We are invited to celebrate and prepare for the Holy Spirit.
The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord invites us to reflect on the moment
when Jesus returned to the Father. Imagine the scene in today’s Gospel of the
disciples last glimpse of Jesus: He is gently lifting out of the sight of His beloved
disciples, as he raises His hand to bless them. This moment wasn’t just a
transition for Him, but also for them and for all of humanity. With His ascension, a
new reality unfolded; while Jesus was no longer physically present among them,
His promise of his continued presence remained true and close to their hearts.
The disciples stood there, grappling with their feelings of loss and
displacement. St. Luke captures this moment poignantly: “They did him homage
and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the
temple praising God.” Their return was not merely a return to routine; it was a
return to a state of joy rooted in faith. Jesus may have physically departed, but
spiritually, He remained a profound part of their lives. This aspect of the feast
resonates with many of us today as we recognize our struggles with the absence
of Christ in our lives.
In our modern world, it is easy to feel disconnected from the divine. The
temporal nature of our daily lives often leads us to forget the larger spiritual
journey we are on. The Feast of the Ascension reminds us that while Jesus
ascended, He did not abandon us. Instead, His departure paves the way for the
Holy Spirit, binding us in a new and powerful presence of Christ in our lives. This
transition from Jesus’ physical presence to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a
crucial aspect of Eastertide, encouraging us to look beyond the temporary toward
eternity.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we observe this feast, we also begin the
Church’s Novena, a nine-day period of prayer in anticipation of the coming of the
Holy Spirit. The simple prayer, “Come, Holy Spirit,” becomes a profound
invocation of the strength and wisdom needed for our Christian journey. The Holy
Spirit, as promised, brings an abiding presence of Jesus into our lives. It
transforms our daily experiences, making every step we take a part of our
mission to witness and proclaim the forgiveness of sins. Thus, the feast is not
only a commemoration of Jesus’ ascension but also an invitation to engage
deeply with our spiritual mission. Let this Feast of the Ascension be a beacon of
hope and anticipation, guiding us as we rejoice, pray, and prepare to be “clothed
with power from on high.”Fr. Dominic Toan Tran, Pastor