“We will never loose those we love because we can love them in He in whom nothing is never lost.” Mgr Gérard Daucourt, Bishop Emeritus of Nanterre, gave this homily on May 30, 2025, during the Ascension mass at the Notre-Dame de Montligeon shrine.
Brothers and sisters, dear pilgrims of Notre-Dame de Montligeon. Of course, the Word of God will guide us to get deeper into the mystery of the Ascension. The term ‘mystery’ should not be understood as some incomprehensible reality — like the title of a detective novel — but as a divine reality that is revealed to us, into which we never cease to enter and make progress to better understand it, thanks to the light of the Holy Spirit.
A misunderstood message
At first, I suggest to meditate a little on the words and attitudes of the Apostles on the one hand and of Jesus on the other hand, when the event of Ascension occurs. We have heard two narratives, the first reading and the Gospel. We can also seek enlightenment with the other synoptic Gospels, which report what happened with further details.
The promise of the Holy Spirit
In the first reading of this Eucharist, in the Book of Acts, it is clear for us that there is some ambiguity between the disciples and Jesus regarding the understanding of everything he had shared with them. Indeed, they asked him: “Will you reestablish the Kingdom for Israel now?” So we can sense that they had misunderstood him. Even though Jesus had just told them the gist of his message: he had promised to send them the Holy Spirit.
A lack of faith
This promise was confirmed in Luke’s Gospel that we have just heard.
Besides, in the Gospel of St Mark, we hear further details: Jesus blames his apostles for their lack of faith and their hardened hearts. Which suggests that they have expressed some disbelief and some hardness of heart. In Matthew, we hear that some of the apostles that Jesus had gathered at that time are in doubt. This is what we learn of the apostles. Regarding Jesus, we have heard it: “You will be my witnesses.” To that end, Jesus gives them the Holy Spirit. This is the dual promise he does whilst sending them on their mission at the same time.
The power of the Holy Spirit
Allow me to tell you a personal memory. When I was appointed bishop, Cardinal Lustiger wrote me a very short letter. Here are his words, which I know by heart.
“You are now even more closely associated to the Passion of Christ, yet it is in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
They were meaningful for a bishop, however they are meaningful too for any christened person who receives a mission in the Church, and for any christened person who understands that the Lord entrusts them whichever mission, or testimony, in society.
In other words, we cannot be the witnesses of the Gospel of Christ without the strength and the light of the Holy Spirit.
Witnesses of Christ all of us
We Christians are not just a charity. We do not merely promote virtues, or values. So many good-willed men and women do that, sometimes better than us.
We are the witnesses of what Jesus experienced, of what he said and did for us, throughout his life on earth, right until the pinnacle of his sacrifice of love, his death and his resurrection.
“With you forever”
Yes, that is the promise made by Jesus: “I am going to send upon you what my Father has promised.”
Just at that time, still in connection with the sending on mission of the Apostles, Mark adds: “Go out to the whole world.” And St Matthew: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Teach them to comply with everything I taught you.” He also makes this promise: “I am with you everyday until the end of the world.”
Christ is the Word
Jesus’ presence is given to us with the means he has left to us, whenever we receive them — I would even say, whenever we use them in the Holy Spirit.
Of course, in priority, this occurs in the major sacrament, that is the Eucharist, as well as in all the related sacraments.
Jesus’ presence also occurs in the Word of God. Christ is the Word. Indeed, there are some Christians who, unfortunately, are unable to take part to the Eucharist on a Sunday. Nevertheless, Jesus is present whenever they open their Bible. When the Word is listened to, when the Holy Spirit is requested to manage to make sense of it, Jesus is present.
He is present
Jesus is present in the little ones, the poor, the outcast, the rejected, forsaken people
“As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me (Mt 25, 40)”.
Lastly, Jesus is present in our assembly. He is present in the gathering of thousands of people, on the St Peter Square to greet a new pope. And also, he is amidst two or three lost Christians in various countries, as they gather. They have no priest. They are persecuted. They are the Church. Jesus is present.
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there will I be also“.
The gift of the Holy Spirit
Such is the way the Holy Spirit is given to us, through the means and signs left to us by the Lord.
And that is how we need it… because we are like the Apostles in many regards.
Imagine this: we read the Gospel like this, and then move on, as if it were unimportant. After Jesus had gathered them, some had doubts. Some had hard hearts, a lack of faith. And Jesus said to them: “Go and teach all nations. I give you the Holy Spirit.”
Believing despite doubt
However, do we realize what we could call, in the first place, some sort of absurdity?
Imagine some young business leader who took three years to prepare his statt-up. And now he says: “The launch is today”. And then, some of his associates which he has been training for three years tell him: “As to me, I have doubts…”
So what would the business leader do? He’d say: “Please, listen to me. You have doubts? You don’t believe in it? Well, I’ll hire someone else.”
On Ascension Day, let’s enter the glory of Heaven
Yet we are not in a human start-up. We are with Jesus who greets human beings, men and women, weak and frail. He gives them his Spirit, to make them able, despite all their limits and despite their sins at some times, to be his witnesses.
Yes, he has chosen us, who are poor, sinners and frail.
It is precisely that human nature which he saved by his sacrifice that he took on himself right from the moment of his incarnation. Now, just on this day, he made it enter completely the glory of Heaven, where he entered himself, first of all.
With Mary and all our deceased
And he is drawing us behind him. He is drawing us along with all those who have already followed him. There is one person we are absolutely certain she is already entirely there: the Virgin Mary, received with her body and soul in the mystery of her Assumption. Likewise, all the others are in Heaven too, all those who have come and passed before us through the passage of death and, who, we hope, are in God. We pray for that.
A solidarity between the living and the dead
There is a solidarity between all of us – between the believers in Heaven and those on Earth. Being in Montligeon, I suppose I don’t need to insist on this truth of faith. We believe that through the risen Christ, our deceased are close to us and that we are close to them. We believe that we can help them through our prayer.
We do not know how. That is part of those divine realities which we enter – how the Lord really greets us there, how we need that support, how we really need each others’ prayer.
A bound through the Eucharist
Maybe there has been some times – more or less serious – in our lives when we did not follow Christ as he meant it. We failed to love, which is the only real sin. All other sins are connected to that one. Then, because of that, we still need to be purified. So we request that everything be welcome and that those who are already fully in Him, in Christ, help us continue our path on earth. We are interconnected. This junction is fully completed here, in this Eucharist. Regarding this, I will tell you another personal memory. At the time my mother was going to die, she gathered her six children and said to us:
“Don”t come too often to the cemetery. You will not find me there. We will be reunited in the Eucharist.”
” Nothing is ever lost”
Of course, paying tribute to our dead or go to the cemetery to pray on their tombs is very important and a great thing to do. However, let’s not forget our faith. Even in everyday language, we contradict it without realizing. I am sure that, just like me, you will say: “I have lost my mother” or “We have lost a child”, or “He has lost his brother-in-law”… When you think about it, to say “I have lost” is not a christian attitude. Of course they are no longer present, we do not see them anymore. We cannot touch them. We are in very deep sorrow. However, if we believe in risen Christ, they are there – in him. They are not lost. And we must help them to always progress towards Christ, as they help us, through Him, to walk the path too. St Augustine said:
“We will never loose those we love because we can love them in He in whom nothing is ever lost.”
Ascension Day, a celebration of hope
Then we understand, brothers and sisters, how this celebration of Ascension is the celebration of hope.
We hope to join Him one day, to join all saints. To join all our deceased who will have walked the paths of love – sometimes hoping along – who may have needed forgiveness, mercy, like everyone of us, but the Lord always taken them back to put them back on his way. This hope and expectation is experienced today, brothers and sisters, in our daily life. We are its witnesses. Not through our own strengths, as Jesus reiterated, but through the strength of Him who sent him, the Holy Spirit received on the day of our christening and confirmation, who operates in us each time we receive the sacraments and each time we pray and request him.
Amen.
