From today’s Mass:
He have them the water of wisdom to drink, alleluia; she shall be made strong in them, and shall not be moved, alleluia!
Give glory to the Lord, and call upon His Name: declare His deeds among the nations!
This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen from the sepulchre, who for us hung upon a tree.
The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High gave His voice; and the fountains of waters appeared, alleluia!
If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, alleluia!
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The Ascension of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has risen triumphantly from the dead, but the Story is not over yet. He appeared to his Mother and the Apostles for forty days, preparing them to cross the threshold, the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth through the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. When this task was sufficient, as the Apostles looked on, "He was raised up: and a cloud received Him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9) The Ascension of Our Lord is paralleled only by His Coming at the End of Time, wholly unique events in human history, singular in glory, majesty and wonder. In the Old Law, the Father condescends to come to earth, as when He speaks to Moses in the Burning Bush and the institution of the Ten Commandments. Now the Son, establishing the New Law, rises up, showing us how real and attainable Heaven is. Our Lord opened access to Heaven on the Holy Cross and in His Ascension, He makes the leap Himself. He wants us to follow Him there-that was the whole purpose of His life on earth and the whole purpose of our own lives. To ensure we get there, He creates the physical, visible bridge to Heaven, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
A number of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary involve the meeting of Heaven and earth. The Ascension, the Assumption and the Crucifixion each traverse the distance from earth to Heaven. The Descent of the Holy Ghost, the Annunciation, the Baptism of Our Lord and the Transfiguration each involve Heaven coming down to earth. Heaven also meets earth in the miracles and apparitions of the Church. Lourdes is unique in that the miraculous water stays with us to this day and Fatima was unique in the witnessing of the "Miracle of the Sun" by thousands. Our Holy Church calls down the powers of Heaven in every sacrament. Our Lord's Ascension was His final sign that we are free to enter Heaven with Him, through the Church that could be built only upon His departure.
Heaven and earth are not just places. They represent the relationship between God and His children. As any parent/child relationship, it is bound to be difficult. It’s difficult for the child to see the wisdom of the parent and it’s difficult for the parent to let the child go when it is time. We can easily see the similarity here in how we perceive God. But can we see how God perceives us? As much as we love our own children and grieve over their absence, how much more does the Father love and grieve over us? So much, that He sent His only Son to die for us. The wrenching a parent feels when setting the child free, is only a faint hint of what the Father feels over one lost soul. That is why He cannot leave us alone. That is why He keeps interfering. From the manna in the desert to the Bread of Life, He cannot bear to leave His children starving. How much longer will He allow the innocent to spiritually starve in this corrupt culture? The Ascension tells us there is another world He has prepared for us, that Heaven is our true home, sainthood our natural state.
Though our Blessed Lord rose away from earth on that day when the Apostles saw him lifted up to the sky, He remains with us always. He has established His perennial Presence in the Holy Eucharist, residing in every tabernacle throughout the world. He has built His Church, preserving all His precepts. What more could He have done for us? The Gospel of Saint Matthew ends with these words: "...teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matt 28:18-20) The angels say, "This Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into Heaven," foretelling the Second Coming at the End of Time. (Acts 1:11) Dearest Jesus, Who ascended in glory to show me Heaven, may I always trust that Thou remain with me in this world, even in my most difficult moments. Amen.
The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ is all about hope. Let us at this trying time, keep our eyes on these Mysteries and never become overwhelmed with fear or doubt. Let us awaken each day and say, “This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Let us pull ourselves out of our despondence and go love another person and make a difference to that person. In love there is strength, healing and joy.
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The above meditation, along with “The Resurrection,” was written 6 years ago. I wrote “The Ascension” right around the time my son was going off to college, so speaking of a parent’s difficulty letting a child go was very personal. I have edited both meditations in this re-publishing. I hope you find them uplifting and interesting. I admit I am not a theologian, just a Long Island housewife who likes to think about this stuff. What I am trying to do is to come upon some fundamental aspect of each Mystery, without any pre-conceived ideas. Each meditation is as much a surprise to me as it might be to you!