The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, The Ascension of the Lord, invite us to take up the mission of building relationships with disciples throughout our environment.
The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles proclaims The Promise of the Spirit and The Ascension of Jesus.
* [1:1–26] This introductory material (Acts 1:1–2) connects Acts with the Gospel of Luke, shows that the apostles were instructed by the risen Jesus (Acts 1:3–5), points out that the parousia or second coming in glory of Jesus will occur as certainly as his ascension occurred (Acts 1:6–11), and lists the members of the Twelve, stressing their role as a body of divinely mandated witnesses to his life, teaching, and resurrection (Acts 1:12–26).
* [1:3] Appearing to them during forty days: Luke considered especially sacred the interval in which the appearances and instructions of the risen Jesus occurred and expressed it therefore in terms of the sacred number forty (cf. Dt 8:2). In his gospel, however, Luke connects the ascension of Jesus with the resurrection by describing the ascension on Easter Sunday evening (Lk 24:50–53). What should probably be understood as one event (resurrection, glorification, ascension, sending of the Spirit—the paschal mystery) has been historicized by Luke when he writes of a visible ascension of Jesus after forty days and the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost. For Luke, the ascension marks the end of the appearances of Jesus except for the extraordinary appearance to Paul. With regard to Luke’s understanding of salvation history, the ascension also marks the end of the time of Jesus (Lk 24:50–53) and signals the beginning of the time of the church.
* [1:4] The promise of the Father: the holy Spirit, as is clear from the next verse. This gift of the Spirit was first promised in Jesus’ final instructions to his chosen witnesses in Luke’s gospel (Lk 24:49) and formed part of the continuing instructions of the risen Jesus on the kingdom of God, of which Luke speaks in Acts 1:3.
* [1:6] The question of the disciples implies that in believing Jesus to be the Christ (see note on Lk 2:11) they had expected him to be a political leader who would restore self-rule to Israel during his historical ministry. When this had not taken place, they ask if it is to take place at this time, the period of the church.
* [1:7] This verse echoes the tradition that the precise time of the parousia is not revealed to human beings; cf. Mk 13:32; 1 Thes 5:1–3.
* [1:8] Just as Jerusalem was the city of destiny in the Gospel of Luke (the place where salvation was accomplished), so here at the beginning of Acts, Jerusalem occupies a central position. It is the starting point for the mission of the Christian disciples to “the ends of the earth,” the place where the apostles were situated and the doctrinal focal point in the early days of the community (Acts 15:2, 6). The ends of the earth: for Luke, this means Rome. (Acts of the Apostles, n.d.)
Psalm 47 calls on the nations to acknowledge the universal rule of Israel’s God.
* [Psalm 47] A hymn calling on the nations to acknowledge the universal rule of Israel’s God (Ps 47:2–5) who is enthroned as king over Israel and the nations (Ps 47:6–9).
* [47:5] Our heritage…the glory: the land of Israel (cf. Is 58:14), which God has given Israel in an act of sovereignty.
* [47:6] God has gone up: Christian liturgical tradition has applied the verse to the Ascension of Christ. (Psalm 27, n.d.)
The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians presents The Church as Christ’s Body.
* [1:15–23] See note on Rom 1:8 for the thanksgiving form in a letter. Much of the content parallels thoughts in Col 1:3–20. The prayer moves from God and Christ (Eph 1:17, 20–21) to the Ephesians (Eph 1:17–19) and the church (Eph 1:22–23). Paul asks that the blessing imparted by God the Father (Eph 1:3) to the Ephesians will be strengthened in them through the message of the gospel (Eph 1:13, 17–19). Those blessings are seen in the context of God’s might in establishing the sovereignty of Christ over all other creatures (Eph 1:19–21) and in appointing him head of the church (Eph 1:22–23). For the allusion to angelic spirits in Eph 1:21, see Rom 8:38 and Col 1:16. Here, as in 1 Cor 15:24–25 and Col 2:15, every such principality and power is made subject to Christ. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew presents The Commissioning of the Disciples.
* [28:16–20] This climactic scene has been called a “proleptic parousia,” for it gives a foretaste of the final glorious coming of the Son of Man (Mt 26:64). Then his triumph will be manifest to all; now it is revealed only to the disciples, who are commissioned to announce it to all nations and bring them to belief in Jesus and obedience to his commandments.
* [28:16] The eleven: the number recalls the tragic defection of Judas Iscariot. To the mountain…ordered them: since the message to the disciples was simply that they were to go to Galilee (Mt 28:10), some think that the mountain comes from a tradition of the message known to Matthew and alluded to here. For the significance of the mountain, see note on Mt 17:1.
* [28:17] But they doubted: the Greek can also be translated, “but some doubted.” The verb occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Mt 14:31 where it is associated with Peter’s being of “little faith.” For the meaning of that designation, see note on Mt 6:30.
* [28:18] All power…me: the Greek word here translated power is the same as that found in the LXX translation of Dn 7:13–14 where one “like a son of man” is given power and an everlasting kingdom by God. The risen Jesus here claims universal power, i.e., in heaven and on earth.
* [28:19] Therefore: since universal power belongs to the risen Jesus (Mt 28:18), he gives the eleven a mission that is universal. They are to make disciples of all nations. While all nations is understood by some scholars as referring only to all Gentiles, it is probable that it included the Jews as well. Baptizing them: baptism is the means of entrance into the community of the risen one, the Church. In the name of the Father…holy Spirit: this is perhaps the clearest expression in the New Testament of trinitarian belief. It may have been the baptismal formula of Matthew’s church, but primarily it designates the effect of baptism, the union of the one baptized with the Father, Son, and holy Spirit.
* [28:20] All that I have commanded you: the moral teaching found in this gospel, preeminently that of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5–7). The commandments of Jesus are the standard of Christian conduct, not the Mosaic law as such, even though some of the Mosaic commandments have now been invested with the authority of Jesus. Behold, I am with you always: the promise of Jesus’ real though invisible presence echoes the name Emmanuel given to him in the infancy narrative; see note on Mt 1:23. End of the age: see notes on Mt 13:39 and Mt 24:3. (Matthew Chapter 28, n.d.)
Rev. Andy Alexander, SJ, (in 2008) comments that we are called to take His place in this world and to share the Good News with others - to make a real difference in bringing others to the Lord. Another simple, quick examination of my conscience can help. This involves a quick “self-grading.” 1) What grade would I give my fundamental relationship with the Lord in my everyday life? A? B? C? D? 2) Now, grade what do I give my efforts at self-sacrificing love for the people closest to me, for those people with whom I struggle, and for the poor of the earth? A? B? C? D?
The point of these moments of self-awareness is not to make us feel guilty, ashamed, or discouraged. They help us, in the same way the disciples were helped, to head up the road back to Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Greek word Luke uses here is dunamis, which is translated “power.” We get our words “dynamic” and “dynamite” from this word. The Spirit gives us something that can give a new dynamism to our lives, a new ability to do more than we could imagine, to be Jesus’ witnesses.
Come, Holy Spirit, gift of Jesus and the Father. Come into my heart and give me peace. Please come and open the eyes of my heart. Give me more joy and more hope. Heal what needs to be healed. Warm what is cold in me. Set my heart free to forgive. Enkindle within me the fire of your own love. Let me heal and warm other hearts to know Jesus’ healing love. Let me hear the cry of the poor. Let me join you in renewing the face of the earth! (Alexander, 2026)
The reflection of Don Schwager for the Ascension was retrieved May 14, 2026 and is available at https://davmacit.blogspot.com/2026/05/chosen-for-love-and-hope.html
The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 1:17-23 comments that we lift our hearts to imagine Jesus as he “mounts his throne amid shouts of joy” and takes his seat at his Father’s right hand in glory (Psalm 47:6). And what better way to lift up our hearts than by recalling the truths proclaimed in today’s first reading!
What do we do with this glorious knowledge? We can imitate the disciples, who stood gazing at the heavens as they saw Jesus lifted up (Acts 1:11). And we can follow his command in today’s Gospel: “Go . . . and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
“Jesus help me to see your ascended glory. May it move me to proclaim you to the world!” (Meditation on Ephesians 1:17-23, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading from Acts of the Apostles is a Prologue written to Theophilus, a name for Christians, the lovers of God. As Jesus went to the heavens two men in white appeared like the angels that is reminiscent of the angels at the Tomb. Could Jesus have just disappeared? Instead He gave a mandate to preach to the ends of the earth as far as Rome. The mission starts in the spiritual center Jerusalem and arrives in the political centre, Rome. The passage from Ephesians is a blessing to receive knowledge and wisdom. Jesus is declared superior to the angels to contradict the Greek philosophy that spiritual things were better than material things. Jesus is proclaimed as above all things. In the end of the Gospel of Matthew, the disciples receive the mandate to go to all the nations to baptize them. Friar Jude notes ten different themes including power and direction in Matthew are divided into five sections representing a new Torah for the New Israel. He identifies a repetition technique to instill in students a mandate and a promise that Christ will be with them until the end of time.
In his book Just This, Father Richard Rohr considers how contemplative prayer allows us to release our thoughts, finding deeper wisdom and guidance. Through regular practice of contemplation, we become less and less interested in protecting this self-created, relative identity. We don’t have to attack it; it calmly falls away of its own accord, and we experience a kind of natural humility.
If our prayer goes deep, “invading” our unconscious, as it were, our whole view of the world will change from fear to connection. We won’t live inside our fragile and encapsulated self anymore, nor will we feel any need to protect it. In meditation, we move from ego consciousness to soul awareness, from being fear-driven to being love-drawn. That’s it in a few words!
Of course, we only have the courage to do this if Someone Else is holding us, taking away our fear, doing the knowing, and satisfying our desire for a Great Lover. If we can allow that Someone Else to lead us in this dance, we will live with new vitality, a natural gracefulness, and inside of a Flow that we did not create. It is the life of the Trinity, spinning through us. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)
We contemplate the possible irony of the Ascension in our mission to make disciples in all aspects of human endeavour, even as we present Jesus' return to a Spiritual Presence connected to us through the love which is the Holy Spirit.
References
Acts of the Apostles. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved May 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/1?11
Alexander, A. (2026, May 17). Daily Reflection May 17, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved May 17, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-17-2026
Ephesians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/1?17
Matthew Chapter 28. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved May 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/28?16
Meditation on Ephesians 1:17-23. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 17, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/17/1569192/
Psalm 27. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved May 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/47?2
Rohr, R. (n.d.). From Fear-Driven to Love-Drawn. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 17, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/from-fear-driven-to-love-drawn/
