May 4, 2008 SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION
4 MAY 2008, 5:15, 8:00, and 10:30
READINGS: Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20
SAINT MARY PARISH, VIROQUA
Introduction: As the sacred readings indicate, we celebrate today the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord into heaven.
1. The gospel portrays the journey of eleven apostles to a mountain in Galilee. There are only eleven because Judas has died and Matthias has not yet been chosen to take his place. On the top of this mountain they hear again the spoken words of their beloved Jesus, now raised from the dead. Pause for just a minute and look at this assembly of apostles. God chose them over all the other possible people in history. Why were they chosen? Why wouldn’t he have chosen the brilliant Thomas Jefferson, an exploring Christopher Columbus, a wise Albert Einstein? Had he wanted to he could have placed these men into that period of history! How much more effective they might have been! Of course, we don’t know much about the apostles. We know the sins of Peter, the gentle loving nature of John, the doubts of Thomas. But God knew them thoroughly; they must have possessed traits ideal to the purposes of Jesus. Jesus tells them to go out and make disciples of all the nations. Then, he ascends into heaven out of their sight. Angels appear. “Men of Galilee,” they say. “Why do you stand there looking up at the skies?” It’s as if to say, “Go on now; be about your sacred business.” And in a short time the learners became teaches; the listeners became speakers; the watchers became doers. And, today we might ask, “Did they do the job well?”
2. Well, let’s look around and see if there’s an answer to that question. If we consider numbers alone, we would have to say they did. From that eleven there has developed a Christian community in the world numbering in the billions. And, if we look at the structures of the world today we might say progress has been made. Consider the development of communications and travel; how they have brought people together! Consider the advance of democracy around the world; more people are now free than in the time of Jesus. Consider the advancements in medicine; how much healthier we are today. Yes, power in the hands of a Hitler can wreak unbelievable suffering. Still, it seems to me that the world is a better place. Surely, the gospel of Jesus with its emphasis on love is somewhat responsible for these changes. Robert Frost wrote, “Earth’s the right place for love; I don’t know where it’s likely to go better.” We would add, of course, except in heaven!
3. Now, we are more than eleven. Now, the same challenge given to the apostles is given to us. We too are to proclaim the gospel of Jesus everywhere, not only to increase numbers, but to increase the measure and intensity of love in the world. While we do so, we are assured of the support and love of Jesus. I attended a grammar school concert. The man next to me told me his son was singing in the choir. "Wait till you hear him." The concert began. The choir was made up of eighty boys and girls. The father asked, "Doesn't he sing beautifully?" Of course, I could not hear the boy, but I was certain his father could. God is the same with us. Though we are all part of a huge chorus that makes up the six billion plus people in the world, He is able to hear each of us as though we were singing solo, so fixed is his attention on us!
Conclusion: Jesus, ascended into heaven, invites us to proclaim the gospel with love. As we do so, we know that he holds us in the center of his heart.