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: Lk. 24:46–53

Jesus said to his disciples: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.

In other words

by Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD (Divine Word Institute of Mission Studies, Tagaytay City)

Toward the end of their gospels, Mark, Matthew, and John have a similar “mission mandate,” instructing the disciples to “Go and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mk 16:15–18) or to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:18–20), or telling them “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” (Jn 20:21–23). The gospel of Luke, however, seems to have a mission mandate of a different kind, one which might be called a “witness mandate.” This is what we heard both in the First Reading: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” and in the Gospel reading: “You are witnesses of these things.”

This reminds us of that memorable phrase of St. Pope Paul VI in his 1975 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi (EN 41): “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” From this statement, I believe we can see a shift of emphasis in mission, that is, from the work of the missionary to the person of the missionary, or a shift from the missionary as teacher to the missionary as witness. This is a shift of focus from what the missionary does to what the missionary is. In other words, a shift from “doing” to “being.”

It is important to take note of this shift because the Feast of the Ascension commemorates Jesus’ handing on of his mission to his disciples.

Geoffrey Plant, a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia, tells the story about Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924), the famed Italian composer who has written many memorable operas, like “Madame Butterfly” and “La Bohème.” He died of a heart attack in 1924. His last opera, which was unfinished at the time of his death, was “Turandot.” This was completed by his friends, Franco Alfano and Arturo Toscanini. The completed opera premiered in the La Scala Opera House in Milan in 1926, a year and five months after Puccini’s death. The conductor was Arturo Toscanini.

On the opening night, when they reached the part of the opera where Puccini had stopped writing, Toscanini stopped everything. He turned around and addressed the audience, “This is where the Master ends.” After a pause, he raised his baton again and said, “And this is where his friends begin.” And the opera continued.

This, too, is the message of the Ascension of Jesus. “This is where the Master ends. And now we, his friends, begin.” “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”