Some of the Church’s decisions about changing the liturgical calendar are unfortunate. I am personally of the opinion that moving Ascension Thursday to Sunday is unfortunate because it emphasizes the mystery of the Ascension at the expense of the actual historical event. Jesus did not just ascend to heaven “at some point” after His resurrection and before Pentecost. Jesus ascended to heaven forty days after His resurrection. Ash Wednesday is our forty day marker for Lent, Ascension Thursday is our forty day marker from the Resurrection. Just as your life is to be transformed by conversion and penance for forty days leading up to the Lord’s Passion and death, so your life should be transformed by the resurrection of Jesus for forty days leading up to the Ascension. Hearing about what happened to the disciples of Jesus when they ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead, hearing about how He was entrusting a mission to them, all of those experiences and that history have an important impact on our faith.
Fourth Sunday of Easter
The Holy Name of Jesus is central to our faith. Unfortunately, I think we gloss over it a bit too readily. In today’s first reading from the book of Acts, St. Peter proclaims that there is no other name under heaven by which we are saved. There is power in the name of Jesus. You may have noticed in last week’s readings what the chief priests demanded of the apostles: that they stop preaching “in that name.” They didn’t even dare to mention the name of Jesus. It has been passed down to us also through the scriptures that some magicians were so impressed with the power of the apostles that they began casting out devils in the name of Jesus – even though they were able to do so without faith. Many people were brought to faith simply because they witnessed the power of the name of Jesus. The powers of darkness were literally scattered at the mere mention of his name.
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Today is Laetare Sunday and it has a similar role to Gaudete Sunday in Advent. Both Lent and Advent are considered penitential seasons because they are preparing us for the greatest feasts of the liturgical year: the Incarnation and the Resurrection. During our preparation for these great feasts, it is possible to get bogged down – especially during Lent. Perhaps we’ve already neglected to do some of the penance we intended to, or that was required by the Church. Perhaps we’re ready for Lent to be over already – it seems to coincide with feeling ready for the pandemic to be over with. Both Gaudete and Laetare Sunday are an invitation to joy about three-quarters of the way through the season, but they don’t point to the same kind of joy. Gaudete is an invitation to a more interior kind of joy. Advent is a season of hope and of preparation, and we can get a little lost in the hustle and bustle of the activities so Gaudete calls us to pause and consider the “reason for the season” so to speak. An interior joy at the coming of so great a savior.