Ascension of our Lord!

God the Father sent his son, lived thirty years of silent life, three years did the public ministry. Then he suffered, crucified, died and resurrected. This Sunday we celebrate Ascension Sunday!
 
The second reading for Ascension is from the book of Hebrews. We read, “Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf.” It also says that the high priest entered the sanctuary to offer the sacrifice of himself to the Father for all eternity. Ascension is the climax of the pascal mystery.
 
If we look at the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, it looks like a continuation of the Gospel. Luck is the author of Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. In the Gospel, Jesus gives the final parting message to his disciples. Jesus told them that he is going to suffer, die and on the third day resurrect. And also Jesus told Apostles that they are going to be the witnesses, so they should preach the repentance and forgiveness of sin to the world.
 
What we do if we hear something like that? We may say to each other, hi we need a plan. Jesus told them, don’t go anywhere, but stay in town until they receive the Holy Spirit. In the Act of the Apostles Luck repeats that they should wait in Jerusalem until they receive in the Holy Spirit. Sixth Sunday of Easter, we read in the Gospel, if we love Jesus, we are asked to keep his word. Jesus was telling them, in his parting message, they cannot do any of these thing their own, but with the help of the Holy Spirit. At the Ascension, Jesus left a mission for the Apostles. Today it is our mission. We received the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of the Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. But we keep to keep asking every day of our life.
 
I was listening to Jeff Cavins’s message for Ascension. He presented seven points for Ascension of our Lord; seven points for the basic proclamation of the Gospel. I would like to share with you those seven points. Jeff Cavins invites us to personalize these messages and make it our own.
1.      God loves you and he has a wonderful plan for your life.
2.      Sin interrupted that plan.
3.      Good News: God sent his Son, and he died for us. It is the solution.
4.      Now we are called to repent and believe the Gospel.
5.      Be baptized: wipe away the original sin and brings us into the body of Christ and gives us the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.
6.      We are called to untie ourselves with the body of Christ in an active way: that is the way we really discover all the sources grace in our life.
7.      We are called now to make disciples ourselves to go and tell people about Jesus.
 
Reflecting on these points, let us challenge ourselves, prepare to celebrate Pentecost. Jesus reminds us on the Sunday of Ascension that we are not able to do by ourselves, but with the help of the Holy Spirit.