May 29, Ascension C (Acts 1:1-11; Luke 24:44-53)
People who have died do not typically eat fish, nor expound upon the scriptures, nor stand among us to offer a blessing and then get whisked away into heaven.
When my niece and nephew were little, I improvised with the figures from a nativity set to introduce them to the adult Jesus. Joseph stood in for Jesus, while the shepherds and wise men were disciples or people seeking healing. Occasionally they filled in for Jesus’ opponents or members of the crowds. Mary played the roles of multiple women.
The children loved the stories about Jesus’ acts of healing and mercy, especially among people who “are sad or scared or maybe they don’t have a lot of friends,” as my niece said.
As I narrated the events around Jesus’ death and burial—the cross, the tomb, the huge stone—my niece began to cry and my nephew disappeared. From across the room I heard his quivering voice: “Then what happens?”
