Scripture Reflection for Ascension Sunday:
Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
Ephesians 1:17-23
Matthew 28:16-20
“This is the triumph. Earth rises to heaven. I see Thee going up.”
That’s from a meditation, a prayer by St. John Henry Newman. Simple words, they begin to tell us about the grace of the ascension, what it means to us that the risen Lord “was lifted up” and that we have seen it either with our eyes or by faith (Acts 1:9).
“My Lord, I follow Thee up to heaven; as Thou goest up, my heart and mind go with Thee. Never was a triumph like this.”
What astounded Newman was how the incarnation of Christ leads to the ascension of Christ. What amazed him was that since the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the same flesh we sacramentally share, then we too may reasonably hope to follow (John 1:14). “I see that Form which hung upon the Cross, those scarred hands and feet, that pierced side,” he said; “they are mounting up to heaven…Thou mayest enter, and Thy saints after Thee.”
“O memorable day!” That’s what the ascension of Christ meant for St. John Henry Newman. That’s also what it means for us today.
That Christ has risen from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of Father, so too will we rise and ascend in Christ. That is, we do not merely escape the sting of death, but we also enter a glorious eternity, into the endless friendship of God and “to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4).
“Behold, I make all things new,” John heard from the throne as he saw a new heaven and a new earth (Rv 21:5). The ascension of Christ and the gift that we may follow our Lord means that one day we too will be welcomed into that moment. That is, John’s moment of blessed surprise and wonder is a moment we also will experience. Which, of course, is why we Christians have prayed ever since, Maranatha! It’s why the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come” (Revelation 22:17).
Which is a vision that should change things for you, change your perspective. That is, the ascension should give you “a Spirit of wisdom and revelation.”
“May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,” the writer to the Ephesians says, “that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
Another way to put it is that understanding the ascension of Jesus Christ should give you the big picture. That is, it should give you a clue about your destiny. The ascension should remind you, fill your heart with joy, that your end is not death, not anything earthly, that your end is endless, eternal.
That is, the ascension of Christ should make heaven seem a bit more real for you, for now you know how to get there. By following the risen and ascended Lord.
Our immortality will have a beginning, it won’t have an end, St. Augustine said. Again, that’s the theological truth we celebrate on this feast of the Ascension. This is why we pray, “Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.” Because now that is truly possible. Because now that’s how we hope.
Which is also why gladly we do what Jesus told us to do. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” he said (Matthew 28:19-20).
Why wouldn’t we want to do this? Why wouldn’t we want to use all our energy to do what Jesus told us to do? Because consider what it’s for: it’s for the sake of heaven, heaven for us and for all whom we can welcome as brothers and sisters in Christ. Here we see how the ascension inspires mission. Because we know what all this is for. We know why we bear witness.
The ascension of Christ brings heavenly joy. It’s like the echo of Christmas. Angels to the shepherds, angels to the apostles: their ministry was the same. They bore witness to the same gift of God, the gift of our salvation, that we may indeed rise with him in glory. It’s now our ministry too.
Father Joshua J. Whitfield is pastor of St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas and author of “The Crisis of Bad Preaching” (Ave Maria Press, $17.95) and other books.
