Deacon Cornell’s Homily

Last week, as I was reading the description of the Ascension from the Acts of the Apostles in that first reading we just heard, I was trying to picture the apostles looking up, watching Jesus as he was lifted up out of their sight, and I kept getting flashes of the news reports of people watching the Artemis 2 mission launch a few weeks ago. And as I keep mixing up the two scenes in my mind, I realized they were very similar. In both cases, the disappearance of Jesus or the Artemis rocket were amazing but that was not really the important part of the scene. What was on everyone's mind in both cases was the return. In the case of the Artemis mission, the focus was on the safe return of the astronauts in ten days and the scientific information that the mission would bring back to us, and in the case of Jesus' ascension, it is on the return of Jesus, in quite a different way in ten days, by his sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

I was also struck by the similarity of our celebration of Good Friday and this feast of the Ascension. On Good Friday we reflect on the loss of Jesus in the flesh from our sight, as he dies on the cross, is taken down and buried in the tomb. Today we reflect on the loss of Jesus in the flesh as he returns to the Father. On Good Friday, we celebrate because we know that Jesus is not gone forever, even as a human being walking among us but he will rise from the dead, still fully human, on Easter Sunday. Today we celebrate because we know that Jesus is not gone forever either. Although today, we rejoice in the loss of Jesus as a human being walking among us because in returning to the Father, he is able to send his Spirit to be with us for all time and in all places.

While he was here on earth, Jesus was subject to the same limitations that all of us humans are. We can only be fully present to those who are alive at the same time and physically near us. By ascending back into heaven, Jesus is now able to be with each one of us, no matter where or when we live here on earth, and in a much fuller and more intimate and personal way through his Holy Spirit.

This is really important to us. Jesus tells the apostles and us that "all power in heaven and on earth has been given to me". Then he reminds us, as he gives us our mission to continue the mission he was sent to earth by the Father to accomplish, that we are not being sent just with our own power and authority. We are being sent with all that power and authority that Jesus has because we are empowered by His Holy Spirit.

We see the effects of this in our news today, when we see Pope Leo, head of the smallest country on earth, speak the truth and wisdom of God even to the most powerful nations on earth. But we also have to remember that this power and authority are with each us as well. as we proclaim the good news of the Gospel to our family and friends and all those we meet in our daily lives.

In one of the small faith groups I meet with we have been talking about how to draw people back to practicing their Catholic faith. Of course the most important thing we do in that regard is to live out that faith in our lives. But we should not be shy about having conversations about our faith, because in Baptism we have all been anointed with the Spirit who guides our words and actions if we let Him.

Let us rejoice today as we look forward to Pentecost when we renew that gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to us, and take heart that we are never alone in carrying out our part of the mission Jesus sends us on.

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