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Our Lady of Victory
490 Charles Street
Gatineau, Qu?bec
J8L 2K5
(819)986-3763
olv@videotron.ca
Mass: Sunday 9:00 AM
Thursday 10:00 AM |
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St. Malachy
3889 Route 315
Mayo, Qu?bec
J8L 3Z8
(819)986-3763
olv@videotron.ca
Mass: Saturday 7:00 PM
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Fr. Albanus' Reflections on the Sunday Liturgy - 24 May 2020 - 7th Sunday of Easter |
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| Ascension of Jesus and Commissioning of Disciples |
Today the Church in some parts of the world celebrates the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into His Heavenly glory. As scripture shows, the Ascension occurred after Jesus promised the disciples the Holy Spirit, their source of heavenly power and commanded them to bear witness to Him by their lives and by preaching the Good news throughout the world. In the first reading, St Luke describes the scene of Jesus’ Ascension with the promise of the Holy Spirit. It also narrates the instruction given to the disciples by Jesus, to stay in Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit, the power from above. In the second reading, St Paul prays that the Holy Spirit may enliven the hope of Christ’s disciples in their future heavenly glory. The feast of Ascension teaches us a very undeniable truth: there are times when we, as individuals or as a group, must take action. Having received all the preparation for the task, the ball is in our court.
When a teacher teaches what he or she knows about a particular subject and examination comes, students are expected to write and show what they have learned. This is the case between Jesus and His disciples. In both His earthly and risen life Jesus has done everything possible to fit and train His followers to carry on His work. This is exactly what Luke expresses in the first reading: “ ...I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom He had chosen.” Jesus has done His part. For Luke, we have our work cut out for us when Jesus says: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Paul, in the second reading, offers us an inspiring and encouraging prayer as we try to live up to the expectation of our task as missionary disciples.”I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation...so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which He has called you ...according to the working of His great power.”
The Gospel shows that Jesus completed His mission on earth with His return to the Father. In it the risen Lord gives His last words to the disciples and us: “Go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The disciples are invited to take to heart this great vision of a discipleship of all nations, and to let that vision shape their mission. Their mission includes all nations; disciples and strange friends, the poor, the blind, the crippled, the outcast, the strangers, the sick, the elderly and the legion of the overlooked. All are to be reached out to. This was also the mission of Jesus. Long before His ascension Jesus took a lot of people to heart. He paid a price for it. But He treasured them, in all their pettiness and lopsided resolve, with all their thin aspirations and crazy ambitions, with all their private preoccupations and hidden fears. With all of this, His heart began to look more like an emergency-ward than a treasure room (Unknown Author). Jesus challenges us to open our hearts to all these people. Matthew’s gospel which we read today does not really have Ascension account. However, it tells us that though ‘the ball is in our court,’ the risen Lord remains with us always (‘‘to the end of the age”). He has not abandoned His own, not even in this present moment! With the help of the Holy Spirit we can fulfil the task He entrusted us.
Happy Sunday!
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