Being Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth

Reflection on the Gospel-Feast of the Ascension Year C

(Luke 24:46-53)

-Veronica Lawson RSM

Loss is part of the human condition and the physical death of a loved one is among the most painful experiences of loss. Today’s Feast of the Ascension invites us to face the experience of loss in a transformative way. In Ordinary Time, we celebrate the life and ministry of Jesus. Over the period of Lent and Easter, we have been remembering his death and resurrection. As we approach the end of the Easter season, the liturgy draws us into another aspect of the Mystery, that of the presence and absence of Jesus who has been raised.

The Lukan Ascension stories as found in the gospel and in today’s first reading (Acts 1:1-11) presuppose a pre-scientific, three-tiered understanding of the structure of the world. In this ancient view, God is in the heavens above and the prophet Jesus, like the prophet Elijah of old, is caught up into God’s realm from whence the Holy Spirit will “descend” upon God’s people. This vertical (up and down) movement is balanced by a horizontal movement.

In Acts, Jesus’ family and friends who grieve the loss of their loved one are told not to keep looking up to the heavens. They have work to do: they must return to Jerusalem for the present and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue the prophetic ministry of Jesus (“clothed with power from on high”), to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. They have to face the fact that the physical loss of Jesus means a new and different sort of presence and that they have a role to play in making him present in their world. Like us, the early Christians needed time to grasp each dimension of the one great mystery of God’s presence among them.

In the gospel account, the disciples gathered in Jerusalem are to be witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus. They are to proclaim a gospel of “repentance and forgiveness”. In the gospel (Luke 24:47) their audience is “all the nations”, while in Acts 1:8, they are commissioned to be witnesses to Jesus “in all Jerusalem, in Judaea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. In other words, the good news is not only for the earth’s human inhabitants but for the earth itself. Pope Francis, in calling us to be attentive to the cry of the poor, insisted that the earth itself is “among the most maltreated and abandoned of our poor” (Laudato Si’ 2).

Joy, peace and blessing have the final word in Luke’s gospel. They have permeated Luke’s story from the outset. Joy, peace and blessing fill our hearts as we give thanks for our newly elected pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. And as we prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we pray that the spirit of joy and peace that animated the earliest Christians will be with all of God’s people and that the entire planetary community might know the blessing of God.

Catholic Education Week 2025 will be celebrated from 26 – 30 May.

The theme for 2025 is: 'May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace.' (Romans 15:13)

Catholic Education Week is an annual opportunity for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat to celebrate their distinctive ethos and mission with their school and wider communities.

In 2025, 52 primary schools and 11 secondary Colleges educate more than 18,500 students and employ almost 3,000 teachers and staff across the diocese from Mildura in the north, Portland in the south, and west to Edenhope and Nhill.

2025 Theme

2025 is the Jubilee Holy Year, the 2,025th anniversary of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The concept of "Jubilee" originates in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 25) as a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming home. Jubilees are now celebrated every 25 years. Pope Francis has designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope." Our theme is built on the Jubilee while drawing on the gift of scripture where St Paul writes to the community of believers in Rome.

The context of the greater passage of St Paul’s letters to the Romans is to provide direction, encouragement, and guidance to the community of believers in Rome, a community that Paul had not met personally. In the Ballarat Diocese today, as a community of communities from the Murray to the Sea, we are also tasked to uplift and guide those within our Catholic Christian educational community.

We draw on the inspiration of Pope Francis and the wisdom of St Paul as we strive to bring the peace and joy that God offers to the people of our communities.

Loving God,

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you guide and nurture the minds and hearts of the young.

May the God of hope grant you wisdom to teach with truth, patience to lead with compassion, and faith to inspire with love.

May you always find strength in the mission to reflect Christ’s light in your service, and may your work bear lasting fruit in the lives of those you serve.

Amen.