Ascension: The mission continues

Today we celebrate Ascension Sunday, about 40 days after we celebrated Easter. In the Acts of the Apostles, the Ascension is the final appearance of Jesus. After this he is seen no more.

The Ascension tells us that Jesus is now in the glory of the Father. He is at the right hand of the Father. The Ascension signals an end — the end of the direct mission of Jesus on earth. It also is a beginning — the beginning of the age of the Church, the beginning of the full-scale work of the disciples and followers of Jesus.

The mission of Jesus continues. We continue that mission. In the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth.”

What does this empowerment mean and to what are we being asked to witness? The empowerment is obviously the Holy Spirit coming to us, filling us with grace, bringing us closer to God and to one another, enlightening our minds and energizing our hearts to continue Christ’s mission.

WHAT IS THIS MISSION? The mission is the same as that of Jesus and his disciples. It is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, the reign of God, God’s message and life. How does one proclaim this message? As Jesus did — in general by teaching, preaching and healing. What specifically does one teach and preach? It is basically GOD’S LOVE, God’s forgiving and enduring love for each one and God’s special care and concern for the marginalized as a sign of this love. You will notice the former is such passages on the prodigal son, which is really about the totally loving and forgiving father, and the passages on the good shepherd. You see God’s genuine love for the poor and the outcast in Christ’s healing of the blind, the lame, the deaf and dumb, the lepers and the possessed and his association with sinners, and in such stories as the good Samaritan and the final judgment in Matthew chapter 25.

We are witnesses of Christ by what we say and do, witnesses especially by our example, by the way we live and the values we hold and project. One example is better than a thousand homilies.

It is easy to speak about Christ’s mission. It is difficult to put in into practice effectively today because times change very fast. One has to keep asking oneself how Christ’s mission of God’s enduring love and forgiveness can be effectively communicated today in a highly complex world. Today, for example, we are conscious that sin is not only individual and personal but also social and societal. We speak of the sins of groups, of nations, sins which are unjust structures and systems which bring about gross inequality and degradation. Think of rampant child prostitution and trafficking of women, wanton pollution and destruction of the environment, unabated smuggling and bribery, the serious poverty in large parts of the country. These are evil situations that cry out to God. To proclaim the mission of Jesus is to work to diminish and eradicate these and bring about greater justice, equality and peace among all people.

As we go about our work of bearing witness to Christ to the ends of the earth, we can be assured of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We can keep reminding ourselves that the Holy Spirit is with us, guiding us, inspiring us, giving us the courage to accomplish the mission. The mission will triumph. This is the assurance of Christ in his ascension to glory the Father.

(Fr. Asandas Blachand, S.J. or Fr. Balch as he is fondly called is Chaplain of the Infirmaries of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus and teaches theology in the Ateneo de Manila University.)