Transitions are nothing new. We are always letting go of something or someone, moving from one relatively comfortable setting to something new and unfamiliar. Even if we never moved away the town of our birth, we experience transition, such as graduation, getting married, starting a new job, having a baby, moving into a new home, coping with an illness, recovering from a stroke, dealing with the death of a loved one or the end of a once cherished relationship. Yes, life is always changing.
Admittedly, transitions are not always easy. We cling to what we know and remain afraid of the unknown. That is why death, for example, frightens so many of us. The loss of someone or something dear to us results in grief, but sometimes that grief can be transformed into joy.
Years ago, I read a charming story entitled Dragon Kite of the Autumn Moon, featuring a young boy named Tad-Tin. He learned that lesson when his grandfather, who made kites for them to fly together, became too ill to make a kite for them to fly in the annual kite day celebration. Consequently, if he was to participate in the annual event, Tad-Tin had to fly his cherished dragon kite, which his grandfather had made years ago when Tad-Tin was born. Now, traditionally every kite had to be set free at the end of the day so that they would carry all the troubles away with them, but Tad-Tin ached at the thought of letting go of this magnificent dragon kite. He finally garners the courage to let go of the kite, then returns home to discover that his grandfather has fully recovered from his illness.
The ascension of Jesus conveys a similar message of transition. In letting go of the physical Jesus, the disciples felt the same intense loss as Tad-Tin had felt when he first let go of his kite, but later they experienced Jesus’ return in ways they had never anticipated. They soon noticed that Jesus was acting through them empowering them to carry on the mission of proclaiming the Good News. The apostles found themselves becoming, as Jesus had promised they would, his witnesses “in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
This feast does not celebrate the end of Jesus’ presence in the world. Rather, we witness a transition that marks a change in the way Jesus is present in our world. Instead of using his own voice to address people, his own heart to love people, and his own hands to reach out to people, Jesus was now acting through his disciples. He used their voices to proclaim the good news to people, their hearts to love people, and their hands to reach out to people. Two thousand years later, he is using you and me to do the same thing. In other words, Jesus did not go away. He is very real and very much present in our midst, using our voices to address people, our hearts to love people, and our hands to reach out to people.
Another way to understand the lesson of this feast is to imagine that we are participants in a relay race. Just as a baton is passed from one runner to another, Jesus has passed his message of salvation onto the disciples, who in turned passed it onto those who heard them. That baton, our Catholic faith, has been passed on for countless generations. At some point in our lives, the baton of our faith was passed onto us and now Jesus is counting on us to pass this baton on for the sake of future generations.
I would not be one bit surprised if many of you feel powerless when it comes to sharing the good news. Many Catholics do not see themselves as evangelizers. At a loss for words or lacking the confidence to share their convictions, they say little or nothing about their faith. “I don’t discuss my religion with others,” they claim. Keep in mind, however, that actions speak louder than words and if your lives resonate with the values of our Catholic faith, you are indeed passing on the baton. We best pass the baton of faith on by giving witness to what we believe.
At the end of Mass, you are told in so many words, “The Mass is ended, go in peace.” Sometimes, you hear the rest of the line, “to love and serve the Lord.” In effect, you are being sent forth on the same mission given to the apostles, that is, pass on the baton of the gospel. Hopefully, the Mass has nourished and strengthened you spiritually for this mission. The odds are that you will rub shoulders with many others throughout the day who are hungering to hear what you heard. Might sharing your faith leave a positive impression on them? Jesus certainly hopes so!
If you find yourself amongst Catholics who for whatever reason choose not to attend Mass, don’t nag or scold them. Don’t stop loving them or praying for them either! Instead, ask them how they are nurturing their spiritual lives, then invite them to come with you to Mass next weekend when we celebrate Pentecost, the traditional birthday of our church.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul is urging us to get on with our mission of being Christian witnesses in this world. He never said being one would be easy. In fact, he suffered in ways we cannot begin to imagine, but he never let up, and neither must we. Like Paul, “I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” Live your faith so that others who may be spiritually hungry can see the value of living the faith as well. Perhaps, you will make a difference in someone’s life just as someone else made a difference in yours.
As we transition back to our daily routine, ponder what it means to be a Catholic beyond the four walls of this church. Remember, you are the church, so let go of whatever hinders you from fully living and sharing your faith for Jesus is counting on you to do your part in proclaiming the gospel to every creature.