Today, in the Ascension, Jesus mounts his throne.
Where are the shouts of joy from the disciples?
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?
Where are our own shouts of joy?
God has seated Jesus, "at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come." And yet, we find ourselves with the disciples staring wistfully after our ascended LORD. We lament the apparent distance which is now between us and him. Or, worse, perhaps this distance is all we've ever known. Perhaps the Ascension is just another day for us.
But in light of the Ascension things are no longer business as usual. Rather than only being available to us at one specific place at one specific time, Jesus can now be with us always. This is his very promise as he recedes from our sight (cf. Mat. 28:20). He goes, but paradoxically he is more present to us than ever. He is more available to us in the Eucharist than at any point in his earthly ministry. We can always reach out to him in prayer. No matter the hour he listens and speaks with us. This is the union of his body the Church with its head. It is indissoluble. It is intimate. It is everlasting.
If this is true why don't we experience it? Perhaps we still need to open ourselves more to the new way in which Jesus wants to be present to us and to work among us.
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.”
Maybe this is why we so seldom see the signs which accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will 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.”
Perhaps we assume that these are for a different age. Maybe we think past ages so irrational and superstitious that they need more than we do. But can we imagine an age more skeptical, closed-minded, and irrational than our own? We need the Holy Spirit now as much as any time in history. We need him because he is the Spirit which animates the Mystical Body to be everything it is meant to be. It is meant to be the presence of Jesus here below.
Let us pray to be open to this Holy Spirit so that the experience of the Apostles can be our own:
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
If we do, the shouts of joy will be heard.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
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