The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, an awesome event the Church celebrates today, sets Christianity apart from all other religions and philosophies. Chritstianity is not a mere set of rules to live a “good” life here on earth, nor a profound philosophy to be mastered by the “wise thinkers” of the world. Then what is it? Let’s dive into today’s liturgy in the light of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to seal this basic truth and foundation in our hearts.

In the Gospel proclamation our Lord Jesus clearly instructs his disciples with His final message. The instruction is to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Good News) to all creation! Let us look at this important instruction or final orders of Our Master.

1.We need to go out of our comfort zone. We cannot be stay home Christians minding our own business, looking after our own salvation alone.

2.What is the good news or Gospel we preach? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). We go to our world and share with everyone we interact with, the amazing love of the Father who gave up His Son to get us back to being His sons and daughters, and the Love of our Lord Jesus who embraced the cross to win us back eternal life in heaven. We share the amazing Gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out upon all who believe in the Son, that empowers them to live this promise. When we do our part,the Lord works with us and confirms His promise with miracles, signs and wonders.

3.For those who believe in the Risen Christ and give their life to Him, a set of promises apply, the signs that will accompany them. “In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak in new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 3:17-18)

We need to understand that these instructions and promises are for all of us who call ourselves Christian. Yet do we see it happening in our lives? In the First Reading, St Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles gives the final words of Christ just before He was taken up into heaven. The Risen Lord advised the apostles to wait for the Gift promised by the Father, before going out on the mission.The Lord knew that His disciples needed supernatural power to do what He asked them to do.

Having experienced that Power throughout His earthly life, He knew how vital it was for the apostles to be baptised in the Holy Spirit, before they embarked on their mission. The Lord knew of the fragile nature of His apostles, how easily they got discouraged and disillusioned in the face of human opposition, how fearful they were, and how easy it was for them to go back to their old life. At the same time the Lord knew the enormity of their mission He was entrusting to His chosen eleven (the twelfth having chosen his destiny), namely to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The Lord’s final words of advice to His closest friends, show how much He loved them and wanted them to have the same intimacy with the Father as He had. The Jordan experience was still fresh in His Heart. He knew how the Holy Spirit continued to direct Him and counsel Him every step of the way till the end.He had the most glorious ministry, healing the sick, raising the dead and bringing freedom to prisoners of all sorts, but to the world it was a flop because His ministry ended on the cross, or so it seemed. Yet we know that it was not so.

His ministry triumphed over sin and death as He was raised back to life, and He still continues to live. Having tasted the Power from on high,the Risen Christ wanted His friends also to have the very same, nothing less. The Lord wants us also to taste and be empowered with the same Spirit as we embark on our mission. The word ‘Baptism’ is a transliteration of the Greek word ‘Baptizo’, which means ‘to im- merse’. If Lord Jesus, as a human being needed to be immersed in the Holy Spirit, then there’s no argument that we also need to be plunged into the Holy Spirit and Fire (cf. Matthew 3:11). When we receive that Power from on high, love supersedes the law, keeping God’s commands become a joy and not a chore. We begin to hear the voice of our Shepherd clearly and constantly (cf. John 10:27), and life becomes victorious irrespective of our circumstances. Every promise of God becomes ‘yes’ for us in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20).

As St Paul explains in the Second Reading, we need the Spirit of God to know God better. The Holy Spirit opens our inner eyes to see the glorious life and inheritance we have been called to live. The same Power that went into the tomb and raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of The Father, far above all rule and authority, become ours to complete the mission we undertook at our Baptism to become His witnesses to our family and friends.

Prayer: Abba Father, we stand amazed at Your divine plan, to turn our curse to the great opportunity to be filled with Your Own Spirit. So in the face of any giant, Lord, we will be still, and know You are Lord, and You have the final answer. Amen.