A Homily on Luke 24 : 46-53 : The Feast of Ascension

The Last Act of Jesus: A Homily on the Ascension and the Power of Blessing

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

There was an old man who ran a small ferry boat across a river. Every day, he would carry people back and forth. But he never stayed on the other side. One day, a traveller asked him, “Why don’t you settle there? That place is much better than this muddy shore. The man smiled and said, “I didn’t buy this boat to settle there but  to help others cross the river ”.

That is what Jesus did. He did not come here on earth to stay forever. He came to take us, to lead us back to the Father. And so, the Ascension is so important. It was not just a goodbye but  It was a heading to heaven… A Passover… To fullfill the promise in Jn14/3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, that where I am you also may be”. It is the remarkable proof that heaven is open. The Son who came down has now gone up and He will take entire humanity with Him. Let us keep in mind like the old man that this earth is a temporary place… St. Kuriakose Chavara marks, “Do not walk in a path on earth that does not lead to heaven”.

The Catechism tells us that the Ascension of Jesus is the beginning of His kingship,  not over a small land, but over all creation. He is no longer bound by place or time. His presence is now everywhere, in our struggles, in our prayer, in the Eucharist, and in the heart of every believer.

As Jesus prepared for this heavenly departure, His final act on earth was a poignant moment. Take a moment to reflect: What was the last thing Jesus did before ascending to heaven? The Gospel says, “He lifted up His hands and blessed them” (Luke 24:50). That was His terminal act,  ‘ Blessing ‘. In the Bible, ‘Blessings’ have immersive value. And this last blessing is valuable than numerous speeches. When God blesses, lives are forever changed. In Genesis, God blessed Abraham, and made him the father of nations. When the priests of the Old Covenant lifted their hands in blessing, the people received strength. When Jesus blessed bread and vine, it was transformed into Body and Blood…

A blessing means, the giver is giving more than words , he is giving presence, favour, and future. When Jesus blessed the disciples, He was giving them a share in His mission. He was fostering peace in their hearts. He was pouring out His love. He was empowering them with grace. He was blessing them and lifting to be instruments in God’s hands.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, “We are  pencils in the hand of God.” But these  pencils cannot write anything without grace. That is what the blessing gifts , the necessary grace to live, grace to sustain, grace to withhold when the world pulls us down.This Grace was bestowed on the weak disciples in His last blessing.Even the disciples saw Him ascending to Heaven, they returned full of joy. Why? Because the blessing  that Jesus gave remained with them. Boniface Williams quotes”Jesus Christ was crucified. A cloud came has hid Him from our sight. We have built a big cloud that hides Him from us for last twenty- one centuries”.   His hands may have disappeared into the clouds, but His presence filled their hearts. Because the clouds was poured as showers  of blessings removing the barriers. They were no longer just followers but  they were now witnesses and preachers.

Today, we are in the turn of disciples. Jesus has ascended but His blessings still rests on us. Let us become people who bear  that blessing. Let our homes be places where the blessing is shared and spoken. Let our words lift others up. Let our hearts and eyes be raised upward,to where He has gone, we are meant to follow. And in our families, before leaving for work or school or before sleep at night ,let us learn to place our hands gently on one another and say a simple blessing, even in silence. It may be small, but God makes it worthy.

When Archbishop Fulton J Sheen was the director of National Evangelization Ministry , an Archbishop from Pakistan visited him who was prisoned because of being an Italian missionary. In between, a 13 year old girl whom he converted called Clara Mark visited him and told: “Rev. Bishop you will be free within 6 months. And you will continue your mission for long time.” Surpricesingly Bishop asked her how did you know that? She replied” I have dedicated my life for you and your mission”. As she told he was free after six months. The same day he went to visit Clara, she passed away  this morning. The last words of this small girl was a greeting of blessing to her Shepherd.

The small girl in this incident could bless even a Bishop but sadly, what often happens in real life is quite contradictory. Instead of blessing, many of us raise our tongues to hurt… and hands to hate. In some homes, the husband speaks cruelly to the wife, the wife answers with anger and the children grow up hearing harsh and abusive words.

Our homes are turned into hell. Shouting spread hatred, accusations generate wounds, an insult distends relationships, and curse kills concern. So let us stop this and begin today to turn our Homes to Holy Homes.

Let us introspect ourselves:

Did my words hurt others? Am I a fault finder or also tries to appreciate others?Am I a blessing in my family, community or in the designation I am placed in?

So let us begin to bless each other , bless wife, husband, children, brother, sister and each fellow being…. Speak well of each other. Speak with kindness. And if we have failed before, let today be the day we begin again. Be a blessing where you are planted like the old man who lived helping others with his small boat and the girl who blessed Bishop with grace. Prayers go up and Blessings come down.

Lord Jesus, help us to live under Your blessing and lead others toward Your light.

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