Liturgy Planning

By: Lawrence Mick

MAY 27, 2017 — In most dioceses in the U. S. and Canada, the celebration of the Ascension is transferred to this Sunday. If you are celebrating the Ascension on Thursday, these comments will still apply. In that case, the texts for the Seventh Sunday of Easter will be used today. See last week’s column for a few comments about the readings for that Sunday.

The Solemnity of the Ascension is a feast that is often misunderstood. The confusion arises if people take the story of the Ascension as an historical event that occurred precisely 40 days after Easter Sunday.

In the Christian Scriptures the Ascension is more of a theological reality than an historical date. While Luke describes the Ascension event weeks after Easter, John indicates that Christ was reunited with the Father on Easter Sunday; otherwise Christ could not have bestowed the Spirit on the Apostles on that first Easter evening. Even our Gospel today, taken from Matthew’s account, does not say that Jesus was taken up into heaven. Instead, his Gospel ends with Jesus promising:

“I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

That line may be the best key to understanding the Ascension. Jesus does not leave us. The Ascension means that the risen Christ is now present in a different way but no less truly present. Christ is always with us, a presence we can depend upon and draw upon.

If this is true, then the celebration of the Eucharist does not mean that Christ suddenly comes into our midst during the eucharistic prayer, though I suspect many Catholics think that he does. Once again, he is simply present in a different way in the forms of bread and wine. But he has already been present in the assembly, in the presider, and in the word proclaimed, and he is present wherever we are every day of our lives.

So let Matthew’s Gospel guide the preaching and music and prayers today. Celebrate the continuing presence of Christ in our midst as well as his glorification with the Father. Pray for the grace to recognize his presence in every aspect of our lives. Pray for those who show us the face of Christ. Pray that we might be the face of Christ to others. Pray that we have the courage and heart to bring his love to those in need. Pray that our world will come to recognize Christ’s presence and his call to live in peace and charity. Pray for a deeper awareness of the Holy Spirit within us who makes us aware of Christ’s presence in our hearts and our lives.

Consider singing James E. Moore’s song, “I Will Be with You,” during the preparation of the gifts today to echo the Gospel message.

SOURCE: Courtesy of the National Catholic Reporter: Cycle A Sunday Resources feature series. View the full series.