Gospel Reflection 2021/2022

Departure is the act of leaving. It can be extremely depressing and distressing. This is because departure involves the act of leaving someone or something; and in doing so, someone or something will be left behind. Departure is emotional for both the person leaving and the person left behind.

After being with the disciples for forty (40) days, the time has come for the Risen Lord to depart this world and ascend to the Father. Just as we thought we have ‘got back’ Jesus from the dead and could ‘own’ Him forever, now He has to leave us and ascend to the Father.

What does the Ascension of Jesus mean to us?

1) Now, man finds room in God. [Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI]

There are plenty of rooms in the Father’s house; and Jesus is going and preparing a place for us [cf. 14: 2-3]. And Jesus assures us that [Jn 12: 32], “When I am lifted from the earth, I shall draw all mankind to myself.” Because of Jesus and His Ascension, now everyone can find room in God. Because of Jesus and His Ascension, we have a special place in God’s loving heart.

2) Christ is the visible face of the invisible Father. Now, the Catholic Church is the visible face of the invisible Christ.

After the Ascension, Jesus is no longer visible on earth, yet He is continuously present to us in the Church, for He has promised that “I am with you always until the end of time” [Mt 28: 20]. Through the Church, our Lord Jesus continues to call us (Baptism), forgive us (Confession), feed us (Holy Communion), strengthen us (Confirmation), heal us (Anointing) and commission us (Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony).

3) Jesus is truly and really the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

In the Apostles’ Creed, we profess and believe that ‘He (Jesus) ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty’. The Resurrection confirms that Jesus is the Resurrection and Life; the Ascension confirms that Jesus is the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, we have the reason to believe that ‘all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him’ [Mt 28: 18-20]. Even during the darkest moment of our lives, we can be assured that Jesus is always in control: the storm shall pass for Christ is in the same boat with us.

4) We are called to be missionary disciples of Christ.

You and I – we are the Church: We are the living stones that build up the Holy Church of God [cf. 1 Pt 2: 5]. We are called to go out to ‘proclaim the Good News to all creation’. To proclaim the Good News, we must first believe the Good News, live the Good News and be the Good News. The command to proclaim the Good News is given to you and me by the Lord. Let us ‘sanctify the Lord in our hearts; and always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us for the reason of our hope… with love, gentleness and respect’ [cf. 1 Pet 3: 15].

5) We are empowered by Jesus to empower others.

Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit, and He has given us the power to continue His mission here on earth. Some of us are blessed with the gift to teach and to preach. Others are graced with power to comfort the broken-hearted, to heal the wounded, to free those under the slavery of sin, and to raise the spiritually dead. Each of us possesses the power beyond our own to journey with others through the hardships of life. We are empowered, not to glorify ourselves, but to empower others for God’s greater glory. We are the hands and feet of Jesus: in Jesus’ name and guided by the Holy Spirit, we must go out and reach out to others, especially the lost, the last, the least and the little.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Lord Jesus Christ, send forth Your Holy Spirit: empower us that we may empower others.”

Let us also pray with and pray for Ukraine that:

“The weapons of war be silenced, the evil of the aggressors be stopped, and those who hold the fate of the world in their hands may spare us from the horror and madness of war.”