Transcript
“Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sin is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations”. These initial verses of this gospel summarise for us the miraculous events of Easter and impel us to mission. The Resurrection emphasises that Jesus entered a new life that was different to His previous life. The Ascension emphasises that the risen Jesus is together with the Father, that He shares the place and dignity of the Father. The Kingdom of God that shares in the repentance and forgiveness of sins from the gospel will not be a political force, rather, it will be as the Preface of the Mass of Christ the King says, An eternal and universal kingdom; a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace. Just as there was work to be done by the disciples post-Ascension, Jesus mandates us to share His glory to the ends of the earth. If we want to find Jesus, like the disciples we will find Him in the Christian community, and in those we shares our lives with, especially the poor and marginalised. When we receive the love of a brother or sister, it is the presence of Jesus. When we share that same love with a brother or sister, we help to make Jesus present. Just like the disciples, we are to be the tangible presence of Jesus in this world. These readings from Acts and Luke present a model for waiting on God that is rooted in hope, experienced with joy, and lived out by worship and charitable deeds.