“While he was
blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven”St. Luke 24:51
In
the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We remember last looks. The last time we see an old friend in the
hospital before his death, smiling faintly, ready to face what comes next. Our mother’s tears as we waved away that car
from the college dormitory parking lot on the first day of freshman
orientation. The triumph of a retiring
athlete or musician, scanning the crowd one final time with joy and
gratitude. The last look tells us so
much. It reveals the heart, brings to
life what is most important in the relationship we share. Often it points to what lies ahead.
It is so too in the mystery we
celebrate today: our Lord’s glorious ascension.
“While he was blessing them,” Saint Luke tells us, “he withdrew from
them and was carried up to heaven.” The
last look for Jesus’ disciples, that parting vision that would be fixed forever
in their mind was of their Master, his arms lifted confidently, pouring out on
them his blessing, the assurance of His love.
It’s just this that the great painting over our Altar depicts: Christ in
strength and glory, lifting up His precious hands to bestow once and for all
His blessing on all who love Him.
