The Ascension of the Lord

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!! Now, 40 days after His resurrection from the dead, we will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord to Heaven. This year the Solemnity of the Ascension is on May 10th (in some dioceses in the United States, the Ascension is transferred to the following Sunday).

It is believed that on the 40th day Jesus took the Apostles to the Mount of Olives, where they watched as He ascended to heaven. Ascension Day marks the end of Jesus' earthly ministry and occurs 10 days before Pentecost. Depending on the phases of the Moon in a particular year, Ascension Day is usually celebrated on a Thursday.

The gospel assigned for the Ascension is from Mark, chapter 16, have the Apostles surrounding Jesus and joyful that He was with them after the suffering and death on the Cross on Good Friday. They spent 40 days since the Resurrection learning from Jesus as to why He had to suffer and die on the Cross. Now he was ready to return to the Father. At the Ascension Jesus gives them instructions to “Go into the World and Proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” They were brave new people, empowered with the Gift of the Holy Spirit, to share the Good News that Jesus had suffered on the Cross for our sins, and that Jesus is now seated in heaven at the right hand of God the Father.

We, too, are called to go and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. We may not be called to go to the ends of the earth to do so. We may not be called to stand on the street corner with Bible in hand to proclaim the gospel. But we are called to proclaim the gospel to those in our lives, whether they are family, friends, or those we work with. We are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by our actions and how we live our lives as Catholic Christians. That’s how we are to proclaim that Jesus Christ died for our sins and is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel always, when necessary, use words.”

So bring the good news to all you know in your life. And know that Jesus Christ will be with you to the end of time.