9 28, June, 2020 catholicweekly.com.au Christ’s ascent to heaven is depicted in a stained glass window at St Mary’s Basilica inWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. PHOTO: CNS, CROSIERS Consumed by nostalgia, we could eas- ily just keep staring upwards at heaven and give up on this earth. But had father Abraham done that, he’d have had no descendants at all ...” Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP Which is an interesting part of Jesus’ story. But why do we, too, feel nostalgia for heaven? Why do we talk of someone who has died “returning to the Father” or “going home” when they’ve never been there before? Well, Aquinas explains, those goings and comings of the persons of God that theo- logians call ‘processions’ and ‘missions’ are also the prin- ciple of our creation and re- demption, identity and mis- sion, destiny and completion. If we are made from heaven, we are also made for heaven. Heaven is our homeland. On great feasts like this one you might notice some tweak- ing of the First Eucharistic Prayer. You can expect an in- clusion like “Celebrating that most sacred day on which your Only Begotten Son, hav- ing completed his mission on earth, returned to his throne of glory at your right hand”. But no, the focus even here is on what it does for us: “Cel- ebrating the most sacred day,” the prayer declares, “on which your Only Begotten Son, our Lord, placed at the right hand of your glory our weak human nature, which he had united to himself”. You see, God the Son didn’t leave the heavenly realm, as- suming the form of a servant, for the sake of some cosmic tourism. It was for our sake, pure and simple, so He could take us back with Him. And so in the Ascension window of our cathedral, as Jesus is flying through the air and the disciples gape at the sky, He is not looking towards the Father above but to us be- low, with love on His face and blessing in His hand. And in the little scene beneath that window we see the two an- gels encouraging the grieving disciples, “Why are you guys gawking at the heavens? Jesus has ascended but He will re- turn to take you with Him.” What to do in the mean- time? Consumed by nostalgia, we could easily just keep star- ing upwards at heaven and give up on this earth. But had father Abraham done that, he’d have had no descendants at all, let alone a whole night- sky’s worth of Jews and Chris- tians. If teacher Moses had re- mained sky-gazing, we might be mired in astrology and na- ture worship, as he warned. If King David had kept focused on heavenly visions, he might never have repented and so saved his people from plague. If the magi and shepherds had kept looking upwards, they would never have seen the Christ child in the manger below. If the apostles had fo- cused only on higher things, they would have neglected to bring the deaf-mute and dead Lazarus to Jesus. And if Jesus Himself had cared only for the things above, He would never have condescended to leave us His Body and Blood. When we look upwards in our prayers it is with our knees or feet firmly on the ground. And so in our Gospel today Jesus’ last words are not “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Stay, therefore, and worship me, praise me, thank me” as well He might. No, His great commission is “All authori- ty in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, there- fore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them… and teach them”. Easter isn’t a free pass, it’s a procession, a mission, a send- ing forth into all the world, so we might bring that world, with us, back home to heav- en. “And know that I amwith you always; yes, to the end of time!” This is the edited text of the homily by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP for Mass of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year A, Livestreamed from St. Mary’s Basilica, Sydney, 24 May 2020 Contact us for more information on how you can watch EWTN EWTN is a non-pro fi t organization supported entirely by donations Email: asiapaci f i
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