The Disappearing Act

 Readings for May 12, 2013

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Solennita’ ta’ tlugh il-Mulej fis-sema               

Messalin C 223

Reading 1  -  Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - Atti tal-Appostli 1, 11

Fl-ewwel rakkont tiegħi, Teofilu, tkellimt fuq dak kollu li Ġesu' kien għamel u għallem minn mindu beda sal-jum li fih kien meħud fis-sema, wara li, permezz tal-Ispirtu s-Santu, ta l-ordnijiet tiegħu lill-appostli li hu kien għażel. Wara l-passjoni tiegħu dehrilhom u tahom ħafna provi li hu ħaj;  f'erbgħin jum rawh kemm-il darba u kellimhom fuq il-ħwejjeġ tas-Saltna ta' Alla.   Meta kien għadu magħhom, ordnalhom biex ma jitilqux minn Ġerusalemm, imma joqogħdu jistennew sa ma sseħħ il-wegħda tal-Missier, "li fuqha – qalilhom – smajtu x'kont għedtilkom: Ġwanni għammed bl-ilma, imma intom, fi ftit jiem oħra titgħammdu bl-Ispirtu s-Santu. Kif kienu flimkien staqsewh:  "Mulej, hu dan iż-żmien li fih int se terġa twaqqaf is-Saltna ta' Iżrael?"   Hu weġibhom: "Mhijiex biċċa tagħkom li tkunu tafu l-waqt u ż-żmien li l-Missier għażel bis-setgħa tiegħu.   Imma meta jiġi fuqkom l-Ispirtu s-Santu, intom tirċievu l-qawwa, u tkunu xhieda tiegħi f'Ġerusalemm, fil-Lhudija kollha u s-Samarija u sa truf l-art." Wara li qal dan huma u jħarsu lejħ, kien meħud 'il fuq, u sħaba ħaditulhom minn quddiem għajnejhom.  Waqt li kienu b'għajnejhom   fis-sema jħarsu lejh sejjer, f'daqqa waħda dehru ħdejhom żewġt irġiel libsin l-abjad, u qalulhom:  "Irġiel tal-Galilija, x'intom tħarsu lejn is-sema?  Dan Ġesu' li kien meħud  minn magħkom lejn is-sema, għad jerġa jiġi kif rajtuh sejjer." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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

R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:R. Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.                                R/

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.                                R/

For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.                                        R/

 Salm Responsorjali - Salm 46(47

            R/  Tela' Alla b'għajat ta' ferħ. (jew) Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Popli kollha, ċapċpu jdejkom,

għajtu b'leħen ta' ferħ lil Alla!

Għax il-Mulej, l-Għoli, hu tal-biża',

sultan kbir fuq l-art kollha.                                 R/

Tela' Alla b'għajjat ta' ferh

Il-Mulej bid-daqq tat-trombi.

Għannu lil Alla, għannu,

għannu lis-sultan tagħna, għannu.                      R/

Għax Alla s-sultan tal-art kollha;

għannulu bis-sengħa għanja sabiħa.

Isaltan Alla fuq il-ġnus kollha,

Joqgħod Alla fuq it-tron imqaddes tiegħu.           R/

Reading 2     -   Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that men and women die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus  we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, “let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari   -   Ittra lill-Lhud 9, 24-28; 10, 19-23

Kristu ma daħalx f'santwarju magħmul b'idejn il-bniedem li hu biss xbieha tas-santwarju veru, imma daħal fis-sema stess, biex issa jidher għalina quddiem Alla.  U daħal hemm mhux biex minn żmien għal żmien joffri lilu nnifsu bħalma l-qassis il-kbir jidħol kull sena fis-santwarju biex joffri demm ħaddieħor.  Li kieku kien hekk, kien ikollu jbati ħafna drabi sa mill-ħolqien tad-dinja. Iżda issa deher darba għal dejjem, meta waslet il-milja taż-żminijiet, biex ineħħi d-dnub bis-sagrifiċċju tiegħu innifsu.   U kif hu miktub għall-bnedmin li għandhom imutu darba biss, u wara dan isir il-ġudizzju, hekk ukoll Kristu, wara li offra, lilu nnifsu darba biss biex jitgħabba bid-dnubiet tal-kotra, għad jerġa' jidher darb'oħra, mhux biex ineħħi d-dnubiet, imma biex isalva lil dawk li qegħdin jistennewh bil-ħerqa. Ladarba, ħuti, għandna l-fiduċja li nidħlu fis-Santwarju bis-saħħa tad-demm ta' Ġesu' billi ngħaddu mit-triq, ġdida u ħajja, li hu fetħilna  'l ġewwa mill-velu, li hu l-ġisem tiegħu stess;  u ladarba għandna dan il-qassis il-kbir imqiegħed fuq il-familja ta' Alla, ejjew nersqu b'qalb sinċiera u b'fidi sħiħa, bi qlubna mnaddfin minn kuxjenza ħażina  u l-ġisem tagħna maħsu b'ilma safi. Inżommu sħiħ fl-istqarrija qawwija tat-tama tagħna, għax ta' Kelmtu huwa dak li għamlilna l-wegħda. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel  - Luke 24:46-53

Jesus said to his disciples: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God. This is the Word of The Lord.

Evanġelju - Għeluq tal-Evanġelju skont San Luqa 24,  46-53

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Hekk kien miktub, li l-Messija jbati u fit-tielet jum iqum mill-imwiet, u li l-indiema għall-maħfra tad-dnubiet tixxandar f'ismu lill-ġnus kollha, ibda minn Ġerusalemm.  Intom xhud ta' dan.  U jiena, araw, nibgħat fuqkom lil dak li wiegħed Missieri. Imma intom ibqgħu fil-belt, sa ma Alla jkun libbiskom bil-qawwa tiegħu." Imbagħad ħadhom sa ħdejn Betanja, u rafa' jdejh  u berikom. U ġara li, huwa u jberikom, infiried minnhom u kien meħdu fis-sema.  Huma nxeħtu fl-art jagħtuh qima, u mimlijiin b'ferħ kbir reġgħu lura lejn Ġerusalemm, u qagħdu l-ħin kollu fit-tempju jbierku lil Alla. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY -

Father Cantalamessa on Witnessing

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

You Will Be My Witnesses

If we do not want the Ascension to be a sad "farewell," but rather a true feast, then we must understand the radical difference between a disappearance and a departure. With the ascension, Jesus has not departed, he has not become absent; he has only disappeared from our sight. Those who leave are no longer here; those who only go out of our sight, however, can still be near us -- it is only that something prevents our seeing them. Jesus does disappear from the apostles' sight at the ascension but he does so to be present in another more intimate way.

He is no longer outside them but within them. This is similar to the Eucharist. So long as the host is outside of us we see it, we adore it; when we receive the host we no longer see it, it has disappeared, but it has disappeared to be within us. It is present in a new, more powerful way.

But it will be asked: If Jesus is no longer visible, how will men come to know of his presence? The answer is that he wants to make himself present through his disciples! In his Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles, the Evangelist Luke closely links the Ascension with the theme of testimony: "You are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:48). 

The "you" indicates in the first place the apostles who were with Jesus. After the apostles, this "official" testimony -- official because it is connected to their office -- passes to their successors, the bishops and priests. But the "you" also regards all the baptized and believers in Christ. "Each individual layman," says a document of the Second Vatican Council, "must stand before the world as a witness to the resurrection and life of the Lord Jesus and a symbol of the living God" ("Lumen Gentium," 38).

Pope Paul VI has famously said that "the world needs witnesses more than it needs teachers." It is relatively easy to be a teacher. It is much less easy to be a witness. In fact, the world is full of both true and false teachers, but has few witnesses. Between the two roles there is the same difference as that between saying and doing. "Actions," an English proverb says, "speak louder than words."

The witness is one who speaks with his life. A believing father and mother must be "the first witnesses of faith" for their children. (The Church asks this for them from God in the blessing that follows the rite of matrimony).

Let us give a specific example. At this time of year many children are preparing for first Communion and confirmation. A believing mother or father can help the child review the catechism, explain the meaning of the words to him, and help him memorize the responses. Such parents are doing a beautiful thing and if only there were more who did this!

But what would a child think if after all that his parents said and did for his first Communion, they never go to Mass on Sunday, they never make the sign of the cross and never pray? They have been teachers, but they haven't been witnesses.

Naturally, the testimony of the parents must not limit itself to the time of the first Communion or confirmation of their children. With the way they correct and forgive the child and forgive each other, with the way they speak with respect of those who are not present, with the way they conduct themselves before a poor person begging for alms, with the comments they make in the presence of the children when they are listening to the news, parents have the possibility of bearing witness to their faith every day.

The souls of children are like sheets of photographic film: Everything they see and hear in the years of childhood leaves a trace and one day the "film" will be "developed" and will bear its fruits -- for good or for bad.

 

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