The End Is The Beginning

𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 – 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟏:𝟏-𝟏𝟏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟒𝟕:𝟐-𝟑, 𝟔-𝟗 “𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝.”

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐄𝐩𝐡 𝟏:𝟏𝟕-𝟐𝟑

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟐𝟒:𝟒𝟔-𝟓𝟑

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑱𝒆𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒋𝒐𝒚.” (𝒗.52) 

          Difficult it may be for some of us to grasp but the Ascension of Jesus isn’t the end of his mission to save the world from eternal damnation. In a literal sense, it may be for Jesus but it is actually a beginning for all of us especially for those who heard God’s call and responded in a positive way.

         Just like the disciples of old who were told to wait in the city and not go to take off where Jesus left until they have been clothed with the power from on high (𝐯.𝟒𝟗), we too are led to a rigorous formation process before we are fielded to go to the ends of the earth and make disciples of all nations (𝐌𝐤 𝟏𝟔:𝟏𝟓).

         What Jesus is also emphasizing in this gospel reading in 𝐋𝐤 𝟐𝟒:𝟒𝟔-𝟓𝟑 is that the times we spend waiting on God rather than wait on what the world has to offer is actually not wasted. It is during these times that we spend learning the ways of God that we are strengthened and equipped for the tasks that Jesus lays before us.

         Just like our belief in the Trinitarian God, the Ascension of Jesus is an event that remains to be a mystery as it attempts to put words what is beyond words and to describe what cannot be described.

        What is essential, however, is that the Ascension is an event that must happen for without this, man will continue to languish in the misery of the world. As the Ascension marks the end of our relationship to a God whom we can relate to in a physical sense and whose earthly presence was limited, today we are ushered into the presence of a God who is eternally independent of time and space and it is through the help of the Holy Spirit that we are brought to a clearer understanding of God’s enormous and encompassing love for all of us.

        That the Ascension is not an end, but the beginning is seen in the way the disciples of Jesus were awed by the event and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that provided them with great joy. As with the disciples of Jesus, we too must rejoice in the fact that the presence of the Holy Spirit has created for us an unbreakable bond with God.

        The Ascension also reminds us that we are not to keep to ourselves what we have experienced when Jesus revealed himself to us in our Baptism in the Spirit and what we have learned in our formation program but like the Apostles we too are to be both preachers or heralds of the gospel message and witnesses.

        You may probably ask how we can bring the message of Jesus Christ to the world. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Remember that the early church did not possess the financial and technical resources that we have today, yet they got the job done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

        This is the same with those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are to use the spiritual gifts we have received for the common good (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟐:𝟕) The purpose of the spiritual gifts we have received is not only for our personal gain but for the benefit of our community and those around us.

        Jesus in the Scriptures encourages us to put our gifts into action because it is when we serve others with our gifts that we profess the love and kindness that Jesus showed during His time on Earth. These acts of serving others will in the end touch lives and encourage others, creating a ripple effect of goodwill and support within our church and communities.

        A significant detail of Luke’s entire gospel account began at the temple (𝐋𝐤 𝟏:𝟖-𝐟𝐟) and ends at the temple (𝐋𝐊 𝟐𝟒:𝟓𝟐-𝟓𝟑). Luke’s gospel begins with Mary and Elizabeth rejoicing and ends with all the believers rejoicing. And before they became Spirit-empowered witnesses, they started as joyful worshippers. This, I believe, is a good example for all of us to follow. To witness for and in behalf of Christ is to be filled with joy.

         More importantly, the Ascension gives all of us a guaranty that we now have a friend who sits at the right hand of the Father who awaits us with great expectation when we have completed our earthly mission for to die is not to go out into the dark but to die is to go to him.

          Similarly, those who have decided to turn their life around and decide to follow Jesus are led to bury their worldly attachments which may be difficult at times but which will give us inexpressible joy as we allow the Holy Spirit to control and possess us.

         In simple terms, the Ascension can be likened to a spiritual transaction through which we surrender our lives to Jesus, our sinful nature, our idolatrous behavior, attachments to worldly pleasures, gossip, bitterness, resentments, and unforgiveness to name a few.

         In exchange, Jesus gives us his undying love and the Holy Spirit who will comfort, heal and teach us everything that would prepare us to become a better version of ourselves. In this kind of a win-win exchange, no one loses. Jesus takes possession of our nature, and we acquire possession of his love, mercy and indescribable joy. This is the beauty of the Ascension – it is a spiritual transaction that turns sorrow into joy. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 1, 2025)