Pastoral, Liturgical, Teaching, and Social Justice Moments brought to you by DignityUSA.

Breath of the Spirit is our electronic spiritual and liturgical resource for our members and potential members. Nothing can replace your chapter or other faith community but we hope you will find further support here for integrating your spirituality with your sexuality and all the strands of your life.

Today’s reflection notes that some of our popular ideas—and even the Scriptural accounts—of the Ascension are most likely very far from its historical reality. But beyond the Scripture writers’ attempts to use their version of this story to speak to readers of that time, the Ascension of Jesus—whatever its historical reality—carries a timeless message for all believers.

May 21, 2023: Feast of the Ascension

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11

Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

Ephesians 1:17-23

Matthew 28:16-20

(In most dioceses around the United States the Feast of the Ascension has been moved to the 7thSunday of Easter. If you are not in one of those areas, you can find the Sunday readings here.)

I Am With You: Unpacking the Real Meaning of the Ascension

A reflection by Marianne Seggerman

In the first reading Jesus cautions the disciples from expecting to know when the second coming will occur. He then proceeds to be lifted up into heaven through a cloud leaving a pair of angels to explain to the perplexed men what just happened. It is an image which is ripe for ridicule by my friends on social media who post items highly critical of Christianity. Sadly, in doing so they have bought into the viewpoint that Christianity claims to have all the answers, instead of a faith that is asking questions in a deeper and more profound way. From that passage,I can just see a cheesy illustration of a man with improbably Western European features—straight light brown hair and a Roman nose when the historical Jesus more likely had tight short almost black curls and a bulbous nose—disappearing into a cloud.

Let’s reconstruct the passage. Firstly, just who were the Apostles? Why eleven men? I am intrigued by a radical suggestion posed by the late John Spong, [Episcopal] bishop of Newark New Jersey. He theorized that the whole idea of Apostles, twelve men (naturally) who were somehow more special that the rest of the disciples following Jesus around Judea was created by the early Church to attract their Jewish neighbors to the new community. Twelve was a special number to the Jews of first century CE—think of the twelve tribes of Israel et al. This whole idea makes sense—after all only one of the disciples named as an Apostle was witness to Jesus’ death.Likewise, there were only two on the scene of the resurrection, and those two weren’t even the first at the tomb. The individuals at those two central events in the history of our faith were mostly women. Indeed, in the next few verses of Acts of the Apostles the men return to Jerusalem and are joined by a few women, some of whom are even mentioned by name.

It seems that the men who were present for Jesus’ Ascension, even if it didn’t quite happen the way it is related to us in the Acts of the Apostles, were still expecting Jesus to come and restore an earthy, political kingdom. God had a different reign in mind. The second reading, from Ephesians, isn’t too specific as to what is going to be contained in the forthcoming reign of God—but whatever form it takes it will exist across time and space. Paul, as author of the letter,sheds light on the Ascension by saying Jesus has taken his place at the right hand of God.

And so, we come to the Gospel. Again, with the 12, now down to 11 since Judas killed himself. I find this passage just as improbable an account of actual happenings as Jesus being lifted up into a cloud. When Jesus had so many disciples, why single out these few for special powers? Instead, I believe the last verse is for all of us—"I am with you always, until the end of the age.” … A man called Jesus bar Joseph lived on this earth over 2 centuries ago. He led an extraordinary life—none more so than the last 3 years. He was executed as a common criminal by the Roman state. And yet this Jesus lives on—in you and me and all people of good will—and will do so, until the end of time.