ASCENSION IS A CALL TO MISSION

When the parish priest was greeting people after the Easter Celebration, he saw somebody new in the crowd. Gently he approached him and said: “Would you like to join the army of Jesus Christ?” “I am already a member of the army of Christ,” he replied. “ But I never see you here!” the priest replied. “Oh! I am in the secret service!” he answered.

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, His glorious entry into heaven. The Ascension is not only about Jesus but also about each one of us. The two sets of instructions that were given to the disciples by Jesus and the Angel undoubtedly underline this point. For example: The Angel said to the disciples:  Why are you standing here looking at the sky? Jesus said to them: You will receive the power from the Holy Spirit and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth (Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11). If we put together these two statements, one thing becomes clear, namely, the Ascension is a commissioning. It is an invitation to take up the mission of Jesus. According to Luke, Jesus finished his earthly journey in Jerusalem and the disciples have to continue the journey of Jesus from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

The Challenges of the Ascension!

First of all, our mission is to establish the Kingdom of God. As Jesus rightly corrected his disciples, establishing the Kingdom consists primarily in ‘witnessing Jesus’ than building up a social institution. Kingdom of God is neither a territory nor an organization but it is the reign of God in human hearts.   The key to evangelization is manifesting God’s reign in each one of us. Once a Bishop said, “One of the means we adapt to evangelize non –Christians is to encourage catholic families to come and stay with the non Christians for a period of time.” The principle is that action speaks louder than words. “Preach all the time but use words whenever it is necessary” (Francis of Assisi). Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.

Secondly, this witnessing must begin from Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem has biblical significance. All the major salvific events took place in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the city of God. It is the meeting place of God. Mount Zion symbolizes God. Witnessing begins from Jerusalem. This means that any act of evangelization must have its source and inspiration in the Word of Jesus. It must be rooted in Christ experience.

And finally, the obligation for evangelization never ceases to exist. Jesus not only fulfilled his mission by offering his life as a ransom for many but also   prepared his disciples to take over it. We also have these twofold challenges: Encounter the risen Lord in our lives and share it with our fellow beings, and prepare those who are in our care to continue this mission. Definitely the starting point of this missionary mandate is our family itself. The Ascension is a call to come out from the secret service to public service. 

There are two ways of spreading light; to be a candle, or the mirror that reflects it. (Edith Wharton)