May 16, 2021: Ascension B
May 16, 2021: Ascension B
This past Thursday around noon time, there was a surreal event that happened on top of the Mount of Olives in the holy city of Jerusalem. The Holy Mass of the Feast of Ascension of Jesus was being celebrated at the Church of Ascension with a small group of Franciscan friars, nuns, and guests. For over 2000 years since the time Jesus ascended into heaven,Christians have been gathering at that very spot on the Mount of Olives to commemorate Jesus’ departure. While Mass is celebrated every year at the same location, what was remarkable about that particular mass this past Thursday was that during Mass there were no sounds of rockets or fighting around them. This church is about a mile away from Al-Aqsa Mosque (aka Dome of the Rock), the site of conflict between Muslims and Israelis which triggered rocket bombings this past week between Palestinians and Israelis, resulting in over 120 deaths and destruction of critical infrastructure in Gaza Strip.
The eerie silence in the surrounding area during that Mass was like a sign from Heaven, perhaps an urgent plea to “pray for the peace in Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). For Israelis, Muslims, and Christians, Jerusalem is the holiest of places on earth. One spiritual writer commented that Jerusalem is a “port city on the shore of eternity,”--like a portal to that which is beyond this material world, up into heaven. God chose Jerusalem to be the geographical location from which he would redeem the world. It is the location of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
It is there that Risen Jesus ascended into heaven with his wounds of his Crucifixion--the nail marks and pierced side. They were the wounds caused by our human weakness and sin; they were the result of this imperfect world where the innocents suffer and the powerful thrive. Jesus returned to Heaven to bring the Father a gift--the wounds which is the price he paid for the Father’s forgiveness of the sins of humanity. Through Jesus’ wounds the Father sees the wounds we bear now caused by others and the wounds that we have inflicted upon others through our own sinfulness. Beholding the wounds of Jesus, the Father sees our sin and He forgives it. We remember the prophecy of Prophet Isaiah, “He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed.” (Isa 53:5) Thus, Jesus opened for us a path to the Father and to Heaven. Before he departed, Jesus gave us a responsibility: “go into the world and proclaim the gospel to everyone.” In his name, we will set free those in bondage to sin; in his name, we will give new hope to those in darkness the inheritance of the glory and riches of the Heavenly Father.
Recently I met a former Baptist pastor who served in the Baton Rouge area for many years. He taught and mentored a new generation of pastors and has led his congregation wonderfully. Then an unexpected death in the family plunged him into depression and insomnia. Someone suggested that he take a glass of wine before going to sleep. It not only helped him sleep but also helped numb the pain from his loss. He had never had alcohol until that time, and quickly alcohol became a crutch and his god. His congregation did an intervention to send him off to a treatment center. After recovering from alcoholism, he learned everything there is to know about the disease and trained as an addiction interventionist and recovery specialist. He is now helping families with addicted loved ones all across the United States. He is an example of someone whose weakness and sins Jesus bore in his wounds so that the Father could forgive and set free. He is now helping others climb out of the darkness of addiction toward the path of freedom and toward the Father.
We may not be called to a vocation like that of the Baptist pastor, however, we have a responsibility to value human life--our own and others. Our Lord left us the responsibility not to be complacent or comfortable, but to live the Gospel of love--to look not only among our family and community but also within ourselves, eradicating prejudice and hate. During this month of May, let us continue to ask our Heavenly Mother to teach us how to be a servant of our Lord and to see others with her compassionate, Immaculate Heart.
