Ascension Sunday, 2008 May 4, 2008

Acts 1: 1-11 Psalm 47 Ephesians 1: 17-23 Matthew 28: 16-20

Intro: A certain popular monastery was a pilgrimage centre. There were about 40 months, people would travel from far to spend a few days in retreat. But now it was about to close down. The spirit of joy and welcome had disappeared. There were only about five monks left. The were bitter, angry,



depressed, suspicious - hardly qualities for a monastery. The Superior was at a loss as to what to do. Then suddenly, a wise and elderly Rabbi came and pitched his tent across the Monastery. He was a holy man but overworked. He come for a few months of rest and solitude.

The Superior went to see him after a week, and told him of the problem. Let me pray over it said the Rabbi. A few days later the Superior returned. The Rabbi said, you Christians are waiting for the second coming of the Messiah, we Jews are looking towards his first coming. Well, I had a vision. The Messiah is here and he is one of you. You believe he is a man like us in all things but sin. But this time, he is coming among us as a man like us in all things including faults.

The Superior returned to the community and told him the Rabbi’s vision. The cook said to himself, I am not the Messiah, but if one of the others is, then I will prepare their favourite food. You know when you get good food, you are happy, you are energetic. The gardener decided to help the cook with spices and herbs, and flowers for the table. The librarian put out the favourite reading books - nature, murder mysteries, sci-fi stories. The treasurer became generous with the funds. He had been budgeting for 40, but now there were only five.

Soon the monastery returned to its former joy, peace, welcome. People started to come from all over once again. Young men decided to dedicate their lives as monks. The superior rushed out to tell the Rabbi. But he had gone. A simple note said: The Messiah is your community. Each monk has a saving quality, but exclusively and entirely. Don’t look up to heaven for a solution. It is in your midst.

1. Today we have the Apostles gazing up to heaven and continue staring upward. Two men, presumably angels, have to come and shoo them away. Christ is not up there, but right in the middle of you - just as in the monastery. However, we feel more secure looking up to heaven, by staying in the church building, by praying before the altar. These are edifying and wholesome practices. But we cannot stop there. Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and await for the Descent of the Holy spirit. He also gave them the command to preach the good News to the people in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and to the ends of the Earth.

2. The Feast of the Ascension is often looked upon as a “hiccup” feast, a stopover tavern on the glorious road between Easter and Pentecost. We will suffer if we look at it like that. It is like a pivot on which the seesaw of Easter and Pentecost go up and down. If the Ascension were absent, Easter and Pentecost would be like a glorious cake that failed to rise.

Because of the Ascension, Jesus can rise and go to the Father

Because of the Ascension, Jesus can go and send us the Holy spirit

Because of the Ascension, we can function as members of the Body of Christ

Because of the Ascension, we can start our mission of proclaiming the Good News.

3. Because of the Ascension, Paul would tell us in the second reading that

what is being fulfilled is the prophecy about the Messiah,

what is being fulfilled is the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper: Father glorify you son with the Glory that was his from the beginning. The letter to the Philippians describes it even more vividly and imaginatively.

Jesus who was of the same nature with the Father, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a slave and became like us in all things but sin. As a result, now every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow to Jesus.

4. Our Gospel goes on to show in a telegraphic and summary form, the vocation that is ours as a result of the Ascension. Jesus has gone up to heaven, and so

§ our vocation is to be open and receive the Holy Spirit

§ then we are to go out and proclaim the good news, especially to the poor

§ finally we are to anoint them, to christen them with the sign of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Our vocation in a word is to make each person realise that they are specially chosen by God, called by name, given a new dignity and no longer called servants but friends, and sons and daughters heirs of the Kingdom.

The Message is simple

The Command is clear.

The task is way beyond our imagination, our talents and our abilities - but it is still entrusted to us and God does not fail. As a wise person has said, if Jesus is our co-pilot, guess who is in the wrong seat.