Homily: Feast of the Ascension of the Lord (2021)

Homily: Feast of the Ascension (2021)

            The Feast of the Ascension is often celebrated about the time that religious education classes are ending for the year. How does one explain the Ascension to children? One of the popular ways of doing that can be to take children outside to look up into the blue spring skies filled with fluffy clouds. Once outside, the children might be given helium filled balloons. A prayer could be said, and the balloons released. Everyone then can watch them float away to disappear in the clouds. The children are reminded that this is how Jesus left his disciples the last time after his earthly mission was complete. Somehow this is kind of sad. Jesus left. We are on our own.

            Artists have tried to help us picture the Ascension. One of the oldest depictions, by an unnamed artist, shows a heavenly hand coming down out of the clouds to draw Jesus up from the mountaintop into the clouds. The picture could remind us of Michelangelo’s Fresco of the Creation of Adam, where God’s hand is reaching out across the sky to the newly created human. The gift of life is being transmitted.

            Other depictions are more symbolic. One shows Jesus gradually being transformed. The lower half of his body is in a shadowy veil of tears. The upper part of his body enters a realm bathed in light populated by angels and glorified people all healthy and joyous.

            We run the risk of being distracted from the true purpose of the Gospel when we get caught up in creative attempts to picture the Ascension of the Lord. We shouldn’t just be gazing at what happened to Jesus. The story is a written story. The images are left to each person’s imagination. Mark’s Gospel gives us the briefest of descriptions. He doesn’t talk about clouds, angels, or Jesus rising. No, he begins his narrative of the Ascension with divine commission, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” The Ascension is about that commission.

            We might remember the experience we had learning to drive. How did that happen? First, we had driver education classes. We read the rules of the road out of a book. We memorized them. We got our learner’s permit. We then got practical experience. We got behind the wheel of the driver’s ed car with an instructor who taught us how to start, stop, park, and drive on the highway. We might have also driven with our parents for several hours. Some things might have been frightful at first. I remember going out on the highway to drive at a high rate of speed. The road seemed awfully narrow when another car was coming at me. We were driving a machine that was powerful.

            Finally, after all of the driver training. We took the car out for the first time by ourselves. Maybe we went on an errand. We might have picked someone up to bring them home. When we did, there was probably a feeling of accomplishment. We might have wondered, until that moment, if we were ready to drive. We knew then that we were.

            The Ascension, is that moment, when Jesus told the disciples, “Here are the keys, it is your turn to drive.” Jesus knew he had done all that could do to prepare his Apostles to spread the Gospel. He did not leave them alone. He sent them the Holy Spirit to guide them. Jesus’ Ascension sends a message to every disciple of every age. We are all responsible for bringing others to baptism.

            Today, might be a good day to reflect on how we have fulfilled our commission. Who are the people who are baptized Christians that we have influenced? If we can point to several people that we have introduced to Jesus, we are fulfilling our call. Maybe they are members of our family. But, they also might be friends we have made along the way who have embraced Christianity because of our efforts.

            During this time of year, we have many baptisms. We are having three this weekend. During the last six weeks we have had about 20. Baptisms are a sign that, as a parish, we are embracing the great commission. We pray that many more will be drawn to Jesus because of us for it is a sign we are doing what Jesus wants us to do.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who have I introduced to Jesus? Does that have to be done in a formal way?
2. Do I feel that it is the institutional church’s job to seek new members? Do I have some role to play?

Dear Parishioners, 

            New COVID guidance has been issued this last week. What will that guidance mean for our liturgies? The guidance is not crystal clear.

            The Peoria Diocese has instructed us to move very deliberately in what we are doing. We don’t want people to feel unsafe.

            We are suspending registration for Masses for weekend and at daily Masses today. We will open all doors so people can enter the church as they like.

            For the time being the communion ministers will still wear masks when distributing communion. We will not receive from the cup or on the tongue. Some people may ask why we will not. Mostly it is because people are going to be hesitant to receive the precious blood after another person has drunk from the cup. People might also be hesitant to receive communion after another person has breathed on the communion minister’s hands or deposited saliva on them. I don’t know how we can create multiple communion lines so that the minister can distribute communion on the tongue and sterilize their hands after each person. When it is deemed completely safe, we can return to these practices.

            We will slowly reintroduce things like the food pantry collection and greeters, etc.  Please be patient.  It will take time.

            Several guidelines I would like to suggest that come from the CDC are:

1. If you are not inoculated, please wear a mask. If you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, it would be wise to wear a mask as well, since we are in a confined space at Mass. We will ask everyone to use their own judgement in this regard. No one will be challenged about why they are or aren’t wearing a mask.
2. We will try to keep six-foot distances between households. The strings will remain on the pews for the time being.
3. We will continue to limit singing since this is still considered an easy way of passing the virus on.

I thank you for cooperating with our protocols. I will try to listen to the latest health department guidance and loosen things when appropriate.

May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you.

Fr. Mark