From the Gospel: Joy at the departure lounge
Jesus, having gone back to the Father, now sends us his heavenly gifts continuously
Today’s readings: Acts 1,1-11; Hebrews 9,24-28; 10,19-23; Luke 24,46-53
A few years back, while travelling abroad, I was quite amused to arrive at the airport and notice a sign that seemed rather ambiguous: “We are happy to see you here.” My mind made quick subconscious connections with instances when I heard a similar greeting, but it seemed to me that those words were always pronounced to express delight in the fact that I had arrived somewhere to stay and remain with friends.
However, this sign was placed in the departure lounge, making me feel like the country was happy that I was about to leave! This brings to mind a witty remark often attributed to Oscar Wilde: “Some people bring joy wherever they go, others bring joy whenever they go!”
Today we are celebrating the Ascension of the Lord. He surely left behind him a saddened group of disciples. Some weeks earlier, Jesus had said to them: “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father… (Jn 14,28). In the same context, he made an astounding statement showing that his departure would be beneficial to them: “… it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (Jn 16,7).
For want of a better example, one could think of the many third-country nationals living in Malta who have left their beloved families in order to provide for their daily needs by sending them the larger portion of their monthly salaries. Jesus, having gone back to the Father, now sends us his heavenly gifts continuously.
His Ascension… is the guarantee that the end of life on earth has a very positive prospect for the believer
In the 1980s, Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became a blockbuster thanks to its heart-warming theme and the imaginative connection it created between human beings and extra-terrestrial ones. In more recent years, the film Bumblebee had a similar motif. An alien lands on earth, befriends an individual, and then returns to its home in outer space after several adventures on our planet. The final scenes are filled with nostalgia, giving the impression that such an encounter would never take place again.
C. S. Lewis’ A Grief Observed details the pain he felt after losing his wife, but shows that memory, love, and faith remain.
After the Ascension, Jesus’s physical presence was not replaced by some strange void or nostalgic malaise. Rather, the Spirit’s descent upon the disciples imbued them with a deep desire and longing for Christ.
In the rite of the sacrament of marriage, the vow “till death us do part” has its counterpart in the life of a Christian who sees death as leading to where the ascended Christ has gone before us. Hence, a Christian can confidently speak to Christ and say “till death us do join”. This is thanks to his Ascension, which is the guarantee that the end of life on earth has a very positive prospect for the believer, for Jesus himself promised, “because I live, you also will live” (Jn 14,19).
As the story goes, Jesus returned to heaven and found all the angels filled with ecstatic joy and exultant praise. The Father’s son had returned after accomplishing an incredible mission to save all of humanity. Then, an angel dared to ask him a question: “Lord, what you have done is extraordinary, and now you have left the important message of the Good News in the hands of some disciples. Have you thought of Plan B in case they fail you?” Jesus looked intensely at the angel and answered: “No, I have no other plan.”
The truth is that his parting has left us with the enormous responsibility of announcing his saving power to all.