"FIRST IMPRESSIONS"

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

May 29 or June 1, 2025

by Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers:

The locations mentioned in the Bible often catch my attention. The writers were not mapmakers or geographers, so when they place a story in a specific location, it’s usually to highlight something important. In today’s Gospel, Luke tells us that Jesus led his disciples to Bethany, where he blessed them and was "taken up to heaven."

Bethany holds particular significance for Luke. It was from Bethany that Jesus began his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Now, having completed all he was sent to do, he ascends into heaven from that same place. While Luke doesn’t mention it directly, John tells us that Bethany was also the home of Martha and Mary, where Jesus was welcomed and loved. It was there that he raised their brother Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus departs from the politically charged and conflict-ridden city of Jerusalem, and goes to the quiet village of Bethany – a place marked by compassion and intimate friendship. He ends his earthly mission not with a grand display of power, but in the company of those who loved him. His Ascension from such an ordinary place reminds us where we, too, can expect to encounter our risen Lord—in the familiar and humble spaces of our own lives. These may seem ordinary, but they are often the very places where we hear his voice and are sent, as the disciples were, to witness to his life, death, and resurrection.

Still, isn’t it a lonely feeling trying to be a Christian in a big, often indifferent – or even hostile – world? Imagine how the disciples must have felt when Jesus left them: alone, unsure, with many questions. How would they manage without his presence, guidance, or powerful works?

But the Gospel passage ends on a hopeful note. Jesus makes a promise before leaving:

"And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

At the very moment when the disciples were facing an overwhelming task—witnessing to the ends of the earth – Jesus assures them they will not be alone. He promises the Holy Spirit, who will enable them to fulfill their mission.

Over the past Sundays, we’ve heard of the risen Jesus appearing to his frightened disciples. Now he commissions them to witness to all nations. Yet, even in his absence, they are not abandoned. The Spirit will be with them.

Jesus has given his followers a great responsibility – to continue his ministry without his physical presence. When he was with them, he made the decisions, performed miracles, led the way. Now, as he leaves them, they are entrusted with discerning how to bring his message to an expanding world. I imagine their sense of disorientation: like being sent somewhere completely new – without a GPS. The burden of carrying out his mission now falls on their shoulders. As Luke tells us, Jesus took them to Bethany, blessed them, and was taken up to heaven. I can only imagine the loneliness they felt as they heard his final words:

"You are witnesses of these things." They were to witness to Christ’s suffering and resurrection and to preach forgiveness in his name to all nations.

As the Easter season draws to a close, how many times have we affirmed in our prayers and liturgies: "The Lord is risen!"? Today, the Letter to the Ephesians expresses our Easter hope beautifully:

"May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call…" We have this hope because the Lord is alive.

Each Gospel writer emphasizes something unique. Matthew and Mark highlight the disciples’ mission. Luke focuses on the absence of Jesus, yet shows how the disciples return to Jerusalem full of joy, bearing witness to him. Today we celebrate the Son’s Ascension to heaven and his return to the Father’s right hand. His followers experience his absence – not as if he were dead, but as one still alive. As he promises: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you."

The Spirit will make Jesus present in a world that often values arrogance, selfishness, and power, while ignoring the poor and outcast.

Today’s Scriptures stir in us a longing. Where in your life do you feel a deep need for the Spirit? Name it. Pray over it. Then turn your eyes toward Pentecost—next week—when once again the disciples of the Lord will be filled with his Spirit.

When parting from someone you love, what do you focus on? Their last look? Their hand raised in farewell? A kiss thrown back to you? Luke tells us that Jesus "raised his hands and blessed them." That’s the image his disciples were left with: a blessing. They could no longer touch or speak to him, but they carried his blessing in their hearts – for their sorrows and for the ministry ahead. We carry that same blessing today. We carry his Spirit, his words, and his unfailing love as we face the challenges of living a Christian life in today’s world.

The Ascension challenges us: What are we to do as we wait for Christ’s return? We do believe he will return… don’t we? We do believe that in the meantime, his Holy Spirit breathes new life into us, directs our actions, and sustains us… don’t we?

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060125-Ascension.cfm

"On Peace"

"Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict."

[Citation: Pope Francis, Prayer for Peace with Israeli and Palestinian Presidents, Vatican Gardens, June 8, 2014.]