Mass
Readings:
Acts 1:1-11 Ps 47 Eph 1:17-23
Lk 24:46-53
Key
Verse to Meditate:
And it came about that while He was blessing them, He parted from them. (Lk 24:51)
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Today, Holy Mother Church celebrates the
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. Fifty days after the Easter festival,
we commemorate the glorious ascension of Jesus Christ. Over the past few weeks,
the Gospel of John has prepared us well for this moment by speaking of Jesus'
departure to the Father. After His resurrection, Jesus spent time strengthening
His disciples, assuring them of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit—an event we
will celebrate next Sunday.
The First Reading
The Acts of the Apostles vividly describes the
Ascension of the Lord, and this passage is always chosen as the first reading
for this solemnity: “Until the day when he was taken up to
heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom
he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself alive to them by many
convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the
kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave
Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This,’ he said,
‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (Acts 1:2-5).
The Ascension of Jesus
A few verses later, Acts continues with a direct
account of the Ascension: “When he had said this, as they were
watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight”
(Acts 1:9). Even in the selection of Matthias as the new apostle, the criterion
was that he should have been with the apostles from the beginning until the
Ascension of Jesus: “Beginning from the baptism of John until
the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us
to his resurrection” (Acts 1:22).
Now that Jesus has returned to the presence of
the Father, the apostles are instructed to await the descent of the Holy
Spirit, who will empower them to be bold witnesses to Christ and proclaim the
message of salvation in His name.
St. Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians, also
refers to this significant event of the Ascension:
“God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from
the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all
rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come” (Eph 1:20–21).
The Second Reading
The second reading, also from the Letter to the
Ephesians, is a beautiful example of thanksgiving—a common feature at the
beginning of many Pauline letters. What is unique about this passage is that it
blends both a benediction and thanksgiving, unlike 2 Corinthians and 1 Peter,
which include a benediction instead of a thanksgiving.
In this thanksgiving and intercessory prayer, St.
Paul, in the opening chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, gives thanks,
offers intercession, praises Christ’s resurrection, and reflects on the Church.
God the Father, the Spirit, and the Messiah are presented as the central agents
in the unfolding divine plan.
First, Paul gives thanks to God for His
faithfulness to the saints and to the holy Church (vv. 15–16). The “saints” are
those who live in union with Christ and are filled with His power. Their faith,
prayer, and communal life are all sustained by the Spirit of God, who imparts
wisdom and deepens their knowledge. The saints trust in God, who is ever
faithful and keeps His promises across generations.
Paul then prays for the Spirit, who alone reveals
the hope, the riches, and the power that God bestows (vv. 17–19). Paul
identifies God’s unique strength—most clearly revealed in the resurrection of
Christ—as a testimony to His absolute authority (vv. 20–21).
In describing Christ’s divine authority and
glory, Paul proclaims Jesus as Lord over all cosmic powers. Christ is the head
of the Church and fills her with all spiritual and heavenly graces (vv. 22–23).
Paul also reminds his community that God's saving action is not confined to the
past. The apostolic mission and the sanctification of believers are ongoing
realities in the life of the Church.
The Gospel Reading
Today’s Gospel presents the
conclusion of Luke’s Gospel, which simultaneously serves as the bridge to the
Acts of the Apostles. This unique passage allows St. Luke to connect his first
volume (the Gospel) with his second (Acts), where the Ascension of Jesus
becomes the pivotal moment transitioning from Christ’s earthly ministry to the
mission of the Church.
Although this scene follows
the Emmaus narrative, it shares essential elements common to post-resurrection
appearances: the revealing of Jesus, a shared meal, and the exposition of
Scripture. In a parallel account from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commissions
His disciples with the powerful mandate: "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" (Mt 28:19).
In Luke’s Gospel, the final
paragraph beautifully combines Jesus’ mission, promise, and Ascension. First,
Jesus opens the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures—that
everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms
is fulfilled in Him (Lk 24:44–45). They are to comprehend two fundamental
truths: that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
and that this redemptive act is the foundation for the preaching of repentance
and the forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Lk
24:47).
This strong linkage between
Luke’s two volumes culminates in the verse echoed in Acts: "But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth" (Acts 1:8).
Absence as Presence
The Ascension is not simply
Jesus’ farewell-it is His transformation into a different mode of presence. In
the farewell discourse in John's Gospel, Jesus speaks openly about His
departure: "I came from the Father and have come into the world; again,
I am leaving the world and going to the Father" (Jn 16:28). Yet, His
Ascension does not mean absence but rather a profound presence in a new and
enduring way.
At the beginning of
Matthew’s Gospel, we are told He is Emmanuel—God with us (Mt 1:23), and
His final words echo this eternal promise: "And behold, I am with you
always, to the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). Though He is seated at the
right hand of the Father, He is also present in our hearts, in the Church, and
through the Holy Spirit whom He has sent to guide and sanctify us.
Why Did Jesus Gather the
Disciples on a Mountain?
In Matthew’s account, Jesus
gathers His disciples on a mountain in Galilee before His Ascension. Similarly,
in Luke, He ascends from the region of Bethany, possibly also a mountainous
area. This setting is deeply symbolic. Early in His ministry, Jesus had
proclaimed the Beatitudes from a mountain (Mt 5:1–3), much like God summoned
the people of Israel to Mount Sinai to form them as His covenant family (Ex
19).
The mountain in Galilee
represents the meeting place between heaven and earth. Here, the Risen Lord
solemnly declares that "all authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me" (Mt 28:18). From this sacred height, He sends the
disciples into the world with the universal mission of evangelization—no one is
excluded from the Good News or from the call to baptism in the name of the Holy
Trinity (Mt 28:19–20).
Pope Francis beautifully
summarizes the meaning of the Ascension: “With His Ascension, the Risen Lord
draws our gaze to Heaven to show us that the goal of our journey is the
Father.” We are destined to return to the One from whom we came. Like the
first disciples, we too are called to adore Him and remain faithful to His
missionary command.
Why Galilee?
Before His Ascension, Jesus
instructed His disciples to meet Him in Galilee. To the women at the tomb, He
said: "Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see
me" (Mt 28:10). Notably, He never said, "Return to the
tomb." Instead, He directed them to Galilee—a place of life and
mission, not death.
Galilee was the land of
Jesus’ public ministry (Mt 4:15–17), where He preached, healed, and called His
first disciples. It was also a region inhabited by the poor and marginalized—a
symbolic choice that God’s grace is meant for all, especially the least. Jesus
met the disciples in a familiar place to reassure them of His continuing
presence and to entrust them with the Spirit.
He returned to the places
of beginnings to bring them to fulfilment. The Risen Lord is the definitive
light shining in the darkness and guiding all who walk in the shadow of death
(Mt 4:15).
Points for Personal
Reflection
The Solemnity of the
Ascension of the Lord invites us to look upward and forward—to the eternal life
that awaits us. Jesus returns to the Father not only because of His divine
nature, but also to prepare a place for us. His Ascension affirms our human destiny:
to be with God forever.
The angel’s words to the
disciples are words for us too: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand
looking up toward heaven? This Jesus… will come in the same way as you saw him
go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). As disciples of the Ascended Lord, we are
called to live in joyful expectation, hope, and trust in His promised return.
Let us ask ourselves:
- Do I
truly believe in life after death and the promise of eternal life with
Christ?
- Do I
live my earthly life with faith, adoration, and purpose, preparing myself
for heaven?
- Do I
experience God’s presence in my daily life, even when He seems distant?
- How
does the resurrection and ascension of Jesus help me see continuity
between my earthly journey and heavenly destiny?
Let the Ascension remind us: Christ has not left us behind—He has gone
ahead of us, so that where He is, we too may be.
