Acts 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28,10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53
The author of Acts seems to teach Theophilus about Jesus, His apostles and the importance of the Holy Spirit. Everything he has told him about Jesus is proven as Jesus had shown himself alive after His death on the cross. The magic number of forty days is added as a special sign of proof.
Therefore, Theophilus is urged to believe in Jesus and trust in God keeping His promise.
The desire to restore the kingdom to Israel is strong. The people are asking when it would come. We are not in charge of the time. It will be God’s time. However, we might also ask: how will the kingdom of God look like?
We don’t know. It is the Holy Spirit who will let us know the time and the place.
When Jesus ascended into the sky, his friends were following him with their eyes. They were looking to heaven and yearning to be with Him, but two men in white (two angels?) take them back to reality. There is work to do here on earth. As Jesus said, don’t worry. Just listen to the Holy Spirit who will tell you when the time has come.
It is certainly difficult to believe for the apostles that Jesus was not just their human teacher and rabbi but also divine, the Son of God.
Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, describes Jesus from the starting point of the Resurrection. Christ didn’t come as a model of Himself but has always been Christ. He gave Himself once, shedding His own blood to take our sins.
Jesus’ sacrifice was special. It was unique and doesn’t have to be repeated.
Therefore, our sins are already forgiven. We don’t have to worry about them, but we need to be ready for when He comes again. To be ready means that we are sincere in heart and filled with faith – “because the one who made the promise is faithful”.
When Jesus farewelled his disciples, He took them outside of the town of Jerusalem, to Bethany. This place is certainly not chosen by coincidence as it is the place where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
There, He blesses His friends and ascends to Heaven. The disciples return to Jerusalem full of joy and praise for God.
While the first Reading seems to refer to the disciples of being speechless when they see Jesus disappear into the clouds, the Gospel expresses joy and praise.
Joy and praise to have known Jesus and believe in His return, to trust in God’s promise and to believe in the Resurrection and life after death. The Holy Spirit will stay with us. We are baptised in the Holy Spirit, and we are people of the Resurrection. Every Sunday, when we celebrate Mass, we have reasons to be joyful and thankful for the love of Christ.
BM
