As we mature, we begin to look for meaning in our lives. We spend our youth learning about the world and about ourselves. We discover our interests, talents and abilities, and sharpen them to a high degree. And then, we grow restless. We look for our purpose. We question why we are here and what we are meant to be doing. If we do not find the answer we can become frustrated and anxious. Saint Augustine realized the answer to our restlessness, is God. “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
When Jesus ascended to the Father, His disciples had every reason to feel frustrated and anxious. They had just lost their beloved leader for the second time. And yet Saint Luke tells us they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. They were joyful because Christ revealed to them their mission, their purpose in life. Their lives now had meaning.
It is the same mission that God has given to each of us, to be His witnesses, to carry the message of the Gospel to all the nations of the world. How we accomplish this mission will be different for each one of us, according to those interests, talents, and abilities we have discovered within ourselves.
This is the core of the Gospel message. The salvation of mankind is offered to the entire world through the witness of His followers, the witness of the Church. At the end of every mass Christ blesses us, through His priest, and renews our mission.
Pax vobiscum
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord