Besides the hope and the joyful expectancy of heaven so characteristic of the Ascension feast there is a note of melancholy. Before the final departure of Jesus, the Apostles must have been very much disturbed: each felt the distress of one who sees his dearest friend and companion going away forever, and finds himself alone to face all the difficulties of life. The Lord realized their state of mind and consoled them once more, promising the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter: "He commanded them," we read in the Epistle (Acts 1:1-11), "that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father... you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence." But even this time the Apostles did not understand! How much they needed to be enlightened and transformed by the Holy Spirit, in order to accomplish the great mission which was to be entrusted to them! Jesus continued "You shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you and you shall be witnesses unto Me ... even to the uttermost part of the earth." For the moment, however, they were there, around the Master, weak, timid, frightened, like little children watching their mother leave for a distant, unknown land. In fact, "while they looked on, He was raised up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." Two angels came to distract them from their great amazement and to make them realize what had happened. Then, placing their trust in the word of Jesus, which would henceforth be their only support, they returned to Jerusalem where, in the Cenacle, they awaited in prayer the fulfillment of the promise. It was the first novena in preparation for Pentecost: "All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with ... Mary, the Mother of Jesus" (ibid. 1:14).
Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel. (Mark 16:15)
What a simple, but immense, charge Jesus gave to his disciples! He even told them that those who accepted their message would be saved, while those who didn’t would be condemned.
Imagine their reaction: Really, Lord? We’re just fishermen. You can’t expect us to go out and save the whole human race! But Jesus made this a win-win situation. He did send his apostles out to preach and convert the world, but he didn’t send them alone. He made it so that people would be baptized not on the basis of the disciples’ preaching skills but in response to his own grace at work in their hearts. As the twelve became more open to the Spirit, grace would flow more powerfully. Yes, they had to become good at preaching, but they knew that God was even better.
Likewise, the more open we are to God, the more his grace will flow through us. This is part of the wonder of the Christian life: God takes every “yes” that any of his followers says and fills it with his own divine “Yes!” Every time we sit in his presence in prayer, he fills us with even more of his presence to take into the world. It does take effort on our part, but that human effort is so small when compared to the divine strength that accompanies it. Just as Mary’s “yes” to the angel Gabriel set in motion the biggest change in human history, our “yes” to the Lord will cause a chain reaction far beyond our expectations.
On this Feast of the Ascension, let’s rejoice with the saints who have come before us, and let’s commit ourselves to preaching to the saints who will come after us. None of the apostles could have guessed how far their “yes” to Jesus would take them—or how much fruit they would bear for the kingdom. And neither can we. There is much work left to be done, but our God is with us, and his promises are true.
“Yes, Jesus! Thank you for calling me into your service!”
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3,6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20)
1. The first reading describes the ascension of the Lord. After Jesus ascends, we hear these words from what are obviously angels: “This Jesus who has been taken up into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” How important to you is Jesus’ second coming? How important should it be? Why?
2. The responsorial psalm provides a foreshadowing of the joy and celebration that may have occurred in heaven upon Jesus’ return. The ascension of Jesus is also a day of great rejoicing and hope for us as we look forward to our own ascension into heaven. Why is this so?
3. In the second reading, St. Paul prays a powerful prayer for the believers in Ephesus, and for us. The resurrection and ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father is part of this prayer. Pray this prayer slowly and meditate on the words as you do. What does this prayer mean to you?
4. The Gospel reading ends with these words concerning Jesus’ disciples: “they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20). How would you describe the importance of the “signs” that accompanied the disciples’ preaching? What about you? Do you believe the Lord wants to accompany your sharing of the Gospel with some types of signs? What are some examples of these signs?
5. In the meditation, we hear these words: “Likewise, the more open we are to God, the more his grace will flow through us. This is part of the wonder of the Christian life: God takes every ‘yes’ that any of his followers says and fills it with his own divine ‘Yes!’ Every time we sit in his presence in prayer, he fills us with even more of his presence to take into the world. It does take effort on our part, but that human effort is so small when compared to the divine strength that accompanies it. How would you describe the “human effort” that the Lord wants you to take to say “yes” to his call to “proclaim the Gospel” (Mark 16:15)?
6. Take some time now to pray for the grace to say yes to the Lord’s call to proclaim the Gospel. Also ask the Lord to reveal to you those who most need to hear it. Use the prayer at the end of the mediation as the starting point.