As compared to India, European countries have hardly any religious holidays. However, May 15 happens to be one such holiday in some of the European countries. It is the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. In some other countries, including India, this is celebrated on the following Sunday to enable people to participate in solemn liturgical celebrations in the Church (May 17).
Christians believe that Jesus, after his resurrection from the dead, appeared to his disciples and others for 40 days and on the 40th day (today) ascended into heaven with his glorified body. One of the evangelists writes: “When he (Jesus) had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy”.
While many questions may arise with regard to what and how of this feast, the important thing is that the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus has inspired generations after generations to share his good news (Gospel) of love for one another, especially the poor, and forgiveness for all and brother/sisterhood, in all corners of the world.
Today the Church also celebrates World Communication Day, which began nearly 50 years ago. The theme is “the family’ which coincides with May 15 being the UN International Day of the Family. The Universal Peace Federation joins in commemorating this day because it considers the family as a microcosm of the global community and because sustainable peace is grounded in the family as the most intimate social unit, the school of love and peace.
The message from the Church on Communication Day, too, stresses this fact, “After all, it is in the context of the family that we first learn how to communicate and where we learn to live with others despite our differences... In the family we realise that others have preceded us, they made it possible for us to exist and in our turn to generate life and to do something good and beautiful. We can give because we have received”.
After the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, the message that his disciples resolutely communicated to others was precisely that Jesus, being God, took human form to become like one of us and gave up his life on the Cross to share God’s love. We find Jesus telling his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”.
If we can communicate the message of love that we receive in our families to all, without any discrimination, then we would surely be on our way to forming a loving global human family, giving true meaning to the age-old Indian concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religion, can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com
