The Lord at Work

The Ascension of the Lord 

13 May 2018

First reading                                                                      Acts 1: 1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Second reading                                                        Ephesians 1:17-23

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Gospel                                                                     Mark 16: 15-20

Jesus said to his disciples, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

As he lay dying, St. Dominic de Guzman told his confreres "Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life." Indeed, the religious congregation Dominic founded has been existing for the past 802 years, devoted to preaching and for the salvation of souls. For me, St Dominic proved true to his word. He continues to animate his spiritual sons and daughters up to this day.

St. Dominic's heavenly help mirrors the Lord's abiding presence in the Church. Having fulfilled the Father's will, Jesus returns to heaven and "sat down at the right hand of God." His Ascension though should not be interpreted as leaving His followers on their own. As our Gospel reading tells us, "...they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them ..." (Emphasis mine).  The continuous growth of the Church through the centuries attests to this. 

There are moments when it seems that our involvement in the parish or our Christian living in a secular society is fruitless, and we just want to give up. The apostles and other early followers of Christ were in the same boat. The Lord's Ascension is a wake up call: Jesus is with us in the middle of the storms that hit us. "If God is for us, who can be against us?", wrote St Paul (Romans 8:31). 

Jesus is working with us. All we have to do is to remain open and hopeful.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we entrust to You our life and vocation. Work in and through us, for the glory of the Father. Amen.