OMELIE / Omelie EN

12 mag 2024

12/05/2024 – The Ascension of the Lord – B

12/05/2024 – The Ascension of the Lord – B

Reading 1 ACTS 1,1-11 Psalm 46 Reading 2 EPH 4,1-13 Gospel MK 16,15-20

Why did Jesus show Himself to the disciples for forty days still after His resurrection? Having seen the Risen Jesus had not been sufficient to change their heart and correct their expectations. They kept expecting He was going to restore “the kingdom to Israel”; He kept rerouting them towards the news of a different Kingdom, interior yes, but with important and beneficial consequences family and society-wise; a kingdom which is freedom from sin and unites hearts in the love, with a spirit of deep and lasting communion, a kingdom which is a gift from the Holy Spirit.

He wanted to prepare them for receiving God’s Spirit, so He has let Himself being seen and heard and touched by them. In order for the gift of the Spirit to be awaited and desired by them, in the end He disappeared from their sight, reassuring them though that He will always be on the right hand side of God’s throne to intercede for them. This is the very first piece of news He Himself had given to Mary of Magdala already in the morning of the resurrection, instructing her to report that to them.

Now He hides, lifted by invisible hands and enveloped by that cloud which is a clear sign of God’s presence. The cloud, while hiding Him, shows that He is now part of the divinity, He is united to God the Father, He can be adored with Him. Additionally, now the words He used before receive value as Word of God. The disciples cannot do anything but remembering everything He did and living as He taught them: everything has a divine significance. And His last recommendation is the following, as Saint Mark is telling us: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature”.

Jesus sends the apostles, but without putting distance between Himself and them, right because He is next to God, in the heavens, so there where He can be present everywhere and always: “the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs”. They will go, always accompanied by the effective presence of the eyes and the hand of their Lord: He will act in every place in which they will be obedient to Him.

They will see and enjoy the signs of His presence: evil spirits will flee when they will hear their voice. The demons of selfishness, vengeance, envy, anger, impurity, hate, rebellion, will not endure in the place where Jesus’s disciples arrive, and not even in the hearts of the people they will prey for!

The new tongues, those which speak the language of love, will be understood and will create communion among all peoples and all human races.

The snakes, difficult and unforeseen situations, will not frighten those who know they are loved by the Father and guided by His Spirit: on the contrary, they will find in Jesus the wisdom and the prudence to face them and solve them with patience and fortitude.

The poisons, the rejection of men, will not become cause for depression and discouragement for the believers, nay, they will continue to busy themselves with the most needy people, those who suffer because of the poverty of sickness and lack of love: and these, realising they are loved, will go back living and hoping.

The whole history of the Church from that point on is underlined by these events, full of victories over the lie of selfishness, filled with the signs of the presence of the Risen Jesus.

Saint Paul has been the witness of this mysterious presence. In today’s brief passage from the letter to the Ephesians he highlights its consequences, pushing us to persevere in the humility, meekness, in mutual love. So our life of people, to whom has been granted the Spirit of communion, will be strong proof that God continues to save men in our time too.

That Jesus ascended into heaven fills all things with Himself, transforms them, makes them a gift from God, instruments of love. Jesus from His “heaven” continues, through His Church, to be active on earth: He renews its face and makes it a place of peace.