May 9 - 6th Sunday of Easter

(Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mk 16:15-20)

The Ascension of the Lord is a celebration not only of Jesus returning to sit at the right hand of the Father, but of what he promised to send us in his place. This is a day when we remember that the Holy Spirit was given to us and is living inside of us. When Jesus sends us out to proclaim the Gospel, he doesn’t send us alone. The Ascension isn’t Jesus abandoning us, but rather drawing even closer to us in such a way that he shares his power with us so that we can share his mission with him. In a homily for the Ascension, Saint Augustine said, “Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him. Listen to the words of the Apostle: If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on the earth. For just as he remained with us even after his ascension, so we too are already in heaven with him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies.” We are so deeply united with Christ by our Baptism that we are already in Heaven with him. What a beautiful reality! To live the Gospel we have to respond to the Great Commission from Jesus. This is the proposition he makes to every one of his disciples— follow me, go out to all the world and tell the Good News with me! This can seem terrifying, but in reality it is just more Good News. God not only wants to love us, he wants to love others through us. He wants to invite us to be intimately wrapped up in his plan for the salvation of souls. And if we truly get in touch with the deepest desires of our hearts, we realize that this is the life we truly long for.

• What does it mean to you to “see your life as though you are already in Heaven with Jesus”?
• Think about your own life as a follower of Christ and the “Great Commission.” Are you “intimately wrapped up in God’s plan for the salvation of souls”? What is holding you back? What do you think you could do to help make this to happen?
• Do you believe that miracles can happen as Jesus suggests when He sends the Holy Spirit —casting out demons, speaking new languages, escaping deadly harm— are possible? Have you ever witnessed anything like this?