\u201cMen of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven\u201d. These words sum up the mystery of the Ascension which is the climax of his victory over sin and death. It is a day of joy and hope and Jesus wants us to share this victory.<\/p>\n
The second reading gives us the theological meaning of the Ascension: God has glorified Jesus, raising him above all earthly powers and making him Head of the Church and Lord of creation. At the Ascension, we look back in loving remembrance, but we are pointed forward in a new perception of hope, born because we have seen and believed. The Ascension is the moment when the Jesus of history becomes the Christ of faith, a mystery of past, present and future.<\/p>\n
The beginning of the Acts of the Apostles shows us how much this is the history of our salvation. \u201cIn the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up\u201d. Jesus himself speaks to the disciples, explaining the past, showing them the future, and confirming their present state as witnesses. Jesus preached the Gospel only to Israel. But now he commissioned the Apostles to preach the Gospel to all nations. He also promised to send them the Holy Spirit and assured them that he will be with them always to the end of time. So the Ascension of Jesus is his liberation from all restrictions of time and space, not his removal from the earth but his constant presence everywhere.<\/p>\n
What we need to remember from the Ascension is that Jesus now depends on us. We are his witnesses before the world. It is a great privilege, though a difficult task. When we witness to truth, justice, love and peace we are witnessing to Jesus. And the way to witness to the truth is to live truthfully. The way to witness to justice is to act justly in all one\u2019s dealings with others. And the way to witness to peace is to live in peace with others.<\/p>\n
Scripture Readings: \u201cMen of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven\u201d. These words sum up the mystery of the Ascension which is the climax of his victory over sin and death. It is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-homilies"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>Acts 1:1\u201311 \u2022 Eph 1:17\u201323 \u2022 Mt 28:16\u201320<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"