Readings:

Acts 1:1-11; Ps. 47; Eph. 1:17-23; Matt. 28:16-20

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, which commemmorates the event of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, where he is now seated at the right hand of the Father. St. Paul tells us that the honor bestowed upon Jesus places him “far aSbove every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.” St. Peter echoes this, saying, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:12). What we celebrate today is not just the Ascension, but the culmination of everything Jesus sought to accomplish throughout his ministry on Earth.

Yesterday, Fr. Bambrick spoke of Jesus’ suffering as fundamental to what it means to be a Christian. We all experience suffering in one way or another, just as Jesus suffered. But, our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus gives us hope that our suffering is not in vein, rather, that like Jesus, we too will rise on the last day. Even amidst the terrible suffering caused by this pandemic, we are beginning to see the lifting of restrictions and the rise of a new age. I won’t say a “new normal” because I refuse to accept wearing masks and social distancing as “normal,” but if it is necessary for a time, if we have to suffer smelling our own bad breath through those masks in order to come to Mass and receive the sacraments, then we do whatever it takes. What we celebrate here is too important, too fundamental to who we are as followers of Jesus. And the readings today give us tremendous hope as Jesus does not leave his disciples empty-handed, but instead leaves them with a promise.

Our First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles captures the promise Jesus makes to his disciples as he says, “in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” This promise of Jesus foreshadows the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, which we will celebrate next Sunday. It is the arrival of the Spirit that gives the disciples the courage to leave the upper room and to begin proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the known world. Here we are, two thousand years later, and we can all say Jesus’ made good on his promise. The Spirit is with us, especially during these months of isolation, and we are never alone. But, Jesus’ disciples wanted more; they wanted to know if Jesus was going to restore the kingdom of Israel.

The idea of the restoration of Israel is an ancient one. It is a pervading theme throughout much of the Old Testament, especially the prophets. The entire history of the people of Israel is one great big ebb and flow of the Israelites keeping and breaking the covenant with God. Time and again, they would be influenced by the surrounding nations and the worship of false idols; time and again, the prophets were sent to remind them of the covenant; time and again, the Israelites would be overrun and exiled by the nations they idolized; time and again, they would return to right relationship with God. This constant back and forth with God led to the understanding that all actions have consequences, and that judgment would have to be made for those who broke the covenant. But, who would be the judge?

The Book of Daniel gives us a glimpse of this judge. In it, the prophet describes a vision, saying, “I saw coming with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man. When he reached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him, He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him” (Dn. 7:13-14a). Fast forward to the question the disciples ask Jesus about restoring Israel, and we begin to see what they might have been expecting: A heavenly king to rule over the entire world. But, once again, Jesus does not leave them empty-handed, he further explains the promise, saying, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” In other words, the restoration will be accomplished, but not in the way they had thought, rather, that they would have a role to play in the restoration of not just Jerusalem, but the whole world, and they would do so in Jesus’ name.

What about the Son of Man, coming with the clouds? St. Luke alludes to Jesus’ triumpant return–his second coming–when the angels tell the disciples: “This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” In other words, as the vision of Daniel foretold, the Son of Man will return, coming with the clouds of heaven, and he will enact judgment on all the earth: “Those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation” (Jn. 5:29).

So, what about us? Where do we stand in the proverbial ebb and flow of keeping God’s covenant? For starters, we do well to remember the two great commandments of Jesus: Love God with your whole heart, your whole strength, your whole soul, and your whole mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. Our love of God naturally overflows to our love of one another. And as we live this commandment of love, we find ourselves so deeply intertwined with one another, that together, we become one body—the Mystical Body of Christ on Earth. And as we keep the commandments of love, we have faith that our good deeds lead us to the resurrection of life. So, as St. Paul says, our eyes and hearts may “be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe…” (Eph. 1:18-19). The Ascension of the Lord is not just the culmination of everything Jesus sought to accomplish through his ministry; it is also a foretaste of what is in store for each of us who live the law of love, and proclaim it boldy in Jesus’ name.

Today, we have a special guest who will be receiving his first Holy Communion. Jesus embodies the love of God in every way, especially in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, whereby Jesus gives himself completely–Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity–so that we may have life eternal. We are also excited to welcome our parishioners back to Communion, where we will be distributing the Blessed Sacrament outside of Church immediately following Mass. May our return to the Sacrament be our own return from exile, and may we who receive Jesus, bring him with us back to our homes, in a Spirit of consolation and joy.

Given during the COVID-19 pandemic.