ASCENSION OF THE LORD
(Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20)
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of the
Lord. It is one of the most important festivals on the liturgical calendar.
Perhaps some have not thought this way since the Church has changed the day of
celebration. Where it was on Thursday, the fortieth day after the resurrection,
the Ascension is now celebrated mostly on the Sunday after. But the change was
made precisely to facilitate people's attendance at mass where they could
reflect on the meaning of that great festival.
The meaning is more than the Lord leaving his disciples to ascend
to heaven. It has to do with his and our exaltation with the Father. A human
being has reached the peak of all existence. Because the Son of God has a human
nature, every human united with him is exalted and glorified with him. Thus,
the Ascension forms an integral part of the salvation Jesus won for us.
If you have difficulty understanding what I am trying to
explain, you can consider this comparison. The effect of Jesus' exaltation can
be compared to the acceptance of the first black man into the major leagues.
Once Jackie Robinson was accepted by the Brooklyn Dodgers, many other blacks
could play baseball in colossal stadiums and with rich contracts. One
difference, however: to play in the major leagues, one must have a lot of
talent. To be with Jesus Christ in heaven, one only must be faithful to him.
Saint Paul helps us understand the dynamics of this great
step forward for humanity. In the Letter to the Romans he calls Christ the new
Adam. As men inherited sin and death from the first Adam, from Christ they
inherit the glory of being children of God and life with him forever.
The Gospel according to Saint John shows us another facet of
the Ascension. We remember how at the Last Supper Jesus said that it is better
for him to go to the Father. It is better because after being glorified he will
have his place at the right hand of the Father from where he can send the Holy
Spirit to his disciples. Jesus takes into account in this passage not only the
twelve but the entire world. As a man limited in his reach, Jesus could not
reach every baptized person. But the Spirit has no limits. It can reach all
continents to guide every person.
With such great help we ask ourselves, why do men mistreat
one another? This pathetic war between the Israelis and the Palestinians is
just the most recent instance of social hatred. The coincidence with which many
women abort their babies is also alarming. They say that now in some parts half
of all pregnancies end in abortions.
Perhaps the reason behind so many atrocities is that the wants
of the self are strong particularly when amplified by the tyranny of the many.
Thank God we have the saints to show that it is possible to resist them.
Because today is Mother's Day, we can mention several mothers who have lived out their commitment to Christ. Probably the most famous mother in this sense
besides Mary is Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine. She wanted nothing more
out of life than to see her son baptized as a Christian and she prayed for this
continually. Saint Perpetua was a young Christian mother from North Africa in
the third century. She suffered martyrdom because she would not worship Roman
gods. Closer to our time, the American Saint Elizabeth Seton was the mother of
five children. When her husband died, Elizabeth became first a Catholic and
then a nun. In time she founded a women's congregation and many schools and
charities.
These women loved God more than themselves and loved their
neighbors as much as themselves. Maybe our mothers in their own ways did
similarly. At least in many cases they raised us in the faith. This alone is
reason enough to honor them today.
