Carried up into heaven
Last evening I had the glorious experience of participating in the Sacrament of Confirmation conferred on 17 young confirmands by our Archbishop. For me it was a climatic experience of my tenure as Parish Administrator and Deacon of this inner city parish.
Being on the altar, together with two other deacons, a priest and the Archbishop as he laid his hands on their heads and anointed them with oil, was truly amazing. I felt as if Our Lord Jesus Christ had also given me a special blessing.
The Confirmation, together with the upcoming First Communion and the planned Corpus Christi procession, later, this last month of my tenure, are unexpected blessings. I thought of this week’s Gospel Luke 24: 46-53 ‘While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.’
It is interesting that St. Luke uses the passive voice — ‘was carried up’ — instead of simply saying Jesus ‘ascended’ of his own power, as one might expect of the risen Lord. The passive construction ‘was carried up’ (Greek: anephereto) is what scholars call a ‘divine passive.’
In biblical language, the passive voice is frequently used to imply God’s action without explicitly naming God. So in this case, Luke is saying God the Father is receiving the Son into heavenly glory. It doesn’t mean Jesus lacked the power to ascend on His own, but rather that His return to the Father is a Trinitarian action, not an individual effort.
It also helps us better identify with the event. Last evening I felt as if I was carried up into heaven. For us, his diciples, we can also participate in his glory when we experience a blessing after any completed stage of ministry. The young confirmands were also carried up into heaven after their two years of formation.
The life of a Christian disciple is interspersed with these moments of being carried up into heaven. When we complete what can often feel as an arduous task of ministry we receive these unexpected blessings of being carried up into heaven.
I think of the days of receipt of a Sacrament - Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation. I think that our Sunday receipt of the Eucharist should be ‘a carried up into heaven experience’, after a difficult week. Think of also the times after a trial period of life when we experienced an unexpected blessing.
Probably, at present, we may be experiencing such a difficult trial in life - health, financial, relational - we must not despair. As sure as day follows night - a carried up into heaven experience is coming. Have faith!!!