It’s Not Enough

Ascension Sunday, Year C                                                                                         June 2, 2019
Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette

The Incarnation – God becoming man in Jesus Christ – it is not enough. Jesus teaching and preaching – it is not enough. Jesus suffering and dying on the cross – not enough. His resurrection from the dead – still not enough. When God shows love, there must be more. So, Jesus stays 40 days after conquering death until what we celebrate today: his Ascension into heaven. Then, there is what happens next week.

The life of Christ is the love of God manifest. By your baptism, every single one of you was configured to Christ, sworn to imitate him in this life and be united with him forever in the next. But what does that look like? What does it mean? It looks like this pattern we’ve seen in his life. It means that simply “being Catholic” is not enough.

Your baptism, your spiritual birth, is not enough. True, it opens the way to salvation, but it is not the end. Jesus Christ did not stop with being born, he went on to teach and preach and heal. So you must go on to learn from him and be healed by him. Do you know your faith? Do you even want to know more about your faith? How many Catholics can name more actors, pop stars, and sports heros than saints and popes?

God is infinite. This means there is always more to learn. And, once you die, your knowledge and love of God will be all you have for all eternity. Christ spent time teaching because he wants us to spend time learning: bible studies, catholic websites, discussion groups – options.

But learning is not enough. Jesus was persecuted for what he taught, for who he was. He promised that we would be persecuted as well. As the second reading from Hebrews says, he “had to suffer” and “through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the… way he opened for us through… his flesh.” Through the suffering in his flesh, Christ showed us that we can overcome suffering. But it is not by avoiding the suffering in the flesh. It is “through the veil” as scripture puts it. We face suffering head on.

Fortunately, suffering is not enough either. Jesus tells us “blessed are you…” “happy are you when they… persecute you… for your reward will be great in heaven.” Jesus could not rise from the dead to save us unless he first suffered on the cross. You cannot be holy, and happy, and get to heaven unless you first suffer. But the suffering is not the goal. That is the resurrection. Even before we die, facing suffering with faith brings purification and sanctification that is so valuable that people can actually rejoice to suffer for God. The saints of history give ample proof that this is possible. This suffering comes from within when we deny ourselves things we know are bad. It comes from outside when we oppose the evil in the world.

Yet, even that is not enough. Jesus then ascends into heaven. He makes the Apostles holy, but they must make the world holy. What does his ascension look like in our lives? It looks like moving from pew potatoes to missionary disciples. It means not being a minimalist.

And we can make specific connections. All these major events in Jesus life – the incarnation, his teaching, his suffering and resurrection, his ascension all take place at every Mass. When we celebrate Mass, his teaching is heard in scripture and the homily. God comes down to earth in the Eucharist like he did at the incarnation. With the Eucharist, we re-present the one sacrifice on the cross – we are made present at the crucifixion and the resurrection. And all of this, if we let it, gives us the grace to learn more, to endure suffering joyfully for the grace it gives.

But where is the Ascension in Mass? You just heard it in the Gospel, did you catch it? “Then he led them out… raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.” Sound familiar? Yes, the final blessing after communion represent Jesus’ blessing and commissioning as he leaves. This prepares the Apostles to receive the power they need to make the world holy.

So, one concrete example of minimalism is to leave before the final blessing. Could you imagine if one of Apostles ran out before Jesus could bless them so he could beat the Jerusalem traffic or catch the start of the soccer game? It’s hard not to take it personally. For some people, the only chance I have to talk to them is greeting people after Mass. But when they leave the second they get communion… I never get to see them. Besides, who was the first person to leave early after communion? Judas. Is that the example you want to follow?

Now, look, I get there are some special circumstances. Emergencies, the occasional melt-down with a kid, or work makes 5 minutes the difference between being here or not coming at all. But every week? The instant you receive communion? Communion is not enough. Showing up on Sunday is not enough. Being Catholic, being saved is not a checkbox. It’s your whole life. If you cut corners and minimalize, it is your own life, your eternal life, that you’re minimizing. I picked this example because it’s a good visible example, but there are many other ways to be minimalist. If all you do is Sunday Mass, blessings before meals, and the occasional extra prayer, it is not enough!

Just showing up wasn’t enough for Jesus to prove his love. It’s not enough to prove your love. If that’s all you do, you are in danger. Showing up is a necessary start, but it’s not enough. Keep learning: find ways to study the faith, preferably with other Catholics. Keep up even when you’re suffering: find other disciples to support you in your trials. Then don’t keep the grace it brings to yourself: your life and words should be noticeably Catholic, though not arrogant or aggressive. Live the faith and share the faith, or you will lose the faith.

If that frightens you, you’re in good company. The Apostles’ first instinct was to hide. It wasn’t until the Holy Spirit hit them that they could do what I’m challenging you – and myself! – to do. If what I’ve said angers you, annoys you, frightens you… then look forward to next week. Call on the Holy Spirit. Look for him just as Jesus tells the Apostles. Jesus outright promised to answer one prayer every time. The Father will not refuse the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (cf. Lk 11:13). So, ask him. Lean in, stay longer, endure more, ask for more and you will receive more.