Father Ed Witt, SJ
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
The Ascension of the Lord, May 12, 2024

We celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension which the Lord completes his work here on earth – his healing, forgiving, loving mission – and he ascends to the right hand of the Father. He’s completed his mission, and that can be sad for us because we think maybe we’ve been orphaned and left behind, but the Lord assured us at the last supper, he will not leave us orphans. 

Next week we will celebrate Pentecost. He will send the Holy Spirit to be with us, to accompany us in the great works that he’s called us to do. 

The second reading reminds us that each and every one of us has been given some gift for the service of the Church. Each and every one of us. Our primary goal is to build up the Church rather than tearing it down. To bring unity rather than division. To employ our gifts for the building up the Body of Christ.

In the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples are told to just sit and wait for God to act in their lives. Maybe you’re in that position where you can’t be as active as you’d like to be, but you can pray can’t you. And you can wait, wait until the Lord gives what he wants to give you in your life – the things you’ve asked. Trust that he will give you what you need but wait patiently. 

In the Gospel, the commission is not to wait but to get out and get moving. Not just go to Israel or a small little area, but go out to the whole world, proclaim the news, the Good News, to every creature. And we’re going to learn new languages, we’re going to have to learn new languages, if we’re going to bring the Gospel everywhere. The Gospel is brought not only in Lakota but German, French, Spanish and not simply in Latin or Aramaic or Greek. So, we’re going to use many languages to proclaim this Word. 

Now a lot of this is not to be taken literally but seriously. You know in Louisiana they have snake handlers. They don’t trust God. They’re testing God. We are to trust God, not to test him. And so, this Gospel is saying there is nothing we can’t handle in our lives. Those serpents of our lives, we can handle it. Why? Because the Lord is with us. He accompanies us. 

A big part of my mission here at St. Isaac Jogues as a priest, and Tuesday I’m on call at the hospital, is to lay hands on the sick. To anoint the sick. That comes out of this commission in Mark. We’re still doing that today. I believe that’s a very powerful and healing sacrament. So, the Lord accompanies us no matter our circumstances. He’s given us some gift and he has not left us alone.