Ascension

It amazes me (perhaps it should frighten me!) how my mind works. Last night I was running around at Geibel preparing for 8th Grade Graduation when a song popped into my head. And it was the perfect song for Ascension. (The Graduation Mass was the Anticipated Mass for Ascension; in the Province of Pennsylvania, a well as the rest of the northeastern US the Holy Day is not transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter. Thank God!) I had already planned on focusing my homily on the idea that just as Jesus ascended to Heaven the 8th graders were ascending to a new life. Then, out of nowhere, I started singing this song to myself. It didn't take me long to realize that it was perfect for the Solemnity ... and the graduation.

What was the song, you are by now no doubt wondering. (Unless, of course, you were at Mass today.) Well, I can't remember the name, and I had to google the singer, but the words that came to me were "Your love has lifted me higher than I've ever been lifted before." The Cliff Notes version of the homily that ensued: It was the love of the Father that lifted Jesus to Heaven and we must allow that same love to lift us higher. In this life, moving beyond the self-centeredness that has resulted from The Fall. And ultimately being lifted up to were Christ has gone ahead of us.

Last night I directed the message particularly to the graduates as they enter High School. Today I was able to use the same idea both in my two parish Masses and the school Mass at Geibel.