The Ascension of the Lord
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven, the second Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary. The Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord which is normally celebrated on Thursday has been moved to a Sunday in many dioceses or archdioceses in the world to remind us of its importance and significance in our lives as Christians. This Solemnity clearly shows us that Jesus, the Son of God is truly the Messiah, as it brings His earthly ministry to an end and begins our mission here on earth as His disciples. This is why Jesus in today’s gospel reading reminds His disciples of what He has done for them and calls them to be His witnesses to the world.
Hence, the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ marks the beginning of the Church’s mission to evangelize the world, as it confirms and guarantees the doctrine of our faith, while calling us to maturity and growth in our faith in God, so as to be true witnesses of Christ in the world.
So what does today’s Solemnity teach us? The Solemnity of the Ascension teaches us that: (1) to recognize, appreciate and meditate on God’s love for us in giving us His only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to suffer and die for our salvation and redemption. (2) The Solemnity of the Ascension teaches us that heaven is real and that it is our home, so let us work hard for the things of heaven rather than for the things of earth. (3) Today’s Solemnity of the Ascension urges us to wake up from our spiritual slumber and strive tirelessly to be true disciples of Christ and begin our mission to witness to Him in the world. This was why after Jesus reminded His disciples of what He has done for them in today’s gospel reading, He told them to be His witnesses in the world. (4) The Solemnity of the Ascension also reminds us as we heard from Jesus in the gospel reading that we are not alone, God is with us and that He will send the promise of His Father upon us to clothe us with power from on high. (5) Today’s Solemnity of the Ascension urges us to work hard to deepen, strengthen and nourish our faith in God so as to attain the kingdom of heaven after our lives on earth. This is exactly what the disciples of Jesus did in today’s gospel reading as they returned to Jerusalem after His ascension with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.
So my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of Christ into heaven today, let us wake up from our spiritual slumber, keep our eyes fixed on God who loves us and who is always with us; and let us tirelessly and relentlessly work hard to deepen our faith in God and fulfill our mission to evangelize the world through witnessing to Christ.
