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May 27, 2017Why did Jesus go back to God the Father?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he were physically with us?
The Ascension of Jesus is his liberation from all restrictions of time and space. Indeed, he is the Son of Man AND the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Thus it makes sense to get back to his true divine nature. However, it does not represent his removal from the earth, but because of his ascension, his constant presence can be everywhere on earth. During his earthly ministry he could only be in one place at a time. But now that he is united with God, he is present wherever God is present; and that is everywhere.
A sense of the presence of Christ with us doesn’t change the world for us. The world is still filled with human frailty and the presence of evil, but it can give us the courage to face it. God’s closeness shields us against a sense of abandonment and despair.
In spite of the grave failings of his followers, and many terrible persecutions, the Gospel has come down to us across two thousand years. The explanation for this surely lies in the promise of Jesus: ‘I will be with you always, to the very end of time.’
Jesus now depends on us. We are his witness before the world. It’s a daunting task but a great privilege too. When we witness to truth, justice, love and peace we are witnessing to Jesus. The way to witness to truth is to live truthfully. The way to witness to justice is to act justly in all one’s dealings with others. The way to witness to love is to act lovingly towards others. And the way to witness to peace is to live in peace with others.
In short, the most effective way to witness to Jesus is to live a Christian life. We can draw encouragement from what St. Mother Teresa said: ‘I don’t pray for success; I pray that I may be a faithful witness.’-Fr. John Kim
