To be a Catholic in 16th-century England was dangerous. Parliament passed laws that made life for Catholics very difficult. For example, celebrating the Mass was outlawed; many priests were persecuted and even killed for doing so. To shelter a priest was considered treason and punishable by death.
Many brave English Catholics kept the faith alive in England back then and paid the ultimate price for doing so. One valiant woman was a young mother, St. Margaret Clitherow. She allowed priests to live in her home and celebrate Mass there. She also ran a small school for children. In March of 1586, a raid on her home revealed what she was doing, so she was imprisoned, then sentenced to death. From her prison cell the night before she died, Margaret made a final request; that her shoes be given to her oldest daughter, Anne, who was then 12 years old. Her message was clear: Follow in my footsteps.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he left his “shoes” to the apostles, telling them to follow in his footsteps by carrying on his gospel of compassion, reconciliation and justice. He told them that repentance for the forgiveness of sins was to be preached to all the nations. “You are witnesses of these things,” he said.Following in his footsteps is what Christians of every time and place have done ever since.
In baptism, we also follow in the footsteps of Jesus, being called upon to be witnesses to what Jesus did and taught. Being a witness to Jesus wasn’t easy in 16th century England and it isn’t easy today either. We need not be bible thumping preachers standing on street corners however. If our lives reflect what he taught his apostles, then we are witnessing to Jesus Christ by what we say and do.
The Ascension is not about Jesus being taken from us but being given to us for all times and in all places. By ascending into heaven, Jesus freed himself from the time and place where he had lived and died. Today nothing holds him back from being present to us in the Eucharist for as God he can be present wherever and whenever the Mass is being celebrated.
There is something unique and transforming about the Eucharist that sets this worship apart from any other. With bread and wine symbolizing the gifts of the community to God in gratitude for all that God has given them, the priest calls upon the Holy Spirit to come down upon them so that they become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. While their taste and appearance remain the same, we believe their substance is changed by the power of God into Jesus, the same Jesus that ascended into heaven.
When we receive Holy Communion, we are making a bold statement, that what we are receiving is not bread and wine but Jesus himself, who is really present to us in this celebration, 2000 years after he ascended into heaven and many miles away from where he once walked and talked.
When we hear the words, “Body of Christ,” we say, “Amen,” our testimony that what we are about to receive is the Son of God, the source of all life, who will someday return in glory to judge us. No wonder saints like Margaret Clitherow stood up for what they believed in rather than abandon their faith. Need we be afraid when Jesus returns? Not if we have been following in his shoes, like Margaret did, living as he told us to.
Each time we have the opportunity to receive Eucharist, we should ask ourselves, “What does this mean to me?” Do we appreciate communion as much today as we did on the day we received our First Holy Communion? If not, what can we do to again become excited about receiving Jesus?
When we start to take something for granted, we can fail to appreciate its full value, but imagine if you were receiving communion today for the last time. Only God knows when we will cross the threshold of death and be judged by his son, but would you feel differently if you knew this was your last opportunity to receive the Lord Jesus in this lifetime?
Jesus knew that being a witness to his gospel would not be easy. In addition to coming to us in the Eucharist, he said to his disciples, “behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.” And he did days later on Pentecost when they were gathered in the Upper Room. This promise is also known to us as the Holy Spirit, the advocate, the Paraclete, the third person of the Holy Trinity. This promise empowered the disciples and many others to go forth and be witnesses to Christ.
The powerful presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit is what has enabled the Church to endure throughout the centuries, at times barely, persecuted by emperors, kings, heretics, wars, internal corruption, and scandals. The Church thrives today in many parts of the world because there are believers, like Margaret Clitherow and countless other mothers, who value their relationship with Jesus more than anything else, even their lives. They will do whatever they can to remain strong in their faith, following in the footsteps of Jesus to make their world and ours a better place.
Ascension and Pentecost, which we celebrate next week, tell us that God still sends out disciples to be witnesses to the gospel,calling on ordinary people, like you and me, not just the saints, to hand on to others the story that was handed on to us about Jesus. By following in his son’s footsteps, we too can let those around us know what a better place our world would be if we would all be loving, compassionate and forgiving.