Surely you’ve
read a book, a really good book, or watched a really good movie, and came to
the end of the book or movie and had the feeling that you just didn’t want it
to end, but sure enough you came to the words “the end” or the movie credits
started rolling. I know I have. I recall some movies saying to myself, wow –
I really want to watch that movie again right now.
And then weeks or months or even
years later you might learn that there will be a sequel, and you find yourself
excited and filled with anticipation, wondering how the plot will continue?
will there be the same characters and actors? will it be as good?
I’m thinking the end of a movie
might be a good metaphor for the feast we celebrate today – the Feast of the
Ascension of Our Blessed Lord – for today marks “the end” – the end of the
earthly life of Christ, whence He returned in glory to the Father to take up
His seat at the Father’s right hand. You
can almost envision the credits start rolling just as He ascends into the
clouds.
And His disciples might have said to
themselves, again using the movie metaphor – “wow that was a really good
movie. Not exactly sure what it all
meant, though. Have to think about it a
little. But I sure do hope there’s a
sequel. He pretty much said there will
be.”
Now we know that they figured out
what it all meant, ten days later when they were each filled with the power of
the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost, and that feast, of course, marked
the beginning of the sequel. And the
sequel, of course, is still being filmed, right to this day.
Now the star of that first movie was
definitely Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, with strong supporting performances
by His Blessed Mother, Mary, John the Baptist, and the Apostles, but for
whatever reason, the casting department found a whole new cast of characters
for the sequel - and that cast would be you and me and the whole Church.
Yes, sisters and brothers, we the
Church have been given the awesome responsibility of carrying on the mission He
came to establish. To carry the “good
news” of salvation in Christ Jesus by the forgiveness of sins - to the ends of
the earth.
Now to be sure, we’re not left alone
for this sequel is directed and produced by the advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whose coming we await, who gives us great power and strength and works through
us. But make no mistake – our mission is
an awesome responsibility, for the very salvation of the world, or at least our
little corner of it, won by His death and glorious resurrection, has been placed
in your hands and mine.
So this sequel, while a much longer
one in length, is no less important, and will end with an equally good, equally
powerful ending – when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead.
Until then, filled with the Holy
Spirit and nourished by His Body and Blood, let us accept and take on this
awesome responsibility to “go into the whole world” to make disciples.
Quiet please. Lights. Camera. Action.
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