Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:17-23
Luke 24:46-53

The author of Acts describes the last forty days of the risen Christ on earth, teaching and preparing the apostles for His departure. The Ascension marks the end of Jesus’ human life on earth. His involvement in the lives of his followers, and us, will continue through the Holy Spirit and the Church.

“… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.”

The promise of the Holy Spirit is something we should reflect on because the Holy Spirit is given to us through baptism. It is through the Holy Spirit that God’s plan of salvation continues to unfold until the end of time.   

Christ told the disciples they were to go out and bear witness to his mission and change their world, and he promised to give them the power to do it. We, as the present day disciples of the Christ, face some very serious and difficult challenges in our own world today. Christ commands us to speak out against all kinds of injustice, even if we are misunderstood or criticized for our stance. We are commanded to lay down our lives for our neighbors. We might not be called to do this literally, but we are called to help others – the poor, the marginalized, the immigrant, the sick, the homeless, the trafficked, the sinner and the stranger – even if it costs us dearly to do so.  We are commanded to forgive our enemies whether they be friends, neighbors or family members we just don’t get along with anymore. We may well say, “What! We can’t do all of this. It’s beyond our ability to do this.” But, we can’t forget that Christ gives us the power of the Spirit to accomplish all that Christ asks of us. Because of this, we need to regularly pray and reflect on all the graces, talents and other gifts that we have received. We need to pray and reflect on all the needs we see around us. And then, we are to respond to them in whatever way we are capable of doing.

Even though on the feast of the Ascension we celebrate Christ being raised up in glory, we can’t forget that Christ remains here with us until the end of time and is inseparable from the activity of the Spirit, as well as the mission of the Church.  Christ’s spiritual body is here right now – present within us, present around us, and present through us. 

What needs do you see around you today?

How do you respond to those needs?