Look around and see what work He puts into our hands...
Reflections on the readings for the Ascension of the Lord (May 21, 2020): ACTS 1:1-11; PS 47:2-3,6-7,8-9; EPH 1:17-23; MT 28:16-20
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you..."
After His suffering, death and Resurrection, Jesus appeared a number of times to His disciples. On this Ascension Thursday, we celebrate His farewell to those who were so dear to Him. In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke recounts this earliest period of the Church, just as he had written about the life and ministry of Jesus in his Gospel. Christ told the Apostles to stay together in Jerusalem because in the days ahead they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Our Lord told them, “‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When He had said this, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight” (Acts 1:8-9).
It must have been a daunting experience for these men, who, with the exception of St. John, had deserted Jesus after His arrest. Then they let Him carry His cross to Calvary and hang there three long, painful hours until He died while they hid in fear for their lives. Christ expected so much from the Apostles and, just as they must have wanted to do and be all He asked, they must still have been overwhelmed. The idea of going to the ends of the earth was something they knew that they could never handle on their own. But they would never have to be alone. Even though they may not have understood what the power of the Holy Spirit would actually mean to them, they trusted that our Lord would never let them down. And at Pentecost, He would prove it.
Suggested missionary action: We must appreciate that our Lord’s message was meant for all people of all times. We have a personal responsibility for the spiritual and material welfare of God’s people. And our support for the Church’s missions makes a real difference in the lives of men, women and children around the world.
