The Ascension of Jesus signals the successful completion of the work of Jesus on earth. It also ushers the time of the Church not abandoned but empowered by the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ascension is not departure, goodbyes, endings but new beginnings because of the new and eternal presence of Jesus in the Church. Jesus is taken up into heaven because it is the climax of His glorification and exaltation. He shares equal glory with the Father. In our profession of faith, we confess that Jesus descended into hell and ascended into heaven. It means that Jesus fills all things. He is in all things and all things are in Him. God in Jesus is all and in all. No one is excluded from the love of God. Nothing is beyond the love and mercy of God. In Jesus we have full access to God. The Church is commissioned to continue the work of Jesus because she is the visible sign of God’s kingdom here and now. She is tasked to proclaim the Good News that Jesus is alive and victorious over sin, evil and death. The content of her proclamation is the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the emphasis is on repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The Church therefore, is missionary because she receives the final mandate to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The Church is blessed, gifted, enriched by the power of the Holy Spirit. That giftedness is meant to be given in the mission to the world. There are four aspects of the mission of the Church. First, the Church is called to evangelize and communicate the life vision of Jesus contained in the Gospel. Second, the task of the Church is healing and it involves the whole person including the surrounding environment. Third, the Holy Spirit accompanies the Church. It is aid in times of need. Lastly, the Church is not alone in her mission because of the promise of the eternal presence of Jesus. He said, “I am with you always until the end of time” (Matthew 28:20). The Church is called to work as a community because united she succeeds but when divided she falls.
SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
