May 8th,
2016 Sunday Homily:
Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI
Acts
1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Lk 24:46-53
For Readings
Once when I visited a homebound person
who is in his 80s said that he likes to visit his native town in Ireland and
wants to meet some of his family members whom he hasn’t met for long time.
Every time when I visited him, he used to tell some wonderful stories of his
Irish town and its sweet memories. Last month when I visited my home town, I
too felt that excitement and joy. Own native place and home is always dear to
everyone. Now when I say this some of you might have already planned or in the
process of planning to visit your native places as the summer is approaching.
Homecoming is always exciting. Today we celebrate the grand homecoming, the
Ascension of our Lord.
This Feast commemorates the elevation
of Christ into Heaven in the presence of His disciples on the fortieth day
after His glorious Resurrection. Through His many apparitions to His disciples
and followers between the Day of His Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus proved
two things in a special way. First of all, He proved that He was the promised
Messiah, the Son of God. Secondly, He proved that He has overcome death and
those who persevere in their living faith shall also overcome death and inherit
the Kingdom of God.
The first reading from the Book of the
Acts of the Apostles describes the way the Ascension took place as Jesus was
lifted up and a cloud took Him out of their sight and the Angels appeared
immediately reminding them of His coming again. St.Paul in the second reading
is praying that God would enlighten our minds to try to understand and
appreciate the marvelous things God had done for us through the incarnation,
death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
As we reflect on Jesus’ ascension, we
might wonder about Jesus’ homecoming. His Ascension reminds us that there is still
another place we can claim to call our permanent home. Once while talking with
a lady, she told me that her parents and grand-parents migrated from a small
city in Italy and so far she hasn’t visited that city but hopes to make it
there one day. At the present time she has little to remind her of her parents’
home city, but she considers that city as her original city and believes many
things based on her parents and grand-parents words. Today we have nothing to
remember of our eternal home in Heaven, but we have many things to believe
based on Jesus’ words. The most wonderful thing is that he is still with us to
teach us how to get there and to lead and strengthen us in our faith journey.
With the Ascension, the Lord did not
distance himself, but became closer to us. He wants us to be in heaven with Him
and His Father. Now it is our turn and our mission to make it for ourselves and
for others. One day we will be taken away from this world. We need to make the
heaven to wait for us with joy, on our departure from this world. It is for
this purpose He is with us always in different forms and roles confirming our
heavenly membership. Just as Jesus
commanded his disciples to herald the message of Good News to the world, He
tells us to be the witnesses of His message.
This feast then is more about presence
than about absence, arrival than departure. Even, this Holy Eucharist is a
celebration of Lord’s presence with us. Let us rejoice in Jesus as this feast
directs our gaze to the Mystical body of Christ here on earth and toward
heaven, where one day we all hope to reach, and are longing for. God bless
you.
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