Ascension

Ascension

Happy Feast of Ascension!  In addition to the recalling of the mystery of Christ's sacrificial death and glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday, we recall the mystery of Christ Ascension to Heaven, sittith at right hand of the Heavenly Father, and then anticipating the gift of Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity who descends upon the Apostles on the feast of Pentecost. 

I can imagine the difficulty of the Apostles while saying their farewell to Christ, their Master and Teacher, and worrying about the status of their future.  But his reassurance gave them hope and consolation, knowing that he will be with His Church always through the Holy Spirit, and his promised return gives them strength and courage to face trials while celebrating the Eucharist, and proclaiming the mystery of Christ's Incarnation, Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension to Heaven, and bringing many people into Christ's told through the Sacrament of Baptism.  

What recently dawned on me, if I may share with you, is the description "silent suffering".  This would be unnatural if we observe in our life, countless times when we are suffering or grieving, it is necessary to communicate it with others.  Isn't that the case when we hear infants outburst because they are in need of their parents, or when someone who is in so much pain, that they need to communicate that to others, sometimes in a healthy way through prayer, spiritual direction, counsel or small faith groups.  But sometimes in a rather unhealthy way, in a violent manner, with the intention to cause harm and pain, just so that others could emphatize.  Observing these natural instances makes me wonder whether silent suffering is indeed possible, or is it just for those who have a better glimpse of heaven, or a better understanding of the Holy Cross, so much that they could boldly say, "Now I do experience the value and redemption of Christ's Holy Cross, which I could never understand before, but now I see its significance."  Or they could say "Now I know and can relate to the Blessed Mother who stood at the foot of the Cross, and Michelangelo's pieta sculpture strikes a chord in my soul."  

But still I wonder if "silent suffering" is valuable today as it was back then, and whether people could still unite their sufferings to Christ.  Is "silent suffering" dead and have been buried in our culture today, or are we just anticipating its resurrection and return.  We may not know soon, but I await the day in heaven when the gift of "silent suffering" of saintly individuals are exposed for all to see for the glory of God and the redemption of humankind.  Many blessings.