ASCENSION

The Ascension of the Lord means empowerment, fulfillment and gain. It does not mean abandonment. It is mission accomplished because Jesus completed the work of our redemption. He fulfilled the work of new creation. It is a celebration of victory. Life triumphs over death. Love triumphs over hatred. He defeated evil, sin and death forever. Ascension points to our final destination. We are citizens in heaven. Jesus is the head and we are His Mystical Body. Where the Head goes, the Body follows. The goal of life is union with God, the one and only meaning of our living. The Ascension reveals that Jesus enters into His glory, seated at the right hand of the Father. He continues to direct the mission of the Church. And He sends the Holy Spirit to us, His eternal, living and lasting presence among us. The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift of the Risen Christ to us. He is the power of God’s love, the only true power. He is the principle of new life and new creation. The Ascension reveals that the Risen Jesus was being raised to the glory of God the Father. He is our triumphant Messiah and King who reigns in glory over all creation. He commissions His disciples to continue His work. The disciples are imperfect people yet He takes these imperfect people and gives them a perfect vocation. This is our consolation because we are also imperfect yet He continues to empower us to do His work today. The responsibility of the disciples is to make people like them, disciples of Jesus. The Church is a disciple maker not an event organizer. We are called to teach people what Jesus taught. The authority rests with Him and not with us. We are called to teach what He commanded and not our personal opinions. The teachings of Jesus are authoritative and our opinions are not. He promised to be with us always until the end of the age. We are therefore under the umbrella of God’s presence. We are already swimmers in the vast ocean of God’s love. The Church is the effective presence of Christ to the ends of the earth. We are the physical presence of Christ in our tormented world today. The task is overwhelming yet the Holy Spirit, the love of God that is poured into our hearts, empowers us to witness that God’s love will ultimately prevail.