I. The day had come for Our Lord to conclude the long series of His mysteries, to return whence He came, and to take His place upon the throne of David for ever, on the right hand of His Father. Henceforth He appears no more on earth till He comes from heaven at the last day as the Judge of mankind. He went forth to His triumph humbly, as usual; He left Jerusalem on foot among His disciples, and thence went up to heaven. But how great was the invisible glory of that day! Millions of souls came forth from their long detention, souls of Jews and Gentiles, who had served God according to their condition and desired His kingdom; the angelic host came forth to meet them, and with this double escort Christ ascended to His Father. We cannot picture to ourselves the jubilation that filled all the unseen universe, the surpassing splendour of the glorified Humanity of Jesus Christ, the delight of the souls redeemed, the confusion of Satan and hell, the glory of the heavenly Father. Therefore is this a day of triumphant joy to the Church on earth. Turn your thoughts away from the miseries and dangers of this life, and be comforted at the thought of what awaits you.
II. The departure of Our Lord was necessary for Him. The full course of human life included His entrance into heaven and the reception of His reward. This completes the parallel between His life and ours, and shows us the whole of our destiny. As God, no reward was possible for Our Lord; He possesses supreme elevation and glory that cannot be increased. But in His Human Nature Jesus merited reward and the highest elevation. 1. He was victor over Satan, sin, and death, over human weakness and misery, which He had passed through unscathed. 2. He was a worker; for, beyond all the rest of men, He had laboured and done good; and thereby He exerted a universal and eternal influence. 3. He was a sufferer, for He endured in body and in mind more than all mankind, since He bore in full and with perfect comprehension of it, the burden of the sins of humanity. So, as man, Jesus holds the first place among His race, which is called the right hand of the Father. These are the three elements of your life here and hereafter—struggle, labour and suffering. They are painful and often discouraging. But you are happy if you receive a larger share than usual of them, for they will bring you into closer association with Christ in the glory which results from them.
III. The departure of Our Lord, although a painful loss, was necessary to the Apostles, the Church, and to us. He says of it: “It is expedient for you that I go; for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you: but if I go I will send Him to you” (John xvi. 7). The Holy Ghost was to give permanent life and vigour to what Christ had commenced. He also said, “I go to prepare you a place” (John xiv. 2); so that His departure from us now enables us to enter His presence immediately after our death. It was further necessary that He should cease to exist among us in His visible Humanity, in order that He might be present with us everywhere under the form of the Most Holy Eucharist. He also left us in order that we may have the merit of living by faith and not by sight, and that the full enjoyment of Him may be matter of future hopes rather than of present possession. It is further in accordance with the general law of Providence that He should not speak to us and rule us in His own person, but through the ministry of others; and that He should allow the natural energies in human nature to work out their evolution without visible intervention from above. Our Lord’s absence from your sight must not make you think that He has forgotten you; He bears you in His heart as if He were visibly present; He is engaged always on your interests before His Father; and also He is really present with you.
II. The departure of Our Lord was necessary for Him. The full course of human life included His entrance into heaven and the reception of His reward. This completes the parallel between His life and ours, and shows us the whole of our destiny. As God, no reward was possible for Our Lord; He possesses supreme elevation and glory that cannot be increased. But in His Human Nature Jesus merited reward and the highest elevation. 1. He was victor over Satan, sin, and death, over human weakness and misery, which He had passed through unscathed. 2. He was a worker; for, beyond all the rest of men, He had laboured and done good; and thereby He exerted a universal and eternal influence. 3. He was a sufferer, for He endured in body and in mind more than all mankind, since He bore in full and with perfect comprehension of it, the burden of the sins of humanity. So, as man, Jesus holds the first place among His race, which is called the right hand of the Father. These are the three elements of your life here and hereafter—struggle, labour and suffering. They are painful and often discouraging. But you are happy if you receive a larger share than usual of them, for they will bring you into closer association with Christ in the glory which results from them.
III. The departure of Our Lord, although a painful loss, was necessary to the Apostles, the Church, and to us. He says of it: “It is expedient for you that I go; for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you: but if I go I will send Him to you” (John xvi. 7). The Holy Ghost was to give permanent life and vigour to what Christ had commenced. He also said, “I go to prepare you a place” (John xiv. 2); so that His departure from us now enables us to enter His presence immediately after our death. It was further necessary that He should cease to exist among us in His visible Humanity, in order that He might be present with us everywhere under the form of the Most Holy Eucharist. He also left us in order that we may have the merit of living by faith and not by sight, and that the full enjoyment of Him may be matter of future hopes rather than of present possession. It is further in accordance with the general law of Providence that He should not speak to us and rule us in His own person, but through the ministry of others; and that He should allow the natural energies in human nature to work out their evolution without visible intervention from above. Our Lord’s absence from your sight must not make you think that He has forgotten you; He bears you in His heart as if He were visibly present; He is engaged always on your interests before His Father; and also He is really present with you.
