May 16, 2010 SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION
16 MAY 2010, 5:15, 8:00, 10:00 & 5:15
READINGS: Acts 1:111; Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23; Luke 14:46-53
SAINT MARY PARISH, VIROQUA (AND 5:15 P.M. AT VITERBO)
Introduction: On this feast we read of the triumphant ascension of Jesus into heaven.
1. In the first reading we are in the company of the apostles. They ask Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the rule to Israel now?” They are hoping for freedom from the yoke of Rome; they yearn for the independence they enjoyed when David was king of Israel. Instead, Jesus promises them that the Spirit will come upon them. Then, he is lifted up before their eyes into a cloud which takes him from their sight. The apostles still do not understand what it is Jesus expects of them. We learn two things. First, Jesus is not abandoning the earth; rather, by ascending into heaven he is liberated from the laws of nature. He can be with us in all places and throughout all of time. Secondly, when the Spirit comes upon the apostles, they will understand that it is not the kingdom of Israel they are to restore. Rather the Kingdom of God is to be established with their help upon the earth.
2. Because of the Ascension of Jesus we should all be people of hope! We should have hope that his kingdom will permeate the earth. Already it has encircled this globe. His faith has generated thousands of saints throughout its history; some of them have even been canonized!
3. People of hope are also people of action! And, all of them had a specific quality about them. The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote about it. "O Lord Jesus Christ, save us from the error of wishing to admire you instead of being willing to follow you and resemble you." Yes, we admire Jesus. That’s not enough; we must imitate him.
There is an old story of how the Cathedral of Chartres was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Then thousands of people came from all points of the compass, like a giant procession of ants, and together they began to rebuild the Cathedral. They worked until the building was completed – master builders, artists, laborers, clowns, noblemen, priests, and peasants. But they all remained anonymous, and no one knows to this day who built the Cathedral of Chartres.
How could they do this? Because of the Ascension and its results in their lives. We can also build cathedrals of virtue, palaces of holiness, and nations of justice. A poet wrote: "It’s this that makes my spirits spin, my bones to quake, my blood run thin, my flesh to melt inside my skin, my very pulse create a din. It’s this that makes my spirit spin, that heaven is not up, but in!"
Conclusion: Christ has ascended into heaven; he has not left the earth. He dwells within us; he has expectations of us. Now, we have Cathedrals and Kingdoms to build!