Year C: Ascension

The Gospel: Luke 24: 46-53

Life for Christians would be so much easier if the Risen Lord was still walking the earth. It would eliminate so many arguments and offer incontrovertible proof that Jesus lived - died and rose again.

But what effect would having our Living Lord still on the earth. Would there not be a temptation to refer all life's problems to him? "Lord, there is famine in...." Lord, there is war...." "Lord, my child is ill..."

There might also be a stagnation of human initiative as people decided that all decisions had to rest with or be referred to him.

People might simply want to spend countless hours in his presence - but neglect the needs of those whom they are also called to love.

And where would he live? And what space would there be for individual free will and conscience?

There would be benefits - people really could ask the question, " What would Jesus do?" and get an answer.

But, Jesus needed to return to the Father - restored to his place at the right hand of God. From him would be outpoured the power of the Holy Spirit upon those whom he had left behind - and it is beautiful that it is in the act of blessing his disciples that Jesus parts from them - for a time.

We have never had the grace of knowing Jesus in human bodily form but the blessing given to those disciples rests upon us too. The disciples were promised that they would be clothed with the power from on high. In baptism, we received a white garment - we were clothed in Christ. For those baptised as infants, the idea of this being a clothing power meant little at the time. But the seeds of this power were nonetheless planted - to be nurtured and to come to fruition in adulthood.

For this we need the power of the Holy Spirit - so, like the first disciples, this could be a good time to set aside time each day to pray as we approach the Feast of Pentecost. A Novena (Word version) using the Gospels of the Days between now and Pentecost can be found here.

What does it mean for me?

How did the disciples receive what had happened in the Ascension? What were their feelings? What was the source of their joy and confidence in prayer and praise?

 © 2007 Wellspring

| Gospel | First Reading | Second Reading |

 [ Weekly Wellsprings ]