In the Acts of the Apostles St. Luke describes the departure of St. Paul from Ephesus after Paul had spent some years there as a very sad farewell from the Christian community who gather on the shore to hug and kiss St. Paul and to cry and lament that they will probably never see him again. Yet, when St. Luke writes in his gospel about the definitive departure of Jesus into the heavenly realm, he describes the disciples as returning afterward to Jerusalem filled “with great joy.” How could this be? In a general audience in 2013, Pope Francis asked and answered this question. He said, (quote) “Precisely because, with the gaze of faith they understand that although he has been removed from their sight, Jesus stays with them forever. He does not abandon them and in the glory of the Father supports them, guides them and intercedes for them.” (unquote) Today’s gospel of Matthew affirms this same truth: “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Years ago in the liturgy, the Paschal Candle was removed from the sanctuary on Ascension night as a symbol of Christ’s departure, but now, with a better realization of the meaning of the Ascension, the candle remains in place through the entire paschal season. The Ascension does not celebrate the absence of Jesus, but rather a glorious increase in his presence to us, with us and in us—I would say, even through us who are in Christ. Think of St. Patrick’s Breastplate prayer where Christ is in him, around him in every direction, in everyone and everything and every situation.
In the reading from Ephesians this morning, we heard about the Father of Glory raising Jesus from the dead,and “seating him at his right hand in the heavens.” The Ephesians letter tells us that the same power that did all that for Jesus is the same surpassing greatness of power at work in each of us and all of us together who believe. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that (quote), “Christ’s Ascension in heaven signifies his participation, in his humanity (IN HIS HUMANITY!), in God’s power and authority. Jesus is Lord: he possesses all power in heaven and on earth… As Lord, Christ is also head of the Church, which is his body.” You, we, all of us are the body of Christ. In a section of Ephesians that we did not read this morning, the writer of the epistle in a remarkable way tells us that we have also ascended with Christ—it is a redemptive ascent from out of the depths to which we sink in sin. Listen to this quote from chapter 2 of the epistle: “All of us lived among the disobedient in the desires of our flesh; following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.” (unquote) Yes, the same divine power that was at work in Christ to raise him from the dead and seat him at the right hand of the Father is at work in us who believe. In Baptism we all became one body with Christ Jesus and with one another. We are all being lifted up as one body the Church with the head of that body, Jesus Christ our Lord.
In a few moments, as the Eucharistic Prayer begins we will hear Father Damian say, “Lift up your hearts!”, and we will respond, “We lift them up to the Lord!” The fact is that the Lord is lifting us up in the Eucharist into the heavenly realm. The Eucharist makes present to us the Paschal Mystery of Christ: that is the lifting-up of Christ on the Cross, the lifting-up of Christ from the dead and the lifting-up of Jesus to the right hand of the Father. During his time on earth Jesus assured us sinners who believe in him that when He is lifted from the earth He will draw all to himself. All people. All. All are lifted up, drawn to Jesus who sits at the right hand of the Father. Our life in the glory of God brings the Paschal Mystery to its fullness. Alleluia!
