Ascension Sunday, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Mark 16:15-20 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”
(Full text of sermon) Back in the old days, I think most families—parents and children—all sat together at supper. I know the five Brankin children and our parents each even had a regular seat. Joe was on my left—Phil on my right—Mary and Pat across from me.
He was “cut to the heart” in discovering Christian captivesSt. Peter Nolasco was shocked and moved in finding Christians held captive and in danger of losing their faith. Read more about his heroic life and what he did about it on the website of the .
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And until we got to high school, we had to be there in our appointed seat—at the appointed hour. Nothing interfered with or came before family supper—not sports, not friends, not television. It was like Mass on Sunday. It was utterly unthinkable to miss supper—unthinkable.
Supper was family time
The reason, of course, was that supper was our family time. This was the opportunity for my parents to talk with us about their day and our day. This was the perfect moment for them to encourage good things and discourage bad things. We were taught manners—and how to hold a fork and knife and how to use the napkin.
We were instructed on how to eat properly and how to talk with each other properly—and when to speak and when not to speak. We were not some rich family who did all these things. I remember eating chicken gizzards five days a week and dividing two cups of ice cream seven ways. But we never lacked for family love and discipline under the watchful eyes of my mother and father. Our lives revolved around theirs as their lives revolved around us— and somehow, it all came together every night at supper.
If dad should die
I remember one supper in particular. My father was a policeman, and perhaps he had a premonition; but he turned to me — his first-born son — and said, “Tony, if I should die, you will be the man of the house.” Now I was no more than nine years old at the time, and my sister was two years older than I was. But there was my father explaining to me my responsibility as the eldest son if he should die before his time. He made me understand in no uncertain terms that I was to take care of the family as best I could if our Dad should no longer be with us.
Now maybe this was my father’s way of getting me to act more responsibly. But at the same time my father told my three younger brothers that in his absence, my brothers were to listen to me. He told them that if in an important matter I said, “Boys, I am speaking for Pa” they were obliged to obey me. I had to use the words “I am speaking for Pa” and I was not to use that authority except in the most serious of circumstances.
To this day my brothers tease me about “Speaking for Pa.” But in the life of our family, it was considered an important thing to set up a hierarchy by which the family, even in the face of death, might be able to order itself and continue strongly. My parents knew well that the family would survive only if every member understood who they were and how they were to be with each other.
The Church speaks for Jesus
Today we meditate on the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven. When forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus left us and returned to His Father—to take His place at the Father’s right hand.
But as much as Jesus left us, He did not leave us alone. He did not abandon us. He is still with us in His Catholic Church. He bestowed upon the Catholic Church His true authority. Jesus has said to everyone, “When I have ascended to My father, you are to listen to the Church and be guided by the Church, because the Church speaks for me.” How like a human family where “someone speaks for Pa”. In the same way, in Jesus” absence, someone speaks for Jesus. And that guarantees that His will and teaching will continue authoritatively in the world by means of the Church, under the Pope, and with the Bishops, and even in little families who teach their children the ways of faith.
I know I have talked about this a lot, but in the face of the relentless propaganda against the Catholic Church these days we need to be reminded relentlessly that the Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ on earth. Jesus is the Head and we are the members.
The continuation of his presence
We are joined to Jesus as a hand is joined to the arm. It is that real—it is that intimate. When the Church— particularly the Pope—teaches what we must believe or do in order to get to heaven—it is as if Jesus were telling us.
God provides for the continuation of His presence, His teaching—His grace on earth by means of the Catholic Church. Now this does not mean that every Pope and Bishop has a hot line to God, with God giving detailed instructions about how we are to live our lives. Nor is this to say that every Pope and Bishop and priest or nun or dedicated lay person is perfect and makes flawless practical or personal decisions. Of course not. Remember we are the Church of Denying Peter, Betraying Judas and Doubting Thomas—and these Apostles were all bishops! But Jesus uses the Church, the Pope and the Bishops and even the mothers and fathers of the little families to be His Body on earth. In that way we see that the Church speaks to the world in the place of Jesus about what is right and what is wrong.
As a father would say to his children—“When this one—in my absence—speaks to you, he speaks for me” Jesus says that to the world about the Church. It speaks for Jesus.
Often hate the Church
That is why so often we find that governments hate the Church. Oh the regular people, the common people, love the Church. To hear of a loving God and Jesus and the saints and the Virgin Mary and all the joys of a holy Christian way of life—what is there not to love? But the government? The powers in charge? They often hate the Church because the Church speaks with the Authority of God and often enough must pose itself against the government—particularly when the government tries to foment unjust wars or enact laws and decrees that harm the family (as in our present circumstances).
And this is why in this ongoing and ever-expanding crisis of the government meddling in issues of life and love, the Church has stood against the government and said “No”. No to same-sex marriage. No to paying for abortion, birth control and sterilization. No to anything that harms the family. We are Catholic and our Church speaks for Jesus—and we will not cooperate with evil.
Of course, they will fine us and penalize us and marginalize us. They will call us names, they will say Catholics are mean people who are against equal rights and equal access to health care services for everyone—as if abortion and poison are health care.
All we will need to know
The danger is that we will begin to believe them. We will begin to doubt ourselves and our own beliefs—and maybe we will even come to doubt the Church herself.
But that is when we must remember who the Church is and for whom she speaks—Jesus. Then we can relax because we are believing what Jesus wants us to believe. And doing what He wants us to do. And that is all we will ever need to know.