The feast of the Ascension is NOT about Jesus leaving us.
Rather, it’s about where Jesus wants to take us.
The Ascension is about heaven;
Jesus wants to take you and me to heaven.
It’s the exact same thing with Holy Mass.
This is all about getting us to heaven.
This is something some miss, or don’t grapple with.
For one, way too many people take heaven for granted.
And if you do that, then what’s Mass?
It would be like going into court, facing a trial,
but you were convinced that you’d never be found guilty.
So, there’s nothing at stake. You can just shrug. Not even show up!
So it is for many people coming to Mass.
Or else, people want Mass to boost their mood.
Or they can visit with friends. Or we get to reflect a little.
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with any of these objectives;
but none of these is the point of Holy Mass.
And, this means, by the way: if these goals don’t happen –
if you aren’t inspired, if you can’t have quiet reflection,
if you don’t see familiar faces you hoped to see,
and you don’t come out of church feeling “up” –
that doesn’t mean you, quote, “didn’t get anything out of Mass.”
It might mean you came with the wrong expectations.
People say: what do babies get out of Mass? Or any of us?
Answer: GRACE!
The Sacrifice of the Mass is about getting us to heaven.
It is Jesus our priest making an offering – himself! – for you and me.
And that demands a response. Some reject. Some shrug.
But when you and I strike our chest, like the tax collector:
Remember, Jesus said, that’s who left justified.
That’s the response.
And again: if we take heaven for granted, why change?
No drama. Nothing at stake.
What Holy Mass does, as the Cross does, is to confront you and me,
like a mirror, showing us our desperate need.
And only then
is Jesus’ offering on the Cross – and the altar – good news!
You’re drowning, Jesus says! I’m here to save you! Good news!
But not if I say, “Who’s drowning? I’m fine. No thanks.”
By the way, let me tie this into the great project
of our parish family, our archdiocese, and our whole Church,
Namely, evangelization:
Drawing others back to the Faith, or drawing them here anew.
As long as people think: I don’t need it, then why would they be there?
On the other hand, the best pitch comes from conviction.
And that comes best, not from me – but you:
From you saying, not, “it’s kind of nice!” But rather:
“This is my refuge in a storm.
This is my hope.
The Mass, and my Catholic Faith, gives me mercy,
grace to change, and a way to understand what is dark around me.
“In a word, it’s about heaven.”
If you and I, together, are going to build our parish family
as we know needs to happen,
Everyone is needed as a convinced messenger.
Kid to kid. Teen to teen. Family to family.
Young adult to young adult.
Senior citizen to senior citizen.
Here’s another reason to focus on the deep reality of Mass.
Our focus has to be beyond the externals of our parish.
Of course, let’s become more welcoming, let’s offer our best.
But there’ll always be something on the surface to find fault with.
The best message, I think, is to say, “it’s not about us.
It’s about Jesus. And he’s here.”
So, if you’ve ever been bored at Mass, this is your remedy.
Remind yourself that the salvation of souls is at stake.
Jesus, on the Cross, pleads for them, for you!
He wants us to plead with Him, for them.
In a moment, at the altar, I’ll lift up His Body and Blood.
You hear, “Through him, with him, in him”:
This is really Jesus offering himself to the Father.
This is the source of grace to change us.
This is what gives us salvation! This is the entirety of our hope!
Jesus is the point of every Mass.
He’s in the Scriptures. He’s at the altar.
He feeds you. He goes in peace with you when Mass is ended.
And this is why the Ascension wasn’t a “going away” party.
Jesus went ahead to the Holy Trinity,
And everything that follows is him drawing us in,
Pulling in the drowning swimmers! That is, us!
Jesus hasn’t, really, gone anywhere.
It’s about him reorienting everything toward heaven.
Here’s there; he’s here.
Mass is about heaven. This to there.
Us to there. You and me: heavenly.
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