We Will Go Into the House of the Lord
One of the musical highlights of last week’s coronation of King Charles III was at His Majesty’s entrance into Westminster Abbey to Sir Hubert Parry’s triumphant arrangement of the 121st psalm, the Laetatus Sum. This opens with the words “I was glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord.” This majestic proclamation and accompanying choral music appropriately conveyed the glorious rejoicing of the occasion, and in particular, that it was to take place in the house of God.
Today is the Sunday before the Feast of Ascension. We have been told, they have said unto, that our blessed Lord will go into the house of the Lord, the heavens where his Father awaits his return. It is particularly appropriate therefore, that we should reconsider this entry of the Son of God into the house of the Lord, and ultimately our own also.
Two weeks ago, the Third Sunday after Easter found the apostles fretting because our Lord said that in a little while they would no longer see him. He tried comforting them, saying that yes, they would now weep and lament, but their sorrow would be turned into joy. Last week, our Lord stressed the importance of his return to his Father in heaven, telling them how it was necessary so that he could send the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to guide them in their apostolate. Now, today, they finally come to realize that their Master’s Ascension into heaven was not something to be feared or dreaded in any way, but that it was a good and necessary part of God’s plan. “Lo,” they say, “now speakest thou plainly… now are we sure that thou knowest all things… we believe that thou camest forth from God.” Gradually, they have come to understand the great joy that is to come from Christ’s Ascension into heaven.
The fact is that our blessed Lord was going home. He was returning to the house of God from which he came, and this was not something to be sorrowful about. Yes, in Advent we looked forward to the joy of his Nativity, and rejoiced when the Word became Flesh and dwelt amongst us. But that does not necessarily mean we should be sorrowful when this same Word leaves us to return to his Father. He descended to us in joy, but now he would ascend back into heaven, not in sorrow, but also in joy. Indeed, more than joy—in glory! His coming Ascension will make sense of all his blessed life’s joys and sorrows, giving us a glimpse into the glory that we will one day share if we remain faithful to him and his commandments.
This promise of glory should inspire us with tremendous excitement at the Ascension of our Saviour. After all, he did say that he was returning to heaven so that he could prepare a place for us there. On this last Sunday before Ascension, we should force ourselves to reconsider our own death, not with dread, but with the same feeling of anticipation that our Lord showed towards his own return to his rightful place on the right hand of God his Father. When we come close to that day of our passing into the next world, when the doctor gives us the news that there’s nothing more they can do for us, we should not be devastated. Far from it. We should receive the news with joy. “I was glad!” we pray in the 121st psalm, “Glad, when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord.”
Meanwhile, Ascension Day fast approaches. The paschal candle will be lit on Thursday for the last time, its light signifying the presence of the Light of the World in the world. But when it is extinguished after that day’s Gospel, we will not be left in darkness. For hundreds of years after our Lord returned to his Father, the light of a hundred thousand sanctuary lamps throughout the world proclaimed the very real presence of our Ascended Lord. He dwells amongst us still, his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity upon our altar in this very church today. When we enter into our little church here to receive our Lord’s Body in Holy Communion, let us indeed be glad to go into the house of the Lord. He is still there, waiting for us, and neither his Ascension into heaven nor even our own death can ever separate us from him if only we remain in the state of sanctifying grace. With that grace within us, with that knowledge that our soul is safe in God’s hands, we will be able to pass from our temporary home in this life to the eternal house of God. And we will be glad!