Longing for heaven (Ascension homily)

 Today’s feast of the Ascension is often misunderstood.

To put it bluntly: this feast is NOT about Jesus leaving us. 

Rather, it’s about where Jesus wants to TAKE us: 

he goes ahead of us, to heaven. And that’s the point:

The Ascension is about heaven; Jesus wants to take us to heaven.

There are two ways you and I can go wrong here.

First, a lot of folks take going to heaven for granted, 

pretty much no matter what. 

And that makes a lot of Christianity incomprehensible.

If everyone’s headed to heaven, there’s no real urgency.

No need to change; no need for conversion or confession.

In fact, no need for the Mass or prayer.

I might point out that while lots of people say, 

“don’t worry, we’ll all meet in heaven,” 

The Lord Jesus is notably not someone who says that.

Jesus doesn’t say, “go to sleep,” he says, “Wake up!”

He never says, “set the cruise control,” he says, “Watch and pray!”

That’s what he said in today’s readings to the Apostles.

In a few days he would give them the Holy Spirit.

Till then, they were to watch and pray;

After that, everything changes.

The other way we can miss the point is not taking heaven seriously.

This world demands our constant attention.

The electric bill doesn’t pay itself.

The boss will notice if you don’t come back from the weekend.

Still, Jesus wants us to lift our gaze regularly.

the reason he gave us the Holy Spirit and the Mass,

the reason he tells us to watch and pray,

and the reason he ascended to heaven,

was all to turn our longing for eternal life.

Lots of things in this life are pretty awesome:

That’s a foretaste of heaven.

But many other things in this world aren’t so good.

Now, if those rough parts are purgatory, that’s hopeful.

But: if this world is as good as it gets, isn’t that kind of sad?

If I’m as good as I can get;

If the best years for my knees and my eyes are behind me?

That is very sad.

The challenge is this: how can you and I long for heaven 

if we have no inkling of what it might be like?

Now, there are many things Jesus tells us about heaven. 

The Book of Revelation describes heaven.

Many saints have written about heaven.

The great poet Dante wrote about hell, purgatory, and Paradise.

So, there’s a lot we could draw from.

I’d like to suggest some spiritual homework:

Take some time to think about this: What IS heaven like?

Maybe look for some reading material.

What if – as the military slogan goes –

You and I really could be “all we can be”?

Really to be full of the Holy Spirit; really generous; really peaceful.

Really balanced and disciplined and virtuous?

What would that be like?

Here’s an image I have of heaven.

You and I all have those moments that seem so perfect:

A perfect time at the beach, or a perfect game with our friends;

a perfect cup of coffee or bowl of cereal on a beautiful morning, 

the sun, the sky, the breeze, everything is just right.

It only lasts for some bit; then the coffee is all gone, 

or if you have more, you won’t enjoy it.

The sun rises higher and gets too hot;

Or it gets too late, and your friends have to go home.

Those are foretastes.

And what St. Augustine somewhere described 

was a moment that will last, not just a moment, but forever. 

And he said, that’s heaven!

There’s my image of heaven.

What’s yours?