Feast of the Ascension (Mk. 16:15-20) “Ending or Continuation”

Feast of the Ascension (Mk. 16:15-20) “Ending or Continuation”

         Many important events happen in May.  We might say that it rivals December as a month for family celebrations. First Communions, confirmations, weddings, anniversaries, ordinations, the list of significant events taking place right now seems endless. By the end of the month, we are emotionally spent.  What do all these things mean?

        We also have graduations in May. How are we to view a graduation?  We could say that graduations are rites of passage.  Someone completes a course of study in their life.  We might say that this is the end of a phase of our life. We could also say that a graduation is the beginning of something. Graduations can also be a continuation of a passion we have in life.

        I went to a small college and graduate school in Southeran Indiana. Both institutions were part of the seminary.  We would have graduates come back to visit our schools periodically. When they did it was interesting to see how they interacted with the faculty that instructed them.  Usually, the graduates still revered their professors.  Often the alums would be seen in the cafeteria having extended conversations with the faculty. The student-teacher relationship never really ended but it evolved. The professors were interested in whether their former students felt well prepared to do the ministry they were engaged in. The alums had more questions they wanted answered after their real-life experiences.

        The Ascension makes me a little uncomfortable. A finality is implied that never was intended.  The story can be taken literally.  At a certain point after the resurrection Jesus invites his disciples out to a high place. He says goodbye. He then physically ascends.  We are told he pierces the clouds. And then he is gone. It seems sad.

        One reason it seems strange is that it implies that the Kingdom of Heaven is in a certain place.  Jesus must leave earth to go to live in the Kingdom.  But what does Jesus tell his apostles in the Gospel of Luke 17:21 the “The Kingdom of heaven is already in your midst.”  Another reason this seems odd is that Jesus tells his apostles in Matthew 28:20, “I will be with you always even to the end of the age.”  As disciples we know we don’t have to make a choice between having a relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God is one. We are one with God. Jesus never leaves us.  Jesus is with us.

        The experience of Jesus’ Ascension isn’t the story about the end of a relationship.  No, it is the story of a continuation of a relationship. We remember on this Feast that Jesus is no longer living in the world as a human being like us, but nonetheless he is still in the world.

        The most relevant part of the story that we read in the Acts of the Apostles might be the question the angels who are present ask when Jesus ascends.  “Why are you looking up into the sky?”  We hear an echo of another question in the Gospel. As the women apostles look at his empty tomb in the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Luke they see two men in dazzling white garments who ask.  “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

        The implication is that Jesus never abandons us.  He is here with us.  If we want to find him all we must do is to look at our brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t remember absence today.  We think of fulfillment.  Jesus has come to the world.  He redeemed the world. If we understand him, we don’t experience absence.  We experience presence.  A Christian poet expresses what we commemorate today with these words,

                “God is not in his heaven!

                Thank heaven, he’s right here in the world.

                Through the lungs of all life, God is breathing.

                With each child in the womb, he lies curled.

                He has wedded his strength to our weakness,

                And his love never rots in remorse.

                Though we to the marriage prove faithless

                Christ will not sue for divorce.

Jesus is always God with us.

 Reflection Questions:

 1.  Does the story of the Ascension make me uncomfortable?  Why or why not?

2.  Where do I see Jesus in the world today?  Do I see him?

Dear Parishioners,

         On May 19th we will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost.  On this day Bishop Tylka will have a major announcement about the “Growing Disciples Program.”  He will announce parish consolidations and closings.  The number of parishes will shrink dramatically from approximately 150 to 75.  This does not mean that this many churches will be shuttered although some will be.

        The new assignments will also be announced for priest personnel in the diocese.  There are supposed to be many pastors on the move as the bishop tries to put people in assignments where they can be most effective.

        All this news will be put on the Growing Disciples Web site at 6 p.m. at the end of Pentecost weekend.  I don’t anticipate big surprises for Sacred Heart.  But we are being challenged to look at how we operate and to ask how we can improve evangelization in our local community. 

        Let’s continue to pray for everyone who will have to adjust to a new way of being a church in the days ahead.

        May the Holy Spirit guide our local church,

        Fr. Mark