![]() Lewis offered what I find to be a satisfying rebuttal. After all, isn’t heaven supposed to be “beyond” the physical universe? It’s an interesting objection, one to which C.S. One might sympathize with Spong’s objection above. You go into orbit.”Ĭonsidering such criticisms, how can Catholics defend the reality of Christ’s ascension? Still others, like Episcopalian theologian John Shelby Spong, read the Ascension as nonliteral and symbolic: “A modern person knows that if you rise up off the Earth (as in the ascension), you don’t go to heaven. Others deny the possibility of the miraculous altogether. Some have made a mockery of the doctrine, likening the “flying” Jesus to an Apollo spacecraft, as was a common jest among atheists in the 60s and 70s. We believe it really happened-and as a universal Church, we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension just a couple weeks ago.īut the dogma also has its detractors. Catholics have always understood this to be a literal, miraculous event. These are the signs that Jesus is in us and with us, today and forever.At the climax of the forty days spent with the disciples after his resurrection, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven. He is with us when reach out to help and support each other. He is with is when we gather break bread with each other. As Pope Francis says to each of us, every Christian is a missionary to the extent that they have experienced the love of god in Jesus.Įven though we are celebrating the Ascension of Jesus, he has not left, deserted or abandoned us. Through us today, the world will know that Jesus is alive, present and active in our world. It is now up to each of each us in our way to carry on the mission and ministry of Jesus. The first friends and followers of Jesus are our ancestors and we are they are their descendants. ![]() Today that responsibility now belongs to us. As Jesus’ earthly life ends, theirs and our mission and ministry begins. Through their words and actions, the world will know that Jesus is alive and more alive and present that ever he was. This ordinary group of men and women are the ones who were chosen by Jesus to be the heralds and witnesses of the resurrection. Through this Spirit, Jesus will be with them and us forever.īefore Jesus takes his leave of them, he passes on and entrusts them with the responsibility of carrying on his mission of proclaiming the good news of the gospel and of establishing the kingdom of God. In last Sunday’s gospel, Jesus told his followers that he would give them another Advocate to be with them forever, the Spirit of truth. In fact, he is going to be with them in a very personal and intimate way for ever. Jesus is leaving them, but he is not leaving them alone. They thought they had lost Jesus once when he died, now they have to face the reality of life without him again. And now Jesus is preparing them for his departure and his return to heaven. In fact, most of them doubted.Įventually after seeing the risen Lord for them themselves several times, they believed that he had indeed risen from the dead. When they were told by some of the others that they had seen the Lord, they refused to believe them they doubted. They stood at a distance and watched him die a very public and humiliating death. ![]() Just before the passion and suffering of Jesus, his friends and followers saw him being betrayed, denied and condemned. As we mark and celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, the saying, ‘all good things come to an end’ never sounded more suitable and appropriate.
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