Ascension of the Lord

" After [Christ's] suffering, he showed himself to [the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit], and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days  and spoke about the kingdom of God. . . . . He said to them, 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.' After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid him from sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going. . . ." [Acts 1: 1-10].

The Ascension of the Lord marks the time when Jesus, having shown himself in body to the Apostles at various times during 40 days, now departs to Heaven, to be seated at the right hand of His Father.

Have you ever sat in Mass and heard certain words, for perhaps most of your life, maybe for many years, but never fully understood them?

I used to listen to John 14: 6-- "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through me." -- and heard these words as if by rote.

I didn't fully understand them, in a personal way, until I went through my conversion to Catholicism. During my conversion, for some reason, I decided that I had to "get" the Trinity before I felt ready to receive the Eucharist.

God, I had You long ago-- or maybe You had me! After some time in the conversion process, I actually began to understand in a sort of intuitive way, the Holy Spirit.

The Jesus part I sort of struggled with. Sure, I try with all my heart to emulate His Way. I understand, "It is better to give than to receive."  I always have longed for love, the deep and unconditional love that Jesus embodies.

And then, suddenly, my best girlfriend died. She was a young mother, a wife, a teacher. I cried, I railed, "It's unfair!" As I tried to comprehend her death, I told myself, the only "reason" for her death was if I could see her again. In Heaven. Or, that she was most assuredly in Heaven and was no longer suffering.

And how did she get to Heaven? Because Jesus went before us! Because "No one comes to the Father except through Jesus!" I finally "got" Jesus!

So, the next Holy Day being the Ascension of the Lord, I got myself over to early a.m. Mass. I was very nervous, but I got up and walked up to the altar for the Eucharist!

The only thing that would calm me was that I imagined my girlfriend walking up with me, assuring me, encouraging me. I also imagined that with me were my Irish Nana, and my dear Irish mother-in-law (like the mother I never had).

Sometimes I am so naive, so unschooled in the Catholic way, that I did not realize that what I was imagining was "the Communion of Saints". Whatever you call it, this is what got me up to the altar.

And by "practicing" my First Communion at the Mass for the Ascension of the Lord, I was truly ready to receive the Eucharist at the funeral of my friend!

God works in mysterious ways, does He not?

Jesus, you have blazed the way for us to Heaven! I pray for all my loved ones in Heaven; may I see them again!

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