CHRISTIANS OF ASCENSION

"After the Lord Jesus had talked with them, he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God." (Mark 16:19).

This day, May 26, is Ascension Thursday - and marks the end of Easter 2022. For forty days many of us, Christians, have testified of our new life in Christ, as Jesus did of his resurrection to more than 500 people (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:6). We did it by proving beyond doubts - in our words, actions and composures - that we are living in Christ and Christ is living in us; by his Spirit. (Galatians 5 :24-25).

When Jesus ascended into heaven, to meet the Father (As he had said to Mary Magdalene: "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet gone back up to the Father" (John 20:17)), he told his Apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) to send to them the Holy Spirit. So what is the next step for us, Christians, after we commemorated the Ascension of Jesus Christ this day? Follow me - you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free (John 8:32). 

JESUS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN 

1. ASCENSION  

"In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with him to rule with him in the heavenly world." (Ephesians 2:6) 

Really, for us Christians our resurrection is not enough, we have to ascend with Christ in to the heavenly world to live a deeper life in the Holy Spirit. This ascension is the spiritual retreat from the material, world in order to be lifted up as Christ into the spiritual world, from where we may rule over this world, in dominion with God; that is, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  

2. DOMINION  

"The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments;  we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

And what does it mean to "rule over the world" in dominion with God? It means to take control over every worldly thought, argument, desire, circumstance, activity or  institution - politics, economy, art, industry, fashion, science, technology etc - and make them to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). For Christ is the ruler of the universe (Ephesians 1:21) - and as he said: "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18-20). Thus, he will rule until God will put all his enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:22). And we can only rule with God in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8). So after celebrating Ascension day we, the Christians, have to follow the same trajectory which the Apostles took when Jesus ascended from them into heaven. (Acts 1:13-14). Let's go! 

3. RETREAT 

"They entered the city and went up to the room where they were staying: Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Patriot, and Judas son of James." (Acts 1:13). 

 The retreat to the "Upper Room",  and in "Jerusalem", has a notable concordance with the conditions of Christian life today. The Apostles were not told to retreat to the desert or an isolated mountain, but to Jerusalem - which was, and remains, the largest city in Israel. But when they got there, they had to go upstairs, where they stayed and prayed together. Usually, there is more calm upstairs because passers-by will not stop to disturb or distract us. 

And the lesson we learn here is that we no longer need to go to physical mountains to meet God. The noises and huzzles around us should not limit our Christian life. The must we have to do is to regularly take  retreat from the activities, attractions and distractions of the world around us, in order to seek the face of God - by practicing abstinence, prayer, meditation and fellowship. 

4. FELLOWSHIP 

"When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place." (Acts 2:1). 

After our retreat from the world, the next step for us to take - on the trajectory of the Apostles - is fellowship. Fellowship is the meeting, together, of Christians to share in the Word, their testimonies of their faith, and to pray in one spirit. In our fellowships we encourage, strengthen, enlighten and enkidle one another with the fire God's. Spirit. For Jesus, himself,  said "When two or three people are gathered in my name, I am present there with them". (Matthew 18:20). 

5. DESIRE 

"And when they came together, he gave them this order: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised. John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)

In coming to fellowship, our intentions or desires should not only be to meet one another - brothers and sisters in Christ - but to encounter the Christ himself; who, with the Father, comes to us in the Holy Spirit. (John 14:23). But our expectations to encounter God in the Holy Spirit will be fulfilled by our selfless manifestation of love towards God and towards each other. The Holy Spirit responds positively to the action of God's love because he is the Spirit of Love - the perfect communion of the Father and the Son (John 14:23). 

6. PRAYER 

"They gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers." (Acts 1:14). 

This communion in prayer is perpetuated in the Church - as the Novena to Holy Spirit - for the renewal of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and for the believers' revivals and growth in the Holy Spirit. It begins on the Friday after Ascension Thursday and ends on the Saturday before Pentecost Sunday - the solemnity of the Holy Spirit. Following this Novena many believers realize and begin to exercise their charismatic and spiritual gifts. The Novena to the Holy Spirit is a mighty way to fan and rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit recovered in the Sacrament of Confirmation, but which has gone out of many who were baptized and confirmed - due to the lack of maintenance: through meditation, fellowship, prayer and service. 

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7. POWER 

"Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak."  (Acts 2:2-4):

The trajectory of the Apostles culminated in an extraordinary encounter with God in the general outpouring of the Holy Spirit - on the day of Pentecost. At the Pentecost the Apostles had a similar communion with God on earth to that which Jesus had with the Father on his Ascension (Mark 16:19). The Pentecost is celebrated in the Church on the second Sunday after Ascension Thursday; that is to say, ten days after the Ascension.

An outstanding evidence of the Apostles' communion with God at the Pentecost was the breaking of language barriers. When they spoke in their native languages, the bystanders all heard what they said - each one in their own native language. (Acts 2 : 7-11). That was a perfect and awesome manifestation of tongues. It proved that God is one and that in the Holy Spirit everyone, and all, are one with God.  The Pentecost was the birth of the Church that had earlier been created by Jesus on the rock of Peter - as the chief of the Apostles (Matthew 16:18-19). 

So after the Pentecost, the Apostles went out of their shells to start witnessing for Christ, as he had prophesied to them (Acts 1:8) - and it is the duty of the Church and of all believers to continue witnessing for Christ, because the Good News has not yet reached .out to "the ends of the world" (Acts 1:8).. That is why the Novena to the Holy Spirit and the commemoration of the Solemnity of the Pentecost are held in the Church, to rekindle the mother Church as well as ascended Christians with the fire of love in the Holy Spirit - for them to go out and continue witnessing for Christ - until the whole world receives the Good News of his Salvation. 

This call is to all Christians, for Christi who reconciled us with God also gave us the task to reconcile others with him (2 Corinthians 5:18). Therfore, as us all join in the Church, in prayer, penance and desire, may the Spirit of the Pentecost refill, revive and empower us to accept and fulfill our Christian vocation - in name of Jesus Christ, our Lord ; AMEN! .

 

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Thought of the Week 

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Author: Aying Godman, is a Catechist, Evangelist & Blogger of the Roman Church; Founder of CATHOLIC FRONT MEDIA™ 

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