Ascension Sunday. May 28, 2017 [Matthew 28:16-20]
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mat 28:18)”

However, in the Gospel of Matthew, we have a fundamentally different story of Ascension. In fact, Matthew has technically no story of Ascension. In the last part of Matthew’a Gospel, neither Jesus was taken into heaven nor did He leave. What Jesus did was to send the disciples to make disciples of all nations, to baptize them and to teach them. It is actually the disciples who are moving away from Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew ends with Jesus’ promise that He will be with His disciples until the end of time. It is clear that in Matthew, Jesus never left His disciples. As the disciples were moving on with their new lives as apostles, Jesus remained and journey together with them.
I entered the minor seminary as early as 14. As I was leaving my home, it was not easy both for me and my parents. There were psychological anxieties and emotional longings to go home. But, the feelings subsided after some time, and a big factor was that my parents allowed and supported my decision to be away from them. They set me free and allowed me to go as a mature man creating his own destiny. Yet, I also realize that they actually never leave me. Biologically speaking, I have in my body the genes of my parents. Not only that, my actions reflect the upbringing that they provided me. From them, I learn the love for God and the Church, discipline and hard work, and basic leadership skills. What people see is me, but what I give them are coming from my parents.
In Ascension, Jesus does not keep us under His arms, He does not suppress our growth, and He does not want that we remain childish permanently. Jesus sets us, His disciples, free and empowers us to become men and women who forge our own paths. We need to leave Jesus so we may become His mature and free apostles. Yet, He never leaves us. We bring Jesus with us because Jesus has formed us in His image. As we receive Jesus from our parents, teachers, catechists, and priests, and after living with Jesus as His disciples, now it is our turn to preach and share Jesus to others, as we make all nations His disciples.
Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP



Gambaran tentang Kenaikan Yesus yang ada dalam benak kita adalah Yesus yang diangkat ke langit, sementara para murid dengan penuh doa memperhatikan-Nya menghilang secara perlahan-lahan. Tidak salah jika disebut ‘Kenaikan’ Yesus karena Kristus yang telah bangkit akhirnya naik ke surga, kembali kepada Bapa-Nya. Di dalam film Risen, Kenaikan Yesus digambarkan sedikit berbeda. Yesus tidak diangkat ke surga, tapi Dia hanya berdiri di hadapan para murid-Nya, dan tiba-tiba cahaya yang menyilaukan datang dan menelan Yesus, dan Diapun menghilang dari pandangan mereka. Meskipun memiliki rincian yang berbeda, Kenaikan Yesus berbicara kepada kita tentang Yesus yang memisahkan diri dari murid-murid-Nya, dan meninggalkan mereka karena Ia harus kembali kepada Bapa-Nya.
Have you seen a spirit? When the word ‘spirit’ is mentioned, what image does appear in your mind? Perhaps, scary ghosts from some urban legends or Hollywood horror movies. The word ‘spirit’ conjures terrifying and often creepy images because it is related with the dead, the afterlife, and unexplained paranormal phenomenon. The Church herself warrants the existence of evil spirit or the demons, as the Church fights them through the ministry of exorcism.
Pernahkah kamu melihat roh? Atau, jika anda kata roh disebutkan, gambaran apa yang muncul di benak Anda? Mungkin, hantu-hantu menakutkan dari beberapa cerita-cerita atau film horor Hollywood, atau sesuatu yang diluar kekuatan manusia dan tidak bisa dijelaskan. Kata ‘roh’ seringkali memunculkan gambaran yang mengerikan dan menyeramkan karena selalu berhubungan dengan kematian, dunia akhirat, dan fenomena paranormal yang tidak dapat dijelaskan.
Jesus was about to leave His disciples and go back to His Father. The disciples were confused and failed to understand. Some were afraid of losing their Messiah. Some were puzzled by the actions of Jesus. Yet, despite this confusion and fear, Jesus reminded them not be troubled and to have faith in God and in Him.
Yesus hendak meninggalkan murid-murid-Nya dan kembali kepada Bapa-Nya. Para murid bingung dan tidak mengerti. Beberapa takut kehilangan Mesias dan guru mereka. Beberapa tidak mengerti dengan tindakan dan perkataan Yesus. Namun, terlepas dari kebingungan dan ketakutan ini, Yesus mengingatkan mereka agar tidak merasa cemas dan tetap memiliki iman kepada Allah dan kepada-Nya.
Jesus is not the gatekeeper, but Jesus is the gate Himself. A gate or a door gives a passage or access to a sheepfold, a house, a building or a room. It both separates and connects the insiders and the outsiders. In fact, the gate is as essential as the house itself. What is the building without a door or an entry point? It is either a construction error or it is not a sheepfold or a house at all. The gate is not only an accessory to the house, but it also defines the house itself. Is it an accessible house, locked house or not a house at all?
Yesus bukanlah sekedar penjaga pintu gerbang, tetapi Yesus adalah sang pintu gerbang. Pintu gerbang atau pintu memberi jalan atau akses ke kandang domba, rumah, bangunan atau ruangan. Pintu memisahkan sekaligus menghubungkan orang dalam dan orang luar. Pintu sama pentingnya dengan rumah itu sendiri. Apa jadinya jika bangunan tanpa pintu masuk? Ini adalah kesalahan konstruksi atau bukan sebuah gedung sama sekali. Pintu bukan hanya aksesori dari sebuah rumah, tapi adalah definisi sebuah rumah. Melalui pintunya, kita bisa menilai apakah rumah ini yang mudah diakses, rumah terkunci atau bukan rumah sama sekali?