Message from Fr. Brito:

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Ascension of the Lord

     Today we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. He who came from heaven has now returned, but now taking with him our fallen and now redeemed human nature. Humanity stands in the presence of our loving Father. Through the works of his beloved Son, he has now earned a place for us in heaven; the place for which we were created.

     Saint Luke presents to us the events that took place on the day of our Lord's ascension into heaven. We are presented with the final words of his Gospel and the first words of his second book (The Acts of the Apostles). One work ends with the ascension, and the other work begins with the ascension.

     Jesus prepares his disciple for his departure, placing in their hearts the desire to be in heaven as well. They are certainly saddened to see the Lord depart from their sight, but they are also filled with joyful hope of following him one day. As Jesus departs, he leaves them with these final words: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations.” In other words, he is reminding them of his saving works and how they will cooperate with this work by proclaiming the good news to the whole world. Jesus is saying: I have done my part, now you must go forward and do yours. If they are unsure of their mission, the Lord has promised that the Holy Spirit will come and they can depend on him to help them fulfill this great commission.

     The mission is not just for the apostles or even for today's clergy, but for all of us. We must preach the gospel to everyone we meet. We do this best not with words, but with a life lived well. Amen.

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