Replies

From: Mark 16:15-20

Jesus Appears to the Eleven. The Apostle's Mission

[15] And He (Jesus) said to them (the Eleven), "Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. [16] He who believes and
is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned. [17] And these signs will accompany those who believe; in
My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [18]
they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will
not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will
recover."

The Ascension

[19] So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up
into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

The Apostles Go Forth and Preach

[20] And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked
with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it.
Amen.

Commentary:

15. This verse contains what is called the "universal apostolic
mandate" (paralleled by Matthew 28:19-20 and Luke 24:46-48). This is
an imperative command from Christ to His Apostles to preach the Gospel
to the whole world. This same apostolic mission applies, especially to
the Apostles' successors, the bishops in communion with Peter's
successor, the Pope.

But this mission extends further: the whole "Church was founded to
spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the earth for the glory of God
the Father, to make all men partakers in redemption and salvation....
Every activity of the Mystical Body with this in view goes by the name
of `apostolate'; the Church exercises it through all its members,
though in various ways. In fact, the Christian vocation is, of its
nature, a vocation to the apostolate as well. In the organism of a
living body no member plays a purely passive part, sharing in the life
of the body it shares at the same time in its activity. The same is
true for the body of Christ, the Church: `the whole body achieves full
growth in dependence on the full functioning of each part' (Ephesians
4:16). Between the members of this body there exists, further, such a
unity and solidarity (cf. Ephesians 4:16) that a member who does not
work at the growth of the body to the extent of his possibilities must
be considered useless both to the Church and to himself.

"In the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity of mission. To
the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of
teaching, sanctifying and governing in His name and by His power. But
the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical and kingly
office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world,
their own assignment in the mission of the whole people of God"
(Vatican II, "Apostolicam Actuositatem", 2).

It is true that God acts directly on each person's soul through grace,
but it must also be said that it is Christ's will (expressed here and
elsewhere) that men should be an instrument or vehicle of salvation for
others.

Vatican II also teaches this: "On all Christians, accordingly, rests
the noble obligation of working to bring all men throughout the whole
world to hear and accept the divine message of salvation" ("ibid.",
3).

16. This verse teaches that, as a consequence of the proclamation of
the Good News, faith and Baptism are indispensable pre-requisites for
attaining salvation. Conversion to the faith of Jesus Christ should
lead directly to Baptism, which confers on us "the first sanctifying
grace, by which Original Sin is forgiven, and which also forgives any
actual sins there may be; it remits all punishment due for sins; it
impresses on the soul the mark of the Christian; it makes us children
of God, members of the Church and heirs to Heaven, and enables us to
receive the other Sacraments" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 553).

Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, as we can see from these
words of the Lord. But physical impossibility for receiving the rite
of Baptism can be replaced either by martyrdom (called, therefore,
"baptism of blood") or by a perfect act of love of God and of
contrition, together with an at least implicit desire to be baptized:
this is called "baptism of desire" (cf. "ibid.", 567-568).

Regarding infant Baptism, St. Augustine taught that "the custom of our
Mother the Church of infant Baptism is in no way to be rejected or
considered unnecessary; on the contrary, it is to be believed on the
ground that it is a tradition from the Apostles" ("De Gen., Ad Litt.",
10, 23, 39). The new "Code of Canon Law" also stresses the need to
baptize infants: "Parents are obliged to see that their infants are
baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the
birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to
ask for the Sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly
prepared for it" (Canon 867).

Another consequence of the proclamation of the Gospel, closely linked
with the previous one, is that "the Church is necessary", as Vatican II
declares: "Christ is the one mediator and way of salvation; He is
present to us in His body which is the Church. He Himself explicitly
asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; John 3:5),
and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which
men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be
saved who, knowing that the Church was founded as necessary by God
through Christ, would refuse to enter it, or to remain in it" ("Lumen
Gentium", 14; cf. "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 4; "Ad Gentes", 1-3;
"Dignitatis Humanae", 11).

17-18. In the early days of the Church, public miracles of this kind
happened frequently. There are numerous historical records of these
events in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Acts 3:1-11; 28:3-6) and in
other ancient Christian writings. It was very fitting that this should
be so, for it gave visible proof of the truth of Christianity.
Miracles of this type still occur, but much more seldom; they are very
exceptional. This, too, is fitting because, on the one hand, the truth
of Christianity has been attested to enough; and, on the other, it
leaves room for us to merit through faith. St. Jerome comments:
"Miracles were necessary at the beginning to confirm the people in the
faith. But, once the faith of the Church is confirmed, miracles are
not necessary" ("Comm. In Marcum, in loc."). However, God still works
miracles through saints in every generation, including our own.

19. The Lord's ascension into Heaven and His sitting at the right hand
of the Father is the sixth article of faith confessed in the Creed.
Jesus Christ went up into Heaven body and soul, to take possession of
the Kingdom He won through His death, to prepare for us a place in
Heaven (cf. Revelation 3:21) and to send the Holy Spirit to His Church
(cf. "St. Pius X Cathechism", 123).

To say that He "sat at the right hand of God" means that Jesus Christ,
including His humanity, has taken eternal possession of Heaven and
that, being the equal of His Father in that He is God, He occupies the
place of highest honor beside Him in His human capacity (cf. "St. Pius
V Catechism", I, 7, 2-3). Already in the Old Testament the Messiah is
spoken of as seated at the right hand of the Almighty, thereby showing
the supreme dignity of Yahweh's Annointed (cf. Psalm 110:1). The New
Testament records this truth here and also in many other passages (cf.
Ephesians 1:20-22; Hebrews 1:13).

As the "St. Pius V Catechism" adds, Jesus went up to Heaven by His own
power and not by any other. Nor was it only as God that He ascended,
but also as man.

20. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the evangelist attests that the words
of Christ have already begun to be fulfilled by the time of writing.
The Apostles, in other words, were faithfully carrying out the mission
of our Lord entrusted to them. They begin to preach the Good News of
salvation throughout the known world. Their preaching was accompanied
by the signs and wonders the Lord had promised, which lent authority to
their witness and their teaching. Yet, we know that their apostolic
work was always hard, involving much effort, danger, misunderstanding,
persecution and even martyrdom--like our Lord's own life.

Thanks to God and also to the Apostles, the strength and joy of our
Lord Jesus Christ has reached as far as us. But every Christian
generation, every man and woman, has to receive the preaching of the
Gospel and, in turn, pass it on. The grace of God will always be
available to us: "Non est abbreviata manus Domini" (Isaiah 59:1), the
power of the Lord has not diminished.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

One Bread, One Body

<< Sunday, June 1, 2003 >>

Pentecost Novena - Day 3
Ascension

Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:17-23

Psalm 47
Mark 16:15-20

View Readings

“ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW ______”

“No sooner had He said this than He was lifted up before their eyes in a cloud which took Him from their sight.” —Acts 1:9

For almost forty years, a good Catholic father told his children to live for Jesus and to love Jesus especially by going to Mass — not only on Sundays but daily, or as often as possible. However, although some of his children went to Mass on Sundays, they never made the decision to live for Jesus. Then the father said again what he had said for all those years, but this time he died. The children could no longer so easily dismiss or ignore their father’s words. One of his sons gave his life to Jesus and centered his life on the Eucharist.

For many years, Jesus has told His disciples many things. We are to:

downsize our lifestyles and choose poverty (Mt 5:3),
love and forgive our enemies (see Mt 5:44),
deny ourselves and take up our crosses each day (Lk 9:23),
wash the feet of others in sacrificial service (see Jn 13:5ff),
devote ourselves to God’s word and the communal life (Acts 2:42), and
spend our lives in being witnesses for Jesus (Acts 1:8).

Many Christians have ignored these commands of Jesus. However, when Jesus ascended, His disciples could not so easily dismiss His words.

May we receive this grace of the Ascension today. On this third day of the Pentecost novena, may we respond to Jesus’ words and take Him seriously.

Prayer: Jesus, may Your ways of being “absent” help me be more present and obedient to You.

Promise: “The Lord continued to work with them.” —Mk 16:20

Praise: “God mounts His throne amid shouts of joy; the Lord, amid trumpet blasts. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise” (Ps 47:6-7).