DAILY- HOMILY

May 13, 2018 - ASCENSION OF THE LORD

Solemnity. Cycle B. White.

Acts 1:1-11 / Eph 4: 1-3 / Mk 16:15-20

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Acts 1: 6 - 11

When they had come together, they asked him, "Is it now that you will restore the Kingdom of Israel?" And he answered, "It is not for you to know the time and the steps which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth."

After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. While they were still looking up to heaven where he went, suddenly, two men dressed in white stood beside them and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you have seen him go."

GOSPEL READING:           Mk 16: 15- 20

Then Jesus told his disciples, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes and, if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed."

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up in heaven and took his place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs which accompanied them.

REFLECTION

The liturgical season of Easter which celebrates the great and central mystery of the Lord's resurrection began at the Easter Vigil, continues with his ascension to heaven and closes on Pentecost Sunday with the celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. The Lord's resurrection is truly called the mystery of mysteries.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel reading recount the Lord's ascension into heaven: the Lord "was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight."

In a country with millions of overseas workers, we so often witness teary family farewells at airports, of fathers and mothers finding more lucrative employment abroad away from their families in hopes of providing a better life for their families and children. Fathers and mothers leave their families and children for employment abroad because they love them: they comfort those they leave behind and assure them of their care and love, that they would remain in touch, that they would visit or come back when best for their families and loved ones.

The ascension of Christ to heaven was something like this: he returns to his Father in heaven not to leave humankind on earth but to assure them of his continuing presence and love as God-made-man in power at the right hand of the Father. He instructs them to proclaim the Gospel to all the world. He promises to send them the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen them in their preaching of the Good News.

In the ascension Christ returns to his Father in heaven. Yet he assures us that he remains with us as our powerful Lord and Brother in heaven. The sending of the Holy Spirit is a guaranty of God's unending love for each and everyone of us.

The Lord's ascension into heaven may seem to be a departure from us; it is in reality his entry into new life. He has promised that he would take us to be with him and that we too would enter into that new life. Let us begin to live even now that life of the risen Christ as day by day we live our earthly life as Jesus lived his.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     May Ann S. Berces

     Cynthia C. Inocencio

     Rod Villahermosa

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 

     Michael Raphael & Sharah Mae de Castro

THANKSGIVING 

     Mr. & Mrs. E Castillo Jr. and Family

PRAYER INTENTION 

     Elaine Margaret W Cuyegkeng 

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Sun Huay Song (30 Sept 1919 - 13 May 1981)

     Mariano K. Tan

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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