Because Jesus ascended to heaven, we are drawn toward Him there
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This week begins with the traditional start of summer (Memorial Day) and closes with the words: “Mary remained with her about three months.” Let’s ask together: how can we spend the three months of summer?
There are 89 chapters in the Gospels, and 99 days from Memorial Day to Labor Day. How about spending the summer months reading a chapter a day?
May 31 is the Feast of the Visitation: Mary (pregnant with Jesus) visited Elizabeth (pregnant with John the Baptist). Psychologists say it takes 90 days to create a new habit. How about spending the 92 days of June, July and August thinking about how we, like Mary, can say “yes” to Jesus dwelling inside of us, and how we can make a habit of bringing the indwelling Jesus to others?
We have an American pope! Perhaps, as a gift from America to the worldwide Church, we could offer a prayer every day for the new Holy Father!
Or here’s a suggestion: Instead of reading media reports about him, spend a little time every day reading something that he wrote — a daily homily, or a speech, or a letter — and then say a prayer for him. That would be an intellectual and spiritual version of a summer diet: eating real food rather than fast food.
Mary spent three months with Elizabeth. The three months of summer stretch before us! Let’s spend them deliberately, growing in spiritual fitness.
We’re getting ready to celebrate the Ascension next Sunday. We’re accustomed to thinking about the cross and the resurrection as the keys to our salvation — and rightly so. But do we think much about the Ascension’s role in our salvation?
St. Thomas Aquinas did! In his great masterwork, the “Summa Theologiae,” he asked the question: “Whether Christ’s Ascension is the cause of our salvation?” He said “yes,” and went on to explain how the Ascension factors into our salvation.
Of course, as in so many cases, St. Thomas was building on what other great theologians had done. Both St. Augustine (354-430) and St. Leo (400-461) had addressed the topic. St. Augustine captured their common thought perfectly when he said: “Out of compassion for us He descended from heaven, and although He ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in Him by grace.” Let’s pause to ponder his reasoning.
If we are one with Jesus — because He is our head and we are members of His body — and if the head has ascended into heaven, then our bodies are already being drawn toward heaven. It’s like a kind of spiritual physics, with heaven as our natural resting place. If we slow down, interiorly, we can feel ourselves being drawn there. So St. Augustine challenges us: Why not practice that right now? “Why do we, on earth, not strive to find rest with Him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope, and love that unites us to Him?”
That would be a great way to spend our summer months: becoming more aware of the pull of our bodies and souls toward heaven, where Jesus has ascended and is drawing us toward Himself, and to surrender to it a little more each day. What a way to spend three months!
