Ascension Thursday - May 14, 2026

 

Homily for Ascension Thursday

May 14, 2026

They Worshipped but Doubted

 

            I’ve always been intrigued with the small detail from today’s Gospel: when these Apostles saw the Risen Lord, it states that “they worshipped, but doubted.” How can you worship if you doubt? And why would they doubt after having several encounters with Resurrected Christ?

            I think they doubted because seeing a man risen from the dead was so outside of the realm of possibility that they wondered if it could even happen. Resurrection was impossible! They saw Him die; they saw the body cold, the tomb sealed. And yet He spoke with them again; He ate breakfast in their presence; He invited them to touch His wounds. Psychologists call this “cognitive dissonance” – when we try to make sense of two contradictory truths. The truth is, Jesus died. And the truth is, He is alive.

            So, they worshipped, but they still couldn’t make sense of this new way of being. It was so extraordinary that they still doubted – until the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, which so convicted them of the truth of the Resurrection that they were able to fulfill Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples” – believing so deeply that they gave their lives for Him.

            I think that we also worship, but doubt – although our doubting comes from the exact opposite reason. We don’t doubt because the Catholic Faith is so extraordinary it’s hard to believe – rather, we doubt because it is seemingly so ordinary that we don’t recognize the full, powerful, earth-shattering teachings of Christ.

            For example, do you believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist – not a sign or symbol, but His true Body and Blood? I certainly hope so. But if the answer is yes, then why do we so easily skip Sunday Mass if we’ve got sports? Why do we show up at Mass in shorts and flip-flops? Why does this church turn into a social hall with loud conversations after Mass, completely ignoring the Real Presence of God Himself in the tabernacle? Why would we not make time in our busy schedule to visit the empty Church during the day and spend time with Him?

            [I’ve seen many of you sitting in the lobby or in the gym while we have our Tuesday Masses going on. What does that say about what we believe? Is it Jesus or is it not? Because if it’s just bread, we should pack this up and go home. If this is Jesus, why would we choose to do anything except be in His presence? And how many of you don’t even bother making a visit to Jesus during your school day? The God of the universe is literally down the hall and we don’t bother stopping by. Do we believe, or do we doubt like those Apostles?]

            Back in the 1960s, there was a lieutenant governor of Quebec named Paul Comtois. He was a man of great devotion, leading his wife and five kids in the Rosary daily even as he led the Province of Quebec with great wisdom. His love for the Lord was so intense that he asked his Bishop if he could turn a spare room in his house into a chapel and keep the Eucharist there. The Bishop agreed, on the condition that Paul be personally responsible for the safety and care of the Blessed Sacrament. He agreed, and would often pray before and after his visits to Parliament.

            However, on a cold day in February 1966, his house caught fire. He was able to get all of his wife and children out safely, but our Eucharistic Lord was still inside! Without a second thought, he rushed back into the burning building to rescue the Lord. But by that time it was too late – the house collapsed around him. When firefighters finally put out the fire, they found that he had died clutching the Eucharist to his chest – and the Eucharist was unharmed.

            Inspiring, right? Here was a man who didn’t doubt – he believed. And that’s how we know what we believe – what we’re willing to die for.

            Or, for example, do we really believe that we will live forever, either as an eternal triumph in Heaven, or an everlasting tragedy in Hell? Because if we really believed this, then why in the world would we care about the really silly petty stuff that occupies our days – and neglect the only thing that really matters: our eternal soul?

            St. John Vianney once said, “The lukewarm soul is that soul who would like to be worldly without ceasing to be a child of God. You will see them at one moment bowing before God, his Savior and his Master, and the next moment bowing before the world, his idol.” He goes on to tell the story of visiting one young woman who was rather careless about her spiritual life, and asking if she wanted to go to Confession. She said, “No, not to you. You would make me give up my fun in life.” (By “fun” she meant many sinful amusements). She continued, “I go to Fr. So-and-so, because he’s not as strict and just tells me to try to be good. After all, we cannot all be saints in this life.”

            Poor girl! She went to Mass weekly and didn’t commit huge sins, but gave no thought to the fact that her time here was limited, and her life was meant to prepare her for eternal glory if it was lived rightly. She believed, but she doubted.

            And this is the case for many of us. Oh, we’re Catholic all right. But we’ve become so bored with our faith that it has failed to impact our lives. We believe, but we doubt.

            So what must we do? We can’t only believe the teachings of Christ, we also have to live out their implications. If the Eucharist is truly Jesus, we must never pass up an opportunity to come to Mass or make a visit to the Lord. If this life really does prepare us for eternity, then we ought to seek to make real progress in the spiritual life. If Jesus really is God, and His teachings in the Scripture are real, then we need to forgive our enemies, love our neighbor, and take up our crosses.

            Our Catholic Faith should always remain extraordinary. God became a person. God died for you. You now get to eat God, and you have the opportunity to be with God forever. Blessed are those who worship, praise, and believe!