Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
Homily for The Ascension
Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53
Working for ecological, human and cosmic transformation
Dear friends in Christ,
We live in a time of upheaval, discord and conflict. The situation in Gaza is described by the Holy See as catastrophic. Nearly two million Palestinians, especially women and children face daily bombardment, hunger, disease, injury and death. Pope Leo XIV made an urgent appeal, saying “From Gaza, the cries of parents rise to heaven ever more intensely as they clutch the lifeless bodies of their children, search for food and shelter from bombs.”
Closer to home, we are reminded of the work of justice that is far from completion. National Sorry Day followed by Reconciliation Week calls us to walk humbly with our Indigenous brothers and sisters on the journey towards healing, justice and hope. Together with fellow Australians, we seek to address the pain of the Stolen Generations and the torment of powerlessness. We recognise that strengthening our relationship with our First Nations people is integral and indeed critical to the strengthening of the whole nation.
The early disciples of Jesus, too, had their share of challenges. They experienced profound disruption, chaos, persecution and violence following the crucifixion of Jesus. Yet it was not their own security and wellbeing that they prioritised. Rather guided by the example of Jesus, they sought to enact the new future of human and cosmic unity inaugurated by him.
The Word of God focuses on the mission of the Church as the expression of the living power of the risen Jesus. The Ascension marks a watershed moment for his disciples. There is no idle looking up at the sky as he is withdrawn from them. Rather, as the two angelic messengers affirm, the time has come for them to go forth as witnesses “to the ends of the earth.” Like the angels in the empty tomb story, they commanded the disciples to seek and to be the presence of Jesus.
Therefore, far from being a disappearance and disassociation with the material and human reality, the Ascension situates Jesus in a new light. It is about him being with us in a new and more powerful way. The Ascended One is not bound any longer by the law of space and time. By ascending, he is able to be with us at all times and at all places. The disciples are challenged to re-imagine their relationship with Jesus in a different way. But more importantly, the Ascension is the moment of the launching of the Church. We, His disciples are challenged to take responsibility for our discipleship, which is to work for ecological, human and cosmic transformation.
It is a daunting task. If we truly emulate Jesus’ radical solidarity with the oppressed, we cannot be comfortable with the status quo, especially when the status quo is linked to the oppression of the past. We must be guided by the principles of social justice and address the legacy of dispossession that places our Indigenous people in an entrenched institutional and intergenerational disadvantage. It is the work of the Gospel community to create policies and practices, institutions and culture in which “the lowly are raised and the hungry are filled with good things”. These are Mary’s inspired words that she sang at the Visitation whose feast it is today.
Dear brothers and sisters,
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations”. This is a command not to conquer and to subordinate but to share God’s radical, inclusive and boundary-breaking love with everyone regardless of his or her race, ethnicity, class, gender and status. Making disciples of all the nations cannot be other than to imbue the world with the spirit of Jesus. It cannot be other than to make his messianic agenda of healing the sick, binding the wounded, lifting up the lowly and releasing the indebted – our own agenda. If we do not make the world a better place than we found it, if we allow ourselves to be indifferent to the suffering world, then we will have forfeited our task of being a changing agent and a force of leaven.
Today, it is with a deep sense of gratitude that we celebrate the 60th anniversary of this parish community which has stood as an oasis of faith, hope and love. Successive generations of people and clergy have woven a rich tapestry of many diverse groups of people united in worship, education and outreach. This tapestry is further enriched by the Jesuits and their associates. Holy Family Parish is unique not only for the number of social, community and outreach services it provides, but also for the way it celebrates and integrates the heritage of First Nations people to the benefit of everyone. It is the source of your and our pride.
Let us not be afraid of embracing and enacting the new future inaugurated by Jesus. This is the meaning of the Resurrection and the Ascension of our Lord, the divine empowerment of his Gospel dream! May what we celebrate today serve to remind us of our commitment to the vision of Jesus which is to build God’s Kingdom on right relationships, peace, justice and love. Let us go forward in our mission to make a difference in the world, confident of the victory of Christ and his promise to be with us till the end of time.
