ASCENSION OF THE LORD - Way towards the GLORY

ASCENSION OF THE LORD – A: (Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Math 28:16-20)
Theme: Let us follow Jesus faithful and we can also climb to the kingdom of God

Reflection:
- After the resurrection from the dead Jesus appeared to the disciples and others for forty days manifesting his risen glory and the mission of the resurrection.
- The Ascension of Jesus is the final manifestation of earthly presence. His descent onto the earth (into the world) started with the Annunciation-Incarnation is now on the way of its ascent today with the Resurrection-Ascension.
- His historical life in the space and time is the ‘design of God’s manifestation of love in him’ so that the man who has ‘come down’ (fate of descent and loss of paradise) from the presence of God by his disobedience and rejection of the communion with God, now has the possibility to ‘go up’ (grace of ascension and regain of Father’s house) or to reach back into the presence of God with his obedience and acceptance of the mission of Christian life.
- Therefore, the Ascension of Jesus is the seed of hope for the man to climb up to the God’s bosom of love. For this we have to follow Jesus faithful and we reach the heavens where we are with Him and see the Father face to face, for which the Christian life is destined.

First Reading:
- Ascension of Jesus into heaven is the great glorious epiphany of the Lord which only evangelist Luke mentions about it little more with the details than other Gospel writers. Luke ends his Gospel with the words “while he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven” (24:51) and he begins his work of Acts of the Apostles in continuation to his Gospel and says “as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). Among other gospel writers only Mark just says it in a single line: “after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (16:19), but this part comes in the longer ending of Mark which is in reality is only attributed to him and which is doubtfully belongs exclusively to Mark. Therefore, the witness of the recount of Luke, either in his Gospel or in his Acts, is important to come to know the truth of Ascension of Jesus.
- With the proclamation of the Ascension of Jesus Luke presents to us the ancient and traditional symbolism of the man and the world. Man and the world are posted between the ‘heavens’ which is above (high above the skies) and the ‘hell’ which is below (deep into the earth). Therefore, man has the possibility of reaching either to the heights of the glory or to the Hades of death. Jesus life on earth is exactly for making the man to rise up and make a move towards the heavens (to be in the path of ascension). For this reason only Jesus has ‘come down’ in order that the human being and the whole world itself will be ‘raised up’ and he has opened the door of the possibility of ascending (ladder of perfection) which were closed by human disobedience.
- Therefore, we need not and should not connect the ascension of Jesus to the time and space, that is, to the historical facts which were officially accepted and recognized by the historians. It falls into or it is inserted into the manifestations of the divinity of Jesus. One of his revelations, as those of resurrection, ascension reveal to us the glory of Jesus in his return to his Father which he himself has said number of times that he would have to return to the Father from where he has come down. The truth of his words is once again revealed in his ascension. Therefore, we treat this ascension of Jesus as the symbolic manifestation which would encourage humanity to have hope and to strive towards ‘reaching of the heights of heavens’, for which, God has created man and offered the possibility of salvation so that man can be in eternal communion with God.
- It is interesting to go through the discourse between Jesus and his disciples just before his ascension. They ask him whether this is the time when God will restore the kingdom to Israel. “Is this the time” for the apostles is an important point.
o They have seen the power of political authorities by which Jesus, whom they have thought to be the messiah, was arrested, insulted and finally put to death. With this they thought that may be Jesus, who with meekness (like a sheep to the slaughter’s house did not speak a word) accepted the death, is the not the actual messiah for the restoration of Israel’s kingdom. But in three days everything is changed. The story has taken its return journey.
o They have seen Jesus now, apart and above from the power of the political authorities, who has come into life again with the glory of the resurrection. Now they believed Jesus again with little more firmness that he is the messiah who could restore the kingdom to the Israel because they by this time knew that no political powers and not even the death could do any harm to him.
o May be thought also ‘this could be the right time’/time of his glory, for the restoration and so they ask: “Lord, is this the time when YOU will restore the kingdom to Israel?” We can understand two important aspects: the ‘time’ (is this the time) of restoration and the ‘subject’ (you) of the restoration.
o From this we understand that after the three years of his proclamation and wonderful doings, after three days of passion-death-resurrection, and after the forty days of his appearance after his resurrection, the disciples have NOT YET understood what it means the restoration of the kingdom, and how Jesus has already restored it in the way God designed.
- Jesus knows that they have not yet understood the complete design of God for the salvation the humanity. Therefore, he replies them “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority” and continues with the reception of the power of the Holy Spirit.
o The first part of the answer of Jesus reveals that ‘they do not require to know the times and periods’ because it is not only in times and periods that God acts. His actions and revelation go even beyond the time and history. This is in contrast to the authority of the world (political and historical which act in time and space) that the authority of God (in time and out of time because he is timeless) works and acts. The authority of the world has put Jesus to death and in time and space, but the authority of God has made him raised from the dead and it is in time and space and into eternity.
o Therefore, Jesus tells them not to worry either about the time or about the restoration, because, they did not and they cannot understand the meaning of the restoration and its completion on the cross which has already happened, unless they receive the Holy Spirit who will remind them all the words spoken to them and the meaning of all the action being accomplished before their eyes.
o Even Jesus is not in hurry or worried much because of his disciples’ failure to understand the real meaning of what has been fulfilled because he know that it the work of the Spirit to make them the witnesses (“you will be my witnesses” v.8 and this is possible after the coming of the Holy Spirit). Everything has to be place in the hands of God and everything has to be delivered into his authority because He alone knows the times and periods of manifestation or revelation of his glory.
- Once Jesus has finished telling them the design of the Father for humanity he was lifted up and they were still gazing up toward heaven. Jesus who has come down to restore the humanity to its original and eternal communion with God, has fulfilled it perfectly and completely opening also the doors of the possibility for man to reaching it and now has returned to his Father in ascension.


Second reading:
- Glorification of Christ: Paul speaks of the glory that Jesus Christ is endowed with by his Father for his obedient fulfillment of the plan of salvation for humanity. This glory is given to Jesus Christ, not as the gift of nothing, but as the gift for what he has accomplished. In his each and every word and action he has glorified his Father. Even in his passion and death he has completely thrown himself to the will of his Father. This is the reason why God has glorified him in the resurrection from the dead and now with the ascension and by making him to sit at his right hand (v.20); now the Father who is pleased with his son and his doing has crowned him with the power over everything and for every time, not only in this age but also in the age to come (v.21); and the same Father who has created everything in heaven and under the earth in him and for him, now makes him the head of all the things (v.22). All this was possible only because he has given himself fully for the eternal plan of God’s salvation for the humanity.
- Transformation of Man: Paul speaks also of the glory that each and every disciple can receive in and through Christ. In fact, man is called for this glory of resurrection and the ascension and he can hope for this and Paul confirms it by his proclamation saying: “what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe” (vv.18-19). The transformation of the believer is in his hope because he is called not lose the heart and not to lose the life for the authority of the world or the powers of evil. As Jesus, his head and leader (v.22), he has to commit himself for the will of God so that like him, he will also receive the glorious inheritance (resurrection of the body and ascension into the Father’s house) and the immeasurable greatness of his power (to be witnesses unto the ends of the earth).

Gospel Reading:
- The reality of the ascension of Jesus is an invitation for us to climb up into heavens; this climbing up is a process upwards;
o Ascetics, who pave the way of perfection through their endurance of earthly desires, are the models for the journey of Christian life towards the heights of glory. They have the ‘ladder of perfection’; the ladder which is grounded to the earth and raised to the heavens; the ascetic, who practices the life of perfects has to first of all, detach himself from what is earthly and start climbing the different stages of the ladder of perfection and finally reach the peak stage which is the communion with God. The ascension has the symbolism of the asceticism in the Christian life. It’s a process upwards or a journey towards reaching to the oneness into God. That’s what the ascension of Jesus symbolizes for the Christian life. On the one hand, it is a reality that Jesus after his descent into the world and accomplishing the plan of salvation, has ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father and to be the head (second reading) of everything; on the other hand, it a symbolism of ‘ladder of perfection’ by which man/believer has the possibility to journey always upwards to reach into full communion with God.
o Also the symbolism of mountain during the ascension of Jesus help the Christian believer to be always in the heights of glory; Jesus has indicated a mountain to reach and the disciples have come to that mountain as Jesus has directed them (v.16); this symbolism of mountain is not an exception here. It is very common in the revelation or manifestation of God: in the Old Testament, the great example of this is the mountain of Sinai on which God has given Moses the commandments so that the people of Israel reach the mountain of perfection; while in the New Testament, Christ himself has utilized this symbolism and made use of some mountains for the manifestation of God’s designs for humanity: it was on the mountain (called as the mountain of beatitudes), that Jesus has given the new law (it was said… now I tell you – 5-7 chapters of Mathew); it was on the mountain that Jesus personally/individually or with the company of his disciples, prayed very often; it was on the mountain that Jesus has been transfigured to manifest his glory; it was on the mountain of olives that Jesus has undergone his agony; it was again on the mountain of Calvary that Jesus has offered his life for the will of God for the humanity; and now it is again on the mountain, which is in Galilee, that Jesus has called all his twelve once again, to manifest his final glory of ascension.
o Symbolism of mountain is: that the world is like a mountain on which every disciple has to reach to contact his master, Jesus. The disciple/ascetic has to stand ON the mountain of the world/or ABOVE the world (which includes that renouncing of immersion into the worldly desires and bodily pleasures, that means, every follower of Christ has to rise above the world and its challenges) in order to BE with the Lord; the mountain of sanctity is the basement for the ascending towards the communion with the Lord; and now the mountain of ascension is the symbol/model and culmination of all other mountains of revelation.
- When the disciples have come to the mountain they have worshipped him and some have doubted (v. 17):
o on the one hand, the adoration of the disciples show their complete commitment of life and their complete surrender to God in front of the King of the Universe who has Risen from the dead and who has made them the heirs of this inheritance (second reading), on the other hand, the doubt of the some disciples show their journey towards full knowledge and acknowledgement of him as the true Lord and Savior.
o Though adoration and doubt seem to be an opposite poles in the thought of the world, in the way of Christian perfection, they can seem to be complimenting each other because one completes the other: there is an adoration because all the doubts are cleared and there is doubt because the way is paved towards full acknowledgment which leads to adoration.
o In the Christian sense, doubt is not a negative aspect but it connotes the positive character of knowing the truth. The doubt is not the negation of the truth but the will to know the truth: after the doubt that Joseph has accepted Mary as his wife; after the doubt that Jesus leads Peter into the acknowledgement of him; after the doubt that Thomas has exclaimed Jesus as ‘my Lord and my God’. Through the process of doubt one can reach the certainty of truth.
o Therefore, here the disciples even in the doubt they have worshipped him; this means that their doubt is not to negate but to confirm and to affirm the real person of Jesus who is about to ascend to his Father.
- Commission of Jesus to the disciples to baptize and to teach them:
o Baptism not in his name alone but in the name of the Trinity – because – the one who receives symbolic baptism shares in the reality of the Trinitarian life.
o Teaching not the commandments but teaching the obedience to the commands of Jesus – because all the commandments are intrinsically linked in the command of the Lord Jesus which is the very life of Jesus: the command of Jesus is the life of Jesus itself. Teaching to obey is teaching to obey Jesus; This obedience to the authority/headship of Jesus (in eternity – second reading) is always in contrast to the obedience to the powers of the world (in time and periods – first reading).
o Another important aspect is the commission of Jesus ‘first to baptize them and then, to teach them to obey’ (vv.19-20): these words are marked only by Mathew because he is writing to the Jews. They already know the commandments therefore, what they have to know is ‘to be baptized’ in the Trinity which Jesus himself showed in his words and actions and ‘to obey’ the command of the Lord (in which all the commandments they have received from the YHWH are comprised).
- The promise of eternal presence with his disciples:
o Remember that I am with you always (v.20): Jesus’ assurance of his presence is always there but it is we who have to remember this presence without forgetting or neglecting it in our daily trails and worries; his promise is of his presence, not of his removal of our daily and day to day sufferings. Many a time we forget this truth and blame that if he is really with us whey these difficulties and inconveniences for us. He did not promise that these situations will not exist but he promised that even in these times of difficulty he is there with us and we have to REMEMBER his presence so that we can easily endure them.
o Remember is also the presence of the Holy Spirit; according to John, the remembrance is the Holy Spirit: when the Holy Spirit comes he will make you remember all that I have told you (John 14:25-26). Therefore, there is also the eternal presence of the Holy Spirit when we remember that Jesus is with us.

Conclusion:
- In the conclusion I want to sum up everything into four words:
- The MOUNT: as we have seen, the mountain is the place of ‘gathering of the people around the Lord’. It is on the mountain the Jesus and his disciples are gathered together. This mountain is not any mountain in the world but a mountain that Jesus himself has ‘DIRECTED’ (Mathew 28:16):
o Individually this mountain could mean – the FAITH: the faith by which we come to the Lord and Lord comes to us; in the faith we reach into communion with God;
o Collectively this mountain could mean – the CHURCH: the church in and through which the interaction of God and his people can be made easy; this could be the local church as the Christian community of believers and this could be also the UNIVERSAL CHURCH as the community of all the believers in Christ;
o Finally we have to note that this is not any church/any mountain that we have to gather upon but the mountain/the Church which CHRIST HAS DIRECTED.
- The POWER: the indication of power is previously known in Jesus’ “knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands” (John 13:3) and with all the power which he had he sets himself up to wash the feet of the disciples as the mission of love to be accomplished as the part of the plan of his Father; now we see Jesus himself saying that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Mathew 28:18) and with all the power he sends his disciples to the mission of love (through baptism and teaching).
o The important and enriching point here is not that Jesus has power over all the earth and heavens but his utilization of the power;
o He has the power to do whatever he wants but he has utilized his power not for his own will but the will of his Father; in this way he becomes a model for every man in power and to how to use this power for the love of God and for the love of the neighbor (the mission of the Gospel);
o We all have the power/we are given the power (to choose whatever we want in freedom) but the ultimate meaning of its use is always in the accomplishing the will of God for the humanity (the well being and glory of every being).
- The GAZING upwards: the disciples were still watching upwards when Jesus was being ascended into heavens (Acts 1:10)
o This is the hope with which we have to carry on our lives fixing our eyes on the Lord; even in the difficulties we need not look on to earth with the desperation but with the courage and confidence that our Jesus was raised up from among all these situations and we also have the hope that these are not permanent situations and that one day we will be liberated from all these.
o In fact, we are not the people of the earth or of the world but people called to be above; we are called to make our journey always upwards into the communion with the Lord than to be entangled with the wants of this world.
- The ‘ASCENT’ into heavens: the invitation of Jesus to us all to ascend into the kingdom of God
o This ascension is not a simple word to listen or a simple reality to admire at; but it is a Christian task to strive at;
o We need to ‘step by step’ (ladder of perfection as we have meditated little while ago) have to climb up with faith, hope and charity (all are united in one word: love).
o With our daily acceptance and living of life’s joys and sorrows we can climb up or we can ascend into the life of perfection;
- Therefore, let us follow Christ faithfully and we can also participate in the ascension of the Lord.