AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Catholic Communication’s Sunday

Acts 1: 1 – 11 / Ps 47 / Eph 1: 17 – 23 or Heb 9: 24 – 28 / Lk 24: 46 – 53

There are two realities about an ending. When something ends, a certain reality closes in and a new reality opens up. For example, when a mother gives birth, it marks the closure of her 9 months of pregnancy and the beginning of her new life as a mother. Graduations are also called “commencement exercises” because students end the “academic” chapter of their life and commence (or starts, or begins) the “professional” chapter of their life.  For those who are brokenhearted, don’t worry about break – ups. It’s not yet the end of the world. Break – ups are new openings for your heart to fall in love again with another person. Hintayin mo lang ang tama’ng panahon (Wait for the right time). Surely, no matter how painful an ending maybe, just remember the wisdom of Lao Tzu: “new beginnings are often disguised as often endings.”

Scripturally, our Gospel today marks the end of the Gospel of Luke. However this ending also marks the beginning of the second volume of his work which is the Acts of the Apostles. Liturgically, we are moving towards the end of the Easter season. Tracing back the life of Jesus, we will realize that today marks an important end, and beginning, of his ministry for today we celebrate his Ascension into heaven. And just as an ending has two realities, there are also two movements which we have to take note when we talk about the Lord’s Ascension.

In our Gospel we read, “as he blessed them, he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.” The Ascension of Jesus marks the end of his earthly ministry at the same time it marks the beginning of his return to the Father. His ascension is a departure from the world in order to arrive in heaven. His ascension is his detachment from his earthly family in order to attach himself back to his divine family. Simply said, Jesus’ ascension into heaven is an experience of change…a change for the better.

It was a change for the better because through his ascension Jesus’ presence is no longer confined in time and space but is already a part of eternity. Thus, it is true to say, “Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever!”

In life, we also have our own experiences of endings. Some of these endings are simply logical: you end your college life because you have completed the requirements of a course. Others are simply of the natural cycle of life. For example, a person dies because it’s time to die. There are also endings which are results of failure, just like a failure of relationship. One may leave a boyfriend because she does not love him anymore kahit pinilit man ang puso.

No matter what nature of ending it might be, the important thing is that we are aware that these endings are not final. Rather, we must be conscious that these endings are only beginnings of a better life ahead. And with this conciousness, we do not lose hope in continuing our life’s journey.

I once attended a funeral Mass of a parish benefactor. In one of the eulogies, the sharer said, “Amo gyud ni siyang gimahal pag – ayo, mao sakit kaayo karon nga namatay na siya. Tinuod, ako siyang gimahal, apan sayod ko nga mas gimahal pa siya sa Ginoo mao nga iya na siyang gipapahulay sa dayon (We loved him so much, that is why it is too painful to see him go. While it is true that we loved him, our love for him is nothing more than God’s love for him, that is why God has granted him eternal rest). My love is nothing compared to God’s love for my friend” My friends, such is an example of someone who is conscious that an end is only a beginning of a better life.

Barry Manilow sang this line of one of his songs, “…letting go is just another way of saying that you’ll always love me so.”

The Ascension of Jesus is Jesus’ letting go of his physical presence. But his ascension is also about his great love for you and me that goes beyond time and space. Amen!