Solemnity Of The Ascension Of The Lord: Under His Feet

Christ's winning hand is His death and resurrection, but I have a fellow diocesan priest friend who likes to remind others that it’s not just Jesus’ death and resurrection but his Ascension too, which completes the paschal mystery. The Paschal Mystery in Christianity is from the Hebrew “Passover,” which is the central event of salvation history and refers to Jesus' Passion, Death, Resurrection, AND Ascension.

Christ is reigning in heaven which our Second Reading says is where he is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heaven, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion. Principalities are one of the several angelic orders mentioned in Scripture, including authorities, rulers, thrones, and dominions.

Our Second Reading in Ephesians chapter 1 says that Jesus is in heaven in his body "at His own right hand" - the place of infinite glory, power, and majesty.

To illustrate, with poetic license, in the Lord of the Rings, there is a scene the movie version of The Two Towers where Theoden, the King of Rohan says, “I will not risk open war.” To which Aragorn replies, “Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not.”

The Christian meme version of this goes as follows:

Theoden: “I will not accept Christ as Lord”

Aragorn: “Christ is Lord, whether you accept Him or not.”

https://ifunny.co/picture/w7IgrwSqB

homily credit for this: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2023/08/15/he-shall-put-everything-under-his-feet/

Something greater exists than your tendencies and struggles--

Verse 21: "far above all principalities" --He is our higher power.

Verse 22: "under His feet" - His enemies, sin, death, the devil.

Illustration:

In the King Tut display at the Cairo Museum, there is a pair of his gold sandals. On the bottom of the sandals are written the names of his enemies which were Syrian and Nubian prisoners, there, written on the soles, so Tutankhamun could step on the traditional enemies of Egypt wherever he walked.

The idea of putting an enemy under one’s feet is referring to a Ruler conquering those who oppose or resist the King’s rulership.

“The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’” (Psalm 110:1). This passage is quoted in eleven times in the Old Testament and New Testament—for example, “…until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.” (Matthew 22:42).

—it is this reigning in heaven which gives the power to the Church, through Peter and all the bishops, power over the demonic realm as seen in the rites of exorcism because the flipside, according to Ephesians 6:12, is that principalities and powers are numbered among the evil spirits that pose a threat to believers. They are enemies of humanity, but their influence has been shattered by Christ.

“For although we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,” (Romans 5:10)

That is why we can Avoid a Descent, and instead Ascend with Christ.

Secondly, the question from our First Reading, “Why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.

“We can ascend with him in our hearts,” Saint Augustine said, “set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, … not on the things that are on earth.”

The message: Get your head out the clouds, much work remains to be done before the Lord comes again. Look down and see Jesus’ footprints, walk in them.

This implies we have things to do for Christ. As Saint Teresa of Avila said, Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours.

e.g.

In his book, Juan Luis Segundo has Jesus tell his disciples, I must ascend. “If I stay, I can only calm one storm at a time, feed one group at a time, or heal one person at a time. But if I go, I can, through you, build better boats to ride out storms, feed many more people through better cultivation and distribution of crops, and through people learning better medical skills cure many more people. So, it is better that I go so that more of the work I have given you can be done in my name.”

Ephesians 2:6 states that "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

Obviously, it's not a physical ascent, nevertheless, Christ’s bodily ascension is the model for our spiritual ascension.

Two have been transported to heaven like Elijah and Enoch which are told from the perspective of the spectators. No detailed information is given about the journey.

You have to experience for yourself, in heart and mind to ascend which means to dwell continually with Him (Jesus Christ) so we gain clarity. St. Paul says to set your mind to the things above.