ASCENSION OF THE LORD  - CYCLE C – 2013

      The Church celebrates the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord  on the Thursda 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.   

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 into 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 during 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 specially 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, completely 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 up our eyes, because there is something in the human heart that understands God as superior en this is what we consider to be higher.   

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.   

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 over 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 his indeed the glory of God the Father, Jesus is the son of the Father made flesh.   

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

v  The angels remind them that they have to 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.   

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 thast 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.

CLARETIAN CORNER    

Some days before my religious profession, our Lord told me his desire to communicate a grace to my prelate, but that would not be done until he had received my profession. And the most blessed Mary told me that she would take care of making him understand that the load of the church weighted upon him.

So, that is what happened a few days after my profession: he was told that he had to be the angel of the Apocalypse. He himself told me this (full of admiration and astonishment) the day he came to say goodbye for the visit – I think it was November 1 1855, and I made my profession on August 27 of the same year.  Venerable María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters.   Autobiography 79-80.

 Love is the most necessary of all the virtues. Yes, I say it and will say it a thousand times: the virtue an apostolic missionary needs most of all is love. He must love God, Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his neighbors. If he lacks this love, all his talents, however fine in themselves, are for nothing. But if, together with his natural endowments, he has much love, he has everything.Love in a man who preaches the Word of God is like fire in a musket. If a man were to throw a bullet with his hands, he would hardly make a dent in anything; but if he takes this same bullet and ignites some gunpowder behind it, it can kill. It is much the same with the Word of God. If God's Word is spoken only naturally, it does very little; but if it is spoken by a priest who is filled with the fire of charity-- the fire of love of God and neighbor--it will wound vices, kill sins, convert sinners, and work wonders. We can see this in the case of St. Peter, who walked out of the upper room afire with the love he had received from the Holy Spirit, with the result that through just two sermons he converted 8,000 people, three in the first sermon and five in the second.  Saint Antony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography   438-439.