05/06/2011 - Ascension of the Lord - Year A
1Reading Act 1,1-11 Psalm 46 2Reading Eph 1,17-23 Gospel Mt 28,16-20
To ascend into heaven indicates the entrance into the divine dimension. Every man,
in fact, when he thinks of God looks up, to the heavens. If Jesus went up to heaven,
it means that even he entered into the "the being God". We know that God
is the God of love, and so we see the God of Jesus not as taking a place of authority
or power that does not belong to him, as if to arouse suspicion and jealousy of
God himself, on the contrary! Being God does not mean to have power, to be proud
above all, but the offer of self in a love that continues to give itself. He is
the same love that God has bestowed upon men, to draw all of his own. Now he 'returns',
so to speak, to the heart of the Father, whence he had come. And he returns to his
disciples, promising his Spirit, who is always to remain with them in the Church.
Jesus is God! What does this mean for us? As Saint Paul says, this means that the
authority of the Word which he addressed to us is undisputable. The apostle speaks
in fact of the mystery we are celebrating with these words: "He made him sit
at his right hand in heaven, above all rulers and authority and power and dominion
and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the future. All has
been put under his feet and made him head over all things of the Church which is
His body, the fullness of him who fills all in all things. "
God the Father himself, "made him sit at his right hand in heaven", i.e.
the Son: we are bound to remember his teachings as the fulness of the love we have
received, and to obey them as the greatest love we can develope. His Word is and
shall be the criterion to value and judge our behavior and our actions. And so that
we can live it, he himself gives us his Spirit, the vital breath of his divinity.
Without the Holy Spirit we can never get to live that love, because we are always
conditioned by our selfishness. He promised him to his own and send it on the day
of Pentecost. The same promise is for us. Even to us, Jesus gives his Spirit, and
has already given him: in fact, like him we can also call "Father" the
God of the whole universe. And we too, like him, we offer our life with signs of
generous and free love. We too, as the Father has done with us, we give to the others
Jesus as the greatest gift of all, who changes their lives. Jesus himself sent his
apostles to preach and make disciples from all peoples. He sent them when they were
still not strong in faith: he would have supported them.
The love that the apostles were expected to spread in the world is to bring men
to the dept of the love of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And this
is the sacrament of Baptism. It's a big mission, imposible to human beings, because
to bring someone to the life of God, one needs to enter into his heart! This is
why the apostles will never be left alone: Jesus promises to be with them every
day.
He shall remain with them to support them, guide them, console and strengthen them.
They won't be able to see him, but will be sure of his presence with them because
they will see the results of it. They shall be aware from within themselves of his
grace, of his joy, of his wisdom; and then, every time they see someone who believes
at their word, they will be sure that in that heart the Lord himself is at work.
From heaven Jesus sees you and me. And from heaven he sends us the power of the
Holy Spirit to be his witnesses. Let us await the gift with all humility, with a
desire to be transformed and to be still "worthy to be trusted" by him
to help someone enter into his life and be saved. Let us wait with great desire
the renewal of Pentecost for all the Church. As we wait we pray by calling the Holy
Spirit to come again and continue to renew the face of the earth, starting with
our heart and our thoughts and desires.