Imagine with me, that you were teaching a group of second graders about the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the celebration we are taking part in this weekend. Imagine too that the following questions are the questions you asked them: Boys and girls, a few weeks ago, you heard about the Ascension of the Lord. Do you remember hearing about the ascension of Jesus? The children will answer with “yes” and “no”. So you continue well, our Catholic Church remembers that after Jesus was crucified and after he died and after he rose from the dead, he was seen to be alive by many of his disciples. And, he taught them about the Kingdom of God and about how they… the disciples… would become apostles… and they would be sent out all over the world… to proclaim the Good News. Then one day, as many of the apostles were with him, Jesus ascended into Heaven… he was taken up into the heart of God… far beyond the clouds and the stars.
But here’s a question for you second graders: If Jesus has ascended, if Jesus has left this earth… how can we say that he is still with us? If we say that he left this earth, how can he be with us on this earth? Chances are, if you give them no hint, no non-verbal cue, they will be at a loss. Young children think in concrete terms. So if you tell them Jesus of Nazareth ascended into Heaven… he was seen to leave the earth then they will not be able to fathom how this Lord of Life can be with us still after having left us. The children would be at a loss.
But what about us? We stand in the solidarity of faith each Sunday, and profess that Jesus ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. So, if the world-wide Church professes that the Lord Jesus is with God the Father, how then can he be here with us, in the assembly gathered together, in the Word proclaimed, in the breaking of the bread, in the ministry of the clergy, in the silence of our hearts? How can we accept what we profess: that we receive the body and blood of Christ as food and drink? How can we accept what we profess: that we who have been baptized into the paschal mystery of the Lord are in fact his body on this earth? How is the great gift of rationality at peace with the new knowledge of faith?
With these questions, we are asked anew to ponder the mystery of our faith-life: unleavened bread and table wine, taken together within the living memory of the Church, animated by the silent Spirit of God, manifest presence… His presence. Immanuel... God is with us. Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11.1).
AMDG
Msgr. David Talley
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