Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47 God mounts his throne to shouts of joy;a blare of trumpets for the Lord; Ephesians 1:17-23Mark 16:15-20
Again we find ourselves here at the point in the liturgical year where we actually know for certain a given day on which a particular feast is to be celebrated and yet we postpone the celebration.
We have arrived at 40 days after the resurrection, that time when JEsus takes his disciples to the edge of the word and ascends upward.
Today is the Feast of the Ascension, though liturgically we celebrate it this weekend at all the masses.
Think about Jesus taking the disciples to the edge of the world and ascends.
It kind of makes me think of Buzz Light Year: to infinity and beyond!
Not really! But I think we all get the point.
JEsus ascends and the disciples get sent. Jesus fulfills his mission the disciples are empowered to get moving on their mission: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature."
There it is: plain and simple. Nothing fancy about this commissioning.
Proclaim to every creature. Does this mean we talk to animals and trees and rocks? I would love to evangelize my Cat, it need all the help it can get, in fact there are moments I think it is possessed, demon kitty as it chases its shadows up and down the walls. I blame it on its orange fur.
Proclaim to every creature.
We are not sent to make christians out of cats and dogs and whales and dolphins, but every creature should experience a change in us because we follow Christ. Our loyalty to Christ should effect how we deal with animals, plants, and the created world.
We proclaim it by the lifestyle we embrace and living that proceeds from it.
The most meaningful line for me on this day is the last line of the gospel: "they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them..."
There is the meaning of the Ascension. We do not go alone. He has ascended so that he is no longer bound by the physicality of his presence. He is closer to them then he ever was.
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