The readings of the Ascension of the Lord highlight the fulfilment of Christ’s mission, His return to the father, and the beginning of our mission as His followers. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see Jesu’s final moments with His disciples. He reminds them of the promise of the Holy spirit, emphasizing their mission to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. This is a crucial moment of transition, where Jesus, having fulfilled His earthly ministry, sends His followers out to continue His work. This call extends to us as well. The Ascension is not simply an event of the past; it’s a commissioning. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel in our daily lives, transforming our communities with the love and truth of Jesus. The Psalmist sings triumphantly, “God has gone up with a shout, the lord the sound of a trumpet.” This imagery invites us to celebrate the majesty of Christ’s ascension, we are reassured of His authority over all creation. In the second reading from Ephesians, St Paul prays that we may have wisdom and revelation so that we can know Christ better. This power is the same that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him in heavenly places. The Ascension assures us that our faith is grounded in a living Christ, who intercedes for us. Let us reflect on this power in our lives, it is through Him that we find strength to face challenges and courage to live out our faith authentically. 

The Ascension of Jesus in to heaven marks the conclusion of His work on earth. This work is summed up in today’s Gospel; to make two things, forgiveness of sins and the life in the Spirit, available to everyone. Jesus interprets his death and resurrection as the fulfillment of Scripture. This may reference passages like Isaiah 53 (suffering Servant), Hosea 6:2 (resurrection on the third day), and Psalm 16:10 (God’s holy one will not see corruption). Luke portrays Jesus as the divine expositor of scripture revealing its Christocentric meaning. In today’s Gospel, Jesus entrusted his apostles with a very clear mission, the very same task that the father had entrusted him with when sending him into the world. Luke says this in verses 47-48 of today’s Gospel passage, where Jesus tells his apostles that forgiveness of sins has to be announced to the whole world and that they are the ones to do it, here, Luke also sets the stage for the Church’s mission, repentance and forgiveness are tenets of the Gospel. Jerusalem is the launching point of this proclamation (Acts 1:8). This verse frames the theological and geographical trajectory of the early Church’s mission. Luke repeats this more forcefully in another way when he tells us of a gesture that Jesus made on his apostles as he left them: “Jesus, lifting up his hands, blessed them, and as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried into heaven”. 

His was not an empty blessing, a mere way of abiding their adieu. In biblical language, “to bless a person” (usually by imposing one’s own hands on the person), means to pass to that person one’s own power or even whatever one possesses. God blessed Adam and Eve, thereby putting the whole of creation under their command. Isaac “blessed Jacob” thereby appointing him head of the whole family; he did not dare withdraw his blessing even after he discovered that it had been obtained through deceit. 

Bethany, near the mount of olives, is where Jesus ascends. The lifting of hands in blessing is a priestly act. Suggesting that Jesus acts as a divine high priest. And so, by blessing his apostles when about to depart from them, Jesus once again, and in a way, they could easiest understand, put into their hands the very task that his father had entrusted him with, reassuring them that they could count with his own power to carry it out. The holy spirit, whom he had promised to them would see to it that they had all the light and the strength they would need in their work. By promising the Holy spirit to his apostles Jesus turned his departure from them into a Joyful event. We are surprised at Luke telling us in today’s Gospel that after Jesus had departed from them, “the apostles went back to Jerusalem full of joy”. The ascension marks both a departure and an exaltation. Jesus is “carried up” a passive verb indicating divine agency) this heavenly exaltation links with Daniel 7 and Psalm 110, texts interpreted a messianic enthronement. The disciples worship Jesus, an acknowledgement of his divinity. Their return to Jerusalem “with great joy” is striking, considering their earlier confusion and fear. This joy and continued temple worship underscore a transformed community, ready to receive the spirit. So let us pray to the holy spirit. Fill our hearts. Renew our minds. Let us speak about the way we live. Let us love with the love of Christ. Let us be faithful in small things and in great, help us carry the good news to the place we live with, work with and walk with each day. Amen.