ASCENDING TO DESCEND INTO US

 

Today we are celebrating the feast of the ascension of the Lord. With this event the Lord is culminating His physical mission on the earth. The ascension brings conclusion to the Incarnation of the Son of God. From this event onwards, He will no more appear on this earth physically as Incarnate Son. He will come only on the last day as the Just Judge (Acts1:11). The ascension of the Lord happens on the mountain – of course we are not sure of the place. In the first reading we notice the question of the disciples with regard to the restoration of the kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6). The resurrection of Jesus revealed to the disciples the identity of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. But they were not able to think of the messiahship of the Lord in a broader sense. They could think of the mission of Jesus only as restoration of Israel and bring back the glorious days of King David. This is a narrow understanding. Jesus had told many times to His disciples, both when was alive and even in this ascension event that the good news about Him should be preached to all nations (Israel and other nations). The human wisdom of the disciples could only hear these sayings but cannot make sense of what does it mean by ‘all nations’. For this purpose only the Lord commands the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4; Lk 24:49). With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the disciples will come to an understanding of all that Jesus had said. Holy Spirit will guide them with regard to whom the gospel should be proclaimed.  

The ascension ends with the worship of the disciples. The Jews who were worshipping one God in Jerusalem temple are now worshipping an Incarnated human being. From this moment on Jesus is worshipped as God. During His lifetime on earth, Jesus was admired, appreciated, recognized by many but no one adored Him as God, except the demons who used to shout at the time of exorcism. With this adoration, the new understanding of God as two persons comes into light. This will become even deeper with the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will reveal God as three persons. In the second reading, Paul tells that all things on earth are put under the feet of Jesus (Eph 1:22). We are under the authority of Jesus. Therefore, it is right that we worship Him as God. The disciples’ deed gives us the reason for what we should worship God and to whom we should offer our worship. Jesus is the object of our worship because He is a member of God’s family (Trinity). He is one among three persons in God.

  The great commissioning happens on this day. The disciples are commanded to proclaim the message of forgiveness and call for repentance. The disciples are commanded to be His witnesses to the whole world. The departing of Jesus is the conclusion of the Holy Eucharist. He departs so that we take His place. We depart from the mass to live the mass. We receive Jesus during mass so that after the mass we could make Him alive in the society in the very person of oneself/ourselves. At the ascension event Jesus departs so that the believers can make Him alive in the society in their very being. The life of Christians is to make Jesus alive in the world in one’s very being. He ascends so that He may descend into us. He ascends so that He may transcend our being. The life of Christians is a life that of witness. We are not clinging on to God for our identity or for safety. We are clinging onto Him so that He may cling onto the world. The message of the ascension of the Lord is to be His witnesses. Let us intensify our Christian living to that of witness. The world needs witnessing Christians more than ever before. The war, violence, injustice and deceptions in the world need to be confronted with Christian love, a love that brings peace, justice and truth. Let us make Christ alive in our very being. May the Love, peace and joy of Christ be manifested in our very being.   

Comments