How are we to connect as Church once Jesus has ascended?
The beginning of the Acts of the Apostles recounts the end of Jesus’ physical presence on earth; his Ascension is the beginning of the Church that is to carry on Jesus’ presence in the world. As long as the disciples have Jesus physically present with them, they can’t be Church. But when he gathers them together one last time, they are confused. Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? they ask. He does not answer their question directly – it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, he says, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The disciples’ hearts are not yet open to the full truth, to the fact that Jesus came to ransom us, to open the door to God’s heart, to move us from a life of separation to a life of connection, connection within the Body of Christ. But they will know that love, and soon…
In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminds the Christian community that the Spirit promised by Jesus is a Spirit of wisdom and understanding resulting in knowledge of him, a Spirit that draws us closer to God, draws us more profoundly into God’s love for us. When the eyes of our hearts are enlightened, we can see that love clearly as it is manifested in the surpassing greatness of his power, the power of that being Psalm 47 calls the great king over all the earth: God’s love is made manifest in the forgiveness of our sins. Thanks to this forgiveness, we can forgive one another, drawing closer to God and to others, united in the love of Christ. That love is the source of all human connection; it is a gift of the Spirit that descends as Jesus ascends to God.
And it is nothing less than this love that effects our ultimate commissioning, as that commissioning began with the eleven disciples at the end of Matthew’s Gospel. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, Jesus tells them before he ascends. Go and establish with all people a relationship with Christ, full engagement with the love of God. Instill that love within them, so they feel the God’s power, God’s love, in their lives. This was the mission of the original disciples and it remains our mission today: to fill every heart with the love of God, a love we know because of the Spirit that dwells within us, a love born of forgiveness that leads to connection, to life as Church.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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