5/29/2022

This Sunday is the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. Let us reflect about this feast, since sometimes it is overshadowed by the resurrection, and sort of seen as an addendum on the resurrection as if they were pretty much the same thing. They are part of the same process, but each has its own significance.
The resurrection is more than a justification of Jesus’ teaching. It does do that, and it inaugurates the New Creation by demonstrating Christ’s victory over death and his transformation into the first fruits of the New Creation. But it also fulfills the scriptures, as Christ says in today’s gospel: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (Lk 24:46) He is referring to the suffering servant songs in Isaiah 52 and 54, Daniel 9 (death of the Messiah), and the “sign of Jonah” in chapter 2 of that book where, according to Brant Pitre, Jonah dies in the belly of a fish, spit out onto a beach after three days, then is resurrected to go and preach repentance to the Ninevites. Christ fulfills these texts in his suffering, death, and resurrection, then being preached about to all the nations (symbolized by Ninevah).
Though they are not ready, the disciples are to go and bear witness to the truth of the Paschal Mystery (suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ). At Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit, they do just that, and eventually not only bear witness in preaching, but ultimately with their lives. The process of evanglization is stated in vs. 47-48: “in his [Christ’s] name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.” Evangelization is the process of giving witness to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ as well as repentance from sin which results in forgiveness, not only for Jews but for all nations.
At the Ascension, Jesus is enthroned as the High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. First of all, he raises his hands in blessing as he ascends on the cloud. It is a priestly gesture to raise one’s hands in blessing. At the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, Zechariah came out of the Temple and was unable to give a blessing, as he was mute. Here at the end of Luke, Christ gives his blessing as he ascends to heaven on a cloud.
In the reading from Acts 1:1-11, this event happens forty days after the resurrection. Forty is a magical number – from days of the flood to the years in the desert to Jesus’ days in the desert, all those times of transition, purification, or preparation were done in forty days or years. The number has significance here too. After forty days, the risen Jesus was ready to go up into the heavenly sanctuary and take his place at the right hand of the Father, where he would take his place not just as King, but as High Priest forever. From there he would send the Holy Spirit with the Father for the next phase of the New Creation: Pentecost, when the Kingdom would come in Mystery, not just history.
From the heavenly sanctuary, Christ offers himself not just on one day in a given time on earth, but for all eternity is offering himself to the Father in heaven. By ascending into heaven and taking his place as the High Priest, the sacrifice he offered once and for all at the Last Supper and on the cross on Calvary, that sacrifice enters into eternity. As he does this, it not only offers the Peace offering of the Passover as the Paschal Lamb, but also fulfills the Atonement sacrifice which the earthly high priest would offer in the Holy of Holies each year. But this time, Jesus does it once and for all. We participate in that one sacrifice each time we celebrate the Eucharist, and our High Priest in heaven makes it possible to participate in the one perfect sacrifice for all time. The Ascension is the feast of the completion of the perfect sacrifice, making it available for all time here on earth. Jesus does that by ascending into heaven and residing in the heavenly sanctuary. So the Feast of the Ascension is primarily the feast of Christ the High Priest.
May you be blessed in and by Our Risen, Ascended Lord,

Father Albert, O.S.B