First reading: Acts 1:1–11

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established 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, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

Second reading: Eph. 1:17–23

Brothers and sisters: 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. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Gospel: Mt. 28:16–20

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.”

In other words

Fr. Randy Flores, SVD (Sacred Heart Parish Shrine, Kamuning, Quezon City)

“And behold, I am with you always, until the end of time.” What more fitting conclusion could there be to the First Gospel than these words of Jesus? They offer profound assurance to His disciples and all believers, including us today, of His constant, abiding presence. This promise is not merely for the future but resonates in the present moment, as emphasized by the Greek verb eimi (“I am”), which is in the present indicative. It is a declaration of a living, active presence that sustains and accompanies us through every step of our journey.

This enduring presence explains why Matthew’s Gospel omits a narrative of the Lord’s ascension or departure, unlike Luke-Acts. For Matthew, Jesus does not leave His Church but remains within it, as promised. Notice the consoling and strengthening words of Jesus: They echo the name “Emmanuel” (“God with us”), introduced at the very beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, making this a “Gospel in miniature.”

Jesus is not an absentee landlord; His presence is tangible and real. He is found even in the small gatherings of believers, as he assures in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

In Matthew 28:18–20, known as “The Great Commission,” Jesus issues a universal mission built on three pillars:

1. A Past Event

The first statement in verse 18b declares, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The divine passive indicates that this authority is granted by God. This authority fulfills Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man receiving dominion (Dan 7:13–14). Through this, the Risen Jesus is empowered to initiate a universal mission, signaled by the Greek word oun (therefore).

2. A Present Command:

Jesus instructs his disciples to:

• Make disciples of all nations, expanding the mission beyond Israel to encompass all humanity.
• Baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, initiating incorporation into the life of the Trinity and the Church.
• Teach obedience to Jesus’ commands, emphasizing discipleship as a transformative journey. This begins with hearing the Good News, which precedes the formal actions of baptism and catechism.

3. A Future Promise:

Jesus assures, “I am with you always, until the end of the age,” echoing “Emmanuel” and reaffirming his enduring presence with his Church.

The closing words of Matthew’s Gospel bring the story full circle-from the promise of “God with us” at the beginning to the declaration of Jesus’ abiding presence at the end. This assurance is both a comfort and a call to trust in the constant presence of Christ and to participate actively in the mission He entrusts to us. As disciples today, we are called to live in the strength of this promise, confident that Christ walks with us in every moment and every mission.