Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – C

            Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. Our first reading gives a clue to the meaning of this mystery. You will notice that St. Luke does not speak about Jesus “going away,” but that “a cloud took him from their sight.” There is a difference between “leaving” and “disappearing.” When someone leaves, it suggests separation, even finality. When a person disappears, he or she might still be close – in another room. Or even closer. The fact that the disciples no longer see Jesus does not mean that he has gone from them.

            Today’s reading also implies other opportunities to consider: First: Blessing and Sending. Having said his final words and prepared the disciple for the future, Jesus blesses them and is taken up into heaven. But before Jesus takes leave of the Apostles, he promises them the Holy Spirit to assist them for the mission they are to continue in his name.

            This month of May always brings into focus Graduations, from Grade School, High School, College, and even Graduate level. In these commencements, the graduate has completed a prescribed course of study, earned the right to be sent to the next level of their academic journey and blessed by their teachers, professors, parents, friends and all who have walked the journey with them. In the blessing of these graduates there is also a sending. The people who have been charged with the teaching of the graduates have done their job and feel confident the graduate is ready to move on, and so they give their blessing. Jesus too felt his job of teaching, suffering, dying, and rising; sanctifying, and saving us was completed. He blesses his students and sends them out into the world to continue as “witnesses” of his life, death, resurrection and saving act of make available to us the Eternal Life in Heave with the Father.

            Being blessed and sent does not mean that any of us can rest on our laurels, but that the real work is just beginning. The ending of the teaching of our graduates and the apostles has taken place. Now, the beginning of a new life begins; one of power to be witnesses, rooted in service and sacrifice; teachers, empowering, challenging, and developing into the Christians that God calls us to be.

            For our Neophytes (the newly baptized) the beginning started at the Easter Vigil. Their learning continues about how to be a Catholic Christian, but the blessings and the sending happens each week as we meet here, at the Table of the Lord.

            Filled with extraordinary joy the Apostles returned to the very place from which this whole story began – the Jerusalem temple. Very fittingly the disciples’ response to the concluding event of this story is prayer and worship. The reason we come back to this Communal Table of Eucharist each week is to be renewed and reminded of the Blessings and the Sending of us into the world, so that through the power of Christ that has been given to us can be shared, that world may be sanctified repeatedly.