The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.

"So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.  But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs." (Mark 16: 19 - 20).

Sunday 16th May 2021, in the 7th Week of Easter is the Solemnity of the Ascension.  The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on the Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter or on the 7th Sunday of Easter depending on the Diocese.

Jesus is taken up into heaven in full view of His disciples. During the forty days after His Resurrection, Jesus continued teaching, encouraging and comforting His disciples. Now the time of Departure has come. He instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Gift of the Father. He then turned the work of building the Kingdom of God on earth to them with the Great Commission:

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." ( Mark 16: 15).

Every epoch and people respond to the Great Commission with the peculiar gifts and infrastructure provided by God. But the universal and perennial Gift of God is the Holy Spirit. Without the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit we cannot evangelize. Nobody can undertake the onerous missionary work of evangelization without the Holy Spirit.

Two powerful and different examples of evangelization are:
#1. St Therese of the Chlld Jesus (1873 - 1897). She became the Patroness of Missionaries without stepping out of her Carmelite Convent. She offered her prayers and sufferings to support the missionary endeavors of the Church. She gave the world a spirituality of "little ways."  One can be very effective in the spiritual life by doing "little things." She is a Doctor of the Church.

#2. St Teresa of Kolkata (1910 - 1997). Her missionary endeavors all over the world earned her a Noble Peace price.

Every saint in the Church, that includes you and me are missionaries. Our Baptism gives us the mandate of Mission and Witness.

Do what you are inspired to do. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com