The Ascension of the Lord: Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1: 17-23; Mt 28: 16-20

05-21-2023Weekly ReflectionThe Faithful Disciple

GROW: Actions speak louder than words. How many of us have heard or said this exact phrase? I suspect most, if not all of us are quite familiar with this old adage. In fact, this is exactly what we are being told by Jesus himself in today’s Gospel when he says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus continues his direction of action by telling us to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We are not directed to simply speak about Jesus with our families and church communities, we are told to GO among all nations and add to Jesus’ flock. We continue Christ’s mission when we seek to spread his love. Before Jesus joined his Father in heaven, his instructions were very clear. This is an opportunity to think about the commission we were given as part of the baptized community, and how Jesus is asking us to take action in his name.

GO: Easier said than done. We’ve all heard that one as well. It’s hard to feel equipped to spread the word and the will of God. We worry our words will fail us and we will look foolish. We know we are not perfect, and wonder if that means we cannot possibly be Christ’s hands and feet on this earth. However, today’s reading from Ephesians provides us with the perfect prayer to give us hope and faith in the Holy Spirit as we set out to fulfill the Great Commission given to us in this week’s Gospel: “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.” We are challenged to act for God, but not without being given the tools to do so with confidence.

PRAY: Meditate on today’s second reading from Ephesians. Read it as if your priest was giving you a blessing before you head out of your house each morning. Let it fill your soul with love and awe for our Father, and let it give you the confidence you need to play an active role in building his kingdom until he comes again.