Did Christ leave us? The answer is obvious. Christ departed from his disciples, but did not leave them orphans or alone. Christ ascended into Heaven to prepare the sending of the Holy Spirit. We can say that after his Ascension and until the end of times, the manner of Christ’s presence is different. The Apostles had to get used to not seeing him any longer, but they grew in their understanding that the “new” presence of the Lord among them was not an imperfect version of the visible one. It was, actually, just the opposite.
We could even phrase it this way: we enjoy the purely spiritual Emmaus presence of the Savior in our hearts–“Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” We enjoy his Eucharistic presence, but we do not see him. Our hearts ‘burn’ when we receive Communion, and our eyes are opened when we read his word. Yet, He is not physically present as He was among his disciples.
An Opportunity
Today’s Solemnity is an opportunity to reflect on how much we cherish the divine presence of our Savior, and how much more eager we are in anticipation of or preparing for his final coming. Not only that, He promised to send the Holy Spirit and He did, and He does continue to send him. The readings for today’s liturgy are precious to help us concentrate on these divine truths. Acts 1 is a reminder of our expectation “of the promise”, of the Kingdom, of the sending of the Holy Spirit:
He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”.
Wisdom
Ephesians 1 is almost a theology treatise on our knowledge of Christ and all the implications of the Paschal mystery. We just need open our minds and hearts to this Spirit of wisdom communicated to us:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.
Promise
And Luke 24 reiterates the promise of God the Father, who Jesus sends, the power from on high, the Spirit of God:
And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.
The mystery of the Ascension of Christ into Heaven is also the beginning of the wonderful sending of God’s Spirit into our hearts. Let us use these days before Pentecost to prepare ourselves to be transformed.
Happy Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord, for those celebrating it today. There are other parts of the world where the Solemnity of Ascension is celebrated on the seventh Sunday of Easter.
God bless you,
Fr. Marcelo Javier Navarro Muñoz, IVE
Author: The Contribution of Cornelio Fabro to Fundamental Theology. Reason and Faith, Cambridge Scholars Publishing: htps://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-9315-2
Poesía Sacra, Quemar las Naves, and Desde Fossanova, IVE Press: htps://ivepress.org/
