This week we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension, an important lesson for us all in our faith. In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we read “Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven”. In Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, we read, “My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you”.
In the gospel from Matthew, Jesus told his disciples to “Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Teach them to do everything I have told you.” And then he promises them, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.”
So what can we learn from these readings? First, don’t look for Jesus up in the sky, he is right here with us. Jesus is here in the eyes of those who love you. Jesus is here, in the friend who needs your help. Jesus is here, in the poor and sick and suffering. Second, Light will flood our hearts when we understand the hope that has been given to us. We have hope because Jesus is our friend. We have hope because Jesus wants us to have friends and families. The hope that has been given to us is in the promise Jesus made in the gospel: “I will be with you always”. Third, we have the command Jesus gives his disciples, and he gives today to us:
“Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Teach them to do everything I have told you.” We do this by treating everyone with kindness. We do this by understanding that Jesus lives in each one of us, and so we are all sisters and brothers.
So today, don’t look up to the sky. Look into your heart, knowing that God has chosen you. Look into your heart, knowing that you can be better each day. Look into your heart, and teach others by the way you live everything that Jesus has taught you. God has chosen you. Jesus loves you. Go and be the best person you can so everyone will believe this good news. God bless you all.