The Ascension (Liturgical Year B)

Last week, on Ascension Thursday, 10th May, the fortieth day of Eastertide, in the Entrance Antiphon (Acts 1:11), we pronounced the words of the Angel to the Apostles who, following their beloved Master’s departure from their sight into Heaven, remained for a while gazing (surely sadly and longingly) into the empty sky. The Angel assures them that, one day, Jesus will return when He comes, of course, to Judge us all at the end of time.
 
This year, as the Solemnity fell on the exact day, i.e. Thursday, that day was, of course, a Holy Day of Obligation, binding on the Faithful, as are all Sundays, giving us the very clear message that the Eucharist has an indispensable and central role in our lives.
 
The First Reading (Acts 1:1-11) narrated that familiar scene in which Our Lord took leave, so to speak, of His Apostles.

The Ascension as depicted by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West in 1801

Jesus had, of course, promised to be with us, His Church, always. Through the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 46:2-3, 6-9 response v6) we celebrated this continuity of our Saviour’s presence among us as, indeed, we do every time we participate in the Mass. In order to fulfil this promise, Jesus and the Father were to send the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This word, again, has a numerical significance, coming from the Greek for 50, i.e. the number of Days after Easter that the Spirit came to transform the twelve timid first Bishops and Priests into fearless Crusaders, eleven of whom would eventually be Martyred for preaching the Truth, and with one in exile. The Apostles were Confirmed or ‘energised’ as it were, to “...Go out to the whole world…”, come what may, and ‘…proclaim the Good News…’ that Christ is, indeed, Risen and that, through His Body, the Church, with her Pope, Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and Her seven Sacraments, we have the infallible link to God and our Heavenly destiny. Only knowing and persistent refusal to live God’s Way can, ultimately, deprive a soul of the Life God wishes to give to us eternally.

In the Second Reading (Ephesians 1:17-23) Saint Paul prayed (as must we!) for the necessary Graces to aid us in understanding and living by the Teachings of Our Lord who, alone, can give us Eternal Happiness. We must recognise that those who consider themselves ‘worldly-wise’ among us will, at times, not accept Jesus as ‘…the ruler of everything…’, as is evidenced by the continual challenges to Catholic Moral Teaching around the world. We may be challenged, sometimes shunned, because we practise and profess the ‘unpalatable’! In the Gospel (Mark 16:15-20) we heard the Apostles (now ourselves!) being told to, ‘…Go out into the whole world, proclaim the Good News to all creation…’.  We are assured that we, and those we evangelise (and who embrace the Faith) ‘…will be saved…’.
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In France and Germany, among other countries, the importance of this day was emphasised by its being a Public Holiday, echoing the deep Catholic Faith of former times. In the days when England proudly proclaimed herself the Dowry of Mary, Holy days were, very often, the only days off in addition to Sunday, especially, probably, for the Poor. From this extra day of rest, of course, comes our word, holiday. Hopefully the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord was a joyful day in our Families, encouraging not only us and our children but, also, through us, those of other faiths (or none) that we may encounter, to see beyond the limits of this world.