Solemnity of The Ascension - Cycle C

1st Reading: Acts 1:1-11

Prologue
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[1] In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and
teach, [2] until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. [3] To them he pre-
sented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during
forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. [4] And while staying with them
he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the
Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, [5] for John baptized with water, but
before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

The Ascension
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[6] So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time
restore the kingdom of Israel?" [7] He said to them, "It is not for you to know times
or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. [8] But you shall
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my wit-
nesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." [9]
And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud
took him out of their sight. [10] And while they were gazing into heaven as he went,
behold, two men stood by them in white robes, [11] and said, "Men of Galilee, why
do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into
heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

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Commentary:

1-5. St Luke is the only New Testament author to begin his book with a prologue,
in the style of secular historians. The main aim of this preface is to convey to the
reader the profoundly religious character of the book which he is holding in his
hands. It is a work which will give an account of events marking the fulfillment of
the promises made by the God of Israel the Creator and Savior of the world. Under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, into his book St Luke weaves quotations from the
Psalms, Isaiah, Amos and Joel; it both reflects the Old Testament and interprets
it in the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

The prologue refers to St Luke's Gospel as a "first book". It mentions the last
events of our Lord's life on earth--the appearances of the risen Christ and his
ascension into heaven--and links them up with the 0account which is now begin-
ning.

St Luke's aim is to describe the origins and the early growth of this Christianity,
of which the main protagonist of this book, the Holy Spirit, has been the cause.
Yet this is not simply an historical record: the Acts of the Apostles, St Jerome
explains, "seems to be a straightforward historical account of the early years of
the nascent Church. But if we bear in mind it is written by Luke the physician,
who is praised in the Gospel (cf. 2 Cor 8: 18), we will realize that everything he
says is medicine for the ailing soul" ("Epistle" 53, 9).

The spiritual dimension of this book, which is one of a piece with the Third Gospel,
nourished the soul of the first generations of Christians, providing them with a
chronicle of God's faithful and loving support of the new Israel. "This book", St
John Chrysostom writes at the start of his great commentary, "will profit us no
less than the Gospels, so replete is it with Christian wisdom and sound doctrine.
It offers an account of the numerous miracles worked by the Holy Spirit. It
contains the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel;
we can observe in the very facts the bright evidence of Truth which shines in them,
and the mighty change which is taking place in the Apostles: they become perfect
men, extraordinary men, now that the Holy Spirit has come upon them. All Christ's
promises and predictions--He who believes in me will do these and even greater
works, you will be dragged before tribunals and kings and beaten in the synagogues,
and will suffer grievous things, and yet you will overcome your persecutors and
executioners and will bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth--all this, how it
came to pass, may be seen in this admirable book. Here you will see the Apostles
speeding their way overland and sea as if on wings. These Galileans, once so
timorous and obtuse, we find suddenly changed into new men, despising wealth
and honor, raised above passion and concupiscence" ("Hom. on Acts", 1).

St Luke dedicates this book to Theophilus--as he did his Gospel. The dedication
suggests that Theophilus was an educated Christian, of an upper-class back-
ground, but he may be a fictitious person symbolizing "the beloved of God",
which is what the name means. It also may imply that Acts was written quite
soon after the third Gospel.

1. "To do and teach": these words very concisely sum up the work of Jesus
Christ, reported in the Gospels. They describe the way in which God's saving
Revelation operates: God lovingly announces and reveals himself in the course
of human history through his actions and through his words. "The economy of
Revelation is realized by deeds and words, which are intrinsically bound up with
each other", Vatican II teaches. "As a result, the works performed by God in the
history of salvation show forth and bear out the doctrine and realities signified by
the words; the words, for their part, proclaim the works, and bring to light the
mystery they contain. The most intimate truth which this revelation gives us
about God and the salvation of man shines forth in Christ, who is himself both
the mediator and the sum total of Revelation" ("Dei Verbum", 2).

The Lord "proclaimed the kingdom of the Father both by the testimony of his life
and by the power of his word" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 35). He did not limit
himself to speech, to being simply the Teacher whose words opened man's minds
to the truth. He was, above all, the Redeemer, able to save fallen man through the
divine efficacy of each and every moment of his life on earth.

"Our Lord took on all our weaknesses, which proceed from sin--with the exception
of sin itself. He experienced hunger and thirst, sleep and fatigue, sadness and
tears. He suffered in every possible way, even the supreme suffering of death. No
one could be freed from the bonds of sinfulness had he who alone was totally
innocent not been ready to die at the hands of impious men. Therefore, our Savior,
the Son of God, has left all those who believe in him an effective source of aid,
and also an example. The first they obtain by being reborn through grace, the
second by imitating his life" (St Leo the Great, "Twelfth Homily on the Passion").

Jesus' redemptive action--his miracles, his life of work, and the mystery of his
death, resurrection and ascension, whose depth and meaning only faith can
plumb--also constitute a simple and powerful stimulus for our everyday conduct.
Faith should always be accompanied by works, by deeds, that is, our humble
and necessary cooperation with God's saving plans.

"Don't forget that doing must come before teaching. 'Coepit facere et docere', the
holy Scripture says of Jesus Christ: 'He began to do and to teach. ' "First deeds:
so that you and I might learn" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 342).

3. This verse recalls the account in Luke 24:13-43 of the appearances of the risen
Jesus to the disciples of Emmaus and to the Apostles in the Cenacle. It stresses
the figure of forty days. This number may have a literal meaning and also a deeper
meaning. In Sacred Scripture periods of forty days or forty years have a clearly
salvific meaning: they are periods during which God prepares or effects important
stages in his plans. The great flood lasted forty days (Gen 7:17); the Israelites
journeyed in the wilderness for forty years on their way to the promised land (Ps
95:10); Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai to receive God's revelation of the
Covenant (Ex 24:18); on the strength of the bread sent by God Elisha walked forty
days and forty nights to reach his destination (1 Kings 19:8); and our Lord fasted
in the wilderness for forty days in preparation for his public life (Mt 4:2).

5. "You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit": this book has been well described
as the "Gospel of the Holy Spirit". "There is hardly a page in the Acts of the
Apostles where we fail to read about the Spirit and the action by which he guides,
directs and enlivens the life and work of the early Christian community. It is he
who inspires the preaching of St Peter (cf. Acts 4:8), who strengthens the faith
of the disciples (cf. Acts 4:31), who confirms with his presence the calling of the
Gentiles (cf. Acts 10:44-47), who sends Saul and Barnabas to distant lands,
where they will open new paths for the teaching of Jesus (cf. Acts 13:2-4). In a
word, his presence and doctrine are everywhere" (St. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing
By", 127).

6-8. The Apostles' question shows that they are still thinking in terms of earthly
restoration of the Davidic dynasty. It would seem that for them --as for many
Jews of their time--eschatological hope in the Kingdom extended no further than
expectation of world-embracing Jewish hegemony.

"It seems to me", St John Chrysostom comments, "that they had not any clear
notion of the nature of the Kingdom, for the Spirit had not yet instructed them.
Notice that they do not ask when it shall come but 'Will you at this time restore
the Kingdom to Israel?', as if the Kingdom were something that lay in the past.
This question shows that they were still attracted by earthly things, though less
than they had been" ("Hom. on Acts", 2).

Our Lord gives an excellent and encouraging reply, patiently telling them that the
Kingdom is mysterious in character, that it comes when one least expects, and
that they need the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to grasp the teaching they
have received. Jesus does not complain about their obtuseness; he simply cor-
rects their ideas and instructs them.

8. The outline of Acts is given here: the author plans to tell the story of the growth
of the Church, beginning in Jerusalem and spreading through Judea and Samaria
to the ends of the earth. This is the geographical structure of St Luke's account.
In the Third Gospel Jerusalem was the destination point of Jesus' public life (which
began in Galilee); here it is the departure point.

The Apostles' mission extends to the whole world. Underlying this verse we can
see not so much a "geographical" dimension as the universalist aspirations of
the Old Testament, articulated by Isaiah: "It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of
the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow
to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and
that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word
of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Is 2:2-3).

9. Jesus' life on earth did not end with his death on the Cross but with his ascen-
sion into heaven. The ascension, reported here, is the last event, the last mystery
of our Lord's life on earth (cf. also 24:50-53)--and also it concerns the origins of the
Church. The ascension scene takes place, so to speak, between heaven and
earth. "Why did a cloud take him out of the Apostles' sight?", St John Chrysostom
asks. "The cloud was a sure sign that Jesus had already entered heaven; it was
not a whirlwind or a chariot of fire, as in the case of the prophet Elijah (cf. 2 Kings
2: l 1), but a cloud, which was a symbol of heaven itself" ("Hom. on Acts", 2). A
cloud features in theophanies--manifestations of God--in both the Old Testament
(cf. Ex 13:22) and the New (cf. Lk 9:34f).

Our Lord's ascension is one of the actions by which Jesus redeems us from
sin and gives us the new life of grace. It is a redemptive mystery "What we have
already taught of the mystery of his death and resurrection the faithful should
deem not less true of his ascension. For although we owe our redemption and
salvation to the passion of Christ, whose merits opened heaven to the just, yet
his ascension is not only proposed to us as a model, which teaches us to look
on high and ascend in spirit into heaven, but it also imparts to us a divine virtue
which enables us to accomplish what it teaches" ("St Pius V Catechism" I, 7,
9).

Our Lord's going up into heaven is not simply something which stirs us to lift up
our hearts--as we are invited to do at the preface of the Mass, to seek and love
the "things that are above" (cf. Col 3:1-2); along with the other mysteries of his
life, death and resurrection, Christ's ascension saves us. "Today we are not only
made possessors of paradise", St Leo says, "but we have ascended with Christ,
mystically but really, into the highest heaven, and through Christ we have ob-
tained a more ineffable grace than that which we lost through the devil's envy"
("First Homily on the Ascension").

The ascension is the climax of Christ's exaltation, which was achieved in the first
instance by his resurrection and which--along with his passion and death--const-
itutes the paschal mystery. The Second Vatican Council expresses this as
follows: "Christ our Lord redeemed mankind and gave perfect glory to God [...].
principally by the paschal mystery of his blessed passion, resurrection from the
dead, and glorious ascension" ("Sacrosanctum Concilium", 5; cf. "Dei Verbum",
19).

Theology has suggested reasons why it was very appropriate for the glorified Lord
to go up into heaven to be "seated at the right hand of the Father." "First of all,
he ascended because the glorious kingdom of the highest heavens, not the ob-
scure abode of this earth, presented a suitable dwelling place for him whose body,
rising from the tomb, was clothed with the glory of immortality. He ascended,
however, not only to possess the throne of glory and the kingdom which he had
merited by his blood, but also to attend to whatever regards our salvation. Again,
he ascended to prove thereby that his kingdom is not of this world" ("St Pius V
Catechism", I, 7, 5; cf. "Summa Theologiae", III, q. 57, a. 6).

The ascension marks the point when the celestial world celebrates the victory
and glorification of Christ: "It is fitting that the sacred humanity of Christ should
receive the homage, praise and adoration of all the hierarchies of the Angels and
of all the legions of the blessed in heaven" (J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", second
glorious mystery).

11. The angels are referring to the Parousia--our Lord's second coming, when he
will judge the living and the dead. "They said to them, What are you doing here,
looking into heaven? These words are full of solicitude, but they do not proclaim
the second coming of the Savior as imminent. The angels simply assert what is
most important, that is, that Jesus Christ will come again and the confidence
with which we should await his return" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts",
2).

We know for a certainty that Christ will come again at the end of time. We con-
fess this in the Creed as part of our faith. However, we know "neither the day nor
the hour" (Mt 25: 13) of his coming. We do not need to know it. Christ is always
imminent. We must always be on the watch, that is, we should busy ourselves
in the service of God and of others, which is where our sanctification lies.

2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23

Thanksgiving. The Supremacy of Christ (Continuation)
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[17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit
of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18] having the eyes of your
hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called
you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19] and what
is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the
working of his great might [20] which he accomplished in Christ when he raised
im from the dead and made him sit at the right hand in the heavenly places, [2I]
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; [22] and
he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things
for the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

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Commentary:

17. The God whom St Paul addresses is "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ", that
is, the God who has revealed himself through Christ and to whom Jesus himself,
as man, prays and asks for help (cf. Lk 22:42). The same God as was described
in the Old Testament as "the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob" is now de-
fined as "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ". He is the personal God recognized
by his relationship with Christ, his Son, who as mediator of the New Covenant ob-
tains from God the Father everything he asks for. This will be our own experience
too if we are united to Christ, for he promised that "if you ask anything of the
Father, he will give it to you in my name" (Jn 16:23; 15:16).

The founder of Opus Dei reminds us that "Jesus is the way, the mediator. In him
are all things; outside of him is nothing. In Christ, taught by him, we dare to call
Almighty God 'our Father': he who created heaven and earth is a loving Father"
("Christ Is Passing By", 91).

The Apostle also calls God "the Father of glory". The glory of God means his
greatness, his power, the infinite richness of his personality, which when it is
revealed inspires man with awe. Already, in the history of Israel, God revealed
himself through his saving actions in favor of his people. Asking God to glorify his
name is the same as asking him to show himself as our Savior and to give us his
gifts. But the greatest manifestation of God's glory, of his power, was the raising
of Jesus from the dead, and the raising, with him, of the Christian (cf. Rom 6:4;
1 Cor 6:14). In this passage St Paul asks God "the Father of glory" to grant
Christians supernatural wisdom to recognize the greatness of the blessings he
has given them through his Son; that is, to acknowledge that he is their Father
and the origin of glory. By asking for a "spirit of wisdom and revelation" the
Apostle is seeking special gifts--on the one hand, wisdom, that gift of the Holy
Spirit which enables one to penetrate the mystery of God: "Who has learned thy
counsel, unless thou hast given wisdom and sent thy holy Spirit from on high?"
(Wis 9:17). This wisdom which the Church has been given (cf. Eph l:8) can be
communicated to Christians in a special way, as a special gift or charism of the
Holy Spirit. The Apostle also asks God to give them a spirit "of revelation", that
is, the grace of personal revelations, such as he himself (cf. 1 Cor 14:6) and
other Christians (cf. 1 Cor 14:26) received. It is not a matter of revelation or
recognition of new truths, but rather of special light from the Holy Spirit so as
to have a deeper appreciation of the truth of faith, or of the will of God in a
particular situation.

18-19. Along with this deeper knowledge of God, St Paul asks that Christians
be given a fuller and livelier hope, because God and hope are inseparable. He
recognizes the faith and charity of the faithful to whom he is writing (cf. 1:15);
now he wants hope to shine more brightly for them; he wants God to enlighten
their minds and make them realize the consequences of their election, their
calling, to be members of the holy people of God, the Church. Hope, therefore,
is a gift from God. "Hope is a supernatural virtue, infused by God into our soul,
by which we desire and expect eternal life, promised by God to his servants,
and the means necessary to obtain it" ("St Pius X Catechism", 893).

The ground for hope lies in God's love and power which have been manifested in
the resurrection of Christ. This same power is at work in the Christian. Because
God's plan for our salvation is an eternal one, he who has called us will lead us
to an immortal life in heaven. The fact that God's power is at work in us (cf. Rom
5:5) does not mean that we encounter no difficulties. Monsignor Escriva reminds
us that "as we fight this battle, which will last until the day we die, we cannot
exclude the possibility that enemies both within and without may attack with
violent force. As if that were not enough, you may at times be assailed by the
memory of your own past errors, which may have been very many. I tell you now,
in God's name: do not despair. Should this happen (it need not happen; nor will it
usually happen), then turn it into another motive for uniting yourself more closely
to the Lord, for he has chosen you as his child and he will not abandon you. He
has allowed this trial to befall you so as to have you love him the more and dis-
cover even more clearly his constant protection and love" ("Friends of God", 214).

20-21. The Apostle is in awe at the marvels which God's power has worked in
Jesus Christ. He sees Christ as the source and model of our hope. "For, just as
Christ's life is the model and exemplar of our holiness, so is the glory and exal-
tation of Christ the form and exemplar of our glory and exaltation" (St Thomas
Aquinas, "Commentary on Eph, ad. Ioc".).

As elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Acts 7:56; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22), the fact
that the risen Christ is seated "at the right hand" of the Father means that he
shares in God's kingly authority. The Apostle is using a comparison with which
people of his time were very familiar -- that of the emperor seated on his throne.
The throne has always been the symbol of supreme authority and power. Thus,
the "St Pius V Catechism" explains that being seated at the right hand "does
not imply position or posture of body, but expresses the firm and permanent
possession of royal and supreme power and glory, which he received from the
Father" (I, 7, 3).

Christ's pre-eminence is absolute: he is Lord of all creation, material as well
as spiritual, earthly as well as heavenly. "All rule and authority and power and
dominion": this refers to the angelic spirits (cf. note on Eph 3:10), whom the false
preachers were presenting as superior to Christ. St Paul argues against them:
Jesus Christ at his resurrection was raised by God above all created beings.

22-23. In previous letters St Paul described the Church as a body (cf. Rom 12:4f;
1 Cor 12:12ff). Here, and in Colossians 1:18, he pursues this comparison and
says that it is the body of Christ, and that Christ is its head. He returns to this
teaching elsewhere in the Captivity Epistles (cf. Col 1:18; Eph 5:23f). The image
of body and head highlights the life-giving and salvific influence of Christ on the
Church, and at the same time emphasizes his supremacy over the Church (cf.
St. Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Eph, ad loc.", and also the note on Col
1:18). This fact fills Christians with joy: by joining the Church through Baptism,
they have become truly members of our Lord's body. "No, it is not pride", Paul
VI says, " nor arrogance nor obstinacy nor stupidity nor folly that makes us so
sure of being living, genuine members of Christ's body, the authentic heirs of
his Gospel" ("Ecclesiam Suam", 33).

This image also reveals Christ's close union with his Church and his deep love
for her: "he loved her so much", St John of Avila observes, "that although what
normally happens is that a person raises his arm to take a blow and protect his
head, this blessed Lord, who is the head, put himself forward to receive the blow
of divine justice, and died on the Cross to give life to his body, that is, us. And
after giving us life, through penance and the sacraments, he endows us, defends
and keeps us as something so very much his own, that he is not content with
calling us his servants, friends, brethren or children: the better to show his love
and render us honor, he gives us his name. For, by means of this ineffable union
of Christ the head with the Church his body, he and we are together called 'Christ"'
("Audi, Filia", chap. 84).

The Apostle also describes the Church, the body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:12) as
his "fullness" (cf. note on Col 1:19). What he means is that, through the Church,
Christ becomes present in and fills the entire universe and extends to it the fruits
of his redemptive activity. By being the vehicle which Christ uses to distribute his
grace to all, the Church is different from the Israel of the Old Testament: it is not
confined to a particular geographical location.

Because the Church has limitless grace, its call is addressed to all mankind: all
men are invited to attain salvation in Christ. "For many centuries now, the Church
has been spread throughout the world," St. Escriva comments, "and it numbers
persons of all races and walks of life. But the universality of the Church does not
depend on its geographical extension, even though that is a visible sign and a
motive of credibility. The Church was catholic already at Pentecost; it was born
catholic from the wounded heart of Jesus, as a fire which the Holy Spirit enkindles
[...]. 'We call it catholic', writes St Cyril, 'not only because it is spread throughout
the whole world, from one extreme to the other, but because in a universal way
and without defect it teaches all the dogmas which men ought to know, of both
the visible and the invisible, the celestial and the earthly. Likewise, because it
draws to true worship all types of men, those who govern and those who are ruled,
the learned and the ignorant. And finally, because it cures and makes healthy all
kinds of sins, whether of the soul or of the body, possessing in addition--by
whatever name it may be called--all the forms of virtue, in deeds and in words and
in every kind of spiritual gift' ("Catechesis", 18, 23)" ("In Love with the Church", 9).

All grace reaches the Church through Christ. The Second Vatican Council reminds
us: "He continually endows his body, that is, the Church, with gifts of ministries
through which, by his power, we serve each other unto salvation so that, carrying
out the truth in love, we may through all things grow into him who is our head"
("Lumen Gentium", 7). This is why St Paul calls the Church the "body" of Christ;
and it is in this sense that it is the "fullness" ("pleroma") of Christ--not because it
in any way fills out or completes Christ but because it is filled with Christ, full of
Christ, forming a single body with him, a singlespiritual organism, whose unifying
and life-giving principle is Christ, its head. This demonstrates Christ's absolute
supremacy; his unifying and life-giving influence extends from God to Christ, from
Christ to the Church, and from the Church to all men. It is he in fact who fills
all in all (cf. Eph 4:10; Col 1:17-19; 2:9f).

The fact that the Church is the body of Christ is a further reason why we should
love it and serve it. As Pope Pius XII wrote: "To ensure that this genuine and
whole-hearted love will reign in our hearts and grow every day, we must accustom
ourselves to see Christ himself in the Church. For it is indeed Christ who lives in
the Church, and through her teaches, governs and sanctifies; and it is also Christ
who manifests himself in manifold disguise in the various members of his society"
("Mystici Corporis", 43).

Alternate 2nd Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23

The Rites of the Old Covenant Prefigure Those of the New
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[24] For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the
true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our be-
half. [25] Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy
Place yearly with blood not his own; [26] for then he would have had to suffer re-
peatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for
all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] And just
as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so
Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second
time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Motives for Perseverance
-------------------------------------
[19] Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the
blood of Jesus, [20] by the new and living way which he opened for us through the
curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the
house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with
our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for
he who promised is faithful.

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Commentary:

[번역자 주: 여기를 클릭하면, 홀수해 연중 제3주간 월요일제1독서(히브리 9,15,24-28)의 
해설에 있는, 위의 제2독서 중의 히브리서 9,24-28에 대한 영문 해설의 우리말 번역문을 
학습할 수 있다].

23-28. In these verses the sacred writer adds some additional considerations to
the main line of his argument. His thought centers on linking the sanctuary, the
sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament sanctuary, and the sacrifice
of the New Covenant. It was "necessary" for Christ to shed his blood so that
men might" receive the promised eternal inheritance" (9:15), that is, forgiveness
of their sins (cf. 9:14). This shedding of blood is also necessary for the "purifica-
tion" of the heavenly things (9:23). The sacrifices of the Mosaic liturgy purified
the things of the old sanctuary and, in some way, pointed to forgiveness of sins
(9:9, 10). The sacrifice of Christ, on the other hand, really does blot out sin and
opens for us the way to heaven itself, giving us entry into that new sanctuary (7:
25; 9: 12). But the parallel is not a perfect one, for the old sacrifices were multi-
ple and were constantly repeated in petition of forgiveness (9:25). The sacrifice
of Christ, on the contrary, is a unique sacrifice, because it is eternally effective
(7:27; 9: 12). Moreover, whereas the high priest offered a sacrifice not with his
own blood but with the blood of animals, Christ offered his own blood in sacrifice.
Therefore, Christ has offered himself "once" (7:28; 9:12, 26, 28) in the same sort
of way as every man has to die only once and then undergoes judgment. Further-
more, through his sacrifice Christ has passed through the heavens once and for
all and will not return to earth to renew his sacrifice. He will not return until the
end of time, when he will come in glory.

Two truths interweave here a number of times. The first is that Christ entered for-
ever not into a temple made by man but into heaven itself (9:24; 7:26; 8:1). The
second is that Christ also enables us to enter into glory; that is, his sacrifice and
his entry into heaven enable man to attain his last end.

27-28. These verses look at three basic truths of Christian belief about the last
things--1) the immutable decree of death; 2) the fact that there is a judgment im-
mediately after death; 3) the second coming of Christ, in glory.

"Not to deal with sin": this phrase means that the second coming of Christ or Pa-
rousia, will not be for the purpose of redeeming men from sin but rather to bring
salvation, that is, glory, to those who placed their hope in him. Christ will come
into the world for a second time, but not as Redeemer, for his sacrifice has alrea-
dy eliminated sin once for all; rather, he will come as Judge of all. His coming "is
appointed": it is as necessary as death and judgment. These three truths are
closely interconnected.

Although man is mortal, "a spiritual element survives and subsists after death, an
element endowed with consciousness and will, so that the 'human self' subsists.
To designate this element, the Church uses the word 'soul', the accepted term in
the usage of Scripture and Tradition" (SCDF, "Letter on Certain Questions Con-
cerning Eschatology", 17 May 1979).

Man, then, is made up of a spiritual and immortal soul and a corruptible body.

However, when God originally endowed man with supernatural grace, he gave
him additional gifts, the so-called "preternatural" gifts, which included bodily im-
mortality. Adam's disobedience resulted in the loss of his friendship with God and
the loss of this preternatural gift. From that point onwards death is "the wages of
sin" (Rom 6:23), and it is to this divine decision that the text refers when it says
that it "is appointed for men to die" (cf. Gen 3:19, 23; Rom 5:12). The Church has
repeatedly stressed that death is a punishment; cf., for example, Pius VI, "Aucto-
rem Fidei", prop. 1, 7: "in our present state (death) is inflicted as a just punish-
ment for sin"; immortality was an "unmerited gift and not a natural condition".
Verses 27-28 are an implicit exhortation to watchfulness (cf. also 1 Cor 7:29;
Sir 14:12; and "Lumen Gentium", 48).

Immediately after death everyone will be judged on the conduct of his life. All
"are to give an account of their lives; those who have done good deeds will go in-
to eternal life; those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire" ("Athanasian
Creed"). This is something which reason with the help of God's Word can disco-
ver, because people with a correct moral sense realize that good deserves to be
rewarded and evil punished, and that it is impossible for this to occur completely
in this life. It is difficult to say whether Hebrews 9:27 is referring to the "particular
judgment", which happens immediately after death, or to the general judgment,
which will take place on the last day. Both interpretations can be supported, for
the judgment the verse refers to is connected, on the one hand, with death, and
on the other with the second coming of Christ. In any event, it is clear that what
is meant is a "personal" judgment, a trial at which each individual will be judged
by Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10). The existence of a general judgment does
not conflict with the certainty that there is a particular judgment, for the Church,
in line with Sacred Scripture, although it awaits the glorious revealing of our Lord
Jesus Christ on the last day, sees that event as distinct from and separate in
time from the judgment which every individual will undergo immediately after
death (cf. "Letter on Eschatology, op. cit.").

The idea of death and judgment, however, should not only inspire fear; it should
also lead us to hope in Christ, for our Lord will come a second time to show him-
self a merciful judge to "those who are eagerly waiting for him".

Christians, therefore, combine their joyful hope in the establishment of the King-
dom of God, which they wholeheartedly desire, with a desire to make the best
possible use of the time allotted to them in this life. "This urgent solicitude of the
Church, the Spouse of Christ, for the needs of men--for their joys and hopes, their
griefs and labors--is nothing other than her intense desire to share them in full, in
order to illuminate men with the light of Christ and to gather together and unite all
in him who alone is the Savior of each one of them. This solicitude must never be
taken to mean that the Church conforms herself to the things of this world, or that
her longing for the coming of her Lord and his eternal reign grows cold" (Paul VI,
"Creed of the People of God".

10:19-21. Throughout the epistle there a constant interweaving of dogmatic and
moral considerations, with the former points often giving rise to exhortations to
the faithful to be unwavering in faith and hope. The epistle now moves on from
its theological reflections on Christ's priesthood to its practical application in the
Christian life: the Christian should put his trust in the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice,
and through faith, hope and charity associate himself with Christ's priesthood.

He should do this for three reasons--the redemptive value of the blood of Jesus,
the access to glory signified by his entry into the sanctuary of heaven, and
Christ's enthronement at the right hand of the Father. The sprinkling of the blood
of Christ gives the believer full assurance that he too will enter heaven, because
the paschal mystery of Christ -- his passion, death and resurrection -- has made
this possible.

"The new and living way": a translation of the original Greek expression, which
literally reads "the recently sacrificed and living way"; this is a metaphorical ex-
pression indicating that Christ is a way, and that this way has been recently
opened up, has been sacrificed and is alive. There is, then, a personification of
"way" which recalls what Jesus said about his being "the way, and the truth and
the life" (Jn 14: 6); and there is also a reference to Christ's sacrifice, to the fact
that his body did not experience corruption and that he lives for ever (cf. Heb 7:
25).

The "Pius V Catechism", referring to the benefits brought us by Christ's passion,
specifies how he opened to us the gates of heaven, closed due to mankind's sin:
"Nor are we without a type and figure of this mystery in the Old Law. For those
who were prohibited to return into their native country before the death of the high
priest (cf. Num 35:25) typified that no one, however just and holy may have been
his life, could gain admission into the celestial country until the eternal High
Priest, Jesus Christ, had died, and by his death immediately opened heaven to
those who, purified by the sacraments and gifted with faith, hope and charity,
become partakers of his passion" (I, 5, 14).

The reference to Christ's flesh as a "curtain" not only recalls the curtain in the
temple separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary, but also
points to the fact that the deepest dimension of Christ is his Godhead, in which
the Christian must believe, but without separating it from his humanity. Christ's
human nature is at the same time a "way" because it reveals his divinity, and
a "curtain" because it masks it. "Just as the priest (of the Old Law) entered the
Holy of Holies, so too if we want to enter holy glory, we must enter by way of
Christ's flesh, the curtain (concealing) his divinity [...]. For, faith in the one God
is insufficient if one does not have faith in the Incarnation" (St Thomas Aquinas,
"Commentary on Heb., ad loc.").

22-25. The epistle now exhorts its readers to purity of heart, steadfastness in
faith and mutual charity.

It speaks of a clean heart, recalling the purity which the water of Baptism brings.
The Christian should stay true to the faith he received and professed at Baptism,
and maintain the purity which it brings. To live in this way the baptized should
count on the help provided by the Church and on the grace God continually gives.
As Vatican I teaches, referring to those who have received the light of faith, "God
does not abandon them, unless he is abandoned [...]. Therefore, the position of
those who have embraced Catholic truth by the heavenly gift of faith, and of those
who have been misled by human opinions and follow a false religion is by no
means the same, for the former, who have accepted the faith under the teaching
authority of the Church, can never have just reason for changing that faith or cal-
ling it into question" ("Dei Filius", chap. 3).

Along with its exhortation to practise the three theological virtues, the passage
includes a call not to neglect to attend Christian assemblies. We know that the
first Christians were expected to come together daily or weekly (cf. Acts 2:46;
20:7) and, as we can see here, some gave up going to those meetings through
carelessness, or because they preferred private to public prayer, or because
they did not want others to know they were Christians. In Judaism much empha-
sis was placed on the duty to attend synagogue meetings. The meetings refer-
red to in this passage, whether for the celebration of the Christian liturgy or for
instruction in apostolic teaching, had a clearly eschatological focus in the sense
that they built up people's hope in the coming of our Lord (cf. 1 Thess 5:4; 1 Cor
3:13; Rom 13:12; Phil 4:5; Jas 5:8; 1 Pet 4:7).The author's insistence on the
need to meet together recalls another exhortation which goes back to the early
Church: "Now that you are members of Christ, do not choose to cut yourselves
off from the Church by failing to attend the assembly; having Christ your head
present and in touch with you, as he promised, do not underestimate yourselves
or choose to separate the Savior from his members, or divide or scatter his body,
or give your everyday needs more importance than the Word of God; rather, on
the Lord's Day leave everything aside and come to the Church" ("The Teaching
of the Twelve Apostles"). on the basis of the apostolic tradition, the Church has
established a grave obligation to attend Mass on Sundays (cf. "Code of Canon
Law", can. 1247). "On this day Christ's faithful are bound to come together into
one place. They should listen to the word of God and take part in the Eucharist,
thus calling to mind the passion, resurrection and glory of the Lord Jesus and
giving thanks to God, 'who has begotten them anew to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' (1 Pet 1:3)" (Vatican II, "Sacrosanc-
tum Concilium", 106).

In the same way--by listening to and meditating on the Word of God--Christians
fulfill their equally serious obligation to improve their understanding of Christian
doctrine.

Gospel Reading: Lk 24:46-53

Jesus' Last Instructions And Leave-Taking
-------------------------------------------------------------
[46] And (Jesus) said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer
and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance and forgiveness
of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
[48] You are witness of these things. [49] And behold, I send the promise of my
Father upon you; but say in the city, until you are clothed with power from on
high."

The Ascension of Our Lord 
---------------------------------------
[50] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands be blessed
them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into
heaven. [52] And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
[53] and were continually in the temple blessing God. 

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

44-49. St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in
Christ, because his immediate audience was Jews, who would accept this as
proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.; St Luke does not usually
argue along these lines because he is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epi-
logue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ's statement to the effect that
everything foretold about him had come true. By doing so he shows the unity of
Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah. 

St. Luke also refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 26; 15:26;
16:7ff), whose fulfilment on the day of Pentecost he will narrate in detail in the
Book of Acts (cf. Acts 2:1-4).

46.From St. Luke's account we have seen how slow the apostles were to grasp
Jesus' prophecy of his death and resurrection (cf. 9:45; 18:34). Now that the pro-
phecy is fulfilled Jesus reminds them that it was necessary for the Christ to suf-
fer and to rise from the dead (cf. Acts 2:1-4).

The Cross is a mystery, in our own life as well as in Christ's "Jesus suffers to car-
ry out the will of the Father. And you, who also want to carry out the most holy
will of God, following the steps of the Master, can you complain if you meet suffe-
ring on the way? (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 213) 49.

"I send the promise of my Father upon you," that is, the Holy Spirit who, some
days later, at Pentecost, would come down upon them in the cenacle (cf. Acts
2:1-4) as the Father's gift to them (cf. Lk 11:13).

50-53 St. Luke, who will report our Lord's ascension in the Acts of the Apostles,
here gives a summary account of this mystery which marks the end of Jesus's
visible presence on earth. St Thomas Aquinas explains that it was inappropriate
for Christ to remain on earth after the Resurrection, whereas it was appropriate
that he should ascend into heaven, because, although his risen body was alrea-
dy a glorified one, it now receives an increase in glory due to the dignity of the
place to which it ascends (cf. Summa theologiae, 3, q. 57 a. 1).

"Our Lord's Ascension also reminds us of another fact. The same Christ, who en-
courages us to carry out our task in the world, awaits us in heaven. In other words,
our life on earth, which we love, is not definitive. 'Here we have no lasting city, but
we seek the city which is to come' (Heb 13:14), a changeless home, where we
may live forever. […] Christ awaits us. We are 'citizens of heaven' (Phil 3:20), and
at the same time fully-fledged citizens of this earth, in the midst of difficulties, in-
justices and lack of understanding, but also in the midst of the joy and serenity
that comes from knowing that we are children of God" (St. J. Escriva, Christ is
Passing By, 126).

We have come to the end of St. Luke's narrative. Words cannot express the 
gratitude and love we feel when we reflect on Christ's life among us. Let us offer
God our desire to be ever more faithful children and disciples of his, as we savor
this summary of Christ's life given us by the Magisterium: "We believe in our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. He is the eternal Word born of the Father
before time began […]. He dwelt among us full of grace and truth. He announced
and established the Kingdom of God, enabling us to know the Father. He gave us
the commandment that we should love one another as he loved us. He taught us
the way of the Gospel Beatitudes, according to which we were to be poor in spirit
and humble, bearing suffering in patience, thirsting after justice, merciful, clean of
heart, peaceful, enduring persecution for justice's sake. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, the Lamb of God taking to himself the sins of the world, and he died for us,
nailed to the Cross, saving us by this redeeming blood. After he had been buried
he rose from the dead of his own power, lifting us by his Resurrection to that sha-
ring in the divine life which is grace. He ascended into heaven whence he will
come again to judge the living and the dead, each according to his merits. Those
who have responded to the love and compassion of God will go into eternal life.
Those who have refused them to the end will be consigned to the fire that is never
extinguished. And of his kingdom there will be no end" (Paul VI, Creed of the Peo-
ple of God, 11f).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

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