Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Eph. 1:17-23; Lk. 24:46-53
All Hands Must Be on Deck; Christ is Counting on All of Us!
1. Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his Apostles for forty days to assure them that he had indeed risen. On the day of the Ascension, Jesus promised his apostles the Holy Spirit; he blessed them and ascended into heaven. We pray in Article 6 of the creed: “He Ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” As Christians, we must profess and believe in the Resurrection of Christ. “Christ’s body was glorified at the moment of his Resurrection, as proved by the new and supernatural properties it subsequently and permanently enjoys. But during the forty days when he eats and drinks familiarly with his disciples and teaches them about the kingdom, his glory remains veiled under the appearance of ordinary humanity. Jesus’ final apparition ends with the irreversible entry of his humanity into divine glory, symbolized by the cloud and by heaven, where he is seated from that time forward at God’s right hand.” (CCC 659). With Christ’s ascension, the apostles must carry on the work of evangelization and witness his love and Resurrection to the world. The apostles were warned not to stand idle but be up and doing. “They had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them and said, “Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky?” (Acts. 1:10-11). We, too, must not stand idle; we must be up and doing; all hands must be on deck; there is no time for idleness. We have work to do and places to go.
2. Mark Link, S.J. relates a story in his book ‘Sunday Homilies’ of the ancient legend about the ascension of Jesus into heaven. “When Jesus reached heaven, his body still showed the wounds of his crucifixion. His hands and feet still bore the prints from the nails. His side bore the mark from the spear. His back bore the stripes from the whip, and his head bore the wounds from the thorns. When people in heaven saw these marks, they fell to their knees before Jesus. They were astounded to see how much he had suffered. Then the angel Gabriel rose and said to Jesus: “Look, how greatly you suffered on earth! Do all the people on earth know and appreciate how much you went through for them and how much you love them?”
3. Jesus replied: “Oh, no! a handful of people in Palestine know that. The rest haven’t even heard of me. They don’t know who I am. They don’t know how much I suffered and how much I love them.” Gabriel was shocked to hear this. Then he said to Jesus: “How will all the rest of the people on earth ever learn about your suffering and your love?” Jesus said: “Just before I left, I told Peter, James, and John, and a few of their friends to tell the rest of the world for me. “they’ll tell as many people as they can. These people, in turn, will tell other people. In that way, the whole world will eventually learn about my love for them.” Gabriel looked even more confused now. He knew how fickle people are. He knew how forgetful they were. He knew how prone to doubt they were. So, he turned to Jesus and said: “But, Lord, what if Peter, James, and John grow tired or frustrated? What if they forget about you? What if the people they tell become frustrated? What if they forget? What if they begin to have doubts about you? “And even if none of these things happen… Didn’t you take these things into account? Don’t you have a backup plan – just in case?” Jesus answered: “I did take all these things into account, but I decided against a backup plan. This is the only plan I have. “I am counting on Peter, James, and John not to let me down. I’m counting on the people they tell not to let me down.”
4. This powerful story demands our attention. Jesus is counting on us; we must not let Him down. We must take seriously His divine mandate asking us “To go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:19-20). Christ has passed on the baton to us. We must preach the message as Paul urged Timothy to do: “I solemnly urge you to preach the message, to insist upon proclaiming it (whether the time is right or not), to convince, reproach and encourage, as you teach with patience.” (2Tim. 4:2). We may not be good preachers, or good at singing, or at doing anything much for that matter, but we are called to be good Christians, have a love of Christ in our hearts, and share that love with others. We must be kind, hospitable, compassionate, and forgiving. We must show mercy and stop engaging in uncharitable acts and unkind behaviors. We must not always run to the factory that manufactures gossip and rumors to buy some ourselves and share through the phone with willing listeners. Refuse to peddle stories and guard against using unkind words to address your brothers and sisters. Gossip can ruin without killing; it can tear down homes, break hearts and wreck lives. You can find it in the pews of the pious and the haunts of the unholy. It gathers strength with age and spreads venom where greed is unknown. It can bring confusion and suspicion where distrust is unperceived. And most of the time, innocent lives are destroyed. Let us spend our time wisely in constructive criticism, which will build our brothers and sisters up instead of tearing them down. These are the things that idle minds do. The first reading warns us not to be idle daydreamers waiting for rumors, gossip, or tales that may come our way to pass them around. Let us spread the message of love everywhere. Tell people instead what God has done for you; encourage them to come and taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
5. Though Christ has left us physically, he is very much around us spiritually. He assured us that he is with us always till the end of time. He said goodbye to his disciples to allow them to grow into mature witnesses. His Spirit, working in and through his disciples taught them the way of love and discipleship. May the same Spirit dwell in us and teach us to be his true disciples. Amen.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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