Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Cycle A, Year II)

Community Word: The Holy Spirit empowers us to build God’s Kingdom and live an abundant life.

Theme: We build God’s Kingdom when we preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations.

Promise: “… I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20b)

Reflection:
Jesus’ Ascension to heaven is not just about his departure from earth per se because as he said in Matthew 28:20b, “I am with you always, until the end of age,” which is our promise for the week. Ascension is also about Jesus taking his rightful place with the Father. As the Psalmist declared in Psalm 47, “God mounts His throne, to shouts of joy, a blare of trumpets for the Lord.” He may be gone physically, but he is always and ever present in our lives because that is his promise at Pentecost. He is with us with the same redeeming power and cleansing love as he was with the Apostles. Ascension is the grand finale of all Jesus’ words and works done for us and for our salvation, but it is not the conclusion.

“Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature,” (Mk 16:15). This mission is not given to a select few but to all believers. To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer. There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming. We preach with words but we proclaim with our lives. As we celebrate the Lord’s return to his Father on his ascension to Heaven, we are being commissioned to go forth and proclaim the Gospel of life and love, of hope and peace, in the witnessing of our lives.

The three years of Jesus’ ministry may have ended, but before he ascended to the Father, he left us with unfinished business. In those three years, Jesus went about his ministry with impeccable wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment, backed by unquestionable power as St. Paul taught us in the second reading. He has prepared us for our eventual mission that is, to continue as His witnesses (cf. Acts 1:8) of his grace, mercy and love in building God’s kingdom. We are witnesses to the difference Christ has done in our lives. He revealed to us that indeed he is the Son of God and was sent for our salvation. He taught us that, as we study his word, as we commune with him through our prayers and celebration of the Eucharist, as we commune with one another, as we obey him by being his witnesses, salvation of everyone is not far behind.

Let our daily lives speak of Christ’s name and carry the fullness of his message to all people. It is not an option, but rather, it is a command to all who call Jesus their Lord. We have all received gifts that we can use in fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission, and as we obey, we find comfort in the knowledge that Jesus is always with us.

Being modern-day apostles and witnesses to Christ does not mean that we have to add more work to our already over-burdened workload, or that we should add another item to our already overcrowded schedule. We evangelize as we are. With our lives as living witnesses, the best message we can bring to the world is that Christ is present to us in this broken world, present in our hearts and in our lives, and he is reaching out to the world through our open arms.

It is good to note that spreading the Good News to all nations is not a mission that can be attained by human might and craft. This is why Jesus promises to empower the Church with His abiding presence through the Holy Spirit. Likewise, as we adhere to this calling, we are enjoined to have a joyful disposition; as stated in the gospel “…they returned to Jerusalem with great joy,” (Lk 24:52).

Prayer:
Abba Father, You allowed Jesus, our Savior to come down to earth to save us. You also caused His dramatic ascension to be witnessed by Your disciples – a promise that we will be able to experience, only if we obey You, only if we stand witness to the power of Your Name. Cause us, Lord, to be bold, brave, empowered disciples so that we may become Your living witnesses. Amen.

Reflection Guide Questions:
1. Does your daily life reflect the heart and character of Christ?
2. In what ways can you respond to spread the Gospel to all nations?
3. What hinders me from becoming a true and inspired witness of Christ?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
May 24, 2020 (Sun) – Acts 1:1-11/Ps 47:2-3, 6-9/Ep 1:17-23/Mt 28:16-20
May 25, 2020 (Mon) – Acts 19:1-8/Ps 68:2-7/Jn 16:29-33
May 26, 2020 (Tues) – Acts 20:17-27/Ps 68:10, 11, 20, 21/Jn 17:1-11
May 27, 2020 (Wed) – Acts 20:28-38/Ps 68/ Jn 17:11b-19
May 28, 2020 (Thur) – Acts 22:30; 23:6-11/Ps 16:1, 2, 5, 7-10/Jn 17:20-26
May 29, 2020 (Fri) – Acts 25:13-21/Ps 103:1, 2, 11, 12, 19, 20/Jn 21:15-19
May 30, 2020 (Sat) – Acts 28:16-20, 30, 31/Ps 11:4, 5, 7/Jn 21:20-25

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”