The Ascension Year A

Gospel Reading: Matthew 28: 16-20

16 The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them.

17 When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated.

18 Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time."

Meditation

When we think of the Ascension of Jesus, the account given us in chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles naturally comes to our minds. In fact, some may find that this passage from St Matthew's gospel is not an ascension story at all. This moment in the life of Jesus was significant from several points of view, however, and each account stresses some aspects over others.

We can identify three main aspects:

At the end of his earthly life, and especially of his passion, Jesus makes his triumphant entry into heaven, to sit forever at the right hand of the Father.

The time for forming his little community has come to an end, and Jesus sends his disciples out into the world.

From now on Jesus and his followers must relate with each other differently.

All these aspects are present in the text. But do not look for them; just enter deeply into the story and you will discover for yourself how it presents the mystery of the Ascension.

In verses 16 the disciples (depleted since they were supposed to be twelve) make their way back to Galilee , the place where the whole adventure began.

Let verse 17 speak to you deeply; the scene is very touching. Ask yourself why some hesitated.

The commission of Jesus in verses 18 and 19 is in three waves:

a statement of his own authority;

a three-fold command,

and a promise.

Prayer 

"Mr Minister, I must remind you that you are not God, you are just a man. One day your name shall be merely a faintscribble on the pages of history, while the name of Jesus Christ shall live forever." Archbishop Tutu to a government minister who had threatened the Church

Lord, when we have committed ourselves to a noble cause we experience something of what the eleven felt when they were reunited with Jesus on the mountain in Galilee .

We may have been defeated, let one another down as they had let down Jesus, our group depleted, as theirs without Judas.

But we are here together on this mountain and we know that no power in heaven or on earth will conquer what we stand for.

We can go into the world teaching all nations to respect the values we believe in; whatever happens to us, now or in the future,our cause will live for ever.

Lord, we pray for those who at one time were touched by your grace:

they turned away from drugs, alcohol, or a wrong relationship;

forgave a deep hurt;

began to pray again.

Now they have strayed again, and they feel helpless, without the energy to make a new start.

Teach them to do as the apostles did when, reduced to eleven - they set out for Galilee.

Tell them that there is a mountain somewhere where you have arranged to meet them again, because once you have entered our lives you will be with us always, yes, even to the end of our lives.

Lord, we pray for those of us who are in positions of authority - parents, teachers, leaders in the Church or the State.

Don't let us become possessive of those in our charge.

Help us rather to be like Jesus, to let them go, when the time comes, to whatever part of the world you call them to, and to do so without regrets, trusting that whatever true or good they have learned from us they will teach others to observe, and wherever they are, we will always be with them.

"But when Carnival come and pass

People does go back to race and class." Earl Lovelace, The New Hardware Store

Lord, for us here in Trinidad and Tobago, Carnival is a special time of togetherness.

Other nations have similar times.

We pray that we may not live these moments in isolation, as if on some mountain far away from the rest of life.

Tell us, as Jesus told his disciples, that we have seen possibilities for ourselves, that we must go out and teach all nations to observe what we have learned about humanity during these days, - something that will be with us always.

Lord, we sometimes have regrets for the Church of the past.

We feel like the eleven setting out for Galilee.

From time to time we meet that Church again and feel very happy, as they did when they were reunited with Jesus on the mountain.

But part of us quite rightly hesitates: we know well that we cannot bring back the past, that we must go in new directions, discovering new disciples among the nations.

We need not be afraid:

Jesus promised that he will be with us always, even when we come to the end of a time.

Lord, forgive us that as a Church we limit our horizons.

Let Jesus speak to us again of the many nations who could be his disciples, people ready to be baptized and to observe all the commands he gave us.