We need also to wait. Often, we are in a hurry. We go around, relying on our own ability, using our own words, our own power, our own interpretation of the truth. Sometimes we allow different ideologies and wisdom of the world to impel us to mission. Hence, we promote other mission, not anymore the mission of the Lord.
Jesus is telling us to wait, to be open to the Holy Spirit who reminds us, of all that the Lord has done and taught. We must allow ourselves to be empowered by the Holy Spirit before we go out in our mission. Without the Holy Spirit, we will definitely go nowhere. We choose the best place and the most comfortable place to go. We do not go where the Holy Spirit pushes us to go.
As we therefore celebrate the Lord’s Ascension, we are being commissioned to go forth and proclaim the Gospel of life and love, of hope and peace…by the witness of our lives. On this Ascension Day, which is a day of hope, encouragement and commissioning, we renew our commitment to be true disciples everywhere we go, living in a manner worthy of the call we have received.
Let us always think that Jesus, the ascended Jesus, is our source of strength and encouragement. When the trials of life feel too heavy to bear, like this Covid-19 pandemic, we must remember that Jesus comes to our rescue. By His Ascension, Jesus has not abandoned us but has made it possible for the Holy Spirit to transform us into instruments of love and agents of true communication.
Today also marks the World Communication Sunday. In a world of tweets, facebook and instant messaging, we are reminded of our mission to promote true communication. No matter what the means, our mission is to promote true communication that creates a society that is based on truth, justice and love.
We are saddened by the breakdown of family and societal communication. To address this, we need to learn how to communicate effectively and we need to go back to the basics: Human and Personal Encounter. We may have the most sophisticated gadgets but if we don’t deal with each other in a humane manner, we end up strangers to one another.
Pope Francis tweeted: “As Christians, we are called to manifest, even on the internet, the communion that marks our identity as believers, opening the way to dialogue and encounter.” Amen
Fr. Jong Atinaja
