He is lifted up

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 Matthew 28:16-20

Acts 1:11 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."

Don't stand looking, he is coming back.  That is what the angels said to the disciples.  But he is coming as they have seen him go.  They saw him disappear.  They some him leave their sight.  The Spirit, which I think the angels were referring to, is invisible.  Christ comes to us in the clouds.In the times of trouble and despair he is there. He comes with power beyond human power and knowledge beyond human knowledge.  He is God.  If he were to come as a man again we would only have a man to lead us and care for us, but we have the Holy Spirit because he doesn't come back as a human man, but as the Holy Spirit.  The ascension is significant because it is the event when the resurrected man Jesus takes his place in Heaven.  Jesus says don't hang on to me because I haven't ascended to the Father yet. Many of us want to hang on to the man Jesus and not let him ascend.  Let's celebrate his ascension.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always look for your presence in my life, not in human terms, but always remembering that you are God and through you all things are possible.

Amen