Gospel for Sunday, Solemnity: The Ascension of the Lord

From: Lk 24:46-53

Jesus' Last Instructions And Leave-Taking
[46] And (Jesus) said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witness of these things. [49] And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but say in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high."

The Ascension of Our Lord
[50] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands be blessed them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. [52] And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53] and were continually in the temple blessing God.
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Commentary:
44-49. St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, because his immediate audience was Jews, who would accept this as proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.; St Luke does not usually argue along these lines because he is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epilogue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ's statement to the effect that everything foretold about him had come true. By doing so he shows the unity of Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah.

44-49. St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, because his immediate audience was Jews, who would accept this as proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.; St Luke does not usually argue along these lines because he is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epilogue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ's statement to the effect that everything foretold about him had come true. By doing so he shows the unity of Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah.

St. Luke also refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7ff), whose fulfilment on the day of Pentecost he will narrate in detail in the Book of Acts (cf. Acts 2:1-4).

46.From St. Luke's account we have seen how slow the apostles were to grasp Jesus' prophecy of his death and resurrection (cf. 9:45; 18:34). Now that the prophecy is fulfilled Jesus reminds them that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead (cf. Acts 2:1-4).

The Cross is a mystery, in our own life as well as in Christ's "Jesus suffers to carry out the will of the Father. And you, who also want to carry out the most holy will of God, following the steps of the Master, can you complain if you meet suffering on the way? (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 213) 49.

"I send the promise of my Father upon you," that is, the Holy Spirit who, some days later, at Pentecost, would come down upon them in the cenacle (cf. Acts 2:1-4) as the Father's gift to them (cf. Lk 11:13).

50-53 St. Luke, who will report our Lord's ascension in the Acts of the Apostles, here gives a summary account of this mystery which marks the end of Jesus's visible presence on earth. St Thomas Aquinas explains that it was inappropriate for Christ to remain on earth after the Resurrection, whereas it was appropriate that he should ascend into heaven, because, although his risen body was already a glorified one, it now receives an increase in glory due to the dignity of the place to which it ascends (cf. Summa theologiae, 3, q. 57 a. 1).

"Our Lord's Ascension also reminds us of another fact. The same Christ, who encourages us to carry out our task in the world, awaits us in heaven. In other words, our life on earth, which we love, is not definitive. 'Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come' (Heb 13:14), a changeless home, where we may live forever. […] Christ awaits us. We are 'citizens of heaven' (Phil 3:20), and at the same time fully-fledged citizens of this earth, in the midst of difficulties, injustices and lack of understanding, but also in the midst of the joy and serenity that comes from knowing that we are children of God" (St. J. Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 126).

We have come to the end of St. Luke's narrative. Words cannot express the gratitude and love we feel when we reflect on Christ's life among us. Let us offer God our desire to be ever more faithful children and disciples of his, as we savor this summary of Christ's life given us by the Magisterium: "We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. He is the eternal Word born of the Father before time began […]. He dwelt among us full of grace and truth. He announced and established the Kingdom of God, enabling us to know the Father. He gave us the commandment that we should love one another as he loved us. He taught us the way of the Gospel Beatitudes, according to which we were to be poor in spirit and humble, bearing suffering in patience, thirsting after justice, merciful, clean of heart, peaceful, enduring persecution for justice's sake. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, the Lamb of God taking to himself the sins of the world, and he died for us, nailed to the Cross, saving us by this redeeming blood. After he had been buried he rose from the dead of his own power, lifting us by his Resurrection to that sharing in the divine life which is grace. He ascended into heaven whence he will come again to judge the living and the dead, each according to his merits. Those who have responded to the love and compassion of God will go into eternal life. Those who have refused them to the end will be consigned to the fire that is never extinguished. And of his kingdom there will be no end" (Paul VI, Creed of the People of God, 11f).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
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