SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2012 : SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Lectionary: 58

Reading 1 Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Or Eph 4:1-13

Brothers and sisters,
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

Or Eph 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters,
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling
you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

Gospel Mk 16:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Scripture Study
Happy Easter! This Sunday begins the last week of the Easter Season. It ends next Sunday with the celebration of Pentecost. In the archdioceses and dioceses of the US states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, the Ascension of the Lord is transferred to the following Sunday. This has been done for the last several years in the western provinces of the North American church because the Ascension is too important to ignore and the celebration on Thursday was not getting the attention that it was due. Because St. Raymond Parish is located in one of these areas (California), we will celebrate the Ascension this Sunday while most of the world celebrated it the previous Thursday. The readings call us to reflect on the meaning of the Ascension and on our relationship with the Risen and Ascended Lord. The readings this year call us specifically to consider how well we are living out the task Jesus gave us in the great commission.

NOTES on First Reading:

* 1:1-14 This section presents the commission of the apostles as witnesses and the story of the Ascension of Jesus. 

* 1:1-2 These verses act as an introduction to Acts and connect Acts with the Gospel of Luke (the first book) which is generally taken to have been written by the same writer. 

* 1:2 This verse draws a parallel between the role of the Holy Spirit in the ministries of Jesus and of the apostles. The verb, “chosen,” echoes Luke 6:13 and the verse also looks to Luke 24:44-49. 

* 1:3-5 These verses show that the apostles were instructed by the risen Jesus. This sense of continuity between the teaching of Jesus and the teaching of the disciples (Church) was very important to the early Church. 

* 1:3 Luke considered the interval in which the appearances and instructions of the risen Jesus occurred to be especially sacred and expressed it in terms of the symbolic, sacred number forty (see Deut 8:2). In the scriptures forty is often used to indicate a special time in which God accomplishes a special task in and among His people. In Luke’s gospel, however, Luke connects the ascension of Jesus with the resurrection by describing the ascension on Easter Sunday evening (Luke 24:50-53). What should probably be understood as one event (resurrection, glorification, ascension, sending of the Spirit—the paschal mystery) has been historicized by Luke when he writes of a visible ascension of Jesus after forty days and the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost. For Luke, the ascension marks the end of the appearances of Jesus except for the extraordinary appearance to Paul. With regard to Luke’s understanding of salvation history, the ascension also marks the end of the time of Jesus’ direct action in the world (Luke 24:50-53) and signals the beginning of the time of Jesus’ action through the church as the normal means of carrying out His Mission. 

The subject upon which Jesus taught the apostles and the subject of their preaching was the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God was an expression for the sovereignty of God over the “chosen “ people and, through them, the whole world. It was at the heart of Jesus’ preaching as it was the theocratic ideal of the Old Testament. It implies a Kingdom of Saints where God will truly be King. See Mt 3:2; 4:17; Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:25. 

* 1:4 The promise of the Father is, of course, the gift of the Holy Spirit which the next verse makes clear. This gift of the Spirit was first promised in Jesus’ final instructions to his chosen witnesses in Luke’s gospel (Luke 24:49) and it formed part of the continuing instructions of the risen Jesus on the kingdom of God, which Luke speaks of in Acts 1:3. 

There is a subtle Eucharistic undertone here. Their table fellowship with Jesus had been restored. This same table fellowship with Jesus is now found in the Holy Eucharist. 

For Luke, Jerusalem was central to the geography of salvation. It expresses, spatially, the continuity of Israel and the church. 

* 1:5 The promise is articulated in the language of John the Baptist used in Mark 1:8. Use of John the Baptist’s prophecy here and in 11:16 demonstrates the prophecy’s fulfillment and also makes John a herald of the Church as well as of the Messiah. 

* 1:6-11 Here Luke assures us that the parousia (second coming in glory) of Jesus will occur just as certainly as his ascension occurred. 

* 1:6-8 This dialogue provides the program for the rest of Acts. The real question in verse 6 is: What is to happen in this new period? The question has 3 basic elements: 1. temporal; 2. personal; 3. spatial. Jesus’ answer in verse 7 disqualifies the question of timing. He answers what He will do in terms of what He will do through His witnesses in the Spirit. He then recasts the issue of the Kingdom of Israel in terms of their mission to the “ends of the earth.” 

* 1:6 The question asked by the disciples is often seen as implying that they are still attempting to fit Jesus and His ministry into their expectations of a political leader who would restore self-rule to Israel. Since he had not done so, they ask if it is to take place now, in the time of the church. 

* 1:7 This verse echoes the previous tradition that the precise time of the parousia is not revealed to human beings. See Mark 13:32; 1 Thes 5:1-3. 

* 1:8 As Jerusalem was the city of destiny in the Gospel of Luke, here at the beginning of Acts, Jerusalem also has a central importance. It is the starting point for the mission of the Christian disciples to “the ends of the earth,” the place where the apostles were gathered and the doctrinal focal point in the early days of the community (Acts 15:2,6). For Luke, the ends of the earth means Rome. 

* 1:9-14 The argument of whether Luke derived the story of the ascension from previous tradition or not depends in part on the differences between the old kerygma of Christ’s heavenly exaltation (Phil 2:9-11; Rom 8:34) and the interpretation of that message in terms of a bodily translation. Many elements of Luke 24:53 and Acts 1:9-12 represent a literary form supporting the latter idea. Among them are: the departing figure’s testament, the earthbound scenario, the transporting cloud, and the interpreting angels. Luke includes direct echoes of Elijah’s ascension from 2 Kings 2:9-13 and Sirach 48:9,12. 

The witness theme is important here. Luke refers to witness’s vision five times in verses 9-11. This is an argument for the visibility and historicity of Jesus’ ascension. However, the inclusion of interpreting angels signals that this is not simply an event fully within history and therefore it is not completely comprehensible on strictly human terms. 

There is a strong similarity with the last of Daniel’s night visions from Daniel 7:13-14. In fact Daniel’s description almost sounds as if it were a description of Jesus’ arrival in heaven after leaving earth in the ascension. 
It is also suggested that a visible ascension here is intended to point to a visible parousia indicated in 1:11.

* 1:10 The passage is a close parallel to Luke 24:4-9. See also Mk 16:5-8. There are also similarities to Luke 9:30,34. See Mk 9:4,7. 

* 1:11 Transportation by the cloud seems to be the point of the comparison. The cloud was also to be the conveyance of the Son of Man at His coming (Luke 21:27; Mk 13:26 and Dan 7:13-14). The similarity between Jesus ascension and His parousia suggests that these two events are to bracket this new period that has begun. The ascension is a prefigurement of the parousia and the conclusion of Jesus time anticipates the conclusion of the church’s time.

NOTES on Second Reading:

This reading (Eph 1: 17-23) was the only selection given in the old Lectionary for Mass of 1970 and is retained as an option in the new (1999) Lectionary.

* 1:17 The Lectionary adds the opening words shown in parentheses and drops the word in square brackets to improve readability since the verse begins in the middle of a sentence. In Greco-Roman letters, the greeting was customarily followed by a prayer. Paul’s letters usually include this element (except Gal and 1-2 Tim) but express it in Christian thanksgiving formulas and most often they also state the principal theme of the letter. In Ephesians the prayer is preceded by a lengthier blessing than usual.

* 1:20-23 God revealed His might in the resurrection and ascension of Christ and in His exaltation over all angelic forces. Paul uses early Christian creedal statements which formulated the “Christ-event” in terms of Psalm 110:1 and 8:7 in order to impress upon the readers the glorious position to which they have been called in Christ.

* 1:23 Only in Eph and Col is Christ called the head of the body, in contrast to the view in 1 Cor 12 and Romans 12:4-8 where Christ is equated with the entire body or community. Some take the one who fills as God, others as Christ (see Eph 4:10). If in Christ “dwells the fullness of the deity bodily” (Col 2:9), then, as God “fills” Christ, Christ in turn fills the church and the believer (Eph 3:19; 5:18). But the difficult phrases here may also allow the church to be viewed as the “complement” of Christ who is “being filled” as God’s plan for the universe is carried out through the church (See Eph 3:9-10).

NOTES on Alternate Second Reading:

* This reading (Eph 4:1-13) which will not be used this year at St. Raymond Parish is a choice added to the new Lectionary for Mass (1999).

* 4:1-6 Paul invokes the image of himself as a prisoner in the Lord to confer his moral authority to the exhortation that follow. The unity of the new humanity is exemplified by the church’s unity and fostered by the virtues that make life in common a reality: humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance. See also Col 3:12-15.

* 4:1 This verse begins the exhortation to worthy conduct that runs to 6:20. The exhortation stems from: the earlier statements about the unity of all things in Christ and the subjection of all things to Him (1:10, 22-23), the new humanity recreated through the sacrifice of Jesus (2:15-16), and the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the Church (3:4-6).

* 4:4-6 The unities mentioned, church, Spirit, hope; Lord, faith in Christ [Eph 1:13], baptism; and one God reflect the triune structure of later creeds in reverse order.

* 4:6 This verse ends with a strong sense of monotheism (Deut 6:4; Rom 3:30; 1 Cor 8: 5-6). The Greek word, “panta,” meaning all, is used four times here to express the transcendence and all-pervasiveness of God.

* 4:7-16 Paul uses the unity of the body as a backdrop for discussion of the unity of the church in the midst of its diversity.

* 4:8 Paul cites Psalm 68:19. However, he does so in a form that does not match any Hebrew or Greek manuscript that we have. In place of “he gave” the other manuscripts read “you received.” Later rabbinic tradition had interpreted this passage as Moses ascending Mt. Sinai and giving the law. Paul sees it as referring to the Ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

* 4:9 “Lower region” may refer either to the earth in opposition to the heavens or to the abode of the dead (Hades).

* 4:11 Paul adds an ecclesiological dimension by interpreting the gifts of Psalm 69:19 as church offices. This list is not to be confused with similar lists in Paul’s letters (Rom 12:6- 8; 1 Cor 12: 8-11;28). Those other lists are actually lists of charisms bestowed by the Holy Spirit on individuals not of church offices. While the term pastor (shepherd) is used elsewhere in the New Testament (Acts 20:28, John 21:15-17; 1 Peter 5:7), this is the only place where it is used as a title for a church official.

* 4:13 The emphasis in the Greek form used here is not on maleness but on adulthood. This is in contrast to the childhood mentioned in the next verse. The adulthood is measured in relation to the fullness of Christ.

NOTES on Gospel:

* The Gospel of Mark has at least 2 endings, even more if you count the less well attested ones. This reading is taken from one of the endings (16: 9-20) that is considered to be part of the canonically accepted body of inspired scripture but was probably not original. Many important manuscripts omit it and the language and style does not seem to match the rest of Mark. 

It is likely that the Gospel of Mark originally ended at verse 8 but was thought by first generation Christians to be incomplete and stylistically harsh when compared to the other gospels which were written later. This longer ending consists essentially of summary statements derived from the other gospels and early Christian traditional material. 

* 16:15 This is a command to do what was foretold in Mark 13:10. It parallels Mat 28:18-20 and Col 1:23. 

* 16:17 This parallels Mat 10:1. See also Acts 1:8; 2:4. 

* 16:18 Parallel in Luke 10:19. See Acts 28:3-6 and Tim 4:14. 

* 4:19 Compare this with Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:3-14; 2:33.

(st-raymond-dublin.org)

Meditation:  “The Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God”

Why did Jesus leave his disciples forty days after his resurrection? Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God. For forty days after his resurrection Jesus appeared numerous times to his disciples to assure them that he had risen indeed and to prepare them for the task of carrying on the work which he began during his earthy ministry.
Jesus’ departure and ascension was both an end and a beginning for his disciples. While it was the end of Jesus’ physical presence with his beloved disciples, it marked the beginning of Jesus’ presence with them in a new way. Jesus promised that he would be with them always to the end of time (Matthew 28:20). Now as the glorified and risen Lord and Savior, ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus promised to send them the Holy Spirit who would anoint them with power on the Feast of Pentecost, just as Jesus was anointed for his ministry at the River Jordan. When the Lord Jesus departed physically from the apostles, they were not left in sorrow or grief. Instead, they were filled with joy and with great anticipation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ last words to his apostles point to his saving mission and to their mission to be witnesses of his saving death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the good news of salvation to all the world. Their task is to proclaim the gospel – the good news of salvation – not only to the people of Israel, but to all the nations as well. God’s love and gift of salvation is not reserved for a few or for one nation alone, but it is for the whole world – for all who will accept it. The gospel is the power of God, the power to release people from their burden of guilt, sin, and oppression, and the power to heal, restore, and make us whole. Do you believe in the power of the gospel?
This is the great commission which the risen Christ gives to the whole church. All believers have been given a share in this task – to be heralds of the good news and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world. We have not been left alone in this task, for the risen Lord works in and through us by the power of his Holy Spirit. Today we witness a new Pentecost as the Lord pours out his Holy Spirit upon his people to renew and strengthen the body of Christ and to equip it for effective ministry and mission world-wide. Do you witness to others the joy of the gospel and the hope of the resurrection?
“Lord Jesus, through the gift of your Holy Spirit, you fill us with an indomitable spirit of praise and joy which no earthly trial can subdue. Fill me with your resurrection joy and help me to live a life of praise and thanksgiving for your glory. May I witness to those around me the joy of the gospel and the reality of your resurrection.”

(Don Schwager)

 God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord
The gifts that he gave were for building up the body of Christ.
After the certainty of home life, a small child can meet the unfamiliarity of school for the first time feeling apprehensive and overwhelmed. Perhaps this is how the disciples felt when Jesus was no longer physically present. Someone they loved dearly had left them to cope on their own, with a new set of challenges. Yet as parents seek to reassure their child, so too do the disciples hear words of encouragement: the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit, present with them.

The disciples, commissioned by Christ and encouraged by the Spirit, are given the confidence to go out and speak of their joy and salvation. Like the child encouraged by loving parents to try something new, the disciples find inspiration and motivation to walk the dusty and difficult road ahead. 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY
FAILURE
Failure is not the worst thing in the world. The very worst is not to try (Theme a school assembly 17 April 1996).

The fastest way to succeed is to double your failure rate (Thomas Watson, IBM).

You must learn to fail intelligently. Failing is one of the greatest arts in the world. One fails forward towards success (Thomas Edison).


 
From A Canopy of Stars: Some Reflections for the Journey by Fr Christopher Gleeson SJ [David Lovell Publishing 2003]
(Daily Prayer Online)

The Ascension of Christ

Saint Augustine, Early Church Father

          Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him. Listen to the words of the Apostle : If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth. For just as he remained with us even after his ascension, so we too are already in heaven with him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies.
            Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? And when he said: I was hungry and you gave me food.
            Why do we on earth not strive to find rest with him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope and love that unites us to him? While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on earth are with him. He is here with us by his divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in heaven, as he is on earth, by divinity, but in him, we can be there by love.
            He did not leave heaven when he came down to us; nor did he withdraw from us when he went up again into heaven. The fact that he was in heaven even while he was on earth is borne out by his own statement: No one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
            The words are explained by our oneness with Christ, for he is our head and we are his body. No one ascended into heaven except Christ because we also are Christ: he is the Son of Man by his union with us, and we by our union with him are the sons of God. So the Apostle says: Just as the human body, which has many members, is a unity, because all the different members make one body, so is it also with Christ. He too has many members, but one body.
(The Crossroads Initiative)

MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

In Good Times and Bad
Today, look around you, and find God in both good news and bad news, in the obvious and in the hardships. The hardships just might exist as a way to draw your hearts closer to Him.
— from Ask the Bible Geek

May 20
St. Bernardine of Siena
(1380-1444)

Most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution. Bernardine, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took on the needs of the world.

He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following St. Francis of Assisi’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”
Compared with St. Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.
When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown, Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt (her parents had died when he was a child) and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.
At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.
Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions (for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines). The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine’s holiness, orthodoxy and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.
General of a branch of the Franciscan Order, the Friars of the Strict Observance, he strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.

Comment:

Another dynamic saint once said, “...I will not be a burden, for I want not what is yours, but you.... I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your sakes” (2 Corinthians 12:14). There is danger that we see only the whirlwind of activity in the Bernardines of faith—taking care of the sick, preaching, studying, administering, always driving—and forget the source of their energy. We should not say that Bernardine could have been a great contemplative if he had had the chance. He had the chance, every day, and he took it.

Patron Saint of:

Advertising
Gambling, compulsive behavior
Italy
Public relations

LECTIO: ASCENSION OF THE LORD (B)

Lectio: 

 Sunday, May 20, 2012

"Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News!"
He lives in our midst!
Mark 16:15-20

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection. 
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading: 

The liturgy of the feast of the Ascension presents us with a scene where Jesus appears to the disciples and confers on them the mission of going to the whole world to proclaim the Good News. The text of Mark's Gospel (Mk 16: 9-20) is the final section of the appendix of that Gospel (Mk 16:15-20). We expand the brief commentary to include the whole of the appendix. During the reading we need to pay attention to the following point: "To whom does Jesus appear, what are the various aspects of the mission and what are the signs of his presence in the community?"

b) A division of the text as an aid to the reading: 

Mark 16:9-11: Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene.
Mark 16:12-13: Jesus appears to two disciples.
Mark 16:14-18: Jesus appears to the eleven and gives them a mission.
Mark 16:19-20: Jesus ascends into heaven in the presence of the disciples.

c) The text:

9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. 
12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." 
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection. 

a) What pleased you most in this text or what caught your attention most? Why? 
b) To whom does Jesus manifest himself alive and how do they react? 
c) In this text, who has the greatest difficulty in believing in the resurrections? 
d) As Paul says: "God brought us to life with Christ…and gave us a place with him in heaven" (Eph 2:6). How does this affirmation help us better understand the meaning of the Ascension? 
e) What are the signs of Jesus' presence within the community? What is the meaning of each sign? 
f) What signs best convince people today of the presence of Jesus in our midst?

5. A key to the reading

to enter deeper into the theme.

i) The context:

The appendix of Mark's Gospel offers a list of Jesus' appearances (Mk 16: 9-20). There are other lists but they do not always coincide. The list given by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians is quite different (1Cor 15: 3-8). These differences show that, in the beginning, Christians were not concerned about describing or proving the resurrection. For them, faith in the resurrection was so vivid and evident, that there was no need to prove it. The communities themselves, living and persevering among so many challenges and persecutions from the Roman Empire, were living proof of the truth of the resurrection.

ii) Commentary on the text:

a) Mark 16:9-11: Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, but the other disciples do not believe her.
Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene and she announces this to the others. To come into the world, God wished to depend on the yes of Mary of Nazareth (Lk 1:38). To be recognised as Living in our midst, he wished to depend on the word of Mary Magdalene who had been freed from seven devils. 
Mark says that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. In this he agrees with the other three Evangelists (cfr Mt 28: 9-10; Jn 20:16; Lk 24: 9-11). But on the list of appearances given in the Letter to the Corinthians (1Cor 15, 3-8), there is no mention of any appearances to the women. The first Christians found it difficult to believe the witness of the women.

b) Mark 16:12-13: Jesus appears to two disciples
The story of Jesus' appearance to the two disciples who were walking in the fields is probably a reference to Jesus' appearance to the disciples from Emmaus who, on returning, shared their experience of the resurrection with "the eleven and their companions (Lk 24: 33-34). Only here, Mark differs from Luke because the others did not believe in the witness of the two disciples.

c) Mark 16:14: Jesus scolds the eleven for their incredulity
Finally Jesus appears to the eleven disciples gathered at table and scolds then because they have not believed those who had seen him risen. For the third time, Mark makes reference to the resistance of the disciples to believe the witness of those who had experienced the resurrection of Jesus. Why does Mark insist so much on the incredulity of the disciples? Probably to teach two things. First, that faith in the risen Jesus is transmitted through the faith of those who give witness to it. Secondly, that no one must give up hope when doubt or confusion arises in one's heart. Even the eleven had doubts!

d) Mark 16:15-18: The signs that go with the proclamation of the Good News 
Jesus immediately confers the mission of announcing the Good News to all creation. The requirement for anyone who wishes to be saved is: to believe and be baptised. To those who have the courage to believe in the Good News and are baptised, he promises the following signs: (1) they will drive out devils, (2) they will speak in new tongues, (3) they will hold snakes in their hands, (4) if they drink poison it will not harm them, (5) they will lay hands on the sick and these will be healed. These signs take place even now:
* driving out devils: is to fight the power of evil that chokes life. The life of many people has improved since they entered in community and have started to live the good news of the presence of God. By participating in the life of the community, they drive out evil from their lives. 
* speaking in new tongues: is to begin to communicate with others in a new way. Sometimes we meet someone whom we have never met before, but it is as if we have known each other for a long time. This is because we speak the same language of love. 
* To hold snakes in one's hand and to overcome poison: there are so many things that poison living together. Much gossip that breaks down relationships. Those who live in the presence of God can overcome this and are not affected by this deadly poison. 
* Healing the sick: wherever we have a clearer awareness of the presence of God, we find also special care for those excluded and marginalized, especially the sick. What best restores health is welcoming and loving care.

e) Mark 16:19-20: Through the community, Jesus continues his mission 
The Jesus who, in Palestine, welcomed the poor and revealed to them the love of the Father, is the same Jesus who now continues to be present in our midst, in our communities. Through us, he continues his mission of revealing the Good News of the love of God for the poor. To this day, the resurrection still takes place. No earthly power can neutralise the force that comes from faith in the resurrection (Rom 8: 35-39). A community that wants to witness to the resurrection must be a sign of life, must fight against the power of death. So that the world may become a place of life, that community must believe that another world is possible. Above all, where the life of the people is in danger because of a system of death that is imposed, the community must be a living proof of the hope that conquers the world, without fear of unhappiness!

iii) Further information on the Gospel of Mark - God's surprises: 

From the start, Mark's Gospel insists on: "The time has come…and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News" (Mk 1:15). This initial request for conversion and faith indicates the door through which we have access to Jesus and the Good News of God that he brings. There is no other access. Faith demands belief in Jesus, in his Word, accepting him unconditionally. We are invited not to close ourselves in any name or title, doctrine or custom, and to keep ourselves always open to the surprises of God, that demand a constant conversion. Names and titles, doctrines and customs, devotions and pleadings are like a tag that we wear on our chest for identification. The tag is important because it helps us and directs us when necessary to meet a person we are looking for. But when we meet, we do not look at the tag any more, but at the face! Very often, when we meet the person we are looking for he or she is quite different from what we imagined before. The meeting always carries some surprises! More so our meeting with God in Jesus. Throughout Mark's Gospel there are many surprises for the disciples and these come from where they least expect them: 
* from a pagan who gives Peter a lesson because he recognises the presence of God in the crucified one (Mk 15:39); 
* from a poor widow who gives her all to share with others (Mk 12:43-44); 
* from a blind man who annoys the disciples by calling out and who does not even have a definite belief (Mk 10: 46-52); 
* from marginalized little ones, but who believe in Jesus (Mk 9:42); 
* from those who use the name of Jesus to fight evil but who do not belong to the "Church" (Mk 9:38-40); 
* from an anonymous woman who scandalises the disciples by her manner of acting (Mk 14:3-9); 
* from a father of a family who is obliged to carry the cross and becomes a model disciple (Mk 15:21)
* from Joseph of Arimathea who risks everything by asking for the body of Jesus to give it burial (Mk 15:43).
* from women who, then, could not be official witnesses but were chosen by Jesus as expert witnesses of his resurrection (Mk 15:40.47; 16:6.9-10).

In a word: The twelve disciples who were specially called by Jesus (Mk 3: 13-19) and who were sent by him on a mission (Mk 6:7-13), failed. Peter denied him (Mk 14: 66-72), Judas betrayed him (Mk 14: 44-45) and all fled (Mk 14: 50). But it is precisely through their failure that is shown the strength of faith of the others who were not part of the group of the chosen twelve. The community, the Church, must clearly be aware that it does not own Jesus nor does it own all the criteria of the action of God in our midst. Jesus does not belong to us, but we, the community, the Church, belong to Jesus, and Jesus is of God (1Cor 3:23). The greatest surprise of all is the resurrection!

6. Psalm 27 (26)

Courage born of faith

The Lord is my light and my salvation; 
whom shall I fear? 
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; 
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me, 
uttering slanders against me, 
my adversaries and foes, 
they shall stumble and fall.

Though a host encamp against me, 
my heart shall not fear; 
though war arise against me, 
yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, 
that will I seek after; 
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord 
all the days of my life, 
to behold the beauty of the Lord, 
and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; 
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, 
he will set me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up 
above my enemies round about me; 
and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; 
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, 
be gracious to me and answer me! 
Thou hast said, "Seek ye my face." 
My heart says to thee, 
"Thy face, Lord, do I seek."

Hide not thy face from me. 
Turn not thy servant away in anger, 
thou who hast been my help. 
Cast me not off, forsake me not, 
O God of my salvation! 
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, 
but the Lord will take me up.

Teach me thy way, O Lord; 
and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; 
for false witnesses have risen against me, 
and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord 
in the land of the living! 
Wait for the Lord; be strong, 
and let your heart take courage; 
yea, wait for the Lord!

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

(www.ocarm.org)