Why is this an important feast?
What important aspect of God’s goodness
are we especially celebrating?
Of course there are a variety of answers that can be offered.
Today, I offer one based mainly on a few aspects
of that rich and dense second reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
One way to think about today
is to put this feast alongside Christmas day.
At Christmas we rejoice
that God came among us as a human being,
that the Word was made flesh.
With the angels, we are amazed
that God would stoop down to come so close to us.
At the Ascension
we celebrate that humanity is dignified further.
Not only has the Word become flesh,
But, as the letter to the Hebrews puts it,
that flesh, that humanity,
appears in the actual presence of God on our behalf.
Not only does God come down into humanity,
but God raises humanity up.
The essence of priesthood
is to come before God on behalf of others.
In the Ascension we rejoice that
Jesus, in his humanity, does exactly this –
eternally.
That second reading calls this
awesome presence of God the real sanctuary:
it is the ultimate holy place, the true holy of holies,
and in Jesus, humanity enters this sanctuary.
What is the implication of this here and now?
Again look at the second reading.
Through the blood of Jesus
we have the right to enter the sanctuary
We are associated with Jesus’ priesthood.
The Ascension beckons us into the cloud of God’s presence.
We are to enter into God’s awesome presence,
here and now – what an honour that is.
We are to enter into God’s awesome presence
and join ourselves to Jesus’ prayer for all humanity.
Very specifically, in the coming nine days,
the Church commends we pray,
with great earnestness,
for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit –
clothing Christians with power:
power to witness to Jesus.