May 21, 2009. Homily Ascension Thursday 2009.

Mark 16: 15-20.

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and proclaimed the word through accompanying signs.
The Gospel of the Lord.

This is the Ascension. This is the end of the Gospels. Jesus has lived His life, gone through the Passion, Death and Resurrection, and now spent these days of His resurrection giving His last instructions, and preparing His apostles for the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. And now, today, is the Feast of His Ascension.

The first reading is from Acts, the Ascension according to Luke. Luke addresses Theophilus. Theo - God; philus - lover; thus, Theophilus - God lovers; and Theophilus - lovers of God. Luke writes not to the Jews, or to the fallen away Jews, or to the Gentiles, not to any ethnic group but to all lovers of God. Luke reports Jesus telling the apostles, to preach His Word in Judea, in Samaria, and throughout the world; to preach to the Jews (Judea), the apostate Jews (Samaria), and then all others, us (throughout the world). The second reading is from Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, the greatest of the apostles. So, both readings and the Gospel are readings of evangelization.

As is the Gospel for today, the Gospel according to Mark, the addendum to Mark, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." When I was ordained, the bishop who ordained me, Cardinal Egan, told all the ordinandi: "Read the Gospel, believe what you read, preach what you believe, practice what you preach." And that is the point of this Gospel and my instruction to you: "Read the Gospel, believe what you read, preach what you believe, practice what you preach." In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.