Saint Luke receives credit for writing both the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of Luke. Among the New Testament writings, these two stand out for their frequent cries of joy.
Last week in the Bavarian village where Pope Benedict was born, Marktl am Inn, our guide brought us to his family home, to the room he was born. She exuded immense joy and pride as she described his birth in the very room we were standing in and that four hours later, on Holy Saturday, April 16, 1927, he was baptized in the Church across the way.
Her joy hints at the joy of the entire Church today as we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord!
The Angel Gabriel says to Zechariah, your wife Elizabeth will bear a son. You will name him John, and you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. And that’s only the beginning of joy! Just a few months later, the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary, and invites her to be the Mother of the Savior. She expresses her joy in the Magnificat. "My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior." And to the shepherds, the angel says, "Be not afraid, we bring you glad tidings of great joy."
Surprisingly, today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus parted from them and was taken up to heaven and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
But, as Jesus leaves them, how come they are joyful and not sad at the loss of someone so important to them?
I think there are at least four reasons that they are not sad at the Ascension:
- He told them, “Whoever loves Me will keep My word and My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” He is still with them in a new way.
- “If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father.”
- "I will send you an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to strengthen you."
- "I am going to prepare a place for you so that where I am, you also may be. I will return and take you with me."
Today’s Gospel tells us that, with His return to the Father, Jesus completes His mission on earth. Just before His Ascension, Jesus entrusts to the disciples the mission of preaching the Good News and evangelizing the entire world by bearing witness to Him through their lives of joy. It is in His Ascension that we see Jesus entering fully into the life and glory of God.
In the descriptions of Christ after His Resurrection, we are given a hint of what life will be like in Heaven. The prospect of sharing that glory should be the driving force of our lives and the source of joy for each of us, for our families and for the entire Church.
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