Day 3: Hope is rising
Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not go into a holy place which had been made by men's hands as the copy of the true one; but he went into heaven itself, and now takes his place before the face of God for us.
Meditation
The Ascension opens a space for hope, the days between the resurrection of our Lord and his ascension were rich in events: the grands mysteries received their answers and big facts were revealed.
That's when we can stop our fear of death and truly believes in fact of the soul's and our flesh immortality, that's when by the breath of the Lord, the holy spirit was communicated to all disciples, The blessed Peter, after he had received the keys of the holly kingdom, was privileged and assigned to be, the guardian of troops, of all other disciples.
At these days, The Lord had joined two disciples on their way! He walked with them; for dissipating on us the darkness of doubts at the end, he reproaches to his men passing through their incapability to understand, he touches and lighten their hearts to be able to feel the flames of faith lightened in them; they were filled of warmth, they were filled with passion when the lord made them understand what's written in the books, their eyes were opened at the fraction of bread, they obtained the summit of happiness, they who had witnessed the glorification of human nature despite our first parents whom conceived in shame because of their disobedience.
During all the period in between the resurrection of our Lord until his ascension, here are, my beloveds, of what the divine providence had taken care of; here are what he made understand in the eyes and hearts of his disciples, we believes that the Lord Jesus had indeed risen, he who had was truly born, had suffered and died. Also, the blessed apostles and all disciples were affirmed by the truth of resurrection, those whom the death over the cross was passing among them, they were affirmed when the Lord went to Heaven, he did not leave any sadness but filled them with great happiness! Certainly, it was for them a strong and inexpressible motive of rejoice, as in front of a group of apostles, the human nature received a superior dignity above all celestial creatures. It will even passes through the chorales of angels, will went higher than the archangels, the most sublime creature will not be able to measure its degree of elevation, because it will be admitted to crowned beside the eternal Father by its association at his glory as the divine nature was unified in the person of the Son” Leon le Grand – Pope (440 – 461), the first sermon of ascension, 2-4
So, the Ascension represents one of the foundational events of our faith in Jesus Christ, in addition to, it donates the freedom to humans without being imposed to.
Easter, Ascension and Pentecost, triple events unified in one, it's the celebration of deployed Easter.
Be praised, Jesus; you opened for us a way for heaven, the life with The Lord, lets this way toward the heights, towards whom is fair and good, orient our joys, takes our daily problems towards whom had taken our humanity to the end, Amen
Cardinal Godfried Daneels' Prayer on the morning of the Ascension
Lord Jesus, when you ascended into heaven, the angels said to the eleven: “Do not stay there looking at the heavens!”
But forty days earlier, by the tomb, did not the same angels say to the women: “Do not look downwards! He is not here. He is risen.”?
Would it not have been fickle of the angels to change their minds so quickly?
What are we to do Lord Jesus: look downwards towards the earth or upwards towards the heavens?
Toward both, You tell us: “I am in heaven, so look upwards to me and pray. But I am also on earth in the poor, the weak, the ill and sinners. You still have so much to do down there, for them and for me, at least for the time being.
Lord Jesus, make us look to the heavens, without forgetting the earth, and vice versa. For every time that we do something on earth to serve one of our brothers whom you created, it is indeed You whom we are serving.
Thank you! 41 people prayed
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Col 4:6