Matthew 28
The Ascension of the Lord makes us puzzled: Jesus promised he would be with us always until the end of time. But he took off to heaven! This Ascension is one of the things we profess in the Creed: “He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” He has left the earth and is now with God the Father. But how can Jesus be with us? Of course, he can be with us in our hearts. Perhaps we call it being with us spiritually. But it is more of our desire for him. Or it is more of our mental knowledge or emotion. Can he be with me not depending on my consciousness? Or is he able to be on earth even when I am not on earth?
Catholics will instantly answer: Jesus is with us in the tabernacle! Indeed, Christ Jesus is with us as the Blessed Sacrament. This is another critical element of the Christian faith. Our God became flesh and still stays with us in the flesh! By instituting the Eucharist, Jesus opened the way for us to be with him in such a way that we can see him, touch him, and even taste him! So often I forget this fact Jesus waits for me in the tabernacle, alone by himself, often ignored by me. Isn’t my eternal destiny to be with him forever? Shouldn’t I befriend with him here now so that he may welcome me into his eternal home?
Still, another important aspect of the Lord’s presence is to be mentioned. We might feel the Lord’s presence in the tabernacle rather static or even powerless. He is there in the tabernacle but cannot really do anything for me or for the world, we might say He is with us always but he cannot prevent accidents and disasters. Is Jesus here on earth ever helpful?
Jesus in the tabernacle is ever replenished. How? By the Eucharistic celebration. The Blessed Sacrament is ever new every time the priest celebrates the Mass. What happens at the Mass? Transcending time and space, Christ Jesus the Son of God offers himself as the redeeming sacrifice for our sins. All of us are brought to the same Calvary where Christ is crucified. How Christ exists as the Blessed Sacrament demonstrates his ever-renewing sacrifice for us. He is not just there but he is still crucified for our sins and for our salvation! His real presence is never static or powerless. Christ redeems us daily with his own blood!
The Lord’s Ascension might be viewed as a spatial move from earth to heaven. But I think it is a transcending move from time to eternity. In other words, Christ is no longer bound by time and space. He did not leave us as we leave a place for another. By ascension, on the contrary, he comes closer to us. We don’t have to fly over a continent to see him. In fact, in our parish, he is offering himself daily even when we are not there. And silently and patiently he is waiting for our visit.
