SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD MAY 29, 2022

ASCENSION

DOSSO DOSSI

16TH CENTURY

MASS READINGS

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Lk 24:46-53

Jesus said to his disciples: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.

REFLECTION

"And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Can we love someone we don’t know?

At first, we may think we love, as our passions don’t let us see the truth, but, once we know who the person is, what he believes and how he treats people we can then with certainty either love or not love.

And how do we love God? He first loved us from all eternity. He sent His only begotten Son to take on a human nature, to suffer and die for our sins, and to show us how to love. And because of Jesus, the Truth, we know how to love--even the stranger.

Each one of us has been given a special gift to build up the Body of Christ--the Church. What and who we are is whom we are meant to be.

On Ascension Day, Jesus commissioned the apostles to testify in His Name what He had taught them. Our Jerusalem is our family, our immediate circle--and we are to witness, not cower and hold back the Spirit whom He promised would be sent to us as the power from on High.

Our commission is to live the life of one who loves and is loved by God. We are to bear with one another, promote peace, and be witnesses to the Word, Jesus Christ. A hint of the many blessings we are to receive is the joy that the apostles experienced when they went back to Jerusalem to await their promise.

God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

(Psalm 47)

God Bless You.