+ The church in the diocese recommends that today’s
feast of the Ascension of the Lord be
transferred to Sunday – therefore, today we celebrate the simple Easter Weekday
in the 6th week of Easter.
In this brief gospel passage
Jesus, actually, in this post-Last Supper exposition tells the disciples that “they will see him, then they won’t, then
they will again… they will weep and mourn while the world rejoices, but their
grief will become joy!”
What in the world is he
talking about?
This refers to the time when
asked why his disciple do not fast, while John the Baptist’s do. His reply
then, applies here: so long as I am in
your midst you have no need to be sad or to mourn, but when I am taken away,
that will be the time to fast and mourn. And Jesus was taken away and
crucified – a moment of great sadness and pain; but then he was raised from the
dead by the working of the Holy Spirit: and everything became different. Redemption
occurred, and there was now great cause for rejoicing.
Now, just hours before the
Ascension, the disciples realize that Jesus will be taken away again: but, he
tells them not really at all: you will
see me going up, but I will remain with you all, always, until the end of the
world, by means of the gift of the Spirit that I will send, a Spirit of truth,
goodness and joy! A Spirit of reconciliation, mercy and peace.
The Spirit filled Church would
be launched, and its Sacraments, primarily Baptism, Eucharist and Penance would
assure the Divine Presence until he returns as Judge, as promised.
May we rejoice today in the
promises that God makes and keeps, and that he anticipates and comforts us in
all our sorrows and griefs, and always makes the sun come out again: with the
light of his TRUTH and LOVE.
Amen!
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