The feast of the Ascension of the Lord has two major impacts on the life of the Church. The first is that we know that our future is to be with the Lord and that where the Head has gone the body will follow. The second is that our task is not, as a result of the Lord passing beyond our sight, to stand gazing and waiting for his return. Instead, we are made more keenly aware of the imperative to engage in the mission that he has left us as Church to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. We, in fact, become an extension of the Incarnation. We are now his presence to the world and the more obedient to his commandment to love the more apparent this will be. Such a challenging mission, however, is not given to us using our human capabilities. That would be impossible. That is why he promised us the Holy Spirit and why the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost are so intimately connected. Not only must we celebrate today that Jesus has ascended to glory but also we need to pray fervently for the Holy Spirit to come upon us so that we can worthily and fruitfully participate in the mission of the Church.
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