Ascension of the Lord (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: Missionaries of the Risen Christ serve God in love.
Theme: We serve God wholeheartedly when we preach repentance for forgiveness of sin.
Promise: “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…” (Acts 1:8a)
Reflection:
Our theme for the week tells us – We serve God in love when we preach repentance for forgiveness of sin. Jesus’ earthly mission exemplified such action and was fulfilled by His ascension to the Father. As believers of the Risen Christ, we celebrate the Ascension of The Lord with joy because the whole event points heaven to us as our final destination. Our faith journey leads us to joining Jesus in the glory of the Father. Baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are assured of the presence of Jesus in us and we can attest that our baptismal experience allows us to have a personal relationship and communion with God. We testify to the power of the Holy Spirit as it gives us the courage and strength, wisdom and understanding to participate in His salvific will to witness to the whole world God’s love for all men as His children, as we are all called to do.
In the 1st reading, Jesus asked his disciples to wait for the promise of the Father “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth,” (Acts 1:8).
The disciples were witnesses to the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and they were commissioned by the Lord “to preach repentance and forgiveness of sin in his name,” (Lk 24:46). To this day, it is also our mission to spread the Good News of our salvation, not with fear or anxiety but with trust and confidence, as the Holy Spirit moves us. By united prayer and perseverance, we await the power of God and open our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit to rebuild broken relationships, with empathy and compassion. We are called to be like Christ to others and respond lovingly to His bidding to “feed my lamb… tend my sheep… feed my sheep,” (cf. Jn 21:15-17).
Jesus did not just leave us, but through and with His ascension “He has brought our humanity with him into Heaven, interceding for us to the Father” (Anawim), true to His word in John 12:32 when He said, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.” This is what He is doing now for those who choose to believe and follow Him. Indeed, “Christ in us is our hope of glory,” (Col 1:27). Like the disciples of Jesus, let us celebrate the feast of the Lord’s Ascension with great hope and joy in our hearts. Jesus Christ is ever present within us, among us, today and always, and that we will be with Him in the fullness of life. as our promise for the week assures us: “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…” (Acts 1:8a).
“The ultimate meaning of our “journey” in this world is the search for our true homeland, the Kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus Christ, which will find its full realization when He comes in glory. His Kingdom has not yet been brought to fulfilment, though it is already present in those who have accepted the salvation He offers us.” ~Pope Francis~
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to save us from condemnation. By His passion, death and resurrection, we are redeemed from our transgressions, giving us new life. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for laying down Your life that we may live life anew, through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You Holy Spirit for being our Advocate in fulfillment of the promise of Jesus. Lord Jesus, in Your ascension to the Father, we rejoice for the hope You instilled in our hearts for we know that You are ever present within us and we will be with You in eternity. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- As a disciple of Christ, how can you witness His forgiving love to our brothers and sisters in and out of community?
- How do you participate in the continuing mission of evangelization in the community and the larger Church?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
May 29, 2022 (Sun) – Acts 1:1-11/ Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9/ Eph 1:17-23/ Lk 24:46-53
May 30, 2022 (Mon) – Acts 19:1-8/ Ps 68:2-3, 4-5, 6-7/ Jn 16:29-33
May 31, 2022 (Tue) – Zep 3:14-18/ Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6/ Lk 1: 39-56
June 1, 2022 (Wed) – Acts 20:28-38/ Ps 68:29-30, 33-35, 35-36/ Jn 17:11-19
June 2, 2022 (Thu) – Acts 22:30; 23:6-11/ Ps 16:1-2, 5,7-8, 9-10,11/ Jn 17:20-26
June 3, 2022 (Fri) – Acts 25:13-21/ Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20/ Jn 21:15-19
June 4, 2022 (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!”
