Solemnity of the Ascension
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“And know that I am with you always, until the end of the
world!”
The solemnity of the Ascension reminds us of the power of God
- how the Father glorified His Son Jesus and seated Him at
His right hand. In the scriptures, we read of the Ascension
of Jesus in the Acts of the Apostles. In the passage, we find
Jesus promising them the power of the Holy Spirit so that they
can preach the Kingdom and be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in
all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth. This
same message of Jesus is found also in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew records the disciples making their way to Galilee, to
the mountain Jesus had summoned them. It was here that Jesus
expressed that the Father had given Him full authority both
in heaven and on earth and thus commands His apostles to make
disciples of all nations: baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And with the
promise of the Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus confirms also His
promise that He will be with the apostles always, [and with
the Church], until the end of the world!
After the feelings of discouragement, sadness, and fear which
the apostles and the disciples experienced with the death of
Jesus on the Cross on Good Friday, the experience of His
resurrection, ascension and the promise of the Spirit at
Pentecost gives them a renewed hope and an encouraging message.
With the Spirit not yet descending upon them, the apostles and
the disciples were still fearful for the Jewish authorities.
This is but a normal reaction since it was the Jewish religious
authorities and the Roman authorities that were responsible
for the execution and death of their Master. However, there
was a turning point in their life as followers of Jesus when
they discovered their Master rise to life once more and then
ascend into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
What before was darkness within their minds and hearts, has
turned into a flicker of strong hope by the Risen presence
of their Master amidst them. By the time the Spirit descends
upon them in tongues of fire, they will be strong in their
witnessing to the great love of God personified in His Son,
Jesus.
Jesus as the Risen Lord and the Resurrected Master, is a
genuine inspiration for all of us who look to Him as the
source of hope and encouragement. Knowing what He suffered:
the agony in the Garden, the scourging at the pillar, the
crowning with thorns, the carrying of the Cross, and the
Crucifixion - we feel a great awe at the fortitude, courage
and strength He showed by going through all these. But
since Jesus had great faith in the Father, He suffered all
of these for love of us, so that we may learn to hope also
in the Father despite the sufferings and losses we have
experienced in life. If we always focus on Christ, and
learn to place all our hope and trust in Him, despite all
the negative circumstances we may be faced with, and
even though discouraging news may swamp our family and
the places where we work, we will sense a peace and a
serenity that only God can give because we have placed
all our trust and confidence in Him. Let us also pray
to the Holy Spirit, that He may come upon us and our loved
ones, so that we may be always encouraged to do the good
we are called to do, and never to give up, for we are
assured like Jesus, of the glory promised by the Father,
when we never give up our faith in Him.
