God Mounts His Throne: Reflections on the Readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Cycle C

Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47
Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23
Luke 24:46-53

In most dioceses in the United States, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is moved from Thursday (40 days after Easter) to the following Sunday. If you are in a parish where this is not so, then Ascension Thursday is probably a Holy Day of Obligation (check your local diocesan calendar) and Sunday would be the Seventh Sunday of Easter. The readings, except for the gospel, are the same each year, with the gospel selections following the Liturgical Cycle. This is year C (Luke).

Luke describes the Ascension of Jesus into heaven twice, here at the beginning of Acts of the Apostles and again at the end of his gospel (today’s gospel reading). From the statement at the beginning of Acts it would appear that Luke intended this volume to be a continuation of his gospel (the “first book”), which dealt with Jesus’ life on earth. His gospel ended with Jesus’ Ascension and so Acts picks up at that point. Luke’s words also point to a theme common in all of the readings and highlighted in the psalm, “God mounts His throne with shouts of joy.”

At the Last Supper, Jesus repeatedly told the apostles that He had to return to the Father. In both Acts and the gospel reading we see this return being carried out. Of note, however, is the lack of complete understanding by the apostles of both Jesus’ mission and, subsequently, theirs. “When they had gathered together they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’” They didn’t ask Him about what He meant about receiving power from on high, the reason for them to remain in Jerusalem. They were still thinking of an earthly power, a militant kingdom of the sort David led in centuries past.

At the Last Supper, when Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit, He didn’t use military terms to describe the Spirit. He called Him the Advocate, the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth, who would “teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.” (John 14:26) And yet it wouldn’t be until the Pentecost on which the Holy Spirit came upon like a roaring wind with tongues of fire that they would finally begin to understand. We are no different. Even cradle Catholics have a hard time understanding Jesus’ mission and the one He left for us to continue.

Because Jesus, the King, was returning to the Father in heaven, the responsorial joyfully proclaims, “God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy.” However, unlike the thoughts of the apostles in Acts, this is God’s heavenly throne, the seat of His heavenly kingdom. It is the destination to which we all aspire. As the old Baltimore Catechism stated in the answer to “why did God make me?” “God made me to love Him and serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him in the next.” As the psalmist says, God is awesome, and to be with Him will bring us great joy. We will be happy to praise Him forever.

There are two options for the second reading, both at one time attributed to St. Paul; the letters to the Ephesians and the Hebrews. In recent times, however, most scholars believe that Hebrews was the product of someone other than St. Paul, although it has many Pauline elements. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible notes, “For the vast majority of modern scholars, the combination of traces of Pauline thought and elements of non-Pauline style is best explained by the hypothesis that identifies the author with a Pauline disciple.”

As Jesus did, the selection from the letter to the Ephesians has Paul praying for the Father to send the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” to them for their edification and joy. Paul addresses the Resurrection and notes that Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand in the heavens, thus invoking God’s glory in the rising of Our Lord from the dead and His Ascension into heaven. One can conclude from Paul’s description of Jesus being “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,” that the only being above Jesus is the Father. Note also that Paul cites Jesus as a gift to the Church from the Father, of which He is head along with another Pauline teaching that the Church is the Body of Christ.

The alternate reading from Hebrews also addresses Jesus as being in the true sanctuary in heaven as the Great High Priest. The letter talks about the significance of Jesus as the High Priest versus the high priests of the Old Testament. The old high priests could only enter the sanctuary once a year and only after purifying themselves. They offered sacrifice with the blood of animals, which was, at best, temporary. But Jesus, being ultimately pure, having willingly sacrificed His own blood, now resides in the sanctuary always present before the Father “to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.” And this sacrifice was “offered once to take away the sins of many.” And, washed in pure water (baptism) “we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary [ourselves].”

In the closing of Luke’s gospel Jesus summarizes His sacrifice, Resurrection, and His mission of repentance. He reminds them that they are witnesses and that the preaching mission would continue through them (and, by extension, through us). Then He tells them to remain in Jerusalem “until you are clothed with power from on high.” This will occur on Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit in full force. He spoke of them receiving the Holy Spirit previously but now He speaks of the power they will receive.

“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.” In keeping with the responsorial psalm, they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

Another important note in these readings that might be easily overlooked is the promise of Jesus’ return, the “Second Coming.” The angels in Acts say He will return in the same way as He left and the Letter to the Hebrews notes that He “will appear a second time ... to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.” As Jesus often told us, for this we must be prepared, for we do not know when it will happen. St. Paul reminded of us the same thing and how to do it: “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.” 1 Cor 16:13