Not only is today the feast of the Ascension, but it is also Mother’s Day. So, before I begin the homily, I’d like to wish all moms here today a very happy Mother’s Day. Thanks to you who have brought forth and nurtured new life with generous hearts, for which we are eternally grateful. Thank you for your patience, guidance, and sacrifice in fulfilling your calling as moms. So much of what you do is quiet and unnoticed by anyone except God. I hope you all enjoy a wonderful and well-deserved Mother’s Day.
The celebration of the Ascension today is pretty simple and straightforward. Today we are celebrating the fact that Jesus returned to his Father in heaven. So what does this final moment of Jesus’ time on earth have to teach us?
The Ascension matters to us because it tells us something about what we are supposed to do during our time here on earth. This feast is about waiting and working during our sojourn in this world. Throughout the gospels, Jesus made it clear that his kingdom was not of this world; in other words, this was a temporary place for him. With that in mind, he also made it evident he would come back again to judge the living and the dead, to reward the good and punish the bad. What Jesus did not do, for the apostles or for us, is reveal when he would be returning. As far as we know it could be in the next few moments, days, years, centuries, or even millennia.
And that is where we find the apostles. In the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, Luke tells us they enjoy the vision of Christ for forty days after his wonderful resurrection. The Lord uses these forty days to show them that he is truly risen, that he has conquered death, and that everything he told them before the crucifixion was true. And he also instructs them not to leave Jerusalem, at least not until they have received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. All of this, Jesus does to strengthen them, to embolden them, and to increase their faith in him until he returns to judge the earth.
And what did Jesus expect the Apostles to do in the meanwhile? Christ says quite simply in the gospel, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” During this indefinite time between his Ascension and his return in glory, Jesus wants the apostles to make the Church grow, spread the Good News of his victory over death, and witness to his resurrection. He promised great signs and divine protection to those who follow this command.
But Christ’s command to the apostles didn’t stop there; as a matter of fact, his mandate to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” extends to you and me also. Even though Christ has ascended into heaven, even though we are waiting for his return at any moment of every day, we are expected to evangelize and give witness to all we have received through the gift of our faith. All of us have received the gift of the Holy Spirit by virtue of our Baptism and those of us who have been confirmed also received the graces of Pentecost within our souls.
The feast of the Ascension reminds us all that it is our responsibility to spread the gospel, whether we are a priest or parent, a teacher or laborer, professional or full-time student. This is our task in this time of waiting for Christ’s second coming; we are not just supposed to sit around idly, hoping we are ready when Jesus returns.
Jesus works through us to attract others to himself. People do not become Christians primarily through of the words of Christianity. People become Christians through the presence of Christ and the example of charity lived out in the ordinary lives of Christians. We cannot allow anything to destroy the presence of Christ within us. We can't give ourselves over to the forces of evil that wage war on the Lord. The epic battles of the Book of Revelation are waged daily. The early Church believed that every Mass, every prayer, every work of charity, was a skirmish in the fight against evil. The forces of evil continually find new ways to wage war. The Eighteenth Century saw this in the so-called Enlightenment when rationalism ridiculed faith. The Nineteenth Century saw the enemy embrace the industrial revolution as a way to turn people against each other, against God, and toward the worship of materialism. The first half of the Twentieth Century saw the battle change to the political front with the ideals of fascism and communism twisted to eliminate the presence of the Lord.
The second half of the last century up to our present time has seen evil attack personal holiness through the media, the internet and other advancements of technology. The battle for the Gospel continues. The Lord fights with us. His power, his presence is greater than all evil, even the evil we ourselves create. God encourages us in the battle through the miracles we call the sacraments. The miraculous is an everyday occurrence. Every day at this altar and in churches around the world, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. 24 hours a day, 363 days a year, Jesus sits in our adoration chapel in the Eucharist, waiting for you and me to visit Him. We can receive Holy Communion daily. Our sins can be wiped away anytime we go to confession. What can be more miraculous than experiencing God in the sacraments?!! Besides this, there are spiritual and physical healings that happen each and every day! Miracles are occurring everywhere if we view the world with the eyes of Faith!
Jesus’ command as he ascends into heaven is clear: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” No exceptions, no excuses to remain quiet in the face of difficulty, embarrassment, or persecution. Are we prepared to follow his command?
