Ascension, Jesus is the Kingdom

Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. The first reading is from the very beginning of the Acts of the Apostles which was written by St. Luke and the Gospel is from the very end of the 3rd Testament written also by St. Luke, the last words of the 24th Chapter.

Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, has returned to His Father from where he came in the kingdom of heaven. The one change is that He rose from the dead and ascended in His human body which he took from His Mother Mary.

Reflect if you will, on the words of the 1st chapter of St. John’s Gospel, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God; and the word was God. … All things were made through Him, and without Him was made nothing that has been made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness grasped it not..And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory—Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.”

That God became man and pitched His tent among us is called the hypostatic union, the divine person Christ both God and man.

God’s plan of salvation was begun with and through Abraham.  The Old Testament is a prelude to and a foretelling of the coming of Christ that through Him and in Him those who truly believe may enter the kingdom and be raised up in their bodies on the last day.

Grace is the fullness of supernatural life and truth is the fullness of divine wisdom and knowledge….. We are in the darkness. We see by faith, faith in the Word.

The one, holy catholic and apostolic church was founded upon Peter the apostle, the rock, by Christ who gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Christ is the church. He is the good shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. He says, “I know mine and mine know me. But the hireling flees because he has no concern for the sheep. He has no faith.”

We have had the experience of looking for our car in the parking area at the mall, we are startled when our key won’t open the door. The car looks like ours, but it isn’t and our key won’t open it. To unlock the door of the kingdom of heaven we must use the keys Christ gave Peter. The Kingdom is Christ’s and if someone makes his own key it won’t fit.

“I know mine and mine know me. They hear my voice and they follow me.”

The key that we have been given is the admonishment to pray always. Prayer is knocking at the gate of heaven. We have our Lord’s assurance. “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you.” The more we pray the more will we love prayer and seek to pray.

This life, this world is passing away but too often we are stuck in running after the things of the temporal order which pull us away from God and the glory of the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is where Christ is. He has told us to seek first the kingdom of God and His justice and all these other things will be given you besides. Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven.

St. Paul today in Hebrews says, “Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by human hands, but heaven itself…. Not that he might offer Himself repeatedly as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own.”

St. Paul is speaking of the high holy day of the atonement, Yom Kippur. The blood was that of bulls and goats…The purpose was to acknowledge sin and to appease Yahweh so as to remain in His favor.

The next lines help us to grasp the meaning of this feast and of our faith. “But now once for all He has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by His sacrifice, just as it is appointed that men and women die once, and after this the judgment. So also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.”

Therefore brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way He opened for us through the veil, that is His flesh….

The veil in the Old Testament was located in the temple and separated the holy of holies which contained the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat where Yahweh would converse with Moses and later the high priests. In Mt 27:51 at the moment of Jesus death on the cross scripture reports, “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” This signifies the end of Judaism and the beginning of the resurrection.

To be in Christ is to be in heaven. In John 6 Jesus says, “I am the bread come down from heaven…. And then added my flesh is food indeed and my blood drink indeed. Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall not have life in you.”

All of this that God has provided through the passion, death, resurrection and ascension of His only begotten Son. Jesus is, through faith in Him, meant to bring us out of darkness to show that life everlasting is only to be found through Him and in Him as one would enter the front door of their own home and live and recreate and grow in love with the members of their family. In that sanctuary of home the world is shut out.

And finally we should take note of some key points in today’s celebration of Christ’s Ascension to the right hand of the Father from whence we had first come. The apostles asked Jesus, “Lord, Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel? They still did not understand and their minds were in darkness. He answered that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power, the power of grace and truth.

Jesus Himself is the kingdom. “I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you also may be.” “I am the door of the sheep. If anyone enter by me he shall be saved and shall go in and out and shall find pastures.” (Jn 10:9) “I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.” “I am who Am. This is my name forever. Says the Lord.”

Jesus is the life. He is the church wherein is found the keys to the kingdom. The keys are the seven sacraments forged in His blood that give life, Grace and truth.

“Just as it is appointed that men and women die once, and after this the judgment and so also Christ will appear a second time to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.” The first judgment is confirmed and ratified by the second.

The apostles are to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sin to all nations.

After the Ascension the apostles returned to Jerusalem and were continually in the temple praising God. Prayer is the key to the gate which is Christ.

The promise of the Father will be ours if we wait for Him to come, if we persevere in faith, if we pray.

Today Jesus has gone to the Father. Next Sunday is Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. To remind us of all that Jesus has taught, all truth. Glory to God in the Highest.