The Ascension narrative in Acts begins with a familiar scene: Jesus is at table with the apostles. The author is Luke, who in his Gospel always relates the appearances of the risen Jesus to the table. The two at Emmaus recognize him at the table, as he breaks bread; then, in the upper room, the decisive proof for the disciples is in the portion of roasted fish that he eats before them. And here again, seated at table, a sign of communion and family normality. He gives them precise instructions: to remain there until they receive the baptism from on high. They try to be opportune, but they do not succeed: they ask him when he will rebuild the kingdom of Israel, without realizing that it is a perspective that was never present in the past three years, much less now.
Jesus patiently passes over the comment and trusts that the Holy Spirit will enlighten them, but he guides them: what you have to do is to be my witnesses from Jerusalem to the end of the world. To be witnesses seems little, but it is much. The witness risks his life. Jesus is the one who will then give the increase.
When he disappears ascending to heaven, they remain watching: the angels, although experts in heaven, do not pretend to be spiritual, they tell them that they must be in the things of the earth, dedicate themselves to give testimony and to fill the world with the message of Christ. Do not stop looking at heaven! Return to Jerusalem to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. John Paul II preached at an Ascension Mass: "His descent is indispensable, the interior intervention of His power is indispensable. You have not listened with your ears to the words of Jesus of Nazareth. You have not followed him through the streets of Galilee and Judea. You have not seen him risen after the resurrection. You have not seen him ascend into heaven. Nevertheless... you must be witnesses of Christ crucified and resurrectedwitnesses of him who 'sits at the right hand of the Father'...".
With the power of the Holy Spirit we can fulfill the universal mandate: "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." The promises in Jesus' words for those who believe are full of optimism: "These will be the signs that will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take snakes in their hand and if they drink poison, it will not harm them, they will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed.".
Perhaps we have not, over the centuries, diminished the magnitude of these words? The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist, Jesus said. Let us realize, listening to Jesus, the immense dignity of our Christian vocation.
The homily on the readings of the Ascension of the Lord
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaa small one-minute reflection for these readings.
