Today, in Italy and other countries, we celebrate Jesus' Ascension into heaven, which took place forty days after Easter. We contemplate the mystery of Jesus leaving our earthly space to enter the fullness of God's glory, taking our humanity with him. That is, we, our humanity, enter heaven for the first time. Luke's Gospel shows us the reaction of the disciples before the Lord who "parted from them and was taken up into heaven" (24:51). There was no pain or bewilderment in them, but "they prostrated themselves before him; then they returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (v. 52). It is the return of those who no longer fear the city that had rejected the Master, that had seen the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter, had seen the dispersion of the disciples and the violence of a power that felt threatened.
Since that day, it has been possible for the Apostles and for every disciple of Christ to dwell in Jerusalem and in all the cities of the world, even in those most troubled by injustice and violence, because above every city there is the same sky and every inhabitant can look up with hope. Jesus, God, is a real man, with his human body is in heaven! And this is our hope, this is our anchor, and we are firm in this hope if we look up to heaven.
In this heaven dwells that God who revealed himself so close that he took on the face of a man, Jesus of Nazareth. He remains forever the God-with-us - let us remember this: Emmanuel, God-with-us - and he does not leave us alone! We can look up to recognise our future before us. In the Ascension of Jesus, the Crucified Risen One, there is the promise of our participation in the fullness of life with God.
Before parting from his friends, Jesus, referring to the event of his death and resurrection, had said to them: "Of this you are witnesses" (v. 48). That is, the disciples, the apostles are witnesses of Christ's death and resurrection, on that day, also of Christ's Ascension. And indeed, after seeing their Lord ascend to heaven, the disciples returned to the city as witnesses joyfully proclaiming to all the new life that comes from the Risen Crucified One, in whose name "conversion and the forgiveness of sins will be preached to all peoples" (v. 47). This is the witness - given not only in words but also in daily life - the witness that every Sunday should leave our churches to enter during the week into homes, offices, schools, meeting places and places of entertainment, hospitals, prisons, homes for the elderly, crowded places for immigrants, the outskirts of the city... This is the witness we must bear every week: Christ is with us; Jesus has ascended into heaven, he is with us; Christ is alive!
Jesus has assured us that in this proclamation and testimony we will be "clothed with power from on high" (v. 49), that is, with the power of the Holy Spirit. Herein lies the secret of this mission: the presence among us of the risen Lord, who with the gift of the Spirit continues to open our minds and hearts, to proclaim his love and mercy even in the most refractory environments of our cities. It is the Holy Spirit who is the true architect of the multiform witness that the Church and every baptised person gives in the world. Therefore, we can never neglect recollection in prayer to praise God and invoke the gift of the Spirit. In this week, which leads us to the feast of Pentecost, let us remain spiritually in the Upper Room, together with the Virgin Mary, to receive the Holy Spirit.
[Pope Francis, Regina Coeli 8 May 2016].
Dialogo e Solstizio
May 24, 2025
Written by
don Giuseppe Nespeca
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Entering into the Fullness
don Giuseppe Nespeca
Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.“It is part of the mystery of God that he acts so gently, that he only gradually builds up his history within the great history of mankind; that he becomes man and so can be overlooked by his contemporaries and by the decisive forces within history; that he suffers and dies and that, having risen again, he chooses to come to mankind only through the faith of the disciples to whom he reveals himself; that he continues to knock gently at the doors of our hearts and slowly opens our eyes if we open our doors to him” [Jesus of Nazareth II, 2011, p. 276) (Pope Benedict, Regina Coeli 22 maggio 2011]
«È proprio del mistero di Dio agire in modo sommesso. Solo pian piano Egli costruisce nella grande storia dell’umanità la sua storia. Diventa uomo ma in modo da poter essere ignorato dai contemporanei, dalle forze autorevoli della storia. Patisce e muore e, come Risorto, vuole arrivare all’umanità soltanto attraverso la fede dei suoi ai quali si manifesta. Di continuo Egli bussa sommessamente alle porte dei nostri cuori e, se gli apriamo, lentamente ci rende capaci di “vedere”» (Gesù di Nazareth II, 2011, 306) [Papa Benedetto, Regina Coeli 22 maggio 2011]
John is the origin of our loftiest spirituality. Like him, ‘the silent ones' experience that mysterious exchange of hearts, pray for John's presence, and their hearts are set on fire (Athenagoras)
Giovanni è all'origine della nostra più alta spiritualità. Come lui, i ‘silenziosi’ conoscono quel misterioso scambio dei cuori, invocano la presenza di Giovanni e il loro cuore si infiamma (Atenagora)
This is to say that Jesus has put himself on the level of Peter, rather than Peter on Jesus' level! It is exactly this divine conformity that gives hope to the Disciple, who experienced the pain of infidelity. From here is born the trust that makes him able to follow [Christ] to the end: «This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God. And after this he said to him, "Follow me"» (Pope Benedict)
Verrebbe da dire che Gesù si è adeguato a Pietro, piuttosto che Pietro a Gesù! E’ proprio questo adeguamento divino a dare speranza al discepolo, che ha conosciuto la sofferenza dell’infedeltà. Da qui nasce la fiducia che lo rende capace della sequela fino alla fine: «Questo disse per indicare con quale morte egli avrebbe glorificato Dio. E detto questo aggiunse: “Seguimi”» (Papa Benedetto)
Unity is not made with glue [...] The great prayer of Jesus is to «resemble» the Father (Pope Francis)
L’Unità non si fa con la colla […] La grande preghiera di Gesù» è quella di «assomigliare» al Padre (Papa Francesco)
Divisions among Christians, while they wound the Church, wound Christ; and divided, we cause a wound to Christ: the Church is indeed the body of which Christ is the Head (Pope Francis)
Le divisioni tra i cristiani, mentre feriscono la Chiesa, feriscono Cristo, e noi divisi provochiamo una ferita a Cristo: la Chiesa infatti è il corpo di cui Cristo è capo (Papa Francesco)
The glorification that Jesus asks for himself as High Priest, is the entry into full obedience to the Father, an obedience that leads to his fullest filial condition [Pope Benedict]
La glorificazione che Gesù chiede per se stesso, quale Sommo Sacerdote, è l'ingresso nella piena obbedienza al Padre, un'obbedienza che lo conduce alla sua più piena condizione filiale [Papa Benedetto]
All this helps us not to let our guard down before the depths of iniquity, before the mockery of the wicked. In these situations of weariness, the Lord says to us: “Have courage! I have overcome the world!” (Jn 16:33). The word of God gives us strength [Pope Francis]
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