ASCENSION OF THE LORD

Acts 1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53

In the autobiography St. Ignatius tells that once he went on pilgrimage to the
holy land, where he wanted to see the mount of ascension of our lord, but the
guards blocked him and then he had to bribe them with the penknife to take
the look of the holy site and again on the same pilgrimage he wanted to visit
the mount of ascension to make sure that the foot prints of Jesus at the
moment of ascension are being printed well on his mind. This time also he
was blocked by the guards and he bribed them again with the precious pair
of scissors

Why do you think St. Ignatius one of the great saints of the catholic church
want to visit mount of ascension second time on the same pilgrimage.
Because he knew that the event of the ascension of our lord is as important
as the birth and resurrection. So feast of Ascension is as important as
Christmas and Easter.

What is the ascension of our lord? Means Jesus is ascended in to heaven

bodily and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

The Acts of the Apostles gives us good description of the event. Jesus
gathered the disciples and after having spoken to them, he was lifted up in to
heaven and the cloud has taken him from their sight. The disciples kept on
looking at the sky. The angels scolded them saying “why are you looking up
at the sky, now you go and act on what he said”.

What did he say? He said the last words before his ascension. He said “go in
to all the nations; make them my disciples, baptizing them in the name of the
father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them all that I
commanded you. Remember that I will be with you till the end of the age.”

In the last words he gave two things 1. He gave them the mission, the task to
carry on until his return 2. He gave them assurance of his assistance till the
end of the age.

What is the mission?

Mission is to bear witness to the good news of Jesus to all the nations, which
means Mission is universal in its nature. The good news is for the entire
human kind irrespective of nationality and culture. Till date there are many
who have known Jesus and accepted him as their lord, but there are many
who have not received the message. May this is the time to think where is
the problem. Is it with the messengers or with the presentation?

Remember that the mission begins on the knees and praying hands not on
just human efforts.

The feast of the ascension reminds us that our life on the earth is transitory
and temporary. It is not permanent and eternal. Jesus lived for 33 years then
he had the humiliating death and glorious resurrection after which he
appeared to the desciples .. he taught them , ate and drank with them and
then he is ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the father.
We may at most live a full life of 90 years, 100 or little more but what is it
against history and eternity. It is not much. This reminds me the psalm 103,
“our life is like the grass that flourishes like the flower in the morning, when
the wind blows over it, it is gone”.

Once a student of school was asked “what do you do at the end of the
school”. He said, “ I will do senior certificate”. After senior certificate what
do you do, he said, I will do college. After college what, he said, get good
job, after job what, he said, make big money. After big money what, he said
“ build big house”. After building big house what, he said “I will retire”.
After retirement what, he said, I will take rest. After rest what, he said, “I
don’t know”. Do you die. The student said. “ Of course I will die”.

Like the student we are busy planning and doing so many things for this life
which is good but we cannot forget to be busy planning and doing things for
the life after.

The feast of ascension reminds us that Jesus went to be seated at the right
hand of the Father to prepare a dwelling place for us.