17 May 2012: Solemnity -- The Ascension of the Lord

40th day of Easter: Thursday after 6th Sunday of Easter or 7th Sunday of Easter (Fr James Socias, ‘et al’ [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p511) Jesus awaits us in heaven The last gesture of Our Lord on earth was to give a blessing. (cf Lk 24:51) The Eleven had gone, as Jesus had told them, to the mount of Olives near Jerusalem. On seeing the risen Christ once more they fell down before him as their Master and their God and “worshipped him” (cf Mt 28:17). Now they are much more conscious of what they had for some time believed in their hearts and confessed with their lips: their Master is the Messiah. (cf Mt 16:18) They were joyful at having their Lord and God so near. After the forty days spent in his company they could be witnesses to what they had seen and heard. The Holy Spirit would confirm in them the teachings of Jesus. The Master spoke to them as only God can: “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Mt 28:18). Jesus confirmed their faith and taught them that the power they were to receive was a sharing in his divine power: to forgive sins. To bring about a rebirth through Baptism is the power of Christ, given now to his Church. The mission of the Church is to continue the work of Christ, to teach men divine truths and make known the demands these truths impose, to help men follow God’s way through the grace of the sacraments. “He said to them ... ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth’.” (Acts 1:7-9) The Apostles remained looking up as Jesus ascended majestically into the cloud signifying the presence of God (cf Ex 13:22; Lk 9:34 ff) “... Jesus had entered Heaven”. (St John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles”, 2) Jesus’ life on earth ended with his Ascension, not with his death -- the last of the mysteries of his life on earth. Together with his Passion, Death and Resurrection it makes up the Paschal Mystery. It was fitting that those who saw Christ die amid insults, scoffing and mockery on the Cross should now see him exalted. “Today’s feast reminds us that our concern for souls is a response to our Lord’s command of love. As he goes up to Heaven, Jesus sends us out as his witnesses throughout the whole world. Our responsibility is great, because to be Christ’s witness implies first of all that we should try to behave according to his doctrine, that we should struggle to make our actions remind others of Jesus and his most lovable personality.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 122) Jesus departs, but he remains close to all: in the Tabernacle. Let us visit him there though often we can do so only with our heart; and ask his help in our apostolate. To make known his teaching everywhere. The Apostles returned to Jerusalem in the company of Mary and awaited the Holy Spirit. Let us prepare for the coming of Pentecost also staying close to Our Lady. Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:531-2 The First Novena Immediately after the Ascension the Apostles returned to Jerusalem, and as commanded by their Divine Master, remained in the upper room with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and one hundred-twenty disciples. They continued in prayer, expecting the coming of the Holy Spirit, during ‘nine’ days. From this was derived the practice of preparing for certain great feasts by a novena of prayers and good works. The novena of Pentecost was first made by the Apostles, so that it is not only apostolic, but may even be called of divine institution, since the Apostles made it in obedience to a formal command of Jesus Christ. How excellent must it be then, and with what devotion we ought to observe it. Why did Jesus command his Apostles to pray as such? That they might dispose and prepare themselves to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, without which they would have remained forever what they were then: nothing in themselves, useless to others, absolutely incapable of fulfilling their sublime vocation; but with these gifts all would become possible, even easy. We make this novena with extraordinary fervor for the same reasons, for certainly we are not greater than the Apostles. We are not better able than they were to dispense with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and to fulfil the duties of our vocation; to achieve that degree of perfection required of us, and to save the souls of others both by word and work. Jesus gave a third motive to encourage a more careful preparation for receiving the Holy Spirit -- the wickedness of the world, the miseries and snares in their midst, and the expected persecutions. “In the world you shall have distress; you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake; they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues you shall be beaten; they will lay their hands on you and persecute you.” (cf Luke, 21:12, 25; Mark, 13:9) We, too live in days of tribulation and the rage of the wicked against the religion of Jesus Christ. Where shall we seek the supernatural courage and prudence to fight these threats? Only from the Spirit of counsel, fortitude, and piety! Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp272-4 ` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` ` Mary the Sorrowing Mother “Our Lady is there listening to the words of her Son, united to him in his suffering, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ What could she do? She united herself fully with the redemptive love of her Son and offered to the Father her immense sorrow which pierced her pure heart like a sharp-edged sword.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 288) Let us offer our Mother today: ‘The mortification of keeping quiet about any pain or discomfort, any inconvenience or disappointment, uniting them with her pain as she stood by Jesus on the cross.’ Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p309 Beatification of Venerable Josemaria Escrivá, Founder of ‘Opus Dei’ In Rome on this day in 1992 attended by over 300,000 persons from all over the world. (“L’Osservatore Romano”, 20 May 1992, 1) • Our Lady of Tears, in the duchy of Spoletto, Italy. It is said that this picture, painted on a wall, shed many tears in the year 1494. — Gabriel Pennotus, lib. iii., Historia Tripartita, c. 34. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of Tears (Duchy of Spoletto, Italy). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • Our Lady of Tears, Spoletto, Italy (1494). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (http://mariedenazareth.com)