On top of the mountain from which Jesus bade his last farewell to his disciples can be seen many ancient olive trees; hence, the name Mount of Olives. The spot was well known to Jesus who often went on top of that mountain for a heart-to-heart conversation with His Father. Its special importance to Jesus and to us can be glimpsed from the epoch-making events that happened there; for it was there He taught the Lord’s Prayer, urging us to call God our Father. It was also at the Mount of Olives that he enunciated the eschatological discourses, revealing the things to come. And at the base of this mountain—where Gethsemane is located—He experienced His terrible agony. It wouldn’t be surprising that He will return to this mountain to bid farewell. Zechariah had prophesied that, “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two” (Zechariah 14:4). The exact spot from which tradition says that He was lifted up to heaven has an indented footprint in solid rock. A small chapel has been erected which has a large white dome that pulls your gaze immediately to heaven, and a single narrow door so low that all who enter must bow (as is the case at the Church of the Nativity from which He entered our world).
Many pilgrims to Jerusalem climb up to the Mount of Olives to see the footprints that Jesus left on the mountain. Those footprints aren’t just to be observed; they’re an invitation for us to take Him to the world. That is what He meant when, as we heard in the first reading, He told the apostles: “You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Those were the last words of Jesus to His apostles and to the world. Hence, the Ascension rather than keep us gazing to the sky or sitting comfortably in our churches, sets us out on a journey—a journey to become disciples, carrying His name to the ends of the earth, baptizing those who believe, casting out demons, picking up snakes, speaking in tongues, and healing the sick. None of these tasks sound easy to undertake. We have unbelieving children and relatives who must be brought back by our persuasive words, by the examples of our life, and through knees bent in prayer. We must not let our guards down as the enemy commits souls to hell. We’re aware of the snakes swirling around as sinful behaviors, deception and corruption, war, neglect and indifference in the face of world hunger and disease. We must speak the language of the spirit which sounds alarming to the unbeliever but surely saves. We cannot sit out the rubble by waiting for Jesus to come back to complete the work. He didn’t leave us a bed to rest securely but His footprints to set out on our journey of faith. The second reading says that He has equipped us for the work of ministry, for building up His body (Ephesians 4:12).
But before the apostles set out, He tells them to return to Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, to be fulfilled when the Holy Spirit descends upon them. The Holy Spirit will let them see the clear picture so they can be empowered to begin the journey. He will be the power lifting and sustaining them amidst persecutions and martyrdom. The Holy Spirit also helps us rise above the divisions, hurts, disappointments, negativity and gossips to which we often get sucked into. When from the window of an airplane you look down to the earth, everything appears little; you realize, too, that the lines of division on the map between Oklahoma and Kansas, between US and Canada do not exist. Thus, Ascension leads us to rise above our divisions and prejudices and get closer to God. At that we realize that we are not, after all, the center of the universe. The things we think are too big become tiny when seen from the lens of God and rather than feed into family and social squabbles, we become bridge-builders; rather than act out of cynicism, we become hope for the world.
Fr. Chukwudi Jo Okonkwo