LOOKING UP TO THE LORD

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord 

May 12, 2024

People formed by the Lord - on the move

WORD 2day - Saturday, Sixth week in the Eastertide

May 11, 2024 - Acts 18: 23-28; John 16: 23-28

Jesus is moving on; he has been preparing his disciples and apostles for it. We see that sense of movement in the Word today - Paul comes to Antioch and moves to Phyrgia, Apollos comes to Ephesus and moves on to Achaia, and Jesus is saying he is moving on... there is so much of movement noticed and reported here. That is it was; that is how it should be in the Christian community. That is why Pope Francis all the time underlines the importance of "a community that goes forth." 

But why all these movements? Just for the sake of it? Because we want to show everyone that we are alive and that we are around? No! Jesus describes the rationale of this movement: I came from the Father and have come nito the world, and now I leave he world and go to the Father. This is how it has to be; we come from the Father and to the Father we need to go. All that we are and all that we do, should take us to the Father; including our relationship with Jesus, it has to take us to the Father. That is the reason, Jesus explicates it today: I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you, because the Father himself  loves you! 

Our itinerary is well defined - we came from the Father and we need to move on to the Father! We cannot get settled here or there - at times, we are eager to settle down, get buried and get established... but that is not being people formed by the Lord. The Lord is on the move! And calls us to move on, to be on the move! We are called to move, move constantly towards the Father, move towards realising our call to be people of God. 

On this last day before the Ascension of the Lord, where the Lord moves to his Father, we are called to renew our understanding and conviction as people on the move, people who are constantly moving closer towards being with the Father, being one with the Father.