On this Day of Victory (Ascension Sunday C)

Probably an 18th Century composition, the following hymn on the Solemnity of the Ascension captures not only the meaning of the mystery but also the joy and exultation proper to the celebration of the ultimate victory of Christ on his ascension. If you don’t know the music, enjoy the poetry:

Let the earth rejoice and sing, alleluia!
At the triumph of our King, alleluia!
He ascends from mortal sight, alleluia!
Reigns now at our Father’s right, alleluia!

He who died upon a tree, alleluia!
Now shall reign eternally, alleluia!
He who saved our fallen race, alleluia!
Takes in heav’n his rightful place, alleluia!

Jesus, Lord, all hail to thee, alleluia!
On this day of victory, alleluia!
Thou didst shatter Satan’s might, alleluia!
Rising glorious from the fight, alleluia!

Jesus, Victor, hear our prayer, alleluia!
In thy triumph let us share, alleluia!
Lift our minds and hearts above, alleluia!
Strengthen all men in thy love, alleluia!

While in heaven thou dost gaze, alleluia!
On thy Church who sings thy praise, alleluia!
Fasten all our hope in thee, alleluia!
Till thy face unveiled we see, alleluia!

Ascension, Cause for our Joy.  The hymn expresses what the disciples themselves felt as they witnessed the event of the Lord’s ascension to heaven. In today’s gospel reading (Lk  24:46-53), the disciples, who are witnesses to “all these things,” are reported to have returned to Jerusalem WITH GREAT JOY and they continually praised God in the temple (v.52-53).  Today’s Solemnity allows us to share in that same joy as we contemplate the mystery and the great implication it has in our Christian life.

In Luke’s gospel, the ascension account serves as the conclusion. The ascension is shown as the victorious completion of the mission of Jesus.  The Jesus event—his life, teachings, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection—comes to a close in his ascension to heaven. A new era, that of the Spirit, is being ushered. Pentecost is in the horizon.

But what is there to rejoice about in the mystery of the Lord’s ascension? Theologians have spelled out the significance of Jesus’ resurrection-ascension for our salvation. Many have pointed out that Jesus’ resurrection (inclusive of ascension) is his vindication.  He had suffered greatly following the will of the Father.  On his death, he had painfully cried out for an answer to the unfathomable experience of total abandonment. He died clinging to only one thing—trust in his Father’s faithful love. His resurrection then is seen as the loving answer of the Father.  But more than just a vindication, the resurrection-ascension event fulfils and completes the saving mission of Jesus.  It is through his resurrection-ascension that Jesus, the God-man, attains his permanent glory as He “goes back” to the Father. In Jesus, the God-man, human race is born permanently into the very life of God, the Triune God.  Hence, human being has fulfilled his destiny. In Jesus, humanity has now become a sharer of divine life. Nothing can change this anymore!  Jesus’ victory is definite.  This is the cause of the great joy of Jesus’ witnesses. This is the cause of our exultation!

Ascension, Source of our Hope.  The first reading (Acts 1:1-11), recounted the words of the “two men dressed in white garments” who suddenly stood beside the apostles while they were looking intently at the sky: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven” (v. 11). Today’s Solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension invites us to “lift our minds and hearts above” that we may always find hope for life’s persistent experience of uncertainties and seeming defeat in the reassuring victory of Christ and that we may anticipate the glorious return of our Lord in the final fulfilment of history.

As we continue to wade through the vicissitudes of our earthly life, we need to gaze heavenward to be always reminded of the victory of Jesus of which we are a sharer.  The desperate power of evil continues to deceive us sowing doubt and despair in humanity.  Disheartening us.  Taking advantage of the faint-hearted faith. But to us whose gaze is fixed on the victory of Jesus, evil is unmasked of its pretentions.  We see it as it is—fallen!

Thus, no matter how the work of evil seems to continue to undermine our personal journey of faith through our sins, destroy the foundation of families, corrupt our institutions, sow discord and injustices in society and mindlessly abuse the abundance of God’s creation, let us not allow ourselves to fall into the pit of despair.  Jesus’ ascension has won for us our destiny which nothing can change.  And we are awaiting his final glory. Let this be our hope. And as hopeful people, we can see to it that our actions and decisions in life continue to represent the optimism of kindling even tiny sparks of light amid the magnitude of darkness rather than the resigned and futile cursing of the dark.  

The solemnity we celebrate today inspires us, amid the tides of godless secularism and materialism, to become Jesus’ witnesses to the ends of the earth. On this day of victory “let the earth rejoice and sing” as we witness with renewed JOY and rekindled HOPE.  

To Jesus, the Lord of history, seated at the Father’s right hand, we now pray:

While in heaven thou dost gaze, alleluia!

On thy Church who sings thy praise, alleluia!

Fasten all our hope in thee, alleluia!

Till thy face unveiled we see, alleluia!