The Ascension of the Lord
The Acts of the Apostles begins with the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus tells the apostles: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the apostles: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. This is called the great commission. Jesus commissioned the apostles and us as well, to be a living witness of the His love lived out in our lives – wherever we are – at home, work, school, in the neighborhood etc. Each one of us may be called to do this in a different way. We witness to Jesus Christ by responding to the needs of the least of our brothers and sisters in Christ, by not holding grudges and forgiving, by not complaining and being patient, by enduring with trust in Jesus the many sacrifices we are called to make in light of the COVID19 pandemic, by not allowing fear, anxiety or worry to dominate us, but remembering Jesus’s promise that He is with us always. The Ascension is about taking seriously Jesus’s great commission, which He entrusted to us at the time of our Baptism.
For the Lord, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over the earth….For king of all the earth is God’ sing hymns of praise. God reigns over the nations. We are to live for and in Jesus Christ. This is what it means to make Him our king. Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of the Father… far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. Our call is to share in His glory. Let us hold fast to our call, persevering in the mission given to us by Jesus Christ – to witness to His love.
Come Holy Spirit!
Deacon Mike