[Catholic Caucus Devotional] My Catholic Life! Catholic Daily Reflections: Witnessing to the Gospel - Thursday, May 29, 2025 (For the Ascension of the Lord)

⁕ (If you celebrate the Ascension in your diocese today, see the reflection below. Otherwise, go to the separate thread for the reflection for Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter) ⁕

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.” Luke 24:46–49

And with that, the earthly mission of Jesus was completed and He ascended into Heaven. Or was it? Was His mission completed? Yes, but only in the sense that our Lord’s work of destroying death and offering new life was accomplished by His life, death and resurrection. Human nature was now invited to share in a new life of grace.

Prayerfully imagine standing on the mountain of the Ascension with our Lord. As you gaze upon Him, imagine that you were also present with Him throughout His public ministry. Imagine witnessing His many miracles, the way that He converted the hardest of hearts, the authority with which He spoke, His arrest, torture, death and then His Resurrection. Imagine seeing His hands and feet, once pierced, now radiating glory from those wounds. As you see our Lord in this way, imagine Him looking at you with love and saying to you that He has chosen to send you forth to the world to be a witness to Him and to all that you have seen and encountered. You are to go forth sharing the Good News of His life, death and resurrection with all whom you come in contact with.

First, our Lord has, indeed, shared His entire life with you. By reading the Gospels, you become a firsthand witness to all that Jesus did and accomplished. His Word is alive, and it reveals His very Person to you, just as it did to His first followers. Second, Jesus does call you to go forth and to share this living Gospel with the world. Therefore, it is important to ponder how you can do such a thing. How can you give witness to the Resurrection of Christ? How can you change lives? How can you continue the mission of Jesus Himself?

The promise given by our Lord to the disciples on the mountain of the Ascension is also a promise given to you. He is promising to send the Holy Spirit upon you so as to clothe you “with power from on high.” Only by receiving that power and using it fully will you be able to accomplish the mission that our Lord has given to you. Therefore, will you open yourself to the Holy Spirit and commit yourself to the continuation of Christ’s mission?

If we were to fully understand the mission we have received from Jesus, it would fill us with a holy fear. But too often the realization of what God wants of us fills us with an unholy fear instead. We think about evangelizing others...

Reflect, today, upon the particular mission that God has given to you. Prayerfully look at Jesus as He stands on the mountain of the Ascension and looks at you. As He does, let Him reveal to you not only His very Person but also your particular sharing in His ongoing mission of sharing the Good News to the ends of the earth. Receive that mission with courage, joy and holy fear. Reverence it, savor it, ponder it and accept it. Commit yourself to this glorious sharing in the life of Christ by committing yourself to become a witness to Christ until the end of your life on earth.

My ascended Lord, as You entered body and soul into the full and glorious presence of Your Father, You handed on to your disciples the duty of completing Your mission on earth. I hear Your call in my life, dear Lord, and commit myself to the glorious task of continuing that mission on earth. Please use me as You will and fill me with power from on high so that I may help share Your saving Word to the ends of the earth. Jesus, I trust in You.

NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY(RSV)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

For the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

First Reading:

From: Acts 1:1-11

Prologue
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[1] In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, [2] until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. [3] To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. [4] And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, [5] for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

The Ascension
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[6] So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?" [7] He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. [8] But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." [9] And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. [10] And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, [11] and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

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Commentary:

1-5. St Luke is the only New Testament author to begin his book with a prologue, in the style of secular historians. The main aim of this preface is to convey to the reader the profoundly religious character of the book which he is holding in his hands. It is a work which will give an account of events marking the fulfillment of the promises made by the God of Israel the Creator and Savior of the world. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, into his book St Luke weaves quotations from the Psalms, Isaiah, Amos and Joel; it both reflects the Old Testament and interprets it in the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

The prologue refers to St Luke's Gospel as a "first book". It mentions the last events of our Lord's life on earth--the appearances of the risen Christ and his ascension into heaven--and links them up with the account which is now beginning.

St Luke's aim is to describe the origins and the early growth of this Christianity, of which the main protagonist of this book, the Holy Spirit, has been the cause. Yet this is not simply an historical record: the Acts of the Apostles, St Jerome explains, "seems to be a straightforward historical account of the early years of the nascent Church. But if we bear in mind it is written by Luke the physician, who is praised in the Gospel (cf. 2 Cor 8: 18), we will realize that everything he says is medicine for the ailing soul" ("Epistle" 53, 9).

The spiritual dimension of this book, which is one of a piece with the Third Gospel, nourished the soul of the first generations of Christians, providing them with a chronicle of God's faithful and loving support of the new Israel. "This book", St John Chrysostom writes at the start of his great commentary, "will profit us no less than the Gospels, so replete is it with Christian wisdom and sound doctrine. It offers an account of the numerous miracles worked by the Holy Spirit. It contains the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel; we can observe in the very facts the bright evidence of Truth which shines in them, and the mighty change which is taking place in the Apostles: they become perfect men, extraordinary men, now that the Holy Spirit has come upon them. All Christ's promises and predictions--He who believes in me will do these and even greater works, you will be dragged before tribunals and kings and beaten in the synagogues, and will suffer grievous things, and yet you will overcome your persecutors and executioners and will bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth--all this, how it came to pass, may be seen in this admirable book. Here you will see the Apostles speeding their way overland and sea as if on wings. These Galileans, once so timorous and obtuse, we find suddenly changed into new men, despising wealth and honor, raised above passion and concupiscence" ("Hom. on Acts", 1).

St Luke dedicates this book to Theophilus--as he did his Gospel. The dedication suggests that Theophilus was an educated Christian, of an upper-class background, but he may be a fictitious person symbolizing "the beloved of God", which is what the name means. It also may imply that Acts was written quite soon after the third Gospel.

1. "To do and teach": these words very concisely sum up the work of Jesus Christ, reported in the Gospels. They describe the way in which God's saving Revelation operates: God lovingly announces and reveals himself in the course of human history through his actions and through his words. "The economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words, which are intrinsically bound up with each other", Vatican II teaches. "As a result, the works performed by God in the history of salvation show forth and bear out the doctrine and realities signified by the words; the words, for their part, proclaim the works, and bring to light the mystery they contain. The most intimate truth which this revelation gives us about God and the salvation of man shines forth in Christ, who is himself both the mediator and the sum total of Revelation" ("Dei Verbum", 2).

The Lord "proclaimed the kingdom of the Father both by the testimony of his life and by the power of his word" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 35). He did not limit himself to speech, to being simply the Teacher whose words opened man's minds to the truth. He was, above all, the Redeemer, able to save fallen man through the divine efficacy of each and every moment of his life on earth.

"Our Lord took on all our weaknesses, which proceed from sin—with the exception of sin itself. He experienced hunger and thirst, sleep and fatigue, sadness and tears. He suffered in every possible way, even the supreme suffering of death. No one could be freed from the bonds of sinfulness had he who alone was totally innocent not been ready to die at the hands of impious men. Therefore, our Savior, the Son of God, has left all those who believe in him an effective source of aid, and also an example. The first they obtain by being reborn through grace, the second by imitating his life" (St Leo the Great, "Twelfth Homily on the Passion").

Jesus' redemptive action--his miracles, his life of work, and the mystery of his death, resurrection and ascension, whose depth and meaning only faith can plumb--also constitute a simple and powerful stimulus for our everyday conduct. Faith should always be accompanied by works, by deeds, that is, our humble and necessary cooperation with God's saving plans.

"Don't forget that doing must come before teaching. 'Coepit facere et docere', the holy Scripture says of Jesus Christ: 'He began to do and to teach. ' "First deeds: so that you and I might learn" (St J. Escriva, "The Way", 342).

3. This verse recalls the account in Luke 24:13-43 of the appearances of the risen Jesus to the disciples of Emmaus and to the Apostles in the Cenacle. It stresses the figure of forty days. This number may have a literal meaning and also a deeper meaning. In Sacred Scripture periods of forty days or forty years have a clearly salvific meaning: they are periods during which God prepares or effects important stages in his plans. The great flood lasted forty days (Gen 7:17); the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness for forty years on their way to the promised land (Ps 95:10); Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai to receive God's revelation of the Covenant (Ex 24:18); on the strength of the bread sent by God Elisha walked forty days and forty nights to reach his destination (1 Kings 19:8); and our Lord fasted in the wilderness for forty days in preparation for his public life (Mt 4:2).

5. "You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit": this book has been well described as the "Gospel of the Holy Spirit". "There is hardly a page in the Acts of the Apostles where we fail to read about the Spirit and the action by which he guides, directs and enlivens the life and work of the early Christian community. It is he who inspires the preaching of St Peter (cf. Acts 4:8), who strengthens the faith of the disciples (cf. Acts 4:31), who confirms with his presence the calling of the Gentiles (cf. Acts 10:44-47), who sends Saul and Barnabas to distant lands, where they will open new paths for the teaching of Jesus (cf. Acts 13:2-4). In a word, his presence and doctrine are everywhere" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 127).

6-8. The Apostles' question shows that they are still thinking in terms of earthly restoration of the Davidic dynasty. It would seem that for them --as for many Jews of their time--eschatological hope in the Kingdom extended no further than expectation of world-embracing Jewish hegemony.

"It seems to me", St John Chrysostom comments, "that they had not any clear notion of the nature of the Kingdom, for the Spirit had not yet instructed them. Notice that they do not ask when it shall come but 'Will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?', as if the Kingdom were something that lay in the past. This question shows that they were still attracted by earthly things, though less than they had been" ("Hom. on Acts", 2).

Our Lord gives an excellent and encouraging reply, patiently telling them that the Kingdom is mysterious in character, that it comes when one least expects, and that they need the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to grasp the teaching they have received. Jesus does not complain about their obtuseness; he simply corrects their ideas and instructs them.

8. The outline of Acts is given here: the author plans to tell the story of the growth of the Church, beginning in Jerusalem and spreading through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth. This is the geographical structure of St Luke's account. In the Third Gospel Jerusalem was the destination point of Jesus' public life (which began in Galilee); here it is the departure point.

The Apostles' mission extends to the whole world. Underlying this verse we can see not so much a "geographical" dimension as the universalist aspirations of the Old Testament, articulated by Isaiah: "It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Is 2:2-3).

9. Jesus' life on earth did not end with his death on the Cross but with his ascension into heaven. The ascension, reported here, is the last event, the last mystery of our Lord's life on earth (cf. also 24:50-53)—and also it concerns the origins of the Church. The ascension scene takes place, so to speak, between heaven and earth. "Why did a cloud take him out of the Apostles' sight?", St John Chrysostom asks. "The cloud was a sure sign that Jesus had already entered heaven; it was not a whirlwind or a chariot of fire, as in the case of the prophet Elijah (cf. 2 Kings 2: l 1), but a cloud, which was a symbol of heaven itself" ("Hom. on Acts", 2). A cloud features in theophanies--manifestations of God—in both the Old Testament (cf. Ex 13:22) and the New (cf. Lk 9:34f).

Our Lord's ascension is one of the actions by which Jesus redeems us from sin and gives us the new life of grace. It is a redemptive mystery "What we have already taught of the mystery of his death and resurrection the faithful should deem not less true of his ascension. For although we owe our redemption and salvation to the passion of Christ, whose merits opened heaven to the just, yet his ascension is not only proposed to us as a model, which teaches us to look on high and ascend in spirit into heaven, but it also imparts to us a divine virtue which enables us to accomplish what it teaches" ("St Pius V Catechism" I, 7, 9).

Our Lord's going up into heaven is not simply something which stirs us to lift up our hearts--as we are invited to do at the preface of the Mass, to seek and love the "things that are above" (cf. Col 3:1-2); along with the other mysteries of his life, death and resurrection, Christ's ascension saves us. "Today we are not only made possessors of paradise", St Leo says, "but we have ascended with Christ, mystically but really, into the highest heaven, and through Christ we have obtained a more ineffable grace than that which we lost through the devil's envy" ("First Homily on the Ascension").

The ascension is the climax of Christ's exaltation, which was achieved in the first instance by his resurrection and which--along with his passion and death--constitutes the paschal mystery. The Second Vatican Council expresses this as follows: "Christ our Lord redeemed mankind and gave perfect glory to God [...]. principally by the paschal mystery of his blessed passion, resurrection from the dead, and glorious ascension" ("Sacrosanctum Concilium", 5; cf. "Dei Verbum", 19).

Theology has suggested reasons why it was very appropriate for the glorified Lord to go up into heaven to be "seated at the right hand of the Father." "First of all, he ascended because the glorious kingdom of the highest heavens, not the obscure abode of this earth, presented a suitable dwelling place for him whose body, rising from the tomb, was clothed with the glory of immortality. He ascended, however, not only to possess the throne of glory and the kingdom which he had merited by his blood, but also to attend to whatever regards our salvation. Again, he ascended to prove thereby that his kingdom is not of this world" ("St Pius V Catechism", I, 7, 5; cf. "Summa Theologiae", III, q. 57, a. 6).

The ascension marks the point when the celestial world celebrates the victory and glorification of Christ: "It is fitting that the sacred humanity of Christ should receive the homage, praise and adoration of all the hierarchies of the Angels and of all the legions of the blessed in heaven" (St J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", second glorious mystery).

11. The angels are referring to the Parousia--our Lord's second coming, when he will judge the living and the dead. "They said to them, What are you doing here, looking into heaven? These words are full of solicitude, but they do not proclaim the second coming of the Savior as imminent. The angels simply assert what is most important, that is, that Jesus Christ will come again and the confidence with which we should await his return" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 2).

We know for a certainty that Christ will come again at the end of time. We confess this in the Creed as part of our faith. However, we know "neither the day nor the hour" (Mt 25: 13) of his coming. We do not need to know it. Christ is always imminent. We must always be on the watch, that is, we should busy ourselves in the service of God and of others, which is where our sanctification lies.

Second Reading:

From: Ephesians 1:15-23

Thanksgiving. The Supremacy of Christ
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[15] For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, [16] I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18] having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might [20] which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at the right hand in the heavenly places, [2I] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; [22] and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

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Commentary:

15-23. The news the Apostle has received moves him to thanksgiving and prayer (vv. 15-16). But he immediately returns to contemplate how wonderful it is to know God's goodness, and he asks God to give this gift to the readers of his letter (vv. 17-19). His petition hinges on Jesus Christ, through whom God has revealed his power by giving him dominion (vv. 20-21) and establishing him as head of the Church (vv. 22-23).

15-16. St Paul's solicitude sets a wonderful example, especially for those whose responsibility it is to give Christian instruction to others. Like him, they should pray for those entrusted to their care; they should thank God for their spiritual progress and ask the Holy Spirit to give them the gift of wisdom and understanding. "Fulfill the task entrusted to you with all diligence of body and soul", St Ignatius of Antioch exhorts Polycarp. "Pay special attention to unity for there is nothing more important than this. Make yourself the support of all and sundry, as the Lord is to you. Bear lovingly with them all, as you are doing at present. Pray constantly and beg for ever greater gifts of wisdom. Be watchful and always awake in spirit. Address yourself to people personally, as is the way of God himself' ("Letter to Polycarp", I, 2-3).

This "faith in the Lord Jesus" is not just a matter of believing in Jesus Christ full stop; it is a complete system of belief which is founded on Jesus Christ: those who have received the gift of faith live in Christ, and this life in Christ means that their faith is truly a living faith, one which expresses itself in "love towards all the saints". Faith makes us discover that every baptized person is a son or daughter of God, and thus Christians' fraternal love is a logical consequence of this insight.

17. The God whom St Paul addresses is "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ", that is, the God who has revealed himself through Christ and to whom Jesus himself, as man, prays and asks for help (cf. Lk 22:42). The same God as was described in the Old Testament as "the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob" is now defined as "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ". He is the personal God recognized by his relationship with Christ, his Son, who as mediator of the New Covenant obtains from God the Father everything he asks for. This will be our own experience too if we are united to Christ, for he promised that "if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name" (Jn 16:23; 15:16).

The founder of Opus Dei reminds us that "Jesus is the way, the mediator. In him are all things; outside of him is nothing. In Christ, taught by him, we dare to call Almighty God 'our Father': he who created heaven and earth is a loving Father" ("Christ Is Passing By", 91).

The Apostle also calls God "the Father of glory". The glory of God means his greatness, his power, the infinite richness of his personality, which when it is revealed inspires man with awe. Already, in the history of Israel, God revealed himself through his saving actions in favor of his people. Asking God to glorify his name is the same as asking him to show himself as our Savior and to give us his gifts. But the greatest manifestation of God's glory, of his power, was the raising of Jesus from the dead, and the raising, with him, of the Christian (cf. Rom 6:4; 1 Cor 6:14). In this passage St Paul asks God "the Father of glory" to grant Christians supernatural wisdom to recognize the greatness of the blessings he has given them through his Son; that is, to acknowledge that he is their Father and the origin of glory. By asking for a "spirit of wisdom and revelation" the Apostle is seeking special gifts--on the one hand, wisdom, that gift of the Holy Spirit which enables one to penetrate the mystery of God: "Who has learned thy counsel, unless thou hast given wisdom and sent thy holy Spirit from on high?" (Wis 9:17). This wisdom which the Church has been given (cf. Eph l:8) can be communicated to Christians in a special way, as a special gift or charism of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle also asks God to give them a spirit "of revelation", that is, the grace of personal revelations, such as he himself (cf. 1 Cor 14:6) and other Christians (cf. 1 Cor 14:26) received. It is not a matter of revelation or recognition of new truths, but rather of special light from the Holy Spirit so as to have a deeper appreciation of the truth of faith, or of the will of God in a particular situation.

18-19. Along with this deeper knowledge of God, St Paul asks that Christians be given a fuller and livelier hope, because God and hope are inseparable. He recognizes the faith and charity of the faithful to whom he is writing (cf. 1:15); now he wants hope to shine more brightly for them; he wants God to enlighten their minds and make them realize the consequences of their election, their calling, to be members of the holy people of God, the Church. Hope, therefore, is a gift from God. "Hope is a supernatural virtue, infused by God into our soul, by which we desire and expect eternal life, promised by God to his servants, and the means necessary to obtain it" ("St Pius X Catechism", 893).

The ground for hope lies in God's love and power which have been manifested in the resurrection of Christ. This same power is at work in the Christian. Because God's plan for our salvation is an eternal one, he who has called us will lead us to an immortal life in heaven. The fact that God's power is at work in us (cf. Rom 5:5) does not mean that we encounter no difficulties. St. J. Escriva reminds us that "as we fight this battle, which will last until the day we die, we cannot exclude the possibility that enemies both within and without may attack with violent force. As if that were not enough, you may at times be assailed by the memory of your own past errors, which may have been very many. I tell you now, in God's name: do not despair. Should this happen (it need not happen; nor will it usually happen), then turn it into another motive for uniting yourself more closely to the Lord, for he has chosen you as his child and he will not abandon you. He has allowed this trial to befall you so as to have you love him the more and discover even more clearly his constant protection and love" ("Friends of God", 214).

20-21. The Apostle is in awe at the marvels which God's power has worked in Jesus Christ. He sees Christ as the source and model of our hope. "For, just as Christ's life is the model and exemplar of our holiness, so is the glory and exaltation of Christ the form and exemplar of our glory and exaltation" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Eph, ad. Ioc".).

As elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Acts 7:56; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22), the fact that the risen Christ is seated "at the right hand" of the Father means that he shares in God's kingly authority. The Apostle is using a comparison with which people of his time were very familiar--that of the emperor seated on his throne. The throne has always been the symbol of supreme authority and power. Thus, the "St Pius V Catechism" explains that being seated at the right hand "does not imply position or posture of body, but expresses the firm and permanent possession of royal and supreme power and glory, which he received from the Father" (I, 7, 3).

Christ's pre-eminence is absolute: he is Lord of all creation, material as well as spiritual, earthly as well as heavenly. "All rule and authority and power and dominion": this refers to the angelic spirits (cf. note on Eph 3:10), whom the false preachers were presenting as superior to Christ. St Paul argues against them: Jesus Christ at his resurrection was raised by God above all created beings.

22-23. In previous letters St Paul described the Church as a body (cf. Rom 12:4f; 1 Cor 12:12ff). Here, and in Colossians 1:18, he pursues this comparison and says that it is the body of Christ, and that Christ is its head. He returns to this teaching elsewhere in the Captivity Epistles (cf. Col 1:18; Eph 5:23f). The image of body and head highlights the life-giving and salvific influence of Christ on the Church, and at the same time emphasizes his supremacy over the Church (cf. St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Eph, ad loc.", and also the note on Col 1:18). This fact fills Christians with joy: by joining the Church through Baptism, they have become truly members of our Lord's body. "No, it is not pride", Paul VI says, " nor arrogance nor obstinacy nor stupidity nor folly that makes us so sure of being living, genuine members of Christ's body, the authentic heirs of his Gospel" ("Ecclesiam Suam", 33).

This image also reveals Christ's close union with his Church and his deep love for her: "he loved her so much", St John of Avila observes, "that although what normally happens is that a person raises his arm to take a blow and protect his head, this blessed Lord, who is the head, put himself forward to receive the blow of divine justice, and died on the Cross to give life to his body, that is, us. And after giving us life, through penance and the sacraments, he endows us, defends and keeps us as something so very much his own, that he is not content with calling us his servants, friends, brethren or children: the better to show his love and render us honor, he gives us his name. For, by means of this ineffable union of Christ the head with the Church his body, he and we are together called 'Christ"' ("Audi, Filia", chap. 84).

The Apostle also describes the Church, the body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:12) as his "fullness" (cf. note on Col 1:19). What he means is that, through the Church, Christ becomes present in and fills the entire universe and extends to it the fruits of his redemptive activity. By being the vehicle which Christ uses to distribute his grace to all, the Church is different from the Israel of the Old Testament: it is not confined to a particular geographical location.

Because the Church has limitless grace, its call is addressed to all mankind: all men are invited to attain salvation in Christ. "For many centuries now, the Church has been spread throughout the world," Monsignor Escriva comments, "and it numbers persons of all races and walks of life. But the universality of the Church does not depend on its geographical extension, even though that is a visible sign and a motive of credibility. The Church was catholic already at Pentecost; it was born catholic from the wounded heart of Jesus, as a fire which the Holy Spirit enkindles [...]. 'We call it catholic', writes St Cyril, 'not only because it is spread throughout the whole world, from one extreme to the other, but because in a universal way and without defect it teaches all the dogmas which men ought to know, of both the visible and the invisible, the celestial and the earthly. Likewise, because it draws to true worship all types of men, those who govern and those who are ruled, the learned and the ignorant. And finally, because it cures and makes healthy all kinds of sins, whether of the soul or of the body, possessing in addition--by whatever name it may be called—all the forms of virtue, in deeds and in words and in every kind of spiritual gift' ("Catechesis", 18, 23)" ("In Love with the Church", 9).

All grace reaches the Church through Christ. The Second Vatican Council reminds us: "He continually endows his body, that is, the Church, with gifts of ministries through which, by his power, we serve each other unto salvation so that, carrying out the truth in love, we may through all things grow into him who is our head" ("Lumen Gentium", 7). This is why St Paul calls the Church the "body" of Christ; and it is in this sense that it is the "fullness" ("pleroma") of Christ--not because it in any way fills out or completes Christ but because it is filled with Christ, full of Christ, forming a single body with him, a single spiritual organism, whose unifying and life-giving principle is Christ, its head. This demonstrates Christ's absolute supremacy; his unifying and life-giving influence extends from God to Christ, from Christ to the Church, and from the Church to all men. It is he in fact who fills all in all (cf. Eph 4:10; Col 1:17-19; 2:9f).

The fact that the Church is the body of Christ is a further reason why we should love it and serve it. As Pope Pius XII wrote: "To ensure that this genuine and whole-hearted love will reign in our hearts and grow every day, we must accustom ourselves to see Christ himself in the Church. For it is indeed Christ who lives in the Church, and through her teaches, governs and sanctifies; and it is also Christ who manifests himself in manifold disguise in the various members of his society" ("Mystici Corporis", 43).

Alternate Second Reading:

From: Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23

The Rites of the Old Covenant Prefigure Those of the New
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[24] For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. [25] Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own; [26] for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Motives for Perseverance
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[19] Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, [20] by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

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Commentary:

23-28. In these verses the sacred writer adds some additional considerations to the main line of his argument. His thought centers on linking the sanctuary, the sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament sanctuary, and the sacrifice of the New Covenant. It was "necessary" for Christ to shed his blood so that men might" receive the promised eternal inheritance" (9:15), that is, forgiveness of their sins (cf. 9:14). This shedding of blood is also necessary for the "purification" of the heavenly things (9:23). The sacrifices of the Mosaic liturgy purified the things of the old sanctuary and, in some way, pointed to forgiveness of sins (9:9, 10). The sacrifice of Christ, on the other hand, really does blot out sin and opens for us the way to heaven itself, giving us entry into that new sanctuary (7:25; 9:12). But the parallel is not a perfect one, for the old sacrifices were multiple and were constantly repeated in petition of forgiveness (9:25). The sacrifice of Christ, on the contrary, is a unique sacrifice, because it is eternally effective (7:27; 9:12). Moreover, whereas the high priest offered a sacrifice not with his own blood but with the blood of animals, Christ offered his own blood in sacrifice. Therefore, Christ has offered himself "once" (7:28; 9:12, 26, 28) in the same sort of way as every man has to die only once and then undergoes judgment. Furthermore, through his sacrifice Christ has passed through the heavens once and for all and will not return to earth to renew his sacrifice. He will not return until the end of time, when he will come in glory.

Two truths interweave here a number of times. The first is that Christ entered forever not into a temple made by man but into heaven itself (9:24; 7:26; 8:1). The second is that Christ also enables us to enter into glory; that is, his sacrifice and his entry into heaven enable man to attain his last end.

27-28. These verses look at three basic truths of Christian belief about the last things--1) the immutable decree of death; 2) the fact that there is a judgment immediately after death; 3) the second coming of Christ, in glory.

"Not to deal with sin": this phrase means that the second coming of Christ or Parousia, will not be for the purpose of redeeming men from sin but rather to bring salvation, that is, glory, to those who placed their hope in him. Christ will come into the world for a second time, but not as Redeemer, for his sacrifice has already eliminated sin once for all; rather, he will come as Judge of all. His coming "is appointed": it is as necessary as death and judgment. These three truths are closely interconnected.

Although man is mortal, "a spiritual element survives and subsists after death, an element endowed with consciousness and will, so that the 'human self' subsists. To designate this element, the Church uses the word 'soul', the accepted term in the usage of Scripture and Tradition" (SCDF, "Letter on Certain Questions Concerning Eschatology", 17 May 1979).

Man, then, is made up of a spiritual and immortal soul and a corruptible body. However, when God originally endowed man with supernatural grace, he gave him additional gifts, the so-called "preternatural" gifts, which included bodily immortality. Adam's disobedience resulted in the loss of his friendship with God and the loss of this preternatural gift. From that point onwards death is "the wages of sin" (Rom 6:23), and it is to this divine decision that the text refers when it says that it "is appointed for men to die" (cf. Gen 3:19, 23; Rom 5:12). The Church has repeatedly stressed that death is a punishment; cf., for example, Pius VI, "Auctorem Fidei", prop. 1, 7: "in our present state (death) is inflicted as a just punishment for sin"; immortality was an "unmerited gift and not a natural condition". Verses 27-28 are an implicit exhortation to watchfulness (cf. also 1 Cor 7:29; Sir 14:12; and "Lumen Gentium", 48).

Immediately after death everyone will be judged on the conduct of his life. All "are to give an account of their lives; those who have done good deeds will go into eternal life; those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire" ("Athanasian Creed"). This is something which reason with the help of God's Word can discover, because people with a correct moral sense realize that good deserves to be rewarded and evil punished, and that it is impossible for this to occur completely in this life. It is difficult to say whether Hebrews 9:27 is referring to the "particular judgment", which happens immediately after death, or to the general judgment, which will take place on the last day. Both interpretations can be supported, for the judgment the verse refers to is connected, on the one hand, with death, and on the other with the second coming of Christ. In any event, it is clear that what is meant is a "personal" judgment, a trial at which each individual will be judged by Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10). The existence of a general judgment does not conflict with the certainty that there is a particular judgment, for the Church, in line with Sacred Scripture, although it awaits the glorious revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ on the last day, sees that event as distinct from and separate in time from the judgment which every individual will undergo immediately after death (cf. "Letter on Eschatology, op. cit.").

The idea of death and judgment, however, should not only inspire fear; it should also lead us to hope in Christ, for our Lord will come a second time to show himself a merciful judge to "those who are eagerly waiting for him".

Christians, therefore, combine their joyful hope in the establishment of the Kingdom of God, which they wholeheartedly desire, with a desire to make the best possible use of the time allotted to them in this life. "This urgent solicitude of the Church, the Spouse of Christ, for the needs of men--for their joys and hopes, their griefs and labors—is nothing other than her intense desire to share them in full, in order to illuminate men with the light of Christ and to gather together and unite all in him who alone is the Savior of each one of them. This solicitude must never be taken to mean that the Church conforms herself to the things of this world, or that her longing for the coming of her Lord and his eternal reign grows cold" (Paul VI, "Creed of the People of God").

10:19-21. Throughout the epistle there a constant interweaving of dogmatic and moral considerations, with the former points often giving rise to exhortations to the faithful to be unwavering in faith and hope. The epistle now moves on from its theological reflections on Christ's priesthood to its practical application in the Christian life: the Christian should put his trust in the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, and through faith, hope and charity associate himself with Christ's priesthood. He should do this for three reasons—the redemptive value of the blood of Jesus, the access to glory signified by his entry into the sanctuary of heaven, and Christ's enthronement at the right hand of the Father. The sprinkling of the blood of Christ gives the believer full assurance that he too will enter heaven, because the paschal mystery of Christ--his passion, death and resurrection--has made this possible.

"The new and living way": a translation of the original Greek expression, which literally reads "the recently sacrificed and living way"; this is a metaphorical expression indicating that Christ is a way, and that this way has been recently opened up, has been sacrificed and is alive. There is, then, a personification of "way" which recalls what Jesus said about his being "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6); and there is also a reference to Christ's sacrifice, to the fact that his body did not experience corruption and that he lives for ever (cf. Heb 7:25).

The "Pius V Catechism", referring to the benefits brought us by Christ's passion, specifies how he opened to us the gates of heaven, closed due to mankind's sin: "Nor are we without a type and figure of this mystery in the Old Law. For those who were prohibited to return into their native country before the death of the high priest (cf. Num 35:25) typified that no one, however just and holy may have been his life, could gain admission into the celestial country until the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, had died, and by his death immediately opened heaven to those who, purified by the sacraments and gifted with faith, hope and charity, become partakers of his passion" (I, 5, 14).

The reference to Christ's flesh as a "curtain" not only recalls the curtain in the temple separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary, but also points to the fact that the deepest dimension of Christ is his Godhead, in which the Christian must believe, but without separating it from his humanity. Christ's human nature is at the same time a "way" because it reveals his divinity, and a "curtain" because it masks it. "Just as the priest (of the Old Law) entered the Holy of Holies, so too if we want to enter holy glory, we must enter by way of Christ's flesh, the curtain (concealing) his divinity [...]. For, faith in the one God is insufficient if one does not have faith in the Incarnation" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Heb., ad loc.").

22-25. The epistle now exhorts its readers to purity of heart, steadfastness in faith and mutual charity.

It speaks of a clean heart, recalling the purity which the water of Baptism brings. The Christian should stay true to the faith he received and professed at Baptism, and maintain the purity which it brings. To live in this way the baptized should count on the help provided by the Church and on the grace God continually gives. As Vatican I teaches, referring to those who have received the light of faith, "God does not abandon them, unless he is abandoned [...]. Therefore, the position of those who have embraced Catholic truth by the heavenly gift of faith, and of those who have been misled by human opinions and follow a false religion is by no means the same, for the former, who have accepted the faith under the teaching authority of the Church, can never have just reason for changing that faith or calling it into question" ("Dei Filius", chap. 3).

Along with its exhortation to practise the three theological virtues, the passage includes a call not to neglect to attend Christian assemblies. We know that the first Christians were expected to come together daily or weekly (cf. Acts 2:46; 20:7) and, as we can see here, some gave up going to those meetings through carelessness, or because they preferred private to public prayer, or because they did not want others to know they were Christians. In Judaism much emphasis was placed on the duty to attend synagogue meetings. The meetings referred to in this passage, whether for the celebration of the Christian liturgy or for instruction in apostolic teaching, had a clearly eschatological focus in the sense that they built up people's hope in the coming of our Lord (cf. 1 Thess 5:4; 1 Cor 3:13; Rom 13:12; Phil 4:5; Jas 5:8; 1 Pet 4:7).The author's insistence on the need to meet together recalls another exhortation which goes back to the early Church: "Now that you are members of Christ, do not choose to cut yourselves off from the Church by failing to attend the assembly; having Christ your head present and in touch with you, as he promised, do not underestimate yourselves or choose to separate the Savior from his members, or divide or scatter his body, or give your everyday needs more importance than the Word of God; rather, on the Lord's Day leave everything aside and come to the Church" ("The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles"). on the basis of the apostolic tradition, the Church has established a grave obligation to attend Mass on Sundays (cf. "Code of Canon Law", can. 1247). "On this day Christ's faithful are bound to come together into one place. They should listen to the word of God and take part in the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the passion, resurrection and glory of the Lord Jesus and giving thanks to God, 'who has begotten them anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' (1 Pet 1:3)" (Vatican II, "Sacrosanctum Concilium", 106).

In the same way—by listening to and meditating on the Word of God—Christians fulfill their equally serious obligation to improve their understanding of Christian doctrine.

Gospel Reading:

From: Luke 24:46-53

Jesus' Last Instructions And Leave-Taking
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[46] and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things." [49] And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but say in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The ascension of our Lord
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[50] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands be blessed them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. [52] And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53] and were continually in the temple blessing God.

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Commentary:
44-49. St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, because His immediate audience were Jews, who would accept this as proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. St. Luke does not usually argue along these lines because He is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epilogue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ's statement to the effect that everything foretold about Him had come true. By doing so He shows the unity of Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah.

46. From St. Luke's account we have seen how slow the Apostles were to grasp Jesus' prophecy of His death and resurrection (cf. 9:45; 18:34). Now that the prophecy is fulfilled Jesus reminds them that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead (cf. Acts 2:1-4).

The Cross is a mystery, in our own life as well as in Christ's: "Jesus suffers to carry out the will of the Father. And you, who also want to carry out the most holy Will of God, following the steps of the Master, can you complain if you meet suffering on your way?" (St J. Escriva, "The Way", 213).

50-53 St. Luke, who will report our Lord’s ascension in the Acts of the Apostles, here gives a summary account of this mystery which marks the end of Jesus’ visible presence on earth. St Thomas Aquinas explains that it was inappropriate for Christ to remain on earth after the Resurrection, whereas it was appropriate that he should ascend into heaven, because, although his risen body was already a glorified one, it now receives an increase in glory due to the dignity of the place to which it ascends (cf. Summa theologiae, 3, q. 57 a. 1).

“Our Lord’s Ascension also reminds us of another fact. The same Christ, who encourages us to carry out our task in the world, awaits us in heaven. In other words, our life on earth, which we love, is not definitive. ‘Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come’ (Heb 13:14), a changeless home, where we may live forever. […] Christ awaits us. We are ‘citizens of heaven’ (Phil 3:20), and at the same time fully-fledged citizens of this earth, in the midst of difficulties, injustices and lack of understanding, but also in the midst of the joy and serenity that comes from knowing that we are children of God” (St. J. Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 126).

We have come to the end of St. Luke’s narrative. Words cannot express the gratitude and love we feel when we reflect on Christ’s life among us. Let us offer God our desire to be ever more faithful children and disciples of his, as we savor this summary of Christ’s life given us by the Magisterium: “We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. He is the eternal Word born of the Father before time began […]. He dwelt among us full of grace and truth. He announced and established the Kingdom of God, enabling us to know the Father. He gave us the commandment that we should love one another as he loved us. He taught us the way of the Gospel Beatitudes, according to which we were to be poor in spirit and humble, bearing suffering in patience, thirsting after justice, merciful, clean of heart, peaceful, enduring persecution for justice’s sake. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, the Lamb of God taking to himself the sins of the world, and he died for us, nailed to the Cross, saving us by this redeeming blood. After he had been buried he rose from the dead of his own power, lifting us by his Resurrection to that sharing in the divine life which is grace. He ascended into heaven whence he will come again to judge the living and the dead, each according to his merits. Those who have responded to the love and compassion of God will go into eternal life. Those who have refused them to the end will be consigned to the fire that is never extinguished. And of his kingdom there will be no end” (Paul VI, Creed of the People of God, 11f).

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