ASCENSION OF THE LORD  - CYCLE C – 2022

      The Church celebrates the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord on the Thursday after the sixth Sunday of Easter.  

      Some countries or regions, due to pastoral needs, have the authorization to celebrate this solemnity on the seventh Sunday. Our country is one of those countries. 

      Pope Francis in his homily of the Ascension, in his visit to the people of Myanmar in Asia, invited them and us as well to keep and nurture three realities: faith, unity and truth. During this week we may meditate on this invitation from the Pope. 

FIRST READING - Acts of the Apostles  1:1-11

Ø  The liturgy takes us back to the beginning of the book of the Acts. 

Ø  We already mentioned that Luke wrote two books of the New Testament: The Gospel and the Acts.  

Ø  The Acts, begin repeating the end of the Gospel, and both books begin with an introduction. 

Ø  Luke uses a great number of images and symbols to explain the meaning of the return of the Lord to the Father.

Ø  In our reflection we are not going to delve into the details about the Lord going up, if the cloud covered him, if some angels spoke to the apostles. 

Ø  I do not think that Luke’s purpose was that, but he wanted to give us a message using very beautiful symbols. If we remain at the symbol, we will never understand the message. The narrations using images and symbols say a lot with few words.   

Ø  Let us enter the meaning of the images to let ourselves be captivated by the message:  

v  He starts saying that the Lord came to them alive, after his death on the cross, and for 40 days he gave diverse proofs so that they could understand and believe that he is alive. At the same time, he explains to them the meaning of the Kingdom of God. 

v  40 days is already one of the symbols: 40 days of the flood, 40 years in the desert, 40 days Jesus in the desert… 40 is a symbolic number in the Bible meaning a “long time.”    

v  He said not to leave Jerusalem before he sends to them the Father’s promise, the Holy Spirit, of whom he had spoken to them several times and especially after the Last Supper.

v  They and all of us will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Baptize means to be submerged into, we will be submerged, surrounded by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father, and of Jesus, the Son.  

v  With the Holy Spirit, those men scared, will be able to be witnesses until the end of the world.  

v  He was raised, when we think or speak about God, we lift our eyes, because there is something in the human heart that understands God as superior and this is what we consider to be higher, above us.  

v  Jesus returns to the Father and at the same time he remains with us, thus he has told us. 

v  His stay is not visible, from this moment on his presence will be sacramental, through signs, things and through his followers, and even through any human being or situation.  

v  The cloud is a symbol of God’s presence, it has two functions: to hide and to discover the divine presence. In exodus

ü  The cloud was dark during the day, and bright during the night. 

ü  When the cloud was above the meeting tent, they knew that God was there.  

ü  The cloud is the symbol of the glory of Yahweh. 

v  Jesus returns to the Father, Jesus is indeed the glory of God the Father, Jesus is the Son of the Father made flesh.  

v  They keep looking up to the sky, we do the same sometimes when we experience difficulties, or we suffer, we keep looking up to the heights, we do not want to leave the presence of the Lord.  

v  The angels remind them that they must work, they have to go out and proclaim the kingdom, they have to encounter the Lord in the men and women who journey with us, we have to encounter him in this our world, which is his also. According to the Gospel of Matthew we know that “I will be with you until the end of the world, the end of human history

v  Jesus will come back, we do not know when, but meanwhile it is the time of the Spirit, the time of the Church, that has to continue the work that Jesus, the Son of God has begun.  

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Sal 47: 2-3,6-7,8-9

R.(6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:

a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R.(6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:

a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
  R.(6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:

a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R.(6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:

a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

 

This psalm does not need much explanation, it is clear that it is a psalm of joy and praise to God, King of all the earth.  

SECOND READING – Ef 1:17-23

      The liturgy of this Sunday gives two options for the second reading, we will use the second option for this commentary.   

      Paul wishes for the community of Ephesus that God the Father give to them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. He wants that the community of Ephesus, as well as our community, may taste what God is  awakening in our heart through the events of our life, and that we discover in them his Word, his revelation and that, through all these situations, we may learn to know Him, not intellectually but from the deepest recesses of our being.   

      Paul wants also, that the eyes of the heart of the community of Ephesus might be enlightened so they may know the hope which goes with His call. 

      That they may discover also his power which surpasses all other power. 

      Power that raised Jesus and made him seat at the right hand of the Father.    

      Jesus is the beloved Son of the Father… The Apostles had heard these words at the baptism and at the transfiguration of the Lord.

GOSPEL: Luke 24:46-53

In the first reading we read the beginning of the book of Acts, now we read the end of Luke’s Gospel.  

§  Luke is the author of both books. He says that afterwards…. In the afternoon of the resurrection, the ascension took place. However, in the Acts it says that it was 40 days after his death. It seems that the evangelist is not interested in the historical accuracy in relation to the time, he is interested in the truth that God wants to communicate to us, that is the theology of history.

§  Today’s reading begins in v.46, Jesus is teaching as a good Teacher  

      It was written that the Messiah had to suffer and be raised, and this is what has happened to him, he is the Messiah sent by the Father.

      In his name, the forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations. 

      He continues saying that they are his witnesses, and that he will send them the promise of the Father, thus they have to stay in the city of Jerusalem.  

      In these two verses, Luke gives a synthesis of the mission of Jesus and of the Church history.  

      Luke describes here also, with very beautiful images, the mystery of the ascension. See that I say mystery that means a truth of faith that goes beyond our capacity to understand, and which is explained to us by means of comparisons, symbols and images. 

      Jesus blesses them, to bless is to say good upon someone. 

      They kneel, that means they acknowledge him as God.  

      They return filled with joy, and they keep blessing God.  The presence of Jesus in our life, the presence of the Father and of the Holy Spirit are the source of a deep and overflowing joy which becomes contagious.