Lesson 37 - The Ascension & Sending of the Holy Spirit

(Lesson 37)

The Ascension and the Sending of the Holy Spirit

“… the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God" Luke 22:69

Discussion Guide:

For forty days after his resurrection, Jesus walked the earth and continued to teach about his kingdom. He told his disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and that they would be his witnesses to all of humanity (Acts 1:4-5). This would be the last thing Jesus would tell the apostles while he dwelled with them in this world. At the end of the forty days, Jesus ascended into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God the Father. His humanity now exists in the heavenly domain for all time without limit. The Lord preceded us into heaven and prepares a place for each of the elect in his Father’s house (John 14:2). As the eternal High Priest, he constantly makes intercession for us. The expression “at the right hand of the Father” is an indication of his divinity. The right hand of a king is always a place of high honor. The ascension of Christ must be viewed as a royal enthronement. It is not a disappearing act or abandonment. Christ the King reigns from heaven and sends his appointed ministers the Holy Spirit to take care of his mystical body, the Church.

Fifty days after the Passover is the feast of Pentecost. The Jewish people celebrated the giving of the law to Moses with this feast. At that time, Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem. The book of Acts (2:1-4) tells us that the Holy Spirit descended upon disciples like “tongues of fire” on that day. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus made before his ascension. This was the establishment of the Church on earth which is commissioned to continue the work of saving souls. The Holy Spirit guides the teaching of the Catholic Church through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Magisterial teaching. As believers, we too have a special anointing of the Holy Spirit. He guides our consciences and increases our faith. The Holy Spirit gives us the grace we need to live out our lives in accordance with Church teaching and to be bold witnesses to the love of God. It does not give us the power to change or ignore the teachings of the Church. Anyone who believes that “the spirit” is moving them to ignore Church teaching is listening to a different kind of spirit. I’ll give you a clue; it isn’t a holy one!

Discussion Points:

· Jesus ascended to the Father in heaven after forty days

· Christ reigns as the head of his Church from the right hand of the Father

· Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for each of the elect

· The Holy Spirit descended upon the Church on the day of Pentecost

· The Holy Spirit guides the Church in her teachings though all the ages

· Each believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, Gift of God's Love

By St. Augustine

There is no gift of God more excellent than this. It alone distinguishes the sons of the eternal kingdom and the sons of eternal perdition. Other gifts, too, are given by the Holy Spirit; but without love they profit nothing. Unless, therefore, the Holy Spirit is so far imparted to each, as to make him one who loves God and his neighbor, he is not removed from the left hand to the right. Nor is the Spirit specially called the Gift, unless on account of love. And he who has not this love, "though he speak with the tongues of men and angels, is sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal; and though he have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and though he have all faith, so that he can remove mountains, he is nothing; and though he bestow all his goods to feed the poor, and though he give his body to be burned, it profiteth him nothing."

How great a good, then, is that without which goods so great bring no one to eternal life! But love or charity itself,--for they are two names for one thing,--if he have it that does not speak with tongues, nor has the gift of prophecy, nor knows all mysteries and all knowledge, nor gives all his goods to the poor, either because he has none to give or because some necessity hinders, nor delivers his body to be burned, if no trial of such a suffering overtakes him, brings that man to the kingdom, so that faith itself is only rendered profitable by love, since faith without love can indeed exist, but cannot profit. And therefore also the Apostle Paul says, "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love:" so distinguishing it from that faith by which even "the devils believe and tremble." And therefore most rightly is the Holy Spirit, although He is God, called also the gift of God. And by that gift what else can properly be understood except love, which brings to God, and without which any other gift of God whatsoever does not bring to God? . . .

Wherefore, if Holy Scripture proclaims that God is love, and that love is of God, and works this in us that we abide in God and He in us, and that hereby we know this, because He has given us of His Spirit, then the Spirit Himself is God, who is love. Next, if there be among the gifts of God none greater than love, and there is no greater gift of God than the Holy Spirit, what follows more naturally than that He is Himself love, who is called both God and of God? And if the love by which the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father, ineffably demonstrates the communion of both, what is more suitable than that He should be specially called love, who is the Spirit common to both? For this is the sounder thing both to believe and to understand, that the Holy Spirit is not alone love in that Trinity, yet is not specially called love to no purpose.
The Ascension and the Sending of the Holy Spirit

“… the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God" Luke 22:69

Opening Prayer:

Come, Holy Spirit, Almighty Sanctifier, God of love, Who filled the Virgin Mary with grace, Who wonderfully changed the hearts of the apostles, Who endowed all Your martyrs with miraculous courage, come and sanctify us. Enlighten our minds, strengthen our wills, purify our consciences, rectify our judgment, set our hearts on fire, and preserve us from the misfortunes of resisting Your inspirations. Amen.

Theme:

After forty days, Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. Jesus reigns from the right hand of God the Father as the head of the Church. On the day of Pentecost, he sent the Holy Spirit dwell in his people and to guide the Church until the end of time.

Bible Readings:

Acts 1:1-11 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Acts 2:1-13 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine."

Explanation of the Bible readings: The book of Acts describes the beginning of the Church. Luke, the author of Acts, starts off by giving us some details regarding the ascension of the Lord. Jesus told the apostles that he would send them the Holy Spirit to guide them in governing the Church. He also made similar promises at other times (John 14:16). Jesus assures the Church that he will return again in glory. He then proceeds to miraculously ascend to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God and continues to work through the Church. The traditional location of the ascension is located at the ridge of Mt. Olivet, just east of Jerusalem.

Since Jerusalem is crowded on Pentecost, it was the perfect time for the Spirit to manifest itself to the Church. God’s plans are always designed perfectly! The tongues of fire and the mighty wind were visible signs of the Holy Spirit. Fire and wind were frequently alluded to in the Old Testament as manifestations of God’s power (Ex 19:16-19). The apostles, led by Peter, proceeded to boldly proclaim the gospel in a miraculous fashion. They were given the unique gift to speak one language and have their hearers perceive the speech in their own native language! This constitutes a reversal of the confusion of languages that occurred at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9). Babel brought about division on the earth while Pentecost brings about unity.

Exodus 13:21 God is in a pillar of fire
John 14:16 Jesus will send the counselor
Acts 11:15 Holy Spirit falls on many believers

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER

659 "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God." Christ's body was glorified at the moment of his Resurrection, as proved by the new and supernatural properties it subsequently and permanently enjoys. But during the forty days when he eats and drinks familiarly with his disciples and teaches them about the kingdom, his glory remains veiled under the appearance of ordinary humanity….

663 Henceforth Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father: "By 'the Father's right hand' we understand the glory and honor of divinity, where he who exists as Son of God before all ages, indeed as God, of one being with the Father, is seated bodily after he became incarnate and his flesh was glorified."

664 Being seated at the Father's right hand signifies the inauguration of the Messiah's kingdom, the fulfillment of the prophet Daniel's vision concerning the Son of man: "To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." After this event the apostles became witnesses of the "kingdom [that] will have no end".

665 Christ's Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus' humanity into God's heavenly domain, whence he will come again (cf. Acts 1:11); this humanity in the meantime hides him from the eyes of men (cf. Col 3:3).

666 Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father's glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of one day being with him for ever.

667 Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

715 The prophetic texts that directly concern the sending of the Holy Spirit are oracles by which God speaks to the heart of his people in the language of the promise, with the accents of "love and fidelity." St. Peter will proclaim their fulfillment on the morning of Pentecost. According to these promises, at the "end time" the Lord's Spirit will renew the hearts of men, engraving a new law in them. He will gather and reconcile the scattered and divided peoples; he will transform the first creation, and God will dwell there with men in peace.

731 On the day of Pentecost when the seven weeks of Easter had come to an end, Christ's Passover is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, manifested, given, and communicated as a divine person: of his fullness, Christ, the Lord, pours out the Spirit in abundance.

1076 The Church was made manifest to the world on the day of Pentecost by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit ushers in a new era in the "dispensation of the mystery" the age of the Church, during which Christ manifests, makes present, and communicates his work of salvation through the liturgy of his Church, "until he comes." In this age of the Church Christ now lives and acts in and with his Church, in a new way appropriate to this new age. He acts through the sacraments in what the common Tradition of the East and the West calls "the sacramental economy"; this is the communication (or "dispensation") of the fruits of Christ's Paschal mystery in the celebration of the Church's "sacramental" liturgy.

1108 In every liturgical action the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into communion with Christ and so to form his Body. The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father's vine which bears fruit on its branches. The most intimate cooperation of the Holy Spirit and the Church is achieved in the liturgy. The Spirit who is the Spirit of communion, abides indefectibly in the Church….

Faith words:

Ascension: Celebration of the Ascension of Christ into heaven; observed on the 40th day after Easter.

Babel: A city where God confounded a presumptuous attempt to build a tower into heaven by confusing the language of its builders into many mutually incomprehensible languages.

Pentecost: The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples.


Reflection Questions:


Who is the person you consider to be at your “right hand” and why?









Describe a moment when you believe that the Holy Spirit descended on you in some way.









Fire and water are common Biblical images of the Holy Spirit. Can you think of a personal image that invokes thoughts of the Spirit?