Reflection on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Our first reading says this event took place forty days after Easter Sunday. In stating this, Luke is capturing the rich symbolism of forty throughout the Bible. It signifies a time of preparing for something that will take complete focus on God’s love for all people as well as the accompanying privilege of making that love known in our everyday interactions with one another. Just as there are no limits to God’s love, so the mission of Jesus that we have all been asked and empowered to continue is to include the people of all nations. Are all people going to become followers of Jesus? That is up to the Holy Spirit. Our mission is to treat every human being with the same embracing love that Jesus made known in His time here on earth. Part of our role is to do our best in transforming our world so that every person is treated as a beloved person of God and that we find ways to take appropriate care of our common home as well.