The Ascension of The Lord
Dear Parishioners,
“Go out into the whole world.” With those words Jesus gave his great commission which is tied to the story of the Ascension. The command to go forth is not just reserved to professional ministers in the church, but it is a challenge issued to all the baptized. We have all become more aware of this since the advent of Vatican II in the 1960’s.
I have reflected on Jesus’ forty days with his apostles after the Resurrection. What was he saying to them? Was he giving them final instructions during those forty days? In a sense, this time is like the 30 years between Jesus birth and his public ministry. We just do not know what he was doing exactly.
He certainly did not have enough time to teach the disciples everything they needed to know to go out to convert the whole world. He probably did not assign the disciples certain areas of the world to preach in, either.
The religious event we call the Ascension proclaims one thing, which is, that Jesus left the earth and when he did he left the mission of the church in our hands. Of course, next week, we remember that he also sent the Holy Spirit to us to guide us. We must try to listen to the Holy Spirit and move with that Spirit.
The Feast of the Ascension, once again, reflects the trust that Jesus has in each one of us to use our intelligence to lead good Christian lives. The question is whether we will trust him in return. Will we ignore the Gospel as we live our day-to-day life or will we seek to apply the Gospel to decision making? This is the tension in our lives on earth. Which Kingdom do we want to live in, the Kingdom of the World or the Kingdom of Jesus?
Happy Easter
Fr. Mark