Reflection for May 17, 2026

The Ascension of the Lord (A)

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 | Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 | Ephesians 1:17-23 | Matthew 28:16-20

​Today marks the fortieth day since Easter. The Easter story and the story of salvation are now approaching their climax. What does the Ascension of Jesus Christ mean for all of us? First, the Ascension invites us to embrace the vision of our Lord. Second, it calls us to pray for wisdom and revelation. Finally, it commissions us to continue God’s work here on earth.

​In the 1920s, the renowned priest-engineer Fr. Roque Ruaño personally supervised the construction of the magnificent Main Building of University of Santo Tomas in Manila. At that time, few people realized that the structure they were building would later be recognized as the first earthquake-resistant building in Asia. One day, a journalist visited the construction site and decided to interview three workers. Approaching the first man, he asked, “What are you doing?” The worker answered plainly, “I’m cutting stones for ten centavos a day.” The journalist then turned to the second worker and asked the same question. The man replied, “I’m putting in nine hours of work on this job.” Finally, he approached the third worker. With pride in his eyes and purpose in his voice, the man answered, “I’m helping Fr. Ruaño build the first earthquake-resistant building in Asia.” All three men were doing the same physical labor, yet each one saw his work differently. The first saw only the wages. The second saw only the hours. But the third saw a mission greater than himself. He understood that his work was part of something meaningful, something that would serve generations to come.

We have a job to do and a mission to fulfill. At the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus is taken up into heaven in the presence of the apostles. As He ascends, He gives us our primary mission as Christian disciples: “You will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” Jesus taught us faith, hope, love, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation not only through His preaching but also through the witness of His life. Our task is to bring these same gifts to others in the same way. Therefore, let us strive to learn all that Jesus did and taught through the daily study of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church. Let us encounter Him through personal prayer, the reception of the Sacraments, and works of charity. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, let us share with others the Jesus whom we ourselves have experienced. This is what the whole Church has done in countless ways throughout the ages, and it is the mission entrusted to each one of us in our families, among our friends, and within our communities.

One morning, Alan Peter received the phone and internet bill under the name of his son, Ronald. Instead of simply asking Ronald to settle the payment, Alan dramatically declared to the messenger, “I do not recognize the authority of the telco to bill my son!” The poor messenger stood there in stunned silence, wondering how delivering a utility bill had suddenly turned into a constitutional crisis. Hearing the commotion, the neighbors tried to explain, “Alan, the messenger is only doing his job. Your son Ronald actually has to pay because your family has been using the service.” But Alan remained completely unconvinced. In fact, he immediately instructed his son Ronald and daughter Imee to go on Facebook Live and announce to all their relatives and friends that the family was “being harassed.” That afternoon, telco employees arrived to disconnect the line for nonpayment. llan rushed into the house shouting, “We are under attack!” He stormed outside, accused the workers of oppression, blamed the neighbors for embarrassing him, and threatened legal action. Meanwhile, the telco crew quietly stood there holding a ladder, pliers, and the unpaid bill. Human understanding can sometimes be faulty and unreasonable. When pride clouds judgment, even an overdue internet bill can feel like persecution. And before anyone overthinks this story, remember: this is not about the Senate.

Earthly wisdom can be flawed, and more often than not, it is. In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul the Apostle prays for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that believers may come to know God more deeply. He prays that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened so they may understand three things about God: first, the hope to which He has called us; second, the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints; and third, His incomparably great power. Paul reveals something profoundly important here. The problem is not that we lack God’s calling, that we are excluded from His inheritance, or that His power is absent from our lives. These truths have always been present, but our eyes have often been unable to see them clearly. True wisdom is found in knowing the Lord. God desires not only that we know about Him, but that we truly know Him personally and intimately. Therefore, we must continually pray that God will open our hearts and minds so that we may understand more deeply who He is and all that He has lovingly done for us.

The Last Supper is considered one of the greatest masterpieces ever created. In 1495, Leonardo da Vinci began painting the enormous mural directly onto the plaster wall of the refectory of Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Measuring nearly fifteen feet high and twenty-nine feet wide, the painting captured the dramatic moment of Christ’s final meal with His disciples. Years later, when Louis XII conquered Milan, he became so fascinated by the masterpiece that he wanted to bring it back with him to France. Yet there was one problem: the painting was not on canvas, but on a wall. Refusing to let go of his dream, the king commissioned Leonardo and his studio to create a full-scale replica of the masterpiece on canvas. Leonardo began the work himself. With extraordinary care, he painted the faces of Jesus and Saint John, sketching their outlines and applying color with the brilliance that only he possessed. Then, unexpectedly, he stopped. Calling one of his most talented assistants, Andrea Solario, Leonardo instructed him to finish the painting. The young artist was overwhelmed. Horrified at the thought, he protested that he was neither worthy nor capable of completing a work begun by such a master. But Leonardo calmly silenced his fears with a question that would echo far beyond the walls of the studio: “Will not what I have done inspire you to do your best?” Those words carry a timeless lesson. Great missions are often entrusted to ordinary hands. Leonardo’s unfinished work became an invitation for his student to rise higher than his fears.

The ascended Jesus is our source of strength and encouragement. On this day more than two thousand years ago, Jesus passed on the responsibility for building the Kingdom of God to His followers. Does not the life of Jesus inspire us to continue and complete the mission He began? Ascension Sunday reminds us that each one of us is individually a part of the Body of Christ. We are His arms and legs, His eyes and ears; we are the living members of His presence in the world today. Jesus may no longer walk the earth physically to heal the sick, touch the outcast, or feed the hungry, but He now calls us to continue His work and become His presence here on earth.

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