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NAY 28,2017, THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
Mary M. McGlone
Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47; Eph 1:17-25; Ht 28:16-20
When I was in college, we celebrated a Holy Thursday liturgy that culminated in a fantastic light show on the ceiling. At first, it was subtle, and then as vocal music yielded to instrumental, we all began to notice the intertwining, dancing lights above our heads. It must have lasted almost a minute when suddenly a voice boomed out, "Why are you standing there looking up? Go tell the world what you have seen!"
It was a fabulous "gotcha" moment - and the message stayed with us.
Getting down to the mission is surely part of the message here; the scene reminds us of the Transfiguration, when Jesus told Peter that they didn't have time to camp out on the mountain, there was work to do and much to learn. Nevertheless, we could imagine an alternative scene at the end of the Ascension story.
What if one or two of the disciples had the nerve to answer back when the angels spoke? (We can tell by their-outfits that they were both angels.) Speaking back is not out of the question. After all,...