Homily for Ascension 2008

"And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20.

It often happens that people ask me about some project or other, or want permission to do something in the parish. Some people expect a simple "yes" or "no" answer. And that is all that is needed for some requests. If I do not give a simple "yes" or "no" answer some people get a bit frustrated with me! Nevertheless, I would rather encourage people who have a passion to do something present it to the parish and come to a decision themselves in light of what the needs of the community are.

Presenting it to the parish involves listening to the whole parish through such means as Pastoral Councils and and other groups as well as the priest. How does the idea affect other people, other events and programs? Does it gel with the mission of this parish? In this way we try to discern whether what the person has in mind is of the Spirit or not. Some very good ideas are not necessarily of the Spirit at this particular time. I could be very passionate about something and just roar ahead as though I had all the wisdom. It is by listening to other people that I can help ensure that it is not just my ego driving things but the Holy Spirit.

That seeking of wisdom is the model that we try to use at a Pastoral Council and, in fact, at every level of parish life. It is not an easy doing things that way. It can be messy. It takes more time and can be very frustrating for someone who just wants to get on and do something. And, so that it is not just an endless circle of talking, such discernment must take place in the context of our prayer together because only then can the Spirit be heard.

Why speak of this on the Feast of Ascension? Well precisely because Jesus leaves us with a mission. He entrusted his mission to his disciples. And they were by no means the most competent people he could have chosen. Yet he still chose to trust them. The frequently frustrated him by misunderstanding him and of course, Peter even denied him. He leaves to return to the Father trusting in us to be his hands and eyes, voice and feet in the world.

Jesus' Ascension means that he is no longer confined to the one people, language, and nation of Israel. He is Lord of all creation. As our reading from Ephesians says, he "fills the whole creation." So his leaving is not about his being absent from the world. It is about a new kind of presence to heal, guide and save us. People meet Jesus now not as those first disciples did but through each of us who make up the Body of Christ.

His Ascension reminds us, also, that our present life with all its joys and sorrows does not completely define who we are. What we are to be has not yet been revealed. (cf Romans 8:18: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.) We work in this life knowing that he is with us always to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). His being with us is not just with the institutional Church to guide it. He is with the whole Church so that his mission will continue.

It is worth remembering what the Second Vatican Council said in its Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity a long time ago now:

"Christ's redemptive work, while of itself directed toward the salvation of men, involves also the renewal of the whole temporal order. Hence the mission of the Church is not only to bring men the message and grace of Christ, but also to penetrate and perfect the temporal sphere with the spirit of the gospel." Vatican II, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (1965) 5.

We are sent forth from the Eucharist into our homes, families, workplaces and businesses to witness to the hope of the resurrection in our lives.

Fr Graham.