"They went forth and preached everywhere . . . while the Lord worked with them."
Mark 16: 15 - 20
I do love good movies and plays. In order for all to come together, to convey
the moral of the story, to be sure the key players are performing as scripted
and with enough convincing emotion, and to make the right impact on the
audience, it’s what happens on the other side of the camera or behind the
scenes on stage that really makes all the difference to success. In other words, you need a good
director. The one who watches the
action, knows in their mind what the point of the story is and moves actors and
scenes around to make the most lasting impact.
But, as skilled as actors are to embrace the character they
portray and as thrilling as our scenes may be, it’s all pretend. Remember how realistic an effort was made
with the famed television series “Downton Abbey” and you have a very good
example of something so convincing as to seem real. The story line and the eventual effect of the
movie or play is the final point.
This weekend, in a large part of the Catholic world, we
celebrate a turning point in the Easter season and the earthly ministry of
Jesus: the Feast of the Lord’s Ascension
is recalled. The scene is familiar to us
and would certainly make a stunning effect:
The Lord Jesus suddenly lifts off the ground, disappears into the clouds
above in a ray of sunlight, angels appear as the Apostles stand staring into
the sky above wondering where he went. The risen Lord leaves the company of his
Apostles after the glory of the resurrection and commissions them to begin the
mission of the Church. He goes from glory to mission.
Yet, what do we often imagine?
Our first reading from Acts relates the event: “When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a
cloud took him from their sight . .
.” Then the angel appeared
and asked them: “Why are you standing
there looking at the sky?” Our Gospel passage from Mark, states the same: “So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke with
them, was taken up into heaven . . .”Isn’t this how we often imagine this
moment to be. Jesus was literally lifted
off the ground in his risen body into the sky above?
When Jesus gathered with his disciples for his final
communication, he urged them: “Go into
the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature . . .” A tall
order indeed! So our Lord proclaims and
passes on his mission to those who would follow and represent him. “Go” everywhere and tell all humanity what
God has done in and through Jesus of Nazareth, his only Son that all are saved
and mercy and forgiveness is offered to everyone, everywhere who believe in his
name. But then, he leaves them as he disappeared into the clouds above to never
be seen again. He went “to heaven”
wherever that is and we remain on earth – left behind. So heaven and earth are separated, far far
away from each other, and Jesus carries on where he went while we simply plod
along trying to do the best we can.
Despite this literal image, as Bishop Robert Barron notes, the
Bible implies otherwise. Our passage
from Mark’s gospel ends: “But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them.” The
implication is clear from this. Our
reading from Acts urges the disciples to return to Jerusalem, pray and wait
for, “. . . power when the Holy Spirit
comes upon you” and then, “. . . you
will be my witnesses.”
The implication is that Jesus has not left this earth. Though
the Lord Jesus is not visible in his risen body, he remains very much in
control and involved from his heavenly place as he works in and through his
Church. While we aren’t puppets whose strings are pulled willy-nilly by the
divine puppeteer, Christ lives in his Church and directs mysteriously through
the constant presence of his Spirit. This director enters the action as he
himself becomes the message. His real
Eucharistic presence is the ultimate living encounter with us that convinces us
he is anything but passive and uncaring. It embodies his mission.
At the core of that Christian mission is the command of love. He
gave it to his disciples at the Last Supper foot washing, he lived it out, he
offered it under bread and wine, and he remains involved with his disciple
witnesses; with each of us. To embrace
and live fully the truth that we are loved by a merciful God moves us to extend
that same fellowship Charity (Agape) for others. Through that mission of Divine love God’s
kingdom is established and his will is done here on earth. We await its fulfillment in the salvation of
Heaven.
So, one example I ran across was this: “God loves you, Johnny, so be good.” It’s not, “Be good, Johnny, so God can love
you.” I found that inspiring, frankly.
We neither can earn God’s love nor do we deserve it. God loves us, so we do good because we
realize this great truth. Last week’s
readings reminded us: “Not that we have
loved God but that he has loved us.” (1 Jn 4: 9-10). What could be more
simple and transforming to know this truth?
As Christ reigns in glory we carry on his mission.
As we prepare for Pentecost next Sunday, we see that moment
when Jesus returns in the Holy Spirit and there remains present and active to
us: in his Word, in the Sacraments, in
the lives of believers everywhere and within the structure of his Church. This being so, a search for Christ can only
be fulfilled within the body of the Church; you cannot separate Jesus from his
Body, his Church.
So, while our imagination may want to visualize what that event
was like for the disciples all the more we must recognize that we are not
orphans, abandoned or left completely to our own unruly nature. God is present among us in the here and the
now. Christ is very much in control as
his Spirit breaths life constantly upon his Church guarding and directing it. But
we must love as we are loved. Didn’t we
see this concretely in the lives of great saints like St. Teresa of Calcutta,
St. Vincent de Paul and many others of selfless charity.
See and imitate the same.
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 . . .
(Second Reading: Eph 1: 17 - 23)
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