, that person is helping make a disciple. When we share our faith with our co-workers or fellow students, we are helping to make disciples. When we visit the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, or other merciful acts, we might even be helping to make disciples even then.
9. Even children can do it. One of my great-grandfathers was not a baptized person. He may never have even stepped foot in a Catholic Church (in those days you got married in the rectory if one of the parties was not Catholic). But his grandsons got up every morning during Summer Vacation at 6am to go serve 6:30am Mass. That simple service of God not only made great-grandfather proud of his grandsons, but it made him begin to think, “What was worth getting up at 6 in the morning on your vacation?” And then he began to desire it. And so great-grandfather was baptized on his death-bed and received communion and confirmation. We never know what expressions of faith will bring someone into faith in Jesus Christ.
10. But before we can accomplish these important goals, goals which Jesus promised to help us achieve, we must pray. We must learn to wait on God first, and depend on Him as if for everything (because in fact, we do depend on God for everything). And then when it is time to work, work like it all depends on us.
1. Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? When Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples stood there, I presume with mouths open, staring at the sky. Who wouldn’t have? Jesus had died a brutally horrible death and was buried. Then He rose from the dead. He could walk through walls, appear and disappear, but He would still eat food and drink wine and they could touch Him. Now all at once, He ascended into the sky body and spirit and everything. No wonder they were looking up at the sky.
2. So there they were, staring into space, wondering what was going to happen next. What was going to happen next was that it was time for them to get to work. Jesus had promised that He would come back, but they had a few things that they had to do first, like tell everyone in the world about what happened, baptized them and bring them into the Church. The angels had to get them started.
3. But first, the disciples had to do some serious prayer. They had to prepare themselves to receive one more gift- the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit of God would make all the difference in the world to their attitude, their knowledge, their abilities. But they had to prepare themselves with prayer and meditation. So for the next 9 days, the disciples would gather in the upper room and pray. They did not know what the gift from on high would be like, or what it would do to them. There was only one there present who had experience the gift of the Holy Spirit. And that was the Virgin Mary. So she accompanied them on their journey of prayer, fasting, and meditation.
4. In just a few days, they would indeed receive the Holy Spirit, just as we did at Baptism. But before we focus on the gift of the Indwelling of the Spirit of God, maybe we should look at what the Ascension teaches us. Was the Ascension significant for the Church?
5. There are a few things that the Ascension helps us to realize and believe. First, it is another reminder that the Resurrection to new life in Christ is not a resurrection to the same kind of life we have here. It is not even a resurrection to a new and excited kind of life of walking through walls while eating and drinking. The new life Jesus has obtained for us is life in the house of His Father in heaven. Jesus promised that He would go and prepare a place for us in His Father’s house.
6. Second, when Jesus ascended, He did not leave His body behind. If He had, the disciples would have been looking at Jesus' cadaver, and not up at the sky. No, Jesus took it all to heaven. We say in the creed that we believe Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. That is, the new life we are to live with Jesus forever in heaven will not be as disembodied spirits, nor as angels. We will be human, with human bodies, although glorified like Jesus’. The opening prayer this morning says that Jesus’ ascension is “our glory and our hope.” It is our glory and our hope because everything that happens to Jesus is so that it can happen to us- resurrection from the dead, and ascension into glory.
7. Third, which brings us back to what the disciples had been commissioned to do, we are called to make everyone a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now it is true in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus is speaking to the Eleven- that is, to the Apostles. But the great commission He gave them was not for themselves alone to accomplish, nor even for their successors the bishops. We are all called to make disciples of all nations, each according to a particular circumstance.
8. For example, when married couples accept the gift of children from God and present those children for Baptism, they are helping to make disciples. When those same parents fulfill their duties to teach their children how to pray, what to believe and how to go to Church, that also is making a disciple. When someone volunteers to be a catechist or a classroom aide for Religious Education and prepares lessons, that person is helping make a disciple. When we share our faith with our co-workers or fellow students, we are helping to make disciples. When we visit the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, or other merciful acts, we might even be helping to make disciples even then.
9. Even children can do it. One of my great-grandfathers was not a baptized person. He may never have even stepped foot in a Catholic Church (in those days you got married in the rectory if one of the parties was not Catholic). But his grandsons got up every morning during Summer Vacation at 6am to go serve 6:30am Mass. That simple service of God not only made great-grandfather proud of his grandsons, but it made him begin to think, “What was worth getting up at 6 in the morning on your vacation?” And then he began to desire it. And so great-grandfather was baptized on his death-bed and received communion and confirmation. We never know what expressions of faith will bring someone into faith in Jesus Christ.
10. But before we can accomplish these important goals, goals which Jesus promised to help us achieve, we must pray. We must learn to wait on God first, and depend on Him as if for everything (because in fact, we do depend on God for everything). And then when it is time to work, work like it all depends on us.
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