HE BLESSED THEM AND THEN TOOK HIS SEAT
AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
Jesus' departure and
ascension into heaven were both an end and a beginning for His disciples... While
it was the end of Jesus' physical presence with His beloved disciples and those
who believed in Him, it marked the beginning of Jesus' presence with them and
all people in a new way.
On this Seventh Sunday of Easter the Church
celebrates the Ascension of the Lord. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says to His
disciples, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from
the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in His Name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You
are witnesses of these things" (Lk 24:46 - 48). Then Jesus raised His
hands, and blessed them and He departed from them and was taken up to heaven.
For they will be "clothed with power from on high" (Lk 24:49b)!
For forty days after His resurrection Jesus
appeared numerous times to His disciples in order to assure them that He had
indeed risen from the dead. And He prepared them for the task of carrying on
the work which He had begun during His earthly ministry. Jesus' departure and
ascension into heaven were both an end and a beginning for His disciples. While
it was the end of Jesus' physical presence with His beloved disciples and those
who believed in Him, it marked the beginning of Jesus' presence with them and
all people in a new way. Jesus promised that He would be with them always,
until the end of time. He assured them of His power - a power that overcomes
sin and death; a power of peace, love, kindness, and joy.
Now as the Glorified and Risen Lord and
Savior, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. He promised
to send them the power of the Holy Spirit, which we see fulfilled ten days
later on the Feast of Pentecost. When the Lord Jesus departed physically from
the Apostles, they were not left alone or powerless. Jesus assured them of His
presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, which would strengthen them in doing
great works of love and mercy.
Jesus' words to the Apostles point to His
saving mission and to their mission to be witnesses of His saving death and
glorious resurrection and to proclaim the Good News to the entire world. Their
task is to proclaim the good news of salvation, not only to the people of
Israel, but to all nations. God's love and gift of salvation is not just for a
few, or for a nation, but it is for the whole world - for all who will accept
it. The Gospel is the power of God, the power to forgive sins, to heal, to
deliver from sin and oppression, and to restore life.
Today, we are also called to share in this
great work of salvation. On the Fifth Sunday of Easter we saw that the
Commandments are proof of God's love for us. On this Sunday we consider another
proof of God's love for us - Baptism. As we celebrate the Ascension Jesus takes
His rightful place beside His Father in heaven. We, who try to live up to our
Baptismal promises, will join Him there because Baptism has given us the right
to heaven. This sacrament gives many other blessings, too. Baptism gives us a
share in God's life. Our parents gave us natural life, while God gives us
supernatural life - a share in His own life. All by His grace!!! Is there any
greater proof of love for us? Baptism gives us a certain spiritual power - the
power to believe, the power to hope, the power to love. We call these powers
the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Baptism makes every one of us a
disciple, with each of our own special gifts that we can give to others.
This is the great commission, which the Risen
Jesus gives to the whole Church. All believers have been given a share in this
task - to be heralds of the Good News and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the
only Savior of the world. May we witness
a new Pentecost as the Lord pours out His loving Spirit upon His people to
renew and strengthen the Body of Christ and to equip it for effective ministry
and mission world-wide. In our Responsorial Psalm today we proclaimed that God
reigns over the nations. Let us sing praises to Him on this great Feast!
Take the challenge of being a disciple and
witness to others the joy of the Risen Lord!