Word of the Week

7th Sunday in Easter

Received: Analambano (Gk.): meaning “to take up, raise”

As professed in article six of the Profession of Faith, the Ascension of Jesus is “the entry of Jesus’ humanity into divine glory in God’s heavenly domain, forty days after his Resurrection” (CCC Glossary, 877). The glorious Ascension of Jesus is the crowning gift of the Paschal mystery (CCC 1067).

The word Ascension is no where found in Sacred Scripture, but Christ being ‘taken up’ into his place of enthronement (the Ascensions’ principle passage as cited by the CCC) can be found five times in the New testament (Mk.16:19; 1 Tim.3:16; Acts 1:2, 11, 22). In each text, Mark, Luke and Paul use the above Greek term to address the reality of what took place in Christ’s final departure, that he was ‘taken up’, ‘raised’ into divine glory “as king and judge to sit at the father’s right hand” (Col.3:1; Heb.12:2; CCC, 659, 663) (Hahn and Minch, 50). In addition, Paul applies the term twice in his discourse on the whole armor of God (Eph.6:10-17). His first directive speaks to our need to “take” the armor as God’s graces to defeat the wiles of the evil one (Eph.6:13). His second address calls us to “take” the shield of faith in defense of Satan’s “fiery darts” (Eph.6:16-17). In each case, Paul strategically deploys the same Greek as he does in the Ascension of Christ to remind us of our source of strength when shielding ourselves against the powers of darkness.

Just before the Ascension, Christ commissioned his disciples with marching orders to baptize and teach the nations. This message was new and at its very core both Catholic (meaning universal) and sacramental (means to which we share Christ’s very life). The expansion of the early Christian faith came from the hearts of ordinary men who were called by extraordinary grace to serve the Church. Let us go forth, as ordinary people, evangelizing communities everywhere with humble and contrite hearts, banded together by our one faith in Christ.

 

Let's get going and carry a piece of heaven into the world. This is the meaning of the Resurrection and the Ascension of our Lord, not one of divine abandonment of the human cause, but divine empowerment of the Gospel dream!

--Fr. Thomas Rosica CSB

Primary Texts Consulted

•  Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
•  Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.
•  Hahn, Scott and Minch , Curtis. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Mark , RSV, 2nd ed. San Francisco : Ignatius Press, 2001.

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