Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR C ASCENSION OF THE LORD - 23.5.04 Acts 1,1-11; Eph 1,17-23; Lk 24,46-53 Folly of God - Folly for God Will
you love as I have loved? On Ascension Day, the story of a love, which is beyond all understanding
comes to a close. For our sake, the Father truly sent his Son to dwell among
us;... and for our salvation, truly the Son of God became flesh, humbled himself
suffered and died the horrendous death on a Cross, rose and returned to the
Father. After Ascension, the disciples went everywhere, telling the story of
this tremendous love, detailing all miracles and teaching of Jesus, aimed at
bringing people to belief. Indeed, they boldly proclaimed Christ’s horrendous
Passion, Death (death on a cross!) and Resurrection. They outlined -step by
step-, the “excess” of God’s love for us. While with them, Jesus spent
valuable time, to prepare them for his departure and give them instructions on
how they were to continue his mission, after he had gone. The Ascension has this
specific meaning: knowing to what an excess Jesus demonstrated God’s love,
namely to the point of Passion, Crucifixion & Death, (death on a cross!),
now that he ascends & returns to the Father, he leaves behind a challenge.
It’s as if Jesus says to us: Will you love me, as I have loved you? Will you
love me to the excess, extent and degree to which God’s love has been made
known to you? Of course, we could never respond with a love equal to God’s
love, in all the horrendous details depicted so creatively in Mel Gibson’s
movie “Passion of the Christ”! And just the same, we will never fathom the
depth of Jesus’ love, as it transpires at every Eucharist through Jesus words:
“this is my blood poured out for you & for all... Do this in memory of
me”. Returning
love for love. God’s tremendous love, to the excess displayed in Jesus’
“Passion” has inspired saints in every age. In the life of the saints,
God’s love for us, goes way beyond a vague ‘love thy neighbour’, a gentle
invitation to be self-giving or showing selfless love. It becomes a passionate
desire to return love for love. It becomes a “folly for God”, in the
response to “the folly of God”. It led St. Paul to say: ‘God did not spare
his own Son, but gave him up for us all... to the point of a shameful cross (Rom
8,32). And: ‘As for me, heaven forbid that I should boast about anything
except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though Him the world has been
crucified to me and I to the world... I carry the stigmata of Jesus, branded on my body’ (Gal 6,14-17). The
cross led many saints to high levels of contemplation, mystical experiences and
desire to offer their lives as ‘victim souls’, in order to return ‘love
for love’. In his excessive love, God’s Son chose to humble himself, leave
behind his condition as God; and become even humbler yet. He accepted that he
would be despised, rejected & condemned to the most shameful death, the
death on a cross... and only then He rose to give us the privilege to live a
life of love, united with him - in him - through him, here in this present life
and in eternity. This level of logic, (Christianity calls it “from cross to
glory”) was impossible for the disciples to fathom, while Jesus was with them.
Only after Ascension, after Jesus’ return to the Father, when the Holy Spirit
came...then they understood, were transformed, became fearless, joyful and
enthusiastic witnesses of Christ’s Passion, Death & Resurrection, willing
to give their life & suffer any scourging, indeed “overjoyed at having
been considered worthy of suffering any hardship on account of his name’ (Acts
5,41). Ascension is important to understand the totality God’s plan, which in
turn creates in us the conviction of being let in a ‘wonderful deal’: a life
in Christ through the Spirit. ______________________________________ |
