HOMILY OF ASCENSION DAY YEAR B
Acts 1:1-11, Eph 4:1-13, Mark 16:15-20
THEME: JESUS PARTING GIFT
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he made a promise of the coming Holy Spirit. This special promise was made to his church which he prayed that they may be one. Paul puts it thus,
“There is one body, and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to our call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all who is above all and through all and in all.” Eph 4:4-6
However, we may run the risk of focusing on the promised Holy Spirit and forget the essence of the Lord’s coming into the world. Separating the manifestation of the Holy from the ministry of Christ cannot but yield only fruits of division and self worshiping. The one who made the promise is always faithful. Ours is to be faithful to his mission.
The promised Holy Spirit is more effective in our lives if we welcome him with the readiness to witness to the kingdom of God. The Lord said, “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.”
The Lord Jesus also said, “Go into the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation…..And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the sign that attended it.” Mark 16:15-20
Hence, the power of God became more active among the disciples in the course of discharging their duties. It is not all manifestation of power that is of the Holy Spirit. Any Spirit that draws attention of people to man rather than God must be questioned. It is either it is not of God or he who possesses it has stiffened its real manifestation by the injection of his own ego power.
May our thirst for Christ and his power be well directed that God may work in us to achieve his greater glory. May the coming of the Holy Spirit always meet us with all readiness that befits true witnesses to the gospel of God’s grace. Amen.
