* Feast of the Ascension, May 4, 2008
* Theme: My Hope Is In the Lord

* The Feast of the Ascension
* Traditionally celebrated on the Thursday, 40 days after Easter
* Now more often celebrated on Sunday
* Better, it puts the celebration is the context of the whole Paschal mystery - Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, and the Sending of the Holy Spirit

* The Scope of the Readings today is broad
* First reading is from the very beginning of the Acts of the Apostles
* The Gospel reading is from the very end of Mathew’s Gospel
* There is a sense that everything is held in between these bookends.

* In today First reading we sense the lingering confusion of the Apostles:
* Jesus has spent three years with his disciples.
* He had even risen from the dead to prove his message.
* Yet, they ask – “Lord, at this time are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel”
* They still did not get it!
* Jesus was not going to build a political power base
* For his part, Jesus – maybe somewhat frustrated – says nevertheless, the Holy Spirit will empower you to be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.
* Jesus is then lifted up and passes out of sight.
* The Disciples stay there until two men in white garments ask them why they are looking up into the sky.
* Now every mother knows that if she looks skyward for only a few seconds, she could lose her young children.
* She has to look around and be aware in order to protect her young.
* The two men in white tell the disciples not to look up, because they will miss the action – they will miss Jesus.
* They must look around them and see each other if they are going to find Jesus.

* Sometimes we “look up into the sky” or day dream about past days in our Catholic Church.
* We wonder what happened to the Church of our youth – which was very supportive, but which we can tend to idealize.
* Think about the Catholic Church is the 1950s:
* The Mass was in Latin
* The priest had his back to the people
* No Eucharist Ministers – Men or Women
* No altar girls
* Nuns taught in the school
* Some would see these as better times.
* I see them as different times:
* No cell phone, no computers, few automobiles, and few televisions
* The nuns did a good job, but they were paid slave wages
* At Blessed Sacrament as late as 1970 – there were 10 priests
* The Priests where in charge of the few ministries that existed
* Parishioners had little say in the direction of the parish

* The Church of Today has changed – from my way of thinking – for the better.
* LOOK AROUND AS THE ANGLES TOLD THE DISCIPLES
* We have a community rich in diversity
* The school is run by qualified lay teachers who are paid a living wage (even though it is still not a high wage).
* The priests work in collaboration with lay men and women who are dedicated and generous.
* We recognize that the Holy Spirit is a gift to all of us.
* We are a church respecting our past but moving toward the future.

* Once we recognize that Jesus is not up in the sky, but rather in the people and situations around us,
* We can move to the concluding chapter of our story
* In today’s Gospel, Matt 28, Jesus says “Go make disciples of all nations…”
* Once we recognize that Jesus is in the brother and sister that we see right next to us, who perhaps has a different skin color, speaks a different language, has different talents, and different interests,
* Then we can go out and spread the Good News:
* There are not second class citizens of this world
* There are only people loved by God
* There is no room for injustice in this world
* There is only the challenge to ensure Justice for all

* I think that when the Apostles finally recognized that they could not control Jesus;
* That Jesus was not going to set up the Kingdom that THEY wanted;
* When they finally admitted their fear and their confusion;
* When they finally opened their hearts to God and really looked at each other;
* Then the Holy Spirit could come down on them and send them out to change the world.

* Maybe it is the same with us:
* Maybe when we can admit that we do not have all the answers;
* When we can admit our own biases and prejudices;
* When we can open our hearts to the Loving and Faithful God;
* Then the Spirit of God that we first received at Baptism;
* Can fill us and lead us so that we can become the Apostles of today who, by the way we live our lives, can change the world.

* Amen