This mystery recalls how Jesus, at the end of his earthly ministry, ascended in to heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father. This occurred forty days after His resurrection. Both the gospel of Mark (16:19 ) and the Acts of the Apostles (1:8-9) mention this in the scriptures. The Church associates the Ascension with Jesus’ call for His disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. This happened nine days after the Ascension on the Feast of Pentecost. We, to this day, celebrate novenas (prayers for nine days) because of this. Also associated with His Ascension is the Great Commission from Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus tells us, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is the mission of the Church.
This second Glorious mystery is so important as it celebrates the very successful culmination of Jesus’ ministry here on earth AND His triumphal return to the Father in Heaven. It also celebrates the elevated human condition of all mankind as Jesus takes His glorified, human body in to Heaven. We, as His human children, will follow Him. Now, and forever, humanity is a permanent part of the Godhead. Think about that….. It is so amazing. God has lifted up humanity to share in His divinity. At mass, in the preparation of the cup, as he pours water in to the wine, the deacon (or if there is no deacon, the priest) quietly says, “By the mystery of this water in wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” Because of Jesus, we share in the Divinity and the Divinity shares in our humanity. That is quite mind-blowing when you really think about it. The Jesus that we follow and pray to is BOTH the Word (2nd person of the Trinity) and the glorified human born of the Virgin Mary, now and forevermore in Heaven.
Before His crucifixion, Jesus was preparing His disciples for His absence and said to them, in John 16: 7, “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I depart. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, whereas if I go, I will send Him to you.“ As much as the apostles wanted Jesus to stay, He made it quite clear to them that it was better for Him to go. When He went to the Father, He, would send the Holy Spirit to be with them, and to all of us, forever. Jesus’s Ascension to the Father allowed us to receive the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ promise to be with us always, until the end of the world, is kept in our receiving THE power from heaven, the Holy Spirit.
The departure of Jesus in the Ascension led to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, just nine days later. This Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles and disciples of Jesus at the beginning of the Church and has continued to do so to the present day. Jesus, in John 16: 12 said, “I have much more to tell you, but you would not be able to bear it now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth”; but more about that next week in the third Glorious Mystery.
Questions to Ponder:
1 – Do I honor all humanity by recognizing it sharing in the divinity of God?
2 – Do I respect, and help others to respect human life from conception to natural death?
3 – Do I really believe in the power of prayer?
4 – When is the last time that I prayed a novena?
5 – Do I rely upon the power of God’s Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me.
6 – Do I try to live out the mission of the Church by trying to “make disciples” by teaching others the Christian Way through my words and the way I live my life?
7 – Do I encourage others to seek the Christian baptism?
8 – Do I read and study the scriptures on a regular basis?
9 – Do I pay attention to all the words of the mass?
10 – Do I feel the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit and through the Church?