The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power 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 behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:16-20)
Today is the Feast of the Ascension. On this day, we remember that the Lord took His disciples up a mountain and bid them farewell. That moment was a very bittersweet one for them.
They thought that nothing would ever take their Lord from their midst. Jesus had defeated that ultimate “take away” moment when He rose from the dead after being crucified. If someone can defeat death, they figured, that person would be with them forever.
Jesus, however, indicated otherwise.
He told His disciples that He was going to the Father in order to prepare a place for them. They would see Him again. However, until that moment, they had work to do. Jesus indicated that His work on earth, essentially, was completed. His disciples would now be left to continue that work: making disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that had been commanded.
Well, Jesus is ascended to His Father. The disciples are now long gone. You know what that means.
The mission has been handed on to us.
We, now, are the ones who are instructed to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that has been commanded. We are the ones who need to continue the work of the Lord. We are the ones who now wait for the time when He calls us to Himself.
Until that moment, we have got work to do.
FAITH ACTION: Pray that all Christians take the call to discipleship seriously. Pray, as well, that God give you the grace to be a good witness this day.