Reading I: Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26Psalm: 103
Reading II: 1 John 4:11-16
Gospel: John 17: ll b-19
A sign of love is that one likes to be with the beloved. We see that exhibited by Jesus as he prepares to ascend into his heavenly home. Rather than just consider His mission to save us is over, He goes out of his way to still remain with us. At the Last Supper, He gives himself to his disciples in the form of bread and wine. Then He tells them to, “Do this in remembrance of me.” He gives His apostles, His first priests, the power to consecrate bread and wine into His body and blood so that future generations will still be able to enjoy his presence and be nourished by the Eucharist.
As I become older, I realize that the words of my parents are so much a part of me that they are truly still with me. Jesus remains with us in His Word, the Sacred Scripture. We learn about who God is through His words, just as we get to know people through their words. The Scripture is a source of comfort, guidance, and connection with the Lord.
Besides the Lord’s words during His active ministry on earth, the evangelist John goes into depth with the words of Jesus, especially during His discourse to His disciples (chapters 14-17). Jesus reassures them:
When I go, you will not be left all alone: I will come back to
you. In a little while the world will see Me no more, but you
will see Me: and because I live, you also will live. When the
day comes, you will know that I am in my Father and that
you are in Me, just as I am in you.
Then Jesus promises to send them his Spirit: “I have told you this while I am still with you. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.” Thus, Jesus speaks of the unity of the Holy Trinity. Jesus then exhorts his followers to exhibit the same unity and love among themselves. He gives the command: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Finally, Jesus prays for His disciples. He prays that they may be one, and that they realize that He is with them in suffering and in joy. Jesus asks the Father to keep them safe from the Evil One. Jesus prays not only for His disciples of that time, but also for those of us who believe in Him because of the message they’ve received (the Good News).
Lines 24-26 in John Chapter 17 express the Lord’s ultimate desire for us:
Father! You have given them to Me, and I want them to be
with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, the glory
you gave Me; for You loved Me before the world was made.
Righteous Father! The world does not know You, but I know
You, and those know that You sent Me. I made you known to
them, and I will continue to do so in order that the love You
have for Me may be in them, and so that I also may be in them.
Reflection: John Chapters 14-17 are packed full of meaningful messages from the Lord. Take some time to relish his words.
Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
Fiesta de la Ascensión
Un signo de amor es que a uno le gusta estar con el amado. Vemos eso exhibido por Jesús mientras se prepara para ascender a su hogar celestial. En lugar de simplemente considerar que su misión para salvarnos ha terminado, él se desvía de su camino para permanecer con nosotros. En la Última Cena, se entrega a sus discípulos en forma de pan y vino. Luego Él les dice que, “Haz esto en mi memoria”. Él le da a Sus apóstoles, Sus primeros sacerdotes, el poder de consagrar el pan y el vino en Su cuerpo y sangre para que las futuras generaciones aún puedan disfrutar de su presencia y alimentarse de la Eucaristía.
A medida que me hago mayor, me doy cuenta de que las palabras de mis padres son tan parte de mí que realmente están conmigo. Jesús permanece con nosotros en Su Palabra, la Sagrada Escritura. Aprendemos acerca de quién es Dios a través de Sus palabras, así como conocemos a las personas a través de sus palabras. La Escritura es una fuente de consuelo, guía y conexión con el Señor.
Además de las palabras del Señor durante Su ministerio activo en la tierra, el evangelista Juan profundiza con las palabras de Jesús, especialmente durante Su discurso a Sus discípulos (capítulos 14-17). Jesús les asegura:
Cuando vaya, no te quedarán solos: volveré a
tú. Dentro de poco el mundo no me verá más, pero tú
Me verá, y porque yo vivo, tú también vivirás. Cuando el
llega el día, sabrán que estoy en mi Padre y que
tú estás en Mí, así como yo en ti.
Entonces Jesús promete enviarles su Espíritu: “Te lo he dicho mientras aún estoy contigo. El Ayudante, el Espíritu Santo, a quien el Padre enviará en mi nombre, te enseñará todo y te hará recordar todo lo que te he dicho”. Por lo tanto, Jesús habla de la unidad de la Santísima Trinidad. Jesús entonces exhorta a sus seguidores a exhibir la misma unidad y amor entre ellos. Él da la orden: “Ámense los unos a los otros como yo los he amado”.
Finalmente, Jesús ora por sus discípulos. Él ora para que sean uno, y se dan cuenta de que Él está con ellos en el sufrimiento y la alegría. Jesús le pide al Padre que los mantenga a salvo del Malvado. Jesús ora no solo por sus discípulos de ese tiempo, sino también por aquellos de nosotros que creemos en él por el mensaje que han recibido (las Buenas Nuevas).
Las líneas 24-26 en el Capítulo 17 de Juan expresan el último deseo del Señor por nosotros:
¡Padre! Me los has dado a Mí, y quiero que sean
conmigo donde estoy, para que puedan ver mi gloria, la gloria
me diste; porque tu me amaste antes de que el mundo fuera hecho.
¡Padre Justo! El mundo no te conoce, pero yo sé
Tú, y aquellos que saben que Tú me enviaste. Te hice conocido
ellos, y continuaré haciéndolo para que el amor
tener para Mí puede estar en ellos, y para que yo también pueda estar
en ellos.
en ellos.
“The Bible”, writes Debra Draper,” is the most precious love letter and instruction Book ever penned. God’s letter was written with such care and love and He gave us His heart-print in ink so that we would have the joy of reading, meditating, and tracing its testimony over and over again.” Having taken the time to read John 14-17 as you suggested, I couldn’t agree more with Ms. Draper’s comment. John’s chapters give us a picture of Jesus’ eternal love and passion for his disciples. We might say that Jesus wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to letting them know how much he loves and cares for them and seeks to spend eternity with them. His words apply to us as well. Additionally, throughout John 14-17 Jesus encouraged the disciples by teaching them about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He kept them from sadness and despair by saying, "You are not losing Me, but I am going to be with you in a different way through My Spirit."
ReplyDeleteDuring Jesus’ life we were introduced to the dynamic energy between Father, Son and Spirit. Recall the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist - the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and hovered over Jesus. With that was heard a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, my favor rests on him” (Matt. 3: 16-17). And again during the Transfiguration when a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, on whom my favor rests. Listen to him” (Matt. 17:5).
In his discourse to his disciples, Jesus reiterates the loving, obedient relationship he has with his Father and establishes the role of the Holy Spirit. In this we see the unity of the Trinity which St. Bonaventure called a “fountain fullness” of love. “God is unhindered dialogue, a positive and inclusive flow, an eternal waterwheel of self-emptying and outpouring love – that knows it can completely self-empty because it will always be filled back up. According to Richard Rohr, “the relationship between the Three is where all the power for infinite renewal is at work.” To me, the Trinity exemplifies communal living / communal love. God is not solitude, but perfect communion. This is good news for us because as we grow in union with Jesus, we will experience a richer consciousness, develop a fuller identity, and evolve into a new being just as the disciples grew in Christ.
Keith Whitfield, in his course, “The Gospel Project for Adults,” emphasizes that when Jesus told the disciples at the end of John 13 that He would soon leave them, they were deeply disturbed. Yet, after the Ascension, they worshiped Jesus. They traveled back to Jerusalem with great joy. They maintained a regular presence in the temple—worshiping God.
The Ascension of Jesus produced joy because the disciples realized what amazing benefits would come to them when Jesus returned to the Father. When Jesus ascended, all the promises regarding the Spirit's ministry to the disciples were about to be fulfilled. The disciples accepted His ascension, for they had accepted Jesus' word about the promised One to come. Their doubts and fears were gone. They were convinced of who He was. They knew that He died to forgive them of their sins. They knew He was alive from the dead. In His resurrection, they had hope in victory over death. They trusted Him. For these reasons, Jesus' departure gave the disciples joy.
We, too, have traveled the journey from Crucifixion to Resurrection. We have heard Jesus’ post Resurrection words to his disciples – to us. We know that Jesus delivers on what He promises. I’m asking myself as I type this post what I’m feeling having read the account of Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. Am I experiencing a sense of joyful anticipation as the first disciples did? What about you? What’s going on in your heart as you reflect on Jesus’ returning to His Father?
Pat C., ASBS
Yes! How grateful we are that Our Lord made all those careful preparations for us before his return to the heavenly kingdom! As our catechism explains, "Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, precedes us into the Father's glorious kingdom so that we, the members of His Body, may live in the hope of one day being united with Him for ever." (CCC 666)
ReplyDeleteThe following excerpts are from a homily by Father Albert Lakra:
"The Ascension is the glorification of Our Lord Jesus Christ and it was an event expected after His Resurrection. As a matter of fact, the Suffering and Death of Jesus, His Resurrection, His Ascension, and Pentecost all form one unit and they are inseparably linked with one another."
"The Ascension of the Lord is the hope of our glorification and a guarantee to meet Our Lord in heaven. It is a reminder of our salvation, a reminder that our true home is in heaven. Today we are challenged to look beyond this world to the destiny which we are to share with Christ in heaven. Thus, this world can only be a place of temporary refuge, a world of passage and not a world of permanence."
"Moreover, the feast of the Ascension is also a reminder for all of us, not just of what awaits us when we die, but also what we need to do while still on earth alive. Jesus, before the Ascension, commissioned His disciples, and us, to be His witnesses and carry out His mission to the ends of the earth till His return - a big task indeed. But before we can proclaim Jesus to others, our first task is to make sure that we make Jesus the Lord of our own hearts. This we can do by prayerfully reflecting on His words and by living according to His teachings and commandments. We have to make time to become more like Christ in everything. Then we can proclaim the good news to others not only through our words an deeds but also through our lives so that Jesus will also reign in our hearts and one day we will be with Him in heaven. And this is the good news of today."
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