Ascension of the Lord

(Lk 24:46-53)

Lk interprets the Resurrection as the fulfilment of the First Covenant (vv.44-45): the whole history of Israel [like the stages of a journey] receives meaning and culmination in Christ, the key to the Scriptures.

Now the Passover expands in the sending of the Spirit (v.49) and is attested in the ecclesial Mission (vv.47-48).

The coming of the Spirit condenses and expands the Way of the Lord. By "ascending" to the Father, the Son gives us the strength to walk it, and it becomes ours.

In particular, the Mission is a testimony of the Christ's story; and of a change of mindset and forgiveness that is possible, open to the world.

All receive the grace of paths leading to reconciliation with men and communion with God. In fact, the emphasis falls on the figure of the blessing Jesus (vv.50-51).

"Ascension" stands for the depth of Easter, the goal of the development of history: the message of the Lord and the truth of his story are not a moment in the past.

From the height of the heavens (which precisely does not take us out of history) to the daily journey: Christ's experience becomes deep root and judgement, foundation and humus, truth and goal of our vicissitude.

The Ascension (not from the world, but with the world) glorifies humanity. It depicts the cosmic and universal dimension of the Resurrection - a new way of Heaven coming into human space, a perennial event.

What then is the destiny of a life spent in faithfulness to a prophetic vocation? The earthly outcome of Jesus - the faithful Son - would seem to be that of the failures of all times and of any culture, philosophy or religion.

Is it then worth it to be oneself? Wouldn't it be more constructive to regulate oneself on the basis of personal convenience and circle opportunism?

Easter celebrates a joy: it is the feast of those who realise that defeats do not remain dark, useless sides. They hide disproportionate gems.

Of our passing there remains a full bloom. And it is not true that a life vilified by bullies is wasted or ends badly.

In Eastern icons, Easter is depicted as Christ's Descent to the Underworld: victory of the common woman and man (Adam and Eve pulled up from their respective tombs).

Again in icons, the Mystery of the Ascension is depicted with two angels in white robes pointing out to the apostles the glorious nimbus of the Lord, seated on a throne.

As if to say: contemplate where a life wasted according to men but fulfilled according to the Father has come.

Obeying our Vocation uncompromisingly and wholly may seem imprudent and reckless. Instead, it is full self-respect and instinctive evaluation that leads us to our Fatherland.

The nature of our fibres animated by the Inner Friend appeals not to social goals to be achieved, but to who we really are - and the profound naturalness unfolded in the journey of Faith leads infallibly to the Cradle that corresponds to us.

To allow oneself to be influenced and become external is to lose one's bearings, ruining the wholeness of being in all those aspects that conformist thinking considers wrong and instead will sooner or later have to come into play to face real life and complete us - even in an unprecedented way.

In spite of the apparent failure and reproaches that the personal (and social or ecclesial) unusual arouses, by listening to our Calling by Name and that unquenchable Fire that dwells within us, we fulfil ourselves and others.

If our attention is not on the scenario of what once was or is happening around us, we recoil from the new awareness of an ongoing genesis of our personality and mission: a prototype and modality of ourselves that is mysteriously blossoming and having value.

Unless we allow ourselves to be conditioned by interference, overwhelmed by the plagiarism of established realities - or calculation of circumstances - we sense that there is a characterising track calling.

We realise that we can be with ourselves and grow without preclusions of the unexpected or already commonly paradigmatic criteria, because God does not express Himself by issuing saccharine regulations, but by creating renewed heavens within us and already on earth.

His language is unrepeatable for each person: life in the Spirit is not a matter of being retrograde or scapegoat - infecund fans.

In short, with Jesus' Easter and Ascension, what has changed? Apparently nothing, because people continue as before to travel or stand still, to buy and sell, to work or party, to rejoice or weep. That is the reality.

But as in a landscape characterised by fog... suddenly the sun rises and we see sharp contours, we enjoy the brilliance of colours, even shades. Personal isolation and the isolation of the steeple is shattered.

In fact [take for example the ending of Lk (which appears disconsolate)]: after Jesus has attempted to lead his own to the Exodus of Bethany (the community without pretended masters of the things of God; composed of only brothers and sisters - even coordinated by a woman, Martha) they willingly return to the ancient, Temple cult.

Spontaneously, the apostles would have found a compromise with the stagnant institution on which the Lord had pronounced himself with harsh expressions - and which had done him in with satisfaction.

This is why Easter Time does not end as one would perhaps expect with Ascension, but at Pentecost: the discovery of a Treasure and a vital Flame to be not withheld, but universal.

But in the meantime, this oscillation between an in and an out - a sitting (Lk 24:49: Greek text) and a leaving - conveys to us the right rhythm of Heaven.

Heaven that helps us come back into ourselves and avoid the homologising illusion of fashions or any club - they do not belong to us.

In short, in these Easter solemnities we are called to discover peripheries, distant realms, other ways of being in the field... but perhaps first to unveil a root of mystery, in those hidden sides of us - or hidden by the shadows - that must emerge to complete the personality.

Let us emancipate ourselves from the poverty of thought of the usual (ratified) era around: it also applies to spiritual conformism, which from the swampy energy of reassuring identification wants at all costs to leap into the full experience of personal Faith.

Even today in a world that shrinks young people into chat rooms and is increasingly distant from reality and nature, we want to sharpen listening and all perception (which develop character, the desire to coexist, the joy of living). 

We learn to broaden our spheres, to welcome the objectification of others, but in their-our unrepeatability, accentuating the codes of the inner world: we cannot stake our lives on a hypothetical mission, but on a strong identity yes - and one that does not crumble at the first landslide.

The soul orients itself towards its utopia (no longer narrow) and allows itself to be fertilised by that imagination that first feeds on the total real and then dives into the great ideals, even heroic ones - or pin-pointed ones.

We learn to dialogue with the concrete and integral human: our neighbour and ourselves. Thus finally honouring God by respecting ourselves in the round; accepting frailties, insecurities and fears: entirely our own.

To ascend is to find Heaven in us and in humanity: to take off without straying.

Easter, Ascension. Taking off without straying

There is evidence that He is Living

What is the fate of a life spent in faithfulness to a prophetic calling?

The earthly outcome of Jesus - the faithful Son - would seem to be that of failures of all times and of any culture, philosophy or religion.

Is it then worth it to be oneself?

Would it not be more constructive to regulate oneself on the basis of personal convenience and group opportunism?

Easter celebrates a joy: it is the feast of those who realise that defeats do not remain dark sides. They hide disproportionate gems.

Of our passing there remains a full flowering. And it is not true that a broken life is wasted or ends badly.

In Eastern icons, Easter is depicted as Descent to the Underworld: victory of the common woman and man.

Again in icons, the Mystery of the Ascension is usually depicted with two angels in white robes pointing out to the Apostles the glorious nimbus of the Lord, seated on a throne.

As if to say: contemplate where a life wasted according to men but fulfilled according to the Father has come.

Obeying our Call without compromise and in an integral manner may seem imprudent and reckless. Instead, it is full self-respect, and leads us to our Fatherland.

The nature of our fibres animated by the Inner Friend appeals not to social goals to be achieved, but to who we really are.

And our deep identity unfolded in the path of Faith leads infallibly to the Cradle of Being.

To allow oneself to be influenced and become external is to lose the guidance, ruining the completeness of innate abilities.

In spite of the apparent failure and reproaches that the personal and social unseen arouses, by heeding our Calling by Name and that unquenchable Fire that dwells within us, we realise life.

Today, more than ever before, we are in the age of social showcases, which expose every aspect of even personal history and news.

But the trunk, branches, flowers, buds and fruits are born from the roots. They live well hidden.

Our Heaven is intertwined with our earth and our dust: it is inside and below, not behind the clouds.

If there is no time for accurate perception and intimate reflection, there is no way to be reborn to the Newness of God.

In all the folds of going, even spiritual, we become more and more sensitive to the comments and judgements that come in real time.

Having become full members of the society of the epidermis, we lose the meridian, often the ability to evolve and grow others.

Not discovering the secret side that inhabits us, we become discouraged.

Losing our gaze in the meanderings of diffuse and all-out judgment, we lose the capacity to gestate the personal Jesus, and we no longer give birth to him.

At most, one will make him resemble a paradigmatic semblance of him; perhaps convincing that he is indeed the one, all exterior.

In this way, the Lord becomes a Jesus in the opinion of others, around him; of the group, of the patronal banners; or that of the 'live' [the opinion of those who make the audience].

If we value the aspect of the soul that communicates with the rinds of the targets, we cut it off or unbalance it with dominant thoughts, allowing it to be plagiarised by manipulators - even spiritual ones.

But the heart that loses the whole no longer guides the soul in what characterises the Vocation and our Seed.

The inward pretends to express itself. We proceed in vain, or in cliché.

We are not a judgement, an opinion, a crisis, a memory, but rather inventors of paths that draw from ever springing water.

Not from a well, nor from a swamp, where everything has already happened - but from a Source.

If our attention is not on the conformist scenery of what once was or around is happening, we wince at the new awareness of a genesis in action.

A re-birth of our personality and mission: a prototype and mode of ourselves that is mysteriously blossoming and having value.

Unless we allow ourselves to be conditioned and overwhelmed by cultural interference or calculation of circumstances, we sense that there is a characterising track calling us.

We realise that we can be with ourselves and grow without preclusions of the unexpected, or already commonly paradigmatic codes.

Because God does not express Himself by issuing all-encompassing regulations, but by creating renewed heavens within us and already on earth.

In short, with Jesus' Easter and Ascension, what has changed?

Apparently nothing, because people continue as before to travel or stay put, to buy and sell, to work or party, to rejoice or weep...

And yet, as in a landscape of fog, suddenly the sun rises and we see sharp profiles, we enjoy the brilliance of colours, even shades.

We sharpen our hearing and all perception.

We learn to accept the objectification of others and their-our unrepeatability.

We learn to dialogue with reality and first of all with ourselves; thus finally honouring the Eternal, respecting ourselves integrally.

Heaven: taking off without straying. We are not alone. And the best is yet to come.