HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Year A)

May 17, 2026

248

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First Reading

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (1:1-11)

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,"

When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9)

(R) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

All you peoples clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness; for the Lord, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth. (R)

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. (R)

For king of all the earth is God; sing hymns of praise. God reigns over the nations, God sits upon his holy throne. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians (1:17-23)

Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And he put all things beneath Christ's feet and gave him as head over all thing to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (28:16-20)

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshipped, but some doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with your always, until the end of the age."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

An elderly man visits the same spot in a local park every day, places a single flower on the empty seat beside him and sits there quietly for an hour. One day, another visitor, who has been watching this routine, asks the man why he always comes to a seemingly empty bench and does the same thing every day. The man explains that it is the exact same place where he asked his late wife to marry him. Even though she has passed away, he is keeping a promise he made to her that he would never stop showing up to prove that love doesn't end - it just changes.

Prior to His ascension, Jesus made a similar promise to His disciples. He reassured them that although His earthly physical presence would come to end, His spiritual presence and love would remain with them eternally.

Today we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, Jesus' bodily return to heaven forty days after His resurrection. This glorious event signifies the triumphant conclusion of Jesus' earthly presence and mission, and His taking a seat at the right hand of God the Father, fulfilling the scriptures and marking the beginning of His heavenly reign. In today's gospel from Matthew (28:16-20), we read that before His ascension, the risen Jesus appeared to His disciples for the last time and gave His final instructions - often known as the Great Commission - commanding them to go to all nations, baptize people, teach them His ways and make them His disciples, and then He spoke the most comforting words, "I am with you always until the end of the age."

The exact phrase, "I am with you always" occurs only once in the Bible and that is in today's gospel. But the promise of perpetual divine presence is repeated in various forms throughout both the Old and New Testaments. God's promise of His presence fundamentally began when God commanded Abram to leave his land for an unknown destination and reassured him not to fear, because He would be his protector and reward, Genesis (15:1). Then God alleviated Abraham's son Isaac's anxiety about famine and hostile neighbours, and confirmed His ongoing presence by stating, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you", Genesis (26:24). Later, God renewed His promise of continual presence and protection to Isaac's son, Jacob, by declaring, "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go", Genesis (28:15).

Then, when Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, God eased his insecurity and fear of inadequacy with the promise, "I will be with you", Exodus (3:12). Throughout their desert wanderings, God manifested His divine presence and care to the Israelites through cloud, fire, manna, water, and commandments, Exodus (13:21-22; 16:4; 17:6 and 31:18). Again, through prophets, God continually reminded the Israelites not to fear because His unwavering presence was with them, Exodus (14:13); Deuteronomy (31:8); Isaiah (41:10; 43:5); Joshua (1:9) and Jeremiah (1:8; 15:20). Thus, God constantly promised to bless, provide, and protect the patriarchs, prophets and the people and He did keep His promises far beyond their lifetime.

During the 400-year gap between the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, and the angel Gabriel's announcement to Zechariah about the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, which is famously known as the "400 years of silence", God ceased speaking through canonical prophets and no new authoritative scripture was written, but He was actively present behind the scenes, orchestrating major global shifts to prepare the world for Jesus. God also sent angels to physically announce His presence, the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus to both Mary and Joseph, and later to shepherds, providing them with divine confirmation and reassurance, Luke (1:28-30; 2:8-20) and Matthew (1:20). Finally, the birth of Jesus marked the ultimate fulfilment of God's promise to dwell among humanity with the prophetic name Immanuel, meaning "God with us", Isaiah (7:14) and Matthew (1:23).

By stepping into human history as a vulnerable child, God chose not to remain a distant, untouchable deity, but instead revealed His presence up close, intimately sharing in human experience. He took on human flesh in the person of Jesus and walked the earth for roughly 33 years. However, His public, active ministry lasted only about three years. For three years He walked alongside His followers in everyday life. He lived and dined with them. He preached to them. He taught them how to pray and showed them how to love and forgive others. He performed numerous miracles, including healing the sick, feeding the crowds, and calming storms. Thus, Jesus transformed His relationship with His followers from one of master and servant or teacher and student to one of deep, intimate friendship and fellowship. His physical presence, teachings, and miracles led them to recognize Him as the long-awaited Messiah who would save the world. However, their hope and faith were shattered when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, put through an unjust trial, and brutally executed by Roman crucifixion.

Following Jesus' death, the disciples were paralyzed by grief, confusion, doubt, fear, and uncertainty. However, three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and remained on earth for forty days. During this time, He repeatedly presented Himself alive to the disciples to prove His resurrection, comfort them, restore their faith, and prepare them for their future mission. These encounters completely transformed the disciples, allowing them to profoundly treasure the living presence of the resurrected Jesus. But now, in His ascension, Jesus was leaving them again. And this time His departure would be permanent. Moreover, they had the daunting task of walking in the footsteps of Jesus and continuing His ministry here on earth. They were to go far beyond the borders of Judea and Galilee. They were to cross all cultural, social, and linguistic barriers to preach the gospel and make followers.

Knowing the immense physical and spiritual challenges ahead, Jesus promised to be with His disciples always until "the end of the age". Of course, He would not physically be with them but guide them through the Holy Spirit, much like how He guided them Himself. Because He is not just the man Jesus whom they had seen and lived with, but He is also God who holds "all power in heaven and on earth". Just as Jesus promised, His presence and power accompanied the disciples as they travelled, preached, healed the sick, performed signs, and made disciples. The Book of Acts and the Epistles beautifully record how God remained intimately involved and actively present in the daily lives, decisions, and struggles of the early church.

What is the message for us?

Jesus made numerous promises throughout His earthly ministry. One of the well-known promises is, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest", Matthew (11:18). This was a personal invitation from Jesus to anyone feeling exhausted, or overwhelmed by life's heavy loads, to come to Him for inner peace and spiritual rest. It is a call to bring all our emotional, spiritual, or physical struggles to Him rather than trying to carry them alone. Another promise is, "Where two or three gathered in my name, there am I with them", Matthew (18:20). This promise serves as a reminder that the presence of Jesus is not limited to large crowds or grand structures but is actively present whenever and wherever believers - even in the smallest groups - gather and unite sincerely in His name. It means that we are never alone in our faith, prayers, fellowship, or conflict.

The other promise is, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid", John (14:27). Here, Jesus promises His own unique peace as a gift to His followers. Unlike fleeting worldly peace, which depends on favourable circumstances, financial status, and external conditions, Jesus offers His divine, unshakable peace, regardless of our external situation. He assures us that His peace will remain steadfast through life's storms, so we don't have to live in fear or anxiety.
The Apostle Paul says, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so, through Him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God", 2 Corinthians (1:20). The word "Amen" essentially means "it is so" or "so be it" or "it is true." So, Paul's statement here implies that every promise God has ever made - such as salvation, forgiveness, deliverances, and eternal life - is guaranteed, secured and fulfilled through Jesus Christ, which brings ultimate glory to God. Therefore, as believers, we can confidently trust, expect, and rely on every single word Jesus has spoken. His Word is absolute and trustworthy.

However, Christ's promise in today's Gospel, "I am with you always, until the end of the age", is the ultimate promise of comfort and assurance. Jesus gave this promise directly to His first followers. However, by saying "until the end of the age," Jesus extended His active presence, protection, and fellowship to all believers across time and every generation, including you and me, highlighting His unchanging nature and eternal faithfulness, which the writer of Hebrews famously declares, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever", Hebrews (13:8). Jesus' prayer just hours before His crucifixion, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word", John (17:20), proves that His desire for a continuous, active presence among all future believers, securing their unity, protection, and eternal fellowship. Moreover, Jesus promised not just to be with believers, but to dwell within them, through the Holy Spirit, whom He referred to as an "Advocate" or "Helper", John (14:16-18; 14:26; 16:7). This is the ultimate reassurance that we are never alone in our daily life, challenges, or personal mission, as His presence remains constant until the end of time.
Life is indeed tough. For us Christians, this journey is even more challenging because we are tasked with a heavy responsibility: to step out of our comfort zones, cross cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries, and make disciples by sharing the teachings of Jesus and baptizing them in the name of the Trinity. But today's Gospel powerfully reassures us that we are never alone. No matter how tough our mission is, the resurrected Christ is with us every step of the way. We Christians, do not worship a dead martyr but a risen, living Saviour, who defeated sin and death once and for all, who is actively present and alive in the world today through the Sacraments, the Scriptures, the Church, and fellow believers, who listens and walks alongside us every day offering encouragement, comfort, strength, and peace, who hears our prayers, and is preparing a place for us in heaven. Because all power in heaven and on earth has been placed under His control. Through the Holy Spirit, we have reassurance that God is in control and that He is with us always, until the end of the age. May this promise sustain us as we seek to make disciples and live as God's messengers on earth, no matter what trials or obstacles come our way.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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