First Reading: Acts 1:1-11
Reflection:
This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. After Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, He remained on earth for 40 days and appeared to many people. Then, Jesus ascended into Heaven, leaving the mission of the Church under the care of the Apostles and promising to send the Holy Spirit as their guide on Pentecost (which we will celebrate next Sunday). We relive these events liturgically during the Easter season. In fact, the Solemnity of the Ascension technically is on the previous Thursday (exactly 40 days after Easter Sunday), but in most dioceses the celebration is moved to the following Sunday. The first reading recounts the Ascension as recorded in the book of Acts. Why did Jesus ascend? Was He abandoning His followers? By no means! Jesus ascended in order to reign over the kingdom of the Church from heaven. But He did not leave us orphans. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to guide us. In saying to His disciples, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,” He promised that the very presence of God would be with them and guide them. Jesus, in His flesh, was limited to one geographical location. By ascending and sending the Holy Spirit, the faith could spread to the ends of the earth. Just imagine having to travel to Israel to meet Jesus in person! Instead, the Holy Spirit dwells within us here and now; and Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist no matter where we are. Jesus sent His disciples to be “witnesses” to the ends of the earth, and He promised to give them everything they would need to succeed. The fact that we are following Jesus 2,000 years later in the Church He founded and entrusted to the Apostles is evidence of their success.
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23
Reflection:
Here the Apostle Paul explains what the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised in the first reading, offers us. With the Holy Spirit, we gain “wisdom,” “knowledge” of God, “hope,” an “inheritance,” “power,” and much more! The Holy Spirit is the very divine life dwelling within us, helping us to know God. Paul then goes on to reference Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. In these two events, which were followed by the giving of the Holy Spirit, we see the identity of Jesus revealed. He is the king of the universe! Jesus sits at the right hand of God in heaven, which indicates a position of the utmost honor and sovereignty. Jesus is no mere creature elevated to this position. He is divine—the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Jesus reigns over all of creation, including the spiritual realm of angels (“every principality, authority, power, and dominion” refers to orders of angels). Specifically, Jesus is the head of the Church, His body. The Church is “the fullness” of Jesus. Therefore, in the Church we can personally encounter the king of the universe and participate in His work!
Gospel Reading: Luke 24:46-53
Reflection:
This Sunday we hear the account of Jesus’ Ascension from Luke’s Gospel. As recorded here, Jesus told His Apostles before He ascended “that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations.” And He told them that they are the “witnesses” to proclaim these things and would receive the Holy Spirit in order to have the power to do so effectively. This final charge given by Jesus to the Apostles is called the Great Commission, which is also recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. His exhortation applies to us today just as much as it did to the original disciples. Jesus calls us to spread the gospel to everyone. In fact, at the end of every Mass we are sent out to bring Jesus to the world. Recall one version of the dismissal at Mass: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” or, another more common version, “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” Yet, we can’t give away what we don’t have. What then is “the gospel” that we are to proclaim? The word “gospel” means “good news.” What is the good news? Simply put, it is Jesus Himself. Jesus is God in the flesh. God became man in order to bring about salvation from sin. All that Jesus did and taught was good news. But even more so, the death and resurrection of Jesus are the center of the gospel. Without Jesus’ death and resurrection the rest would be meaningless. He died to take all our sins to the grave and He rose to bring us new life and prove victorious over sin and death. As a result, we can have salvation from our sins and communion with God. Now that is good news and it’s worth sharing! Who will you share it with this week?
Application:
- Jesus calls us to be His witnesses to the world by spreading the gospel. The Holy Spirit gives us everything we need to succeed. Look for opportunities this week to share about Jesus with people in your spheres of influence and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in those moments.
