The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Homily
The disciples were convinced that the Lord’s farewell speech, that we just read in today’s Gospel, meant that they would never see Jesus again. Because of this their hearts were full of sadness. But…they were given a special promise: “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” So Jesus has to go away, but he’s also staying? How were the disciples supposed to understand this paradox? How are we, in the 21st Century, supposed to understand it? Without a doubt, the Ascension of the Lord was a declaration of faith in his divinity, in his victory over death, and in his Resurrection.
The great Spanish poet, Fray Luis de León, captures the sentiments of the disciples with these famous lines: “Holy Shepherd, are you leaving your flock in this deep, dark valley, alone and in tears, while you break through the pure air into the safety of immortality?” It kind of makes you want to cry out, “Lord, take us with you! Please!”
But the Lord doesn’t abandon us, as we will see and celebrate next weekend on Pentecost Sunday. St. Leo the Great reminds us, “We know that we already possess paradise, because we have entered with Christ to the heights of Heaven.” In other words, a part of us is already in Heaven! One day you and I will meet in heaven surrounded by all our family, friends, saints and angels, with the Holy Trinity at the very center. It’s not a gift we receive, but the reward for a holy life.
But remember that the thought of Heaven doesn’t cancel our responsibilities here on earth. On the contrary, it’s a motivation for us to do more for the world and for the Church. This is the meaning of the Lord's final mandate just before He ascended: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
The Church Fathers referred to the Ascension as the “hope of the body,” because this great event guarantees the triumph of life over death. Our existence isn’t just "a road looking forward," but more importantly, "a road leading upward toward complete human fulfillment." That’s why we should commit ourselves to seeking the joys of Heaven, as St Paul exhorts us in Colossians 3:1-2: “If then you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above.”
To “seek the things that are above” means that you will search for Jesus in every place and circumstance of your life, and allow him to fill every aspect of your existence. In this way everything takes on its true value and falls into its proper place.
It’s true that Jesus has gone up into Heaven where he now sits at the right hand of the Father. But he has certainly not abandoned us. We can still see him and encounter him every moment of every day in three powerful and concrete ways: First, by living our lives according to the teachings of the Church, his Mystical Body here on earth; second, by seeing him in our neighbor; and third, through the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Holy Eucharist.
If we want to be assured of the fruitfulness and victory of our efforts in life, we have to stay united to Christ by staying united to his Church. Today, as we renew our bond with Christ and his Church through Holy Communion, let’s promise that we will.