Christ ascends into heaven, which means he deigned to descend to the earth to bring the Good News to the poor.  If we imitate him, we will ascend into heaven also.

The apostles look intently at Jesus as he leaves.  But a question cuts short their contemplation, “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?”  In this way, they come to understand that they have to move forward.  They will need to return to earth, to descend again, in order to announce the Good News of Jesus.

It is our responsibility, yes, to go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel.  And it is not because of our merits that Jesus entrusts us this mission.  We are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers only by his gift, his choice.  So, then, we who are foolish, weak, lowly, negligible, can only boast in the Lord.

That is why we do not trust ourselves but Jesus.  That is, we dwell no longer on what we are.  Rather, we consider our Lord close by us and within us.  He is willing to put his hand to the work as soon as we call for help (SV.EN III:143).  He is ready to descend to earth and be with us to evangelize the poor.  He will surely work with us and confirm the Word through signs.

And the signs are not necessarily astounding.  It is sign enough that St. Louise de Marillac lives content among her reasons for discontent (SV.EN I:54).  Or that she really grasps that God is love and wants us to go to him through love (SV.EN I:81).  This surely signals that she no longer worries about what the worldly or pagans seek.

St. Louise, then, already enjoys Christian freedom.  Above all, she is equipped for the mission to descend to the depths of poverty and marginalization of those living in the outskirts.  This shows she is already ascending to the level that Christ wants us to reach.

Lord Jesus, King of glory, you took with you to heaven our frail humanity.  Lift us to the glory of heaven, granting us the grace to descend to where the poor are.  Do not let us who take part in your Supper run the risk of eating and drinking judgment on ourselves.

13 May 2018
Ascension of the Lord (B)
Acts 1, 1-11; Eph 1, 17-23 or 4, 1-13; Mk 16, 15-20