Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23, & Mark 16:15-20
Dear Friends,
The feast of the Ascension tells us of the missionary task Jesus gave to the disciples. There were to
evangelize the whole world. This task would be based on the power of the Spirit they would soon receive. We now all share this responsibility to be witnesses and proclaimers of the risen Christ and his Gospel message of joy and love for all humankind.
Recently, I enjoyed the opportunity to share this message with some teenagers in a roundabout way. In fact I was paying back an often repeated response they had had for me.
I love the creativity of their use of two words, “so” and “whatever” Their use of both words captures the content of a full paragraph or more. While the words are often somewhat disrespectful and cynical, they also are playful.
Many of the teens, with varying degrees of anxiety, came to me with this latest “end of the world” prediction. I loved confusing them with the simple reply, “So!” I let them stew a while before I gave a more informed response.
Of course, I had no concern about the end of the world. The liturgy of the feast of the Ascension has a very consoling and challenging message on this topic.
In the first reading from Acts, Jesus responds to the Apostles question about the end of the world in these words: “It is not for you to know the time or the seasons that the Father has established. …You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem…and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8) The angel asks, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking at the sky?” (Acts 1:11) In other words, get on with the task of living and proclaiming the Gospel. We share that task. Then in the Gospel on Ascension Jesus gives the command to go make disciples of all nations.
If we truly understand this message we can reply to the constant predictions of the end of the world with the creativity of the youthful, “so!” The meaning of this beautiful feast of the Ascension is further captured in the words of the preface of the Mass:
Christ, the mediator between God and men
Judge of the world and Lord of all
Has passed beyond our sight
Not to abandon us but to be our hope.
Christ is the beginning, the head of the Church;
Where he is gone we hope to follow.
So the Christian response to the end of the world is not fear and anxiety. It is hope rooted in the reality that Jesus is with us all of the time. It is not hopelessness and confusion. It is a simple commitment to live with faith and trust in a God who has a better plan. We pray in the opening prayer of the Mass of the Ascension, “May we follow him into the new creation, for his Ascension is our glory and our hope.”
Many times we have heard the stories of saints responding to the question, what would you do if you had only a day to live? They all say the same. They would continue living life to the full and seeking to do God’s will. The message of the Ascension tells us to do the same. Remember, God has a better plan!
