Ascension Sunday

 Every Mass should be an "Ascension moment." One legacy of the Reformation and the Catholic response to it is an overemphasis on the issues that obsessed the Christians of the 16th and 17th centuries. This includes the doctrine of the holy Mass as a sacrifice, describing the Eucharistic change as "transubstantiation" and justification. All of these are important, of course, however the holy Eucharist contains the whole of Christ. As a result, the Eucharistic Prayer is not solely about the Institution Narrative and the death of Christ on the Cross: "...the memorial of the saving Passion of your Son". It also speaks, as we also hear in Eucharistic Prayer III of the "...wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven." The gaze of the faithful is directed from the holy Eucharist up into the heavens as they long to be with their risen Lord: "and as we look forward to his second coming" which has the ensuing consequence of directing us to greater efforts in the mission given us in baptism. The Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs II puts it this way: "And so, having called us to your table, Lord, confirm us in unity, so that together with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop, with all Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and your entire people, as we walk your ways with faith and hope, we may strive to bring joy and trust into the world." Thus, we have confidence in the power of Christ not only to forgive sins but also to sustain in our everyday lives as we face the challenges to faith today o: "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful." (Heb 10: 23)