Forty days after Easter, the risen Jesus is taken up into heaven and enthroned at the Father's right hand. What does the Ascension of the Lord mean for the Church he sends out?
On the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year B, in The Mass Readings Explained, Dr. Brant Pitre walks through this Sunday's readings and shows how they present the Ascension as Christ's enthronement in glory and the launch of the Church's worldwide mission.
The Gospel (Mark 16:15–20), the longer ending of Mark, gives Jesus' command—"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature"—followed by his being taken up and seated at the right hand of God. Acts 1 recounts the forty days and the ascension witnessed by the apostles, and Ephesians 1 prays that believers may know the hope of Christ raised and enthroned above every rule, authority, and power.
GOSPEL, FIRST READING & PSALM TRANSCRIPT (Subscribe or Login for Full Transcript):
The Solemnity of the Ascension for Year B takes us to the ending of the Gospel of Mark, an ending known as the longer ending of the Gospel of Mark, which gives us a very brief account of Jesus's ascension into heaven. This is in Mark 16,:15-20. So, before I read this, just a quick note about it. This passage is interesting because it comes from a section of Mark’s Gospel called the longer ending because there are a couple of different forms of the ending in the ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark. So some of the many ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark will end with verse 8, where the women go out from the tomb and they don't say anything to anyone because they were afraid. Other copies of the ancient manuscripts of Mark have a longer ending, verses 9 all the way down through 20.
SECOND READING TRANSCRIPT (SubscribeorLoginfor Full Transcript):
…and that Christ already sits at the right hand of the Father.
It's not something that's going to happen at the end of time. It's not something that we're waiting to be accomplished. It already is the case because it happened when he raised him from the dead, made him sit at His right hand. And for that reason, here's the key, this is really fascinating, Christ already is
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named.
All right, pause there. What does that mean? He's above every "rule and authority and power and dominion.” Well, in a first century context, those terms that Paul's using are all words for describing the angelic powers. They are different terms that were used in Jewish writings to describe angels. There are different categories, different kinds of angels. You'll see this in the later medieval tradition develop into the different choirs of angels. It's not that refined yet. There isn't a kind of distillation exactly of it, but thrones, powers, dominions, rules, those are all names for invisible angelic powers.
And what Paul is trying to say here in Ephesians 1 is that when Christ ascended into heaven, he wasn't simply vindicated as the messiah, He was also exalted in his humanity, this is really crucial, above all of the angels. He was given a place above all of the invisible angelic powers. Now, the reason that's important is that if you look at Sacred Scripture as a whole, in the order of creation, the angels are superior to human beings. Human beings are creatures of earth. They have bodies, after the fall in particular, they're going to be mortal. So they pass away. They die. Angels are invisible, immaterial, spiritual beings that are immortal. They’re higher in nature. They're superior to human beings. But what happens in Christ is that the eternal son, who is superior to all the angels, in a sense, condescends to empty himself, take on a human nature that's beneath him, that's lower than the angels and then in his passion and death puts that human nature to death, raises it up and doesn't just vindicate it, but actually exalts it into a heavenly place above the angelic powers.
So that now, in a sense, the ordered creation is turned upside down. And whereas the angels in the order of creation are superior to humans, now, in Christ, humanity has been elevated above the angels. This is why Paul will say in 1 Corinthians 6 to the Corinthians:
Do you not know that we are to judge the angels?
Well, you can't judge your superior, right? You can only judge those who are below you or subordinate to you. The mystery of those who are in Christ is that by being in Christ, we've actually been elevated above the angelic powers. That's the first aspect of the Ascension that's really crucial for us to understand. In the Ascension, one of the aspects of the mystery that's being revealed is that human nature is now above the angels, above the angelic powers. Christ isn't just the king of Israel. He's not even just the king of the world, or the king of humanity. He's the Lord of the angels. He's above the angelic powers. That's the first point.
GOSPEL, FIRST READING & PSALM TRANSCRIPT (Subscribe or Login for Full Transcript):
The Solemnity of the Ascension for Year B takes us to the ending of the Gospel of Mark, an ending known as the longer ending of the Gospel of Mark, which gives us a very brief account of Jesus's ascension into heaven. This is in Mark 16,:15-20. So, before I read this, just a quick note about it. This passage is interesting because it comes from a section of Mark’s Gospel called the longer ending because there are a couple of different forms of the ending in the ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark. So some of the many ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark will end with verse 8, where the women go out from the tomb and they don't say anything to anyone because they were afraid. Other copies of the ancient manuscripts of Mark have a longer ending, verses 9 all the way down through 20.
SECOND READING TRANSCRIPT (SubscribeorLoginfor Full Transcript):
…and that Christ already sits at the right hand of the Father.
It's not something that's going to happen at the end of time. It's not something that we're waiting to be accomplished. It already is the case because it happened when he raised him from the dead, made him sit at His right hand. And for that reason, here's the key, this is really fascinating, Christ already is
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named.
All right, pause there. What does that mean? He's above every "rule and authority and power and dominion.” Well, in a first century context, those terms that Paul's using are all words for describing the angelic powers. They are different terms that were used in Jewish writings to describe angels. There are different categories, different kinds of angels. You'll see this in the later medieval tradition develop into the different choirs of angels. It's not that refined yet. There isn't a kind of distillation exactly of it, but thrones, powers, dominions, rules, those are all names for invisible angelic powers.
And what Paul is trying to say here in Ephesians 1 is that when Christ ascended into heaven, he wasn't simply vindicated as the messiah, He was also exalted in his humanity, this is really crucial, above all of the angels. He was given a place above all of the invisible angelic powers. Now, the reason that's important is that if you look at Sacred Scripture as a whole, in the order of creation, the angels are superior to human beings. Human beings are creatures of earth. They have bodies, after the fall in particular, they're going to be mortal. So they pass away. They die. Angels are invisible, immaterial, spiritual beings that are immortal. They’re higher in nature. They're superior to human beings. But what happens in Christ is that the eternal son, who is superior to all the angels, in a sense, condescends to empty himself, take on a human nature that's beneath him, that's lower than the angels and then in his passion and death puts that human nature to death, raises it up and doesn't just vindicate it, but actually exalts it into a heavenly place above the angelic powers.
So that now, in a sense, the ordered creation is turned upside down. And whereas the angels in the order of creation are superior to humans, now, in Christ, humanity has been elevated above the angels. This is why Paul will say in 1 Corinthians 6 to the Corinthians:
Do you not know that we are to judge the angels?
Well, you can't judge your superior, right? You can only judge those who are below you or subordinate to you. The mystery of those who are in Christ is that by being in Christ, we've actually been elevated above the angelic powers. That's the first aspect of the Ascension that's really crucial for us to understand. In the Ascension, one of the aspects of the mystery that's being revealed is that human nature is now above the angels, above the angelic powers. Christ isn't just the king of Israel. He's not even just the king of the world, or the king of humanity. He's the Lord of the angels. He's above the angelic powers. That's the first point.
The Readings for the Ascension of the Lord, Year B
First Reading: Acts 1:1–11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 47
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:17–23
Gospel: Mark 16:15–20
Key passages & sources examined: the longer ending of Mark and the signs that follow (Mark 16:15–18); Jesus "taken up" and seated at God's right hand (16:19; Acts 1); Psalm 47, God mounting his throne; Christ enthroned above every angelic power (Ephesians 1); CCC 663–664 on the session at the Father's right hand.
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Hi David, I see you do have a subscrition. Once logged in, you can access everything by going to 'Mass Readings Explained' in the main menu bar of our website, then 'Watch Videos' and then pick one of the options there. The calendar view works well for finding those Mass Readings that are in the near future and The Mass Explained will take you to videos in that series.
I have inherited leading a Bible Study based on the Mass Readings for each Sunday. The videos are very helpful in facts and insights to add to my research and prayerful preparations. Thank you for offering these teachings.
I subscribed and offered payment
but I have received nothing I requested???
Please advise
dgbaugh
Hi David, I see you do have a subscrition. Once logged in, you can access everything by going to 'Mass Readings Explained' in the main menu bar of our website, then 'Watch Videos' and then pick one of the options there. The calendar view works well for finding those Mass Readings that are in the near future and The Mass Explained will take you to videos in that series.
I have inherited leading a Bible Study based on the Mass Readings for each Sunday. The videos are very helpful in facts and insights to add to my research and prayerful preparations. Thank you for offering these teachings.
