Homily Feast of the Ascension “Get Busy!”
Feast of the Ascension “Get Busy!”
May is usually a time to mark life transitions. We measure time by the academic calendar just as much as we do in any other way. In May we usually have First Communions. We have Confirmations. We celebrate many marriages. But most of all we attend graduations.
We might think of the Transfiguration as a kind of graduation. The Acts of the Apostles speaks of the Ascension as a final event in the ministry of Jesus. After the resurrection, the scriptures say Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples. Forty is a symbolic number in the Bible. Forty days might mean Jesus spent a day or he spent 100 days. We could think of it as Jesus spending as much time as he thought was necessary with the Apostles to prepare them for his departure. After that Jesus was ready to bequeath his ministry to his followers. To do that, he had to move off center stage. But we get a sense that the Apostles didn’t want to let him go.
After Jesus ascends into the heavens in the story, there is this curious aside. The disciples are looking up into the heavens. Seemingly they were in shock. According to the story they were frozen in place, not knowing which way to turn. But then two men wearing white appear. And they ask the question, “Why are you looking up at the heavens. What are you standing around for? It’s time to move.”
Every great leader must prepare followers to take over after their gone. If a leader revels in disciples who say to him or her constantly, “We don’t know what we’re going to do without you,” then that mentor has done a poor job. Confident leaders train confident followers.
Maybe one of the best mentors in the Bible was the prophet Elijah. When Elijah’s ministry comes to an end in 2 Kings. He finds a successor to train. He calls Elisha. Elisha and Elijah work together for a time accomplishing mighty deeds. But then comes the moment when, Elijah, like Jesus, leaves the earth. He does so on the banks of the Jordon river. He parts the waters of the Jordan by striking the waters with his mantle. A mantle was like a cape. Many wandering holy men had only the clothes on their back. A mantle represented Elijah’s office as a prophet, his most personal possession.
After Elijah parts the waters of the Jordan, like Moses parted the Red Sea. He walks through them after which he roars off to heaven in a fiery chariot. As he is taken up in the sky, his mantle falls off his shoulders. Elisha doesn’t spend a lot of time gazing up in the sky. He picks up Elijah’s mantle. He folds it. He strikes the waters of the Jordon just like Elijah had done parting the waters. He walks on exuding confidence as he begins his ministry.
People must be ready when their moment of destiny comes. During the next few days, we will hear snippets of many graduation addresses. Usually the theme is the same. The speakers tell the graduates, “This is your moment.”
The graduation addresses this year will be especially poignant for this will be a graduation season like none we have ever experienced. Most graduation speeches will be given virtually. The COVID 19 outbreak is a historic milestone. Many challenges confront the class of 2020. The young people of today will be asked to wrestle with everything from how education is going to look from now on, to climate change, to how limited resources in the world like food and water are going to be shared, to trying to salvage the ideals of democratic government.
The professors who taught the class of 2020, certainly don’t want their students to feel like they have received all the answers. Nor do they want to them to keep looking at them for guidance. Educators can only hope they have trained young people to be self-assured enough to seek new ways of approaching problems. Hopefully, the graduates of today will be able to try, fail and try again to solve the complex problems of the world.
As disciples of Jesus we need to be confident that the Lord has given us what we need to build up the Body of Christ. The men in white who spoke to the apostles in the Gospel account about the Ascension reminded those on the mountain top that, “Jesus did not baptize you to admire him. No, he baptized you to spread the Good news like he did. Now, get busy!”
Reflection Questions:
1. Do I put Jesus up on a pedestal and admire what he did? Do believe that I am called to not only to look at Jesus, but to be like Jesus?
2. Do I have confidence in God, my neighbor and myself? Who do I lack trust in? Why?
Dear Parishioners,
We received directives from the Arch Diocese of Chicago, from our diocese, from the Federal Government and from the Centers for Disease control last week about how to reopen for worship. Does this sound confusing? Well it is.
Over the next days I will be sorting through all these edicts to try to figure out what it is that we need to do to worship safely together. I am consulting with parish staff. I hope to also be talking to health care professionals and other experts about what we should do. Every parish has its own space which requires a unique plan for reopening.
My assumption is that we will have to keep physical distancing in mind as we move forward. We will also have to try to sanitize surfaces often.
Three key things must be kept in mind:
1. If you do not feel well do not come to church.
2. If you are part of vulnerable population do not attend.
3. The obligation to attend Sunday Mass will not be in force for a long time.
We will continue to live stream some Masses even when we can get back in church for the foreseeable future. Because of that, we will be installing equipment in church so that we may do that efficiently. Many people have taken advantage of this new option over these past weeks. We need to make sure that they can continue to do so.
Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we work through the logistics that are necessary.
May Our Lady and all the angels and saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark
P.S. I emailed Fr. Louis Tilka last week and congratulated him in the name of our parish and told him we were praying for him as began his ministry as our Coadjutor Bishop. To my surprise he emailed back thanking me for the greeting. He signed his note simply “Lou+” which was a good touch. His ordination as Bishop will be July 23rd. Pray for him.
P.P.S. Thanks to all those that offered me good wishes for my birthday on Memorial Day.