The pessimist might be inclined to say that the days will be getting shorter next month. While that might be so, there is no doubt this a great time of the year. Ireland is glowing with growth, everything is in full flight and you can almost hear the grass grow. The country is looking its very best. Because of childhood memories and years of association, Co Tipperary has a great appeal for me. The coming of summer heightens my interest and wonder in this corner of Ireland.
There is a magic about Tipperary in late spring, early summer. And no doubt that beauty and magic is not exclusive to one county; it pervades the land. It's as if God's goodness is shining down on the world. I attended Mass last Sunday in Glenstal Abbey. It was the sung community Mass, celebrated in a most solemn and prayerful fashion. In so many ways the liturgy complemented the beauty and nature of the fields outside. It was a great occasion of worship, worshipping a God who never ceases to amaze us, a God who continues to arouse our curiosity. Tomorrow we celebrate the feast of the Ascension, another part in the redemptive action of Jesus. We acknowledge the mystery of Jesus going to his Father in heaven. It is a feast about the transcendence of God, a God who is "out there", but a God who bridges a chasm between us and the eternal. In tomorrow's Gospel we read, "Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God." (Luke, 24: 50-53.) Have we lost our sense of worship? Have we lost our appreciation of a transcendent God? Maybe it has something to do with the immediate world we live in. We are constantly expecting spontaneous answers to our questions. Modern communications have given us the ability to bring all reality into our living rooms in an instant. The idea of waiting and waiting patiently is alien to many in our world. While there is great value in looking on God as our "brother", as someone we can share our intimate thoughts with on a one to one basis, there is also the need to see God as a transcendent God, an Almighty God on whom we depend. And there is great need to worship this almighty God. Worship deals with mystery, transcendence, perfection. We worship God and when we pray we are in the act of worshipping our God. These days the media often talk about role models. Footballers, actors, singers, the vast array of well-known people are often put on pedestals and we lesser mortals "worship" them. We have also developed an uncanny ability to worship material things. We set our sights on making a fortune, buying the biggest and best in everything.
There has always been the temptation to look up to the famous and the powerful. And the famous and the mighty allow themselves to be seduced by the madness of power and wealth. Generation after generation, we allow ourselves to be lured into the trap of "worshipping" money and fame. Tomorrow's feast might just remind us that worship is confined to God and God alone. St Luke tells us that as soon as the ascending God blessed them they worshipped him and were filled with joy. And they continued to pray and worship God and this praying and worshipping filled them with joy. God alone deserves our worship. The wonder of summer, the beauty of the world, should help point us in the direction of God. God is a mystery; no one is going to explain God for us; but there are pointers in God's direction and certainly this time of year should help us in our adventure of discovering God.
At this Ascension Day we can turn our minds away from the "mighty and great" of this world and concentrate all our energies on worshipping the Risen Lord, who has ascended to heaven. It was that worshipping that filled the disciples with joy.
M.C.