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Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Cycle B

20 May 2012

SUNDAY SUMMARY Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 For 40 more days the disciples enjoy the revelation and instruction of the Risen Lord. Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 God receives royal acclaim in heaven and on earth: blaring trumpets and clapping hands. Ephesians 1:17-23 or 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13 Christ returns to heaven in the glory of victory, distributing gifts to his church. Mark 16:15-20 Jesus departs for the heavens while the disciples are dispatched to the ends of the earth. For a link to the SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, CYCLE B, click here.

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 Ephesians 4:1-13 Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 Mark 16:15-20 Ascension Sunday

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Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Cycle A

05 Jun 2011

SUNDAY SUMMARY Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 The disciples seek certainties, but divine mysteries are not to be scheduled or controlled. Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 God rules over all to the sound of praise and gladness. Ephesians 1:17-23 Jesus sits at God’s right hand with every power and dominion at his feet. Matthew 28:16-20 Jesus may ascend, but he isn’t apart from his church, until the end of the age. For a link to the SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, CYCLE A, please click here.

Matthew 28:16-20 Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 Ascension Sunday

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Don't look up

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Holy days/feasts: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 4:1-13 or 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20 THE PORTRAITS OF THE ASCENSION I like most are the ones that begin and end with Jesus’ feet. Of course the heads of the disciples gather at the bottom of the frame, staring upward with open mouths. But all we see of Jesus are his feet disappearing at the top edge of the picture. His great exit is in process, and all that will be left behind is the advice of a couple of angels. The disciples, for obvious reasons, are fixated on the heels of Jesus. But the angels tell them something we could take to heart, too: “Why are you standing looking up at the sky?” They remind the disciples that their focus should not be on the Jesus who is gone, but on the Jesus who will return in the same way. Although the Ascension is a pretty spectacular event from the perspective of those on the ground, our real concern is the Jesus who returns to us, in every hour until the final hour, and his coming kingdom, which we pray for whenever we pray the prayer he taught us. Don’t look up, the angels say. Look out. Look within! Don’t get caught up in what is already past, but see what’s happening right now. Participate in the kingdom, which is coming in every new decision, in each word and action, in your relationships, in the choice for love, compassion, and forgiveness! This angelic advice is all about perspective. If we focus too much on heaven, over which we have no control—if we view religion as a matter of “what goes up”—then we’ll miss what’s “going down” all around us. And that’s something about which we have a lot of control, not to mention a lot of responsibility. AS A FEAST DAY, the Ascension tends to get lost in the “what goes up” phase of our imagination. We, too, look up until our necks ache, forgetting that the story we’re being told is neither history nor biography, but gospel. The gospel is faith spoken to faith. The gospel speaks to believers about the meaning of what they believe. Once Jesus returns to his Father, our business lies not with the realm we can’t see but the busy, complicated, tangible world we are immersed in. Once Jesus returns to his Father, our business lies not with the realm we can’t see but the busy, complicated, tangible world we are immersed in." And what should we be doing in this world? Jesus gives some interesting advice to his disciples at the end of Mark’s gospel. He says, “Proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Jesus also offers signs that will accompany believers: Demons will be driven out, new languages will be spoken, deadly serpents will be handled without harm, and the sick will recover through the laying on of hands. Well, how are we to take that? Some Christians still practice “deliverance” from demons as a regular part of their ministry. Charismatics and Pentecostals speak in tongues and diligently engage in faith healing—sometimes even to the point of refusing medical care for themselves and their children. A sect of Appalachian Christians handles poisonous snakes at their worship services to prove their faith in the Holy Spirit’s power to protect them from harm. I do not doubt that there is a literal dimension to the power of the Holy Spirit to affect miraculous healing, to keep us from harm, to banish our demons, or to burst forth in the “language of angels,” as Saint Paul described the gift of tongues. But keeping our sight focused on the equally miraculous world around us—the world we take for granted as “normal”—we can still see these gifts at work. Who among us has not been amazed at the renewed experience of life after a fever is gone or depression clears and health is restored? Who has not felt the deep protection of God in the midst of crisis or grief or fear? How many of us have participated in the banishing of demons that enslaved us with addiction, habits of sin that tear us apart, or negative ways of thinking that once crushed our ability to hope? Haven’t we known moments when “the words just came out” and we knew what to say to someone in pain or in need? Is there anyone here who hasn’t seen an absolutely splendid day and praised God along with it? In the celebration of Jesus’ Ascension, we recognize that we ascend, too, through the grasp of what binds us to our brokenness and sin. In all these ways, Jesus comes again, and we meet him, eye to eye, right where we live.

Authors Alice Camille

holy day/feast Ascension Ephesians 4:1-13 Ephesians 1:17-23 Mark 16:15-20 Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11
The fact of the matter

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Holy days/feasts: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53 “MATTER IS ANYTHING that has mass and takes up space.” We learn that fundamental definition of the physical universe in grade school. For those of us who like to keep up on the latest scientific discoveries, we also know that matter has yet to be completely defined. First we thought all matter was made up of molecules; then atoms; then particles; then protons, neutrons, and electrons; and now it’s down to quarks, leptons, and neutrinos. Scientists keep hoping they’ve reached the smallest, most elementary particle, but somehow they’re able to divide matter just once more. As for the origins of all this matter floating around in space, physicists are now leaning toward a theory of the universe that doesn’t include a big bang, but merely a was-is-and-always-shall-be theory of matter. I happen to like that theory. It sounds a lot like god-talk (“Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”), and it helps me understand Jesus’ ascension. Here’s why: Matter, which we theists believe is of God’s making and we Christians believe is good because it issues from God—in fact, is glorified by God through Jesus—has apparently been around forever and will continue to be around forever, according to current scientific theory. That sounds to me like scientists have made a pretty strong case for what Jesus was trying to tell us all along: That God has always existed and will continue to exist forever, and that human beings have their origins and destiny in this ever-existing God. In other words, we come from God and are meant to return to God. If we honor our divine natures and live true to ourselves, we will live forever, but first we must die. Death, as Jesus taught us, is the first step toward transformation to new and glorified life." If we honor our divine natures and live true to ourselves, we will live forever, but first we must die. Death, as Jesus taught us, is the first step toward transformation to new and glorified life. Think of the small deaths we each endure daily that continue to transform us—watching ourselves age and our children grow; admitting our faults and accepting forgiveness; facing our limitations and receiving help. Surely death, as the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin noted, can be looked on as a friend. Self-destruction, on the other hand, is what happens if we deny our divinely inspired humanity. Scientists might call this becoming our “anti-selves”—our complete opposites, which can negate who we are or who God wants us to be. As physicist Stephen Hawking warns in A Brief History of Time, “If you meet your anti-self, don’t shake hands! You would both vanish in a great flash of light.” Jesus' death led to his resurrection and then ascension. The ascension is the pièce de resistance in Jesus’ banquet of hope. First through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus proves to us that our lives—with all the hurts, disappointments, and injustices—are not in vain. Then through his ascension we are given the promise that our lives, minus the heartache, will never end. Our beings, Jesus assures us, are so connected with the make-up and maker of the universe that if we follow God’s path of love and justice, we, too, will ascend into the mystery of the universe and be enfolded in the love of our everlasting God. Because of Jesus’ ascension, “we become the most sublime of materialists,” says theologian Karl Rahner. The Ascension confirms our sacred origins and that of all matter, including the smallest of smallest particles.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

holy day/feast Ascension Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23 Luke 24:46-53
Ready for liftoff

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20 ONE OF MY FAVORITE STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS, certainly one of the more memorable, is in the church where I served as a deacon intern a quarter century ago. The window depicts the apostles standing around a large rock that has two very clear footprints improbably imbedded in its surface. Their heads are all turned upward in that unusual tilt peculiar to stained-glass art, and if you follow their gaze up the harlequin medley of color that composes the window, you come to a pair of feet dangling from the top of the frame. Even though you can't see anything above the knees, there's no question to whom the feet belong: The stylized wounds are unmistakable. It is the Lord being "lifted up" into heaven while the apostles look on. With this amazing liftoff, Jesus joined a select fraternity of biblical ascenders. The first was Enoch of that long list of "begats" in the fifth chapter of Genesis. Enoch was the great-great-great-great-grandson of Adam and Eve. His son Methuselah lived to be an astonishing 969 years old and was the oldest man who ever lived. Imagine the birthday cake. Enoch himself was no spring chicken, but his time here on earth may have been cut a little short when, at the tender age of 365, it says in Genesis 5:24, he "walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took him." The only other character in the Bible who departed without the benefit of a funeral was Elijah, who "went up to heaven" in 2 Kings 2:11. His conveyance to the hereafter was a whirlwind, à la Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, accompanied by a flaming chariot with a flaming horse, a paint scheme that inspired a generation of hot-rodders. Apart from the biblical accounts there is one more flight into the heavenly realm: At the end of her life, the Blessed Mother was assumed body and soul into heaven. But Catholics, remember, are not strict Bible literalists. Since Pope Pius XII's landmark encyclical of 1943, Divino Afflante Spiritu, we are obliged to delve deeper into the biblical account of Christ's Ascension to discover its fuller sense and meaning, the story beyond the account. But Catholics, remember, are not strict Bible literalists. Since Pope Pius XII's landmark encyclical of 1943, Divino Afflante Spiritu, we are obliged to delve deeper into the biblical account of Christ's Ascension to discover its fuller sense and meaning, the story beyond the account. The Ascension marks the rising of Christ above everything. "He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together," Paul writes in Colossians 1:17. Sacred scripture and the creed proclaim that he has taken his seat at the right hand of God "far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion." From this position he assures us, through the apostle Paul, that "neither death, nor life . . . nor powers . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). "May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened," Paul writes in the second reading, "that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call." He calls us to life on high with him. That means we are invited to share the "riches of glory" and the "surpassing greatness of his power." But it's all "for us who believe." The empty tomb and encounter with the risen Christ places God's stamp of truth on the message of the gospel. In Christ, our lives are eternal and our sins are forgiven. This is the life on high we share with Jesus, far above the limitations of this passing world. Though we are sinners who draw near to death, our faith in the Lord's gospel lifts us above the doubts and fears that can hold us down. Like the apostles in the stained-glass story of the Ascension, we stand transfixed, staring up as Christ is taken from our sight. "Why are you standing there looking at the sky?" the angel asks. This is not about the dangling feet disappearing into the clouds. This is about who we are and the task we are called upon to undertake. We are the witnesses of this revelation sent to welcome all people into this new life. We have friends and family who fear death, with whom we need to share our hope in eternal life. There are sinners in my life and yours who need our forgiveness. The power is passed to us. Now go and make disciples.

Authors Father Paul Boudreau

holy day/feast Ascension Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:17-23 Matthew 28:16-20
Last words

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23 or 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20 Last words come hard. The dying, often weak from infirmity, at times pained by disease, struggle to speak to their loved ones who gather around. Jesus himself, while crucified, uttered what traditionally are known as the "Seven Last Words." Many a Catholic in a bygone age memorized these last sayings of Jesus as part of their religion lessons. And the composer Franz Josef Haydn wrote The Seven Last Words of Christ, a magnificent chorale and orchestra piece centering on Jesus' last utterances from the cross. Memorable though they are, we know from two of today's readings that Jesus' words from the cross were not his last. Just 40 days ago we celebrated Easter, the Resurrection, after which Jesus continued to speak on earth until that moment we celebrate today, his Ascension. The reading from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles focuses on the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit the apostles were chosen. And Christ tells the apostles they will soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus' last words in the Acts of the Apostles center directly on the promise of Holy Spirit: ". . . . You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses, not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth." Our gospel today takes this promise and prophecy further. These last words of Jesus continue to describe the responsibilities of receiving the Holy Spirit. Christ tells the apostles the gospel needs to be proclaimed throughout the whole world, the good news needs to be shared with all creation. Exuberant activity will be signs of those who believe: casting out devils, the gift of tongues, aversion to poisons, and curing the sick. Such exuberant moments, if your life is like mine, are not usually part of day-to-day activities. Yet, we believe the Holy Spirit is very much a part of our sacred tradition, breathing sacred power into our secular lives. Such exuberant moments, if your life is like mine, are not usually part of day-to-day activities. Yet, we believe the Holy Spirit is very much a part of our sacred tradition, breathing sacred power into our secular lives. In the second reading we see the results of receiving the Holy Spirit. Paul, the famed apostle to the Gentiles, who traveled the then known world preaching the gospel, exhorts the Ephesians to live their lives to "preserve the unity of the Spirit." "Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness, and patience." These day-to-day virtues, simple in utterance but difficult in behavior, are attainable with the aid of the Spirit. They are the ordinary manifestations of an extraordinary event, the coming of the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus immediately before his Ascension. Paul tells the Ephesians and, ultimately, ourselves, even more. He tells us that people's public lives also accept and reflect the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways. "And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the Body of Christ." Ideally, faith is very much part of our daily lives. We believe in the creation of the Father, the message of his Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit. On this Ascension Day, faith is what draws us together in this celebration of the Eucharist, and it is what sends us forth into our everyday lives. It is what drew the apostles to Jesus. Faith brought them to the moment of Christ's Ascension when he took earthly leave of his friends, but not without a promise, the promise of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit challenges our dubious behavior and undergirds our best behavior. This Spirit inspires us to be generative and generous in our day-to-day lives. This Spirit guides us to embrace a particular calling in life for the spread of the kingdom and the good of others. The promise of living Spirit-filled lives, both individually and socially, is perhaps often less dramatic but ultimately more impressive than casting out demons and speaking in tongues. The promise of Jesus' Ascension is more than a call to lead faithful lives. It is the promise of assistance in living faith-filled lives-lives that will proclaim Christ to our families, our communities, and, indeed, our whole world. May we all ascend to living exuberantly Spirit-filled lives that Jesus himself promised in his last words before his own Ascension.

Authors Peter Gilmour

holy day/feast Ascension Ephesians 1:17-23 Ephesians 4:1-13 Mark 16:15-20 Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11
Leaving Jerusalem

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11, Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53 IN A WAY THE STORY of Christ is one of descents and ascents, of going up to heaven and heaven coming down to earth. But the story is not a solo trip. In descending and ascending, Jesus takes us with him. He came from God to dwell among us and show us his way. He rose from the dead to give us life. He ascended into heaven to go back to God and complete his mission. And he will come again to take his faithful to himself forever. Right after the start of the Spanish civil war, a young Catholic teacher named Victoria Diez was rounded up along with other Catholics by a "Committee for the Defense of the Republic" in the Andalusian town of Hornachuelos. Several days later she found herself and a number of others walking to an open mineshaft, their place of execution. During this journey she encouraged her companions with the words, "I see the heavens open." She stuck with these words of faith, refusing to offer the revolutionary slogan that would have saved her life. Her actions recall those of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. When he was about to die—in Jerusalem—"he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). This vision gave these two martyrs, among many others, the strength to give their lives for their faith. Jesus took a similar journey before them. And from Jerusalem he ascended to heaven. Her actions recall those of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. When he was about to die—in Jerusalem—"he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). This vision gave these two martyrs, among many others, the strength to give their lives for their faith. Jesus took a similar journey before them. And from Jerusalem he ascended to heaven. Before Jesus ascended, however, he descended. He came down from heaven. " 'No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man,' " says the Gospel of John. What did he bring with him? The good news of God's kingdom. Does not Luke remind "Theophilus," his generic listener, "about all that Jesus did and taught"? Does not Jesus spend the 40 days after his resurrection "speaking about the kingdom of God"? This teaching and healing comes from God. Even Jesus himself in John's gospel speaks of his mission as something from God: " 'I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.' " From heaven Jesus came, and to heaven he returned. But he is not gone. He spent the time after his resurrection preparing the disciples for the new way he would be present to them: in the Spirit. He also remains present in the Eucharist he left us. Among all the things the Eucharist is and does, it is something we celebrate "until he comes again." This celebration sustains and awakens in us the hope of Christ's next-and last-descent: "'You will see the Son of Man . . . coming with the clouds of heaven'" (Mark 14:62). While we are waiting, we have work to do. "Men of Galilee," the figures in white robes asked the disciples, "why do you stand looking up towards heaven?" These angels reminded the disciples they are from an earthly place called Galilee and that they had the business of proclaiming the gospel, teaching, and healing—the business of the kingdom of God—to do. While they started in Jerusalem, they, too, had to leave this city, because Jesus has told them to be his witnesses not only in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, but "to the ends of the earth." We come to Jerusalem to see a vision of heaven, to celebrate that our Savior has come from heaven and has gone back to prepare a place for us. But like Jesus, and like all his disciples who witness to him and give of themselves sacrificially, we must also leave Jerusalem. We come not only to worship but also to serve. We take our vision and live the gospel of his kingdom in the presence of his Spirit until he comes again "to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him."

Authors Joel Schorn

holy day/feast Ascension Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23 Luke 24:46-53 Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11
We will never be alone

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20 IN THE STORY The Fugitive by the famous Indian author Rabindranath Tagore, a father returns from his wife's funeral. His boy of 7 stands at the window with eyes wide open and a golden amulet hanging from his neck. The boy is full of thoughts too difficult for his age. His father takes him in his arms and the boy asks, "Where is Mother?" The father answers, "In heaven," pointing to the sky. The boy raises his eyes to the sky and gazes long in silence. His bewildered mind searches into the night, asking the question, "Where is heaven?" No answer comes, and the stars seem like burning tears in that ignorant darkness. Apparently the disciples of Jesus were asking the same question, and in the 14th chapter of John's gospel, Jesus speaks to that very point. He says, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going" (14:3-4). Immediately, Thomas and Philip protest. "How can we know the way?" Thomas asks. "Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied," Philip demands. Jesus says, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?' Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" (14:5, 8-10). What is it that Jesus had talked about that would help them understand? Where is this place called heaven? What is it like? The disciples would come to realize that what Jesus talked about in this context was God. He said that wanting God was the "one thing needful." He said that knowing God was like a treasure hidden in a field, or a pearl of great price that was so valuable you would sell everything you had in order to obtain it. He said the people who are really happy, the people who are really blessed, are those who are "poor in spirit" because they know they need God in order to give life meaning. Later, in the John 17, he tells them all they need to know about the subject: "This is eternal life: to know God." Speculating about what and where is the heaven into which Jesus ascended can be a problem for each one of us. Who hasn't wondered what it is like? Where is it? And it is inevitable, I suppose, that we think of heaven as a geographical location. "When my soul is called up yonder, I'll be there." But where? "When the saints go marching in." Marching? What will they be marching into? Speculating about what and where is the heaven into which Jesus ascended can be a problem for each one of us. Who hasn't wondered what it is like? Where is it? And it is inevitable, I suppose, that we think of heaven as a geographical location. "When my soul is called up yonder, I'll be there." But where? "When the saints go marching in." Marching? What will they be marching into? There is a story about a group of American tourists, looking out toward the sea from the Italian Riviera. "It looks like heaven!" one of the tourists exclaimed. A local Italian woman standing nearby said, "These American tourists, they've been everywhere." Matthew's gospel ends at a point where the disciples have followed Jesus everywhere. After his Resurrection ". . . the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him they worshiped him . . . Jesus came and said to them '. . . make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you' " (28:16, 17, 19, 20). Moreover, he assured the disciples that in their lifelong efforts to carry out his commands, they would never be alone. "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age," he said to them (28:20). Whether God has scheduled the end time for tomorrow, a million years from now, or even a billion years hence is not our problem. Our Resurrection faith tells us that God's plan for creation's total fulfillment will ultimately prevail. Ours is not to wonder "where or when." Our problem is: How do we respond now to the Good News from Christ that each one of us is an integral part of God's plan for his coming Kingdom? How do we respond now to the Good News of eternal life with God? How do we respond now, to the awesome, wondrous revelation, through Jesus Christ, of God's tremendous love for us? In other words, how do we respond now to today's gospel in which Jesus assures us that we will never be alone? "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age," Jesus has promised. Blessed are we who believe that the promises made by our Lord and Savior will be fulfilled! Blessed are we who believe we will never be alone.

Authors James F. Colaianni Sr.

holy day/feast Ascension Ephesians 1:17-23 Matthew 28:16-20 Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11

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