The Lord Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. (Mark 16:15-20)
For reflection:
It is Ascension Thursday, the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, where he sits in glory at the right hand of God the Father. We rejoice and are glad, because the Lord by his resurrection raised us up, and by his ascension he calls us to share the glory of the kingdom of heaven. On this feast we discover our true vocation: to be on a constant journey towards the Kingdom.
The Ascension of the Lord is a call to hope: on this earth we hope for what the Lord Jesus has already prepared for us; we live in the world awaiting the hour of the meeting, the hour when we will see the face of our beloved Lord. Only then does man reach the goal of his existence and live true happiness.
And he said to them: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” The Ascension is not an escape from the world; on the contrary, it gives the world the true meaning of its existence. The Lord did not say to the apostles, “Stay together and pray until the hour of your own ascension comes,” but sent them into the world to proclaim to the world the truth of the Gospel and bring it salvation. The work of salvation accomplished by the Lord’s death and resurrection must carry on through the mission of the Church, which proclaims the Gospel and continues in her life the presence of the Lord and his love for humanity.
The Lord’s love for the world is neither optional nor selective: it is a universal love. The Lord wants the salvation of all humanity, and because he trusts us, he has given us the task of continuing his work. The Ascension is a precious and great responsibility placed on the shoulders of each one of us. The Lord’s Ascension into heaven calls us to take responsibility for the salvation of our brothers and sisters and to bring them the Gospel, without distinction of place, colour, religion or affiliation. Our task is to become another Christ, to work for the salvation of all humanity, so as to be, after the Master’s example, all things to all people in order to win everyone for the Kingdom.
This is our mission: to bring the Gospel to everyone, so that everyone may experience the joy of Christ Jesus and joy may fill every city we enter. Is there any greater reason for joy? Is there anything greater or more joyful than taking part in spreading the Word of life throughout the world? Giving the living water of the Holy Spirit? Proclaiming the Word of life and bearing witness to it in the world: this is the heart of our mission… to be co-workers who bring joy to others… especially to those who are sad or have lost hope.
Text attributed to Pope Benedict XVI (27 April 2008)
