Ascending Commission

The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church today contains the texts chosen to celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. After the Resurrection the Gospels recall episodes of the appearance of Christ to His followers. The last of appearance of Jesus in His Resurrected Body marked His ascent into the realm of the Father. Along with this occurrence, the Promise is made that the intimacy with the Divine will continue and that this intimacy will involve continuing the Mission of Jesus as His Body on earth. Paul proclaims to the Ephesians that the transcendent power of the Divine will be available to the followers of the Way as they witnessed it in the lives of the apostles and the saints. The psalmist declares the power of God to fulfill His plan for Israel in spite of the opposition of other tribes and people. The Commission of the faithful is to continue and expand the Life in the Spirit as Jesus directs through Matthew’s Gospel "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20).