Ascension Thursday
LESSON
Acts 1:1-11
In the former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things
which Jesus began to do and to teach, Until the day on which, giving
commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken
up. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for
forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating
together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from
Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, "which you have
heard"(saith he) "by my mouth. For John indeed baptized with water:
but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence."
They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying:
"Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?"
But he said to them: "It is not for you to know the time or moments, which
the Father hath put in his own power: But you shall receive the power of the
Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the
earth."
And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he
was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were
beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white
garments. Who also said: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to
heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you
have seen him going into heaven."
From The Liturgical
Year, Dom Gueranger
Let us see what effects the mystery of the Ascension has
produced on this land of our exile. These effects are of the most extraordinary
nature. Our Saviour Himself explains it
to us, by the words He spoke to His apostles after the last Supper: “It is,”
said He, “expedient to you that I go.” What means this, but that there is
something more advantageous to us than having Him visibly present amongst us? This
mortal life is not the time for seeing and contemplating Him, even in His human
Nature. To know Him, and relish Him, even in His human Nature, we stand in need
of a special gift; it is faith. Now, faith in the mysteries of the Incarnate
Word did not begin its reign upon the earth, until He ceased to be visible here
below.
Who could tell the triumphant power of faith? St. John gives
it a glorious name; he says: “It is the victory which overcometh the world.” It
subdued the world to our absent King; it subdued the power and pride and
superstitions of paganism. It won the homage of the earth for Him who has
ascended into heaven, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, Jesus. And this
blessed faith, which is our very life, gives us, at the same time, all the
light compatible with our mortal existence, for knowing and loving the Word
consubstantial with the Father, and for the just appreciation of the mysteries
which this Incarnate Word wrought here below in His Humanity.
It is now eighteen hundred years since He lived on the
earth; and yet we know Him better than His disciples did before His Ascension. Oh!
Truly it was expedient for us that He should go from us; His visible presence
would have checked the generosity of our faith. And it is our faith alone that
can bridge over the space which is to be between Himself and us until our
ascension comes, and then we shall enter within the veil. Glory, then, and thanks to Thee O Jesus, who
to console us in Thine absence, hast given us faith, whereby the eye of our
soul is purified, the hope of our heart is strengthened, and the divine
realities we possess tell upon us in all their power! Preserve within us this precious gift of Thy
gratuitous goodness; give it increase; and when our death comes—that solemn
hour which precedes our seeing Thee face to face—Oh, give us the grand fullness
of our dearest faith!
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