Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension in many dioceses. Others transfer it to this coming Sunday, but I will focus on the readings for the Solemnity in this reflection.
Jesus’ Ascension gives us hope that we can also rise with Him. In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of “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, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ . . . seating him at his right hand in the heavens” (Eph. 1:18–20). What does this mean?
Breaking this passage apart phrase by phrase, we can take “the hope that belongs to his call,” to mean the hope that we have as Christians called by the Father. And what we hope for are the “riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones,” which means the great glory that awaits us in heaven with the saints. “[T]he surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe,” can be described as the power of God at work in the faithful. This heavenly glory and power is “in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ.” In other words, as Christians, we await glory and power similar to the heavenly glory and power that Christ Himself received when He was raised to the right hand of the Father in the heavens.
Taking this into consideration, it should be of no surprise to us that Jesus says in the Gospel that those who believe “will drive out demons . . . speak new languages . . . pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17–18). This may seem like a stretch for us, but the first followers of Jesus did exactly these things. Saint John drank poisoned wine and survived. Saint Peter performed healings. Those present on Pentecost spoke new languages. Exorcists continue to drive out demons today.
When Christ ascended, He did not do so to give us a spectacle. Otherwise, the angels would not have asked the onlookers why they were still staring at the sky. He showed us that we can also rise with Him. He rose as a divine Person with a divine nature and a human nature, a human body and a human soul, and proved that those who believe will ascend after him, receiving their bodies and souls in glory at the end of time and dwelling in the glory of God with the angels and saints.
Although we should probably not go looking for opportunities to drink poisoned wine, the truth of the Ascension should cause us to reflect on our own Christian commitment. The first disciples boldly practiced the Faith in a hostile environment. Can we manage to conduct ourselves like “those who believe” in comparably easier times?
Daily Reading
Pentecost Sunday
Readings for the Mass during the Day Readings for the At the Vigil Mass Readings for the Extended Vigil Readings for the Pentecost Sunday – Mass during the Day At…
Saint of the Day
The Solemnity of Pentecost
Celebrating Pentecost, a Christian feast tracing back to Acts and Corinthians, marking the bestowal of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.
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