***
Acts 1: 1-11:
In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But 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.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
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.”
The Word of the Lord.
***
***
Life is full of transitions.
For example, we’ve entered graduation season. Many parents are watching their children graduate from elementary school, high school, or college. Each year brings a new class of graduates…and empty nesters.
In fact, I was with my family last weekend. My brother’s sister-in-law graduated from UVA.
Meanwhile, my niece, Victoria, walked across another stage. She graduated from pre-K and is on her way to kindergarten. It seems like yesterday that she was born, and now she’s all grown up!
Life passes quickly – too quickly.
***
Ask anyone who’s lost a loved one. I’ve stood with a number of families this year as they commended their spouse, their parent, or their friend to God.
At the cemetery, they stand shocked, asking themselves, “What’s next? Where do we go from here? She was the matriarch … or he was the patriarch of the family. How will we survive without them?”
Or consider what families are asking themselves after the recent events in Texas. “What’s next? Where do we go from here? How will we survive without them?”
***
Transitions.
***
This is the feeling the disciples are left with today – that empty stomach, broken hearted feeling – as they watch Jesus ascend to heaven. How will they survive without him?
For the last three years, he’s lived and ministered among them. The disciples got used to having Jesus around. Suddenly, he’s crucified, dies, and is buried.
As the horror of Good Friday sets in, the disciples huddle together, asking themselves, “Where do we go from here? … Jesus was like the patriarch of our little family.”
To their absolute surprise, he is raised from the dead and appears to them – not once, not twice, but for forty days! Imagine what a consolation it was to have lost Jesus, only to see him again and again… day after day.
But now he’s leaving for good. What a rollercoaster!
No wonder the disciples are stunned. As our first reading says, they’re stuck, “looking intently at the sky.”
“How will we survive without him?”
***
Transitions.
***
Knowing they’re in need of support, God sends two angels who appear to the disciples, asking, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?”
Meaning, “Don’t just stand there. Do something!”
Jesus is no longer here; he’s returned to his Father. Now his ministry – the future of the Church – is in your hands. Go, do something about it! Share the Good News!
The disciples are experiencing a tough transition – one that leads them to much greater responsibility. Thankfully, it’s a yoke they won’t have to carry alone. While Christ ascends to the heavens, the Holy Spirit will descend upon them at Pentecost.
As Jesus says in the Gospel of John, “I will not leave you orphans.”
It’s a hard transition – going from life with Jesus, to life lived in his name. But by the grace of God, the disciples will succeed far beyond their wildest dreams.
***
Like the disciples, how many of us are experiencing a transition? Or how many of us need the help of the Holy Spirit?
I think of my brother watching his daughter graduate; parents adjusting to an empty nest; friends seeking a career change; or those in Texas struggling to live without a child.
At times we all ask ourselves, “What’s next? Where do we go from here?”
In times of transition, the Gospel urges us to turn to the Holy Spirit – God’s presence among us – who promises to guide us, to enlighten our steps, to fill our hearts with peace, and to lead us to all truth.
***
Allow me to conclude with a blessing, which I offer for anyone in transition or anyone in need of the grace of the Holy Spirit (with hands extended):
“God, you promised to send your Spirit upon us, and so we pray: Come, Holy Spirit. Come as Holy Fire, burning away our fears. Come as Consoler, filling our hearts with peace. Come as Light, leading us through the darkness. Come as Mercy, strengthening our faith. Convict us, convert us, consecrate us, lead us to our next step in life.”
And may Almighty God bless your journey, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Trinity Grace Church (2) Ascension of Christ, Dosso Dossi (3) House of God
