May 24, 2025 Written by 

Entering into the Fullness

Today, in Italy and other countries, we celebrate Jesus' Ascension into heaven, which took place forty days after Easter. We contemplate the mystery of Jesus leaving our earthly space to enter the fullness of God's glory, taking our humanity with him. That is, we, our humanity, enter heaven for the first time. Luke's Gospel shows us the reaction of the disciples before the Lord who "parted from them and was taken up into heaven" (24:51). There was no pain or bewilderment in them, but "they prostrated themselves before him; then they returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (v. 52). It is the return of those who no longer fear the city that had rejected the Master, that had seen the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter, had seen the dispersion of the disciples and the violence of a power that felt threatened.
Since that day, it has been possible for the Apostles and for every disciple of Christ to dwell in Jerusalem and in all the cities of the world, even in those most troubled by injustice and violence, because above every city there is the same sky and every inhabitant can look up with hope. Jesus, God, is a real man, with his human body is in heaven! And this is our hope, this is our anchor, and we are firm in this hope if we look up to heaven.
In this heaven dwells that God who revealed himself so close that he took on the face of a man, Jesus of Nazareth. He remains forever the God-with-us - let us remember this: Emmanuel, God-with-us - and he does not leave us alone! We can look up to recognise our future before us. In the Ascension of Jesus, the Crucified Risen One, there is the promise of our participation in the fullness of life with God.
Before parting from his friends, Jesus, referring to the event of his death and resurrection, had said to them: "Of this you are witnesses" (v. 48). That is, the disciples, the apostles are witnesses of Christ's death and resurrection, on that day, also of Christ's Ascension. And indeed, after seeing their Lord ascend to heaven, the disciples returned to the city as witnesses joyfully proclaiming to all the new life that comes from the Risen Crucified One, in whose name "conversion and the forgiveness of sins will be preached to all peoples" (v. 47). This is the witness - given not only in words but also in daily life - the witness that every Sunday should leave our churches to enter during the week into homes, offices, schools, meeting places and places of entertainment, hospitals, prisons, homes for the elderly, crowded places for immigrants, the outskirts of the city... This is the witness we must bear every week: Christ is with us; Jesus has ascended into heaven, he is with us; Christ is alive!
Jesus has assured us that in this proclamation and testimony we will be "clothed with power from on high" (v. 49), that is, with the power of the Holy Spirit. Herein lies the secret of this mission: the presence among us of the risen Lord, who with the gift of the Spirit continues to open our minds and hearts, to proclaim his love and mercy even in the most refractory environments of our cities. It is the Holy Spirit who is the true architect of the multiform witness that the Church and every baptised person gives in the world. Therefore, we can never neglect recollection in prayer to praise God and invoke the gift of the Spirit. In this week, which leads us to the feast of Pentecost, let us remain spiritually in the Upper Room, together with the Virgin Mary, to receive the Holy Spirit.
[Pope Francis, Regina Coeli 8 May 2016].

8 Last modified on Saturday, 24 May 2025 03:55
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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All this helps us not to let our guard down before the depths of iniquity, before the mockery of the wicked. In these situations of weariness, the Lord says to us: “Have courage! I have overcome the world!” (Jn 16:33). The word of God gives us strength [Pope Francis]
Tutto questo aiuta a non farsi cadere le braccia davanti allo spessore dell’iniquità, davanti allo scherno dei malvagi. La parola del Signore per queste situazioni di stanchezza è: «Abbiate coraggio, io ho vinto il mondo!» (Gv 16,33). E questa parola ci darà forza [Papa Francesco]
The Ascension does not point to Jesus’ absence, but tells us that he is alive in our midst in a new way. He is no longer in a specific place in the world as he was before the Ascension. He is now in the lordship of God, present in every space and time, close to each one of us. In our life we are never alone (Pope Francis)
L’Ascensione non indica l’assenza di Gesù, ma ci dice che Egli è vivo in mezzo a noi in modo nuovo; non è più in un preciso posto del mondo come lo era prima dell’Ascensione; ora è nella signoria di Dio, presente in ogni spazio e tempo, vicino ad ognuno di noi. Nella nostra vita non siamo mai soli (Papa Francesco)
The Magnificat is the hymn of praise which rises from humanity redeemed by divine mercy, it rises from all the People of God; at the same time, it is a hymn that denounces the illusion of those who think they are lords of history and masters of their own destiny (Pope Benedict)
Il Magnificat è il canto di lode che sale dall’umanità redenta dalla divina misericordia, sale da tutto il popolo di Dio; in pari tempo è l’inno che denuncia l’illusione di coloro che si credono signori della storia e arbitri del loro destino (Papa Benedetto)
This unknown “thing” is the true “hope” which drives us, and at the same time the fact that it is unknown is the cause of all forms of despair and also of all efforts, whether positive or destructive, directed towards worldly authenticity and human authenticity (Spe Salvi n.12)
Questa « cosa » ignota è la vera « speranza » che ci spinge e il suo essere ignota è, al contempo, la causa di tutte le disperazioni come pure di tutti gli slanci positivi o distruttivi verso il mondo autentico e l'autentico uomo (Spe Salvi n.12)
«When the servant of God is troubled, as it happens, by something, he must get up immediately to pray, and persevere before the Supreme Father until he restores to him the joy of his salvation. Because if it remains in sadness, that Babylonian evil will grow and, in the end, will generate in the heart an indelible rust, if it is not removed with tears» (St Francis of Assisi, FS 709)
«Il servo di Dio quando è turbato, come capita, da qualcosa, deve alzarsi subito per pregare, e perseverare davanti al Padre Sommo sino a che gli restituisca la gioia della sua salvezza. Perché se permane nella tristezza, crescerà quel male babilonese e, alla fine, genererà nel cuore una ruggine indelebile, se non verrà tolta con le lacrime» (san Francesco d’Assisi, FF 709)
Wherever people want to set themselves up as God they cannot but set themselves against each other. Instead, wherever they place themselves in the Lord’s truth they are open to the action of his Spirit who sustains and unites them (Pope Benedict)
Dove gli uomini vogliono farsi Dio, possono solo mettersi l’uno contro l’altro. Dove invece si pongono nella verità del Signore, si aprono all’azione del suo Spirito che li sostiene e li unisce (Papa Benedetto)

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