Fr. Jerome Pistoni sx
ASCENSION SUNDAY
Forty days after the Resurrection of Jesus we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension. After giving to the apostles the last instructions, Jesus left them, and returned to the Father. The death of Jesus was for the apostles a shock, they remained locked inside a room for fear of the Jews, they were confused and disappointed by the way the life of their master and friend ended.
The first initiative of Jesus, once he returned from the dead, consisted in visiting this group, in giving them peace and in putting fresh hope in their hearts. He remained with them for forty days and after this period he entrusted to them a great responsibility: he sent them to the whole world, to proclaim the good news and to continue the activity that was stopped by his death on the cross.
He still relied on this group of disciples, even if previously they failed miserably when the first test of their faith met them. They all abandoned him and in spite of their betrayal he returned not to take revenge and punish them, but to offer to them the opportunity to start again.
They failed because they believed in their own ideas, their own traditions; in spite of spending three years with Jesus, they did not change an inch their vision about God and life. “Go behind me Satan, because you do not think like God, but like man”: these words of Jesus to Peter, who wanted to impose to the master his own ideas and beliefs, are the synthesis of the attitude of the apostles.
This is the reason why, According to the Acts of the Apostles, written by the evangelist Luke, Jesus made the last effort to open the minds of his disciples by remaining with them for 40 days, “telling them about the Kingdom of God”. Jesus delayed his return to the Father and remained with them for an extra time because they were not ready to shoulder the responsibility of being the leaders and foundations of the new people of God, the Church.
This training was necessary in order to prepare the apostles to continue the work of Jesus that was left unfinished.
“If you do not remain in me you cannot do anything”: this was the condition to avoid failure again. It is only by remaining inserted in Jesus that the Apostles succeeded in the task received by the Lord. Being Christian and missionary is not only the result of a personal effort, but the fruit of our friendship with Jesus who changes the heart and opens the mind.
Ascension can give the feeling of a loss, because a friend is leaving for good. The disciples looked up at heaven while Jesus disappeared from their eyes and they might have the impression of being abandoned, left orphans.
Is Ascension a definitive departure? Has Jesus abandoned the Church and left his friends alone to continue his work? The end of the Gospel of Mark says:” There at the right hand of God Jesus took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them”. How can he be, at the same time, at the right hand of the Father in heaven and working on earth with the apostles? Ascension, more than a journey to another place is a change of condition: Jesus is present, but in a different way. We do not see, hear or touch him like before, but we recognize him at the breaking of the bread: the eyes of faith enable the us to see, hear and touch Jesus through the sacraments, the Word of God, the relations with the other members of the Church: the Lord is present today in our life and in ‘remaining with him’ we are transformed and empowered to continue today his mission.
ASCENSION SUNDAY
Forty days after the Resurrection of Jesus we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension. After giving to the apostles the last instructions, Jesus left them, and returned to the Father. The death of Jesus was for the apostles a shock, they remained locked inside a room for fear of the Jews, they were confused and disappointed by the way the life of their master and friend ended.
The first initiative of Jesus, once he returned from the dead, consisted in visiting this group, in giving them peace and in putting fresh hope in their hearts. He remained with them for forty days and after this period he entrusted to them a great responsibility: he sent them to the whole world, to proclaim the good news and to continue the activity that was stopped by his death on the cross.
He still relied on this group of disciples, even if previously they failed miserably when the first test of their faith met them. They all abandoned him and in spite of their betrayal he returned not to take revenge and punish them, but to offer to them the opportunity to start again.
They failed because they believed in their own ideas, their own traditions; in spite of spending three years with Jesus, they did not change an inch their vision about God and life. “Go behind me Satan, because you do not think like God, but like man”: these words of Jesus to Peter, who wanted to impose to the master his own ideas and beliefs, are the synthesis of the attitude of the apostles.
This is the reason why, According to the Acts of the Apostles, written by the evangelist Luke, Jesus made the last effort to open the minds of his disciples by remaining with them for 40 days, “telling them about the Kingdom of God”. Jesus delayed his return to the Father and remained with them for an extra time because they were not ready to shoulder the responsibility of being the leaders and foundations of the new people of God, the Church.
This training was necessary in order to prepare the apostles to continue the work of Jesus that was left unfinished.
“If you do not remain in me you cannot do anything”: this was the condition to avoid failure again. It is only by remaining inserted in Jesus that the Apostles succeeded in the task received by the Lord. Being Christian and missionary is not only the result of a personal effort, but the fruit of our friendship with Jesus who changes the heart and opens the mind.
Ascension can give the feeling of a loss, because a friend is leaving for good. The disciples looked up at heaven while Jesus disappeared from their eyes and they might have the impression of being abandoned, left orphans.
Is Ascension a definitive departure? Has Jesus abandoned the Church and left his friends alone to continue his work? The end of the Gospel of Mark says:” There at the right hand of God Jesus took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them”. How can he be, at the same time, at the right hand of the Father in heaven and working on earth with the apostles? Ascension, more than a journey to another place is a change of condition: Jesus is present, but in a different way. We do not see, hear or touch him like before, but we recognize him at the breaking of the bread: the eyes of faith enable the us to see, hear and touch Jesus through the sacraments, the Word of God, the relations with the other members of the Church: the Lord is present today in our life and in ‘remaining with him’ we are transformed and empowered to continue today his mission.