Ascension is traditionally celebrated on Thursday, but many churches officially celebrate this on Sunday.

This week's reflection on the Ascension will call to mind our own spiritual journey that we take in our lives. Like the apostles, we too must go back into the world and share in witnessing the social message of peace and justice that is revealed to us through Jesus Christ.

As one writer put it, “Because of the ‘great commission’ of Jesus on the Mount of the Ascension, we, too, are sent to teach others the compassion and mercy of God that have blessed our lives. We are to be the means for our communities to experience the love and hope of God that we have come to know. We are to reveal the healing forgiveness of God to the broken and the lost that transforms and heals us.”

This point is extremely important for us at this time in our world’s history.

After Easter Sunday, Christmas is the second-greatest feast in the Christian liturgical calendar, but Pentecost Sunday is not far behind. Coming 50 days after Easter and ten days after the Ascension of Our Lord, Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.

Pentecost Sunday is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, celebrated early enough to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (20:16) and Saint Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (16:8). It supplants the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover, and celebrated the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai.

Pentecost is often called the birthday of the church, and, in a way, it is our birthday too. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to be with us and to sustain us. We receive the same gift given to the apostles and disciples through our baptism and confirmation.

Indeed, we are given the same power and support whenever

we receive the Eucharist. We have been given a new life in faith.

Jesus sends us to do His work. Are we ready to go?

-Fr. Tarcisio