Children have a very special nature. Normally they trust their parents in any circumstance. This trust makes them secure and powerful. And of course not only children but every human, like to be secure in life.
The Gospel on this feast day really provides us such an assurance of the Divine Guardian- God. Jesus is having his last speech to his followers.
It is not like the speech at the table of last supper.
Even though Jesus is ascending to Heaven, it is not shadowed by a feeling of separation, all the more the promise of His presence and guidance all through their lives is felt powerfully.
Jesus is not hiding the persecutions they are to face by remaining faithful to His Gospel. But through the apostles aren’t scared, because the words of Jesus give them assurance and power in these tests.
Yes, they are like simple children who blindly trust in their parents.
The Apostles trust in Jesus (more than ever) and are - as the Gospel says-
on their mission of proclamation.
This proves with out doubts; the Gospel is really Good News.
It is good news because it rediscovers and reinstates the faith of the apostles.
It assures in them - also in the lives of believers - the Omni-presence of God.
Still for some the Gospel of the day can be little confusing.
Then the gospel says Jesus ascends in to heaven.
But the last sentence says that the “Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” (Mk 16, 20)
How could it be possible:
to be in heaven and at the same time being with the apostles?
There come these questions:
Where is God? Is he in heavens?
This question can disturb not only an atheist but also a believer,
who has to undergo sufferings and difficulties in his lives.
Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut, the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the Earth, was asked: „ Did you see God there (in space)?
His answer was “I did not see any God up there”.
Sure, we believe that there is a Heaven, but where and how it seems to be, is not sure to any one. Even the Holy Bible says he is not “up” there.
We can read that in the Acts:
“While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1, 10-11)
We have to admit that there are linguistic limitations in understanding the Word of God – of course the term “Heaven” too.
Heaven in the Bible is not the sky or the space above us. It is more than that.
The Ascension of Our Lord is not some travel in to the space where no humans are living. It is a great entry into the lives of the apostles and his followers in faith and action. In this manner we can surely call this feast as “Jesus entry in to the human Hearts and lives.”
More over is not the feast of departure and absence, but it is the feast of God’s presence; The Feast of Our God who Incarnated – became Emmanuel - God with us.
He is present in our lives, if really believe and acknowledge him.
If he is in and with us, everything we speak will be ‘Good News’,
because it will be His Spirit speaks in and through us.
If our hearts are filled by His presence and love,
there can not be other message than His.
If he is with us, no fears and persecutions can suppress us.
St Paul witnesses: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Phil 1, 21).
Now let us re enter in to the meaning of this feast of ascension.
It is the feast of glorification: not only Jesus, but all who really follow Him, are promised and assured the Heaven, this Glory.
They can be with God and be at the right side of Father.
Let us think, speak and act in his presence and spirit and love.
Thus we can enjoy the presence of God in this life and life after life.
God bless us all. Amen!---
Fr Thomas Kalathil
No comments:
Post a Comment