Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Today in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland we meditate on the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven.
After appearing to his disciples following the Resurrection, Jesus was lifted from their sight on a cloud to take his seat at the right hand of God. In our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus went to the Father making the promise that in a few days his disciples would receive the Holy Spirit, going so far as to call it a baptism. In other words, they would be immersed in this new gift of God’s abiding presence in the Spirit.
Obviously, as Jesus ascended on the cloud his disciples were looking up after him. But then “two men dressed in white garments” stood beside them and asked them, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?” In other words, they told them to get to work. They were to stop looking up and go out to announce the Good News to the world around them.
This is the same message that Jesus gave as his last instruction to us in today’s Gospel from St. Mark: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.”
This is ultimately an essential mission of the Church. To proclaim that Jesus, by his suffering, death, and resurrection, has saved us. He is our God and Lord. This is the core belief of the Christian. By this faith we are saved. Those who believe in Jesus will eventually follow him to where he is now, at the right hand of the Father. And those who are baptized by water and the Spirit will have the very life of God within them, leading them to eternity.
May our hearts be lifted up with Jesus to the heavens. May we have a taste of Heaven today in our worship. May we be people on mission for the Church — to tell the Good News of the story of Jesus, the God who came to us, so that we could go with him. May we love one another as God has loved us!
And, finally, Happy Mother’s Day to all the women out there who give life to us in so many ways.
Have a blessed week everyone.