The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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During the last few weeks at daily Mass, we’ve been reading from Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse,” his final words to his Apostles before his arrest, crucifixion, and death.
This seems odd in the Easter season, when we’re focused on the joy of the resurrection! But today we’re invited to hear Christ’s words in light of Pentecost, which we will celebrate on Sunday.
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After Jesus ascends into heaven and sends forth his Spirit upon the Apostles, he leaves the life – and the future – of the Church in their hands.
And with this authority, a series of lessons – some of which are shared during his “Farewell Discourse,” and others, which are taught by his actions.
For example, as Jesus reaches the end of his earthly life at the tender age of 33, he teaches his Apostles that life is not about duration, but donation.
Time is God’s gift to us. What matters is not how much time we have, as much as how well we use it.
In his case, Jesus spent every word, every moment, every ounce of his energy glorifying his heavenly Father and serving his neighbor.
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How do we use our own time, especially in regard to faith and charity?
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Make a “donation” today.
Set aside a few moments to do something beautiful for God.
In some small way, be like Jesus, “who has loved us and given himself for us.”
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Image credits: (1) X, Quote by John Lennon (2) The Sacrament of the Last Supper, Salvador Dali, 1955 (3) AZ Quotes
Jesus said to his disciples: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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We are in the season of First Communions, Confirmations, graduations, and weddings.
Some parents are bursting with pride as their child prepares to graduate from kindergarten. Others rejoice over their child receiving their First Communion. Others are preparing to walk their son or daughter down the aisle, wondering, “Where did the time go?”
It’s a season of transitions – of endings and beginnings.
The entire world watched as the Catholic Church experienced a significant transition, too – the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV.
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Today’s Feast of the Ascension celebrates, perhaps, the most important transition of all – the return of Christ in glory to his Father.
After his death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples over the course of forty days to rekindle their faith that was depleted by the Crucifixion; he was not a ghost or a figment of their imagination. He is alive!
He appeared to them while they were hiding behind locked doors in Jerusalem, offering his peace. He lit a charcoal fire and was reconciled with Peter. He invited Thomas to slide his finger into his wounded hands and side.
It’d be unthinkable for such radical manifestations of the Lord to grow fewer and fewer until they finally petered out. This season of resurrection appearances had to reach a climax.
Today it does.
The ascension draws the life of Jesus of Nazareth to a close, enthroning him as the King of heaven. “If you loved me,” he says to his disciples, “then you would rejoice that I am going to my Father.”
So, the Lord raises his hands, blesses them, then vanishes from their midst, leaving them wondering, “Where did he go? And what do we do now?”
Their curiosity is satisfied by the angels who appear to them.
“Men of Galilee,” they say, “why are you standing there looking at the sky? 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.”
So, go.Do something. Tell someone!
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At first, the Apostles rejoice.
Luke tells us, “they were continually in the temple praising God.” They held on to the hope that Jesus would come back for them tomorrow… or next Tuesday.
But a week turned into two weeks… Two weeks turned into two decades… Two decades have turned into two millennia.
Here we are still waiting, wondering, what do we do now?
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The Lord remains present in our world, just not in the same way he once was. Jesus speaks to us in the present whenever the scriptures are read. He offers himself to us in the Eucharist. He absolves us in confession.
And at Pentecost, he sent forth the Holy Spirit, making all the baptized his body on earth until he returns in glory.
Now the followers become the leaders; the listeners become the preachers; the healed do the healing. Generation after generation must heed the call to, “Go, make disciples.”
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This week, every priest in the Archdiocese of Newark gathered for our semi-annual convocation. It was not only an opportunity for prayer and fraternity, but also for Cardinal Tobin to share more of his vision for the future of our local church.
The “good news / bad news” is that we’re facing both great challenges and great opportunities. The structures of tomorrow’s Church will look different from those of today.
For example, in 20 years, the number of available pastors will drop by 50%… even if we ordain several priests each year.
Such a shocking statistic can make us question how we will carry the mission of the Church forward – a feeling the disciples must’ve also wrestled with after Christ vanished from their midst.
To echo their question: What do we do now?
Exactly what they did – something; anything. Preach, pray, heal, witness to the Gospel by word and deed.
We know the Church is not simply a cluster of priests; the Church is all of us. Over the next several months, the Archdiocese will share opportunities for every voice to be heard.
Here in our own parish, more than 50 parishioners will gather on June 7 to analyze the data from our most recent survey, incorporating the voice of all 350 respondents into our next parish-level strategic plan.
Whatever opportunities or challenges lie ahead of us, we will face together.
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We’ve entered a season of transitions – of endings and beginnings.
On this Feast of the Ascension, may God grant us the grace to begin anew – responding to the opportunities of our age with courage and creativity, making disciples of all, starting with you and me.
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Image credits: (1) iStock (2) The Ascension, John Singleton Copley, 1775 (3) scripture-lullabies.com
Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I’m sure we all know the story of Cinderella.
After the death of her mother, Cinderella is forced to live with her evil stepsisters, who turn her into a prisoner inside her own home.
They force Cinderella to wash dishes, to scrub the floors, and to polish their shoes. It’s an unbearably sad story if you don’t know the ending, when the prince falls in love with her, turning Cinderella into a princess.
Knowing what happens makes the movie worthwhile.
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There’s a strange similarity between Cinderella’s story and the Lord’s words in today’s Gospel.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices,” he says, “you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”
Jesus is promising every Christian what Cinderella herself received – a storybook ending; a complete reversal of fortune.
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If we try living out all of Christ’s teachings, then at times we, too, can feel like the world is winning, while we are losing.
We forgive our enemies; we pray for those who persecute us; we turn the other cheek; and we love our neighbors without counting the cost.
Sometimes these efforts leave a bitter taste in our mouth, certainly if we aren’t ready to love, forgive, or surrender ourselves entirely to God’s plan.
But remember the story of Cinderella.
“Your grief will become joy,” the Lord promises, as did hers. Every fortune will be reversed.
What might that mean for me today?
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Image credits: (1) Interrupting the Silence (2) Cinderella, Disney (3) Cosmofunnel.com
