This week, as we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, we are reminded that all of us are called to follow Jesus and be His witnesses through our words and actions. Our Gospel this week from Mark says “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” and in our second reading from Ephesians, Paul says “I, a prisoner for the Lord, urger you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” Evangelization and being a witness takes many forms, and some of the best examples come from our families.
When I think about my mom and dad, what strikes me with both is how they have been such witnesses to the faith. With respect to my mom, she has been an incredible example of living out the faith. She’s a person of sacrifice, doing so much for the family. She’s always been a hard worker. She’s helped extended family, been active in our home parish, and does it all with love and joy. Now a grandmother, it’s a joy to see her and my nephew Henry who is 4 spend time together too, and I see the love she shows him just as I’ve known for 40 years. Above all else she’s always been there – day in and day out as the years went by to help with the homework, to uplift spirits, to talk to for advice, to help through childhood illnesses, to help me to learn things, to be there through the peaks and valleys of my life. Through how she leads her life, just as our blessed mother Mary brought Jesus to us, my mom (and odds are yours too) brings me closer to Him.
As a priest, I’ve gotten to know a number of families, and one of the constant things that amazes me is how hard parents work in living out their vocation and how the exhibit sacrificial, unconditional love. From great parents, we really see what it means to lead a life of living out the faith.
The Ascension marks Jesus returning to the Father, His mission on earth comes to an end. But it’s not just a celebration of an event that must have been amazing to witness. Rather, when we reflect on the readings, we have to look deeper to what Jesus wanted His disciples to do. In the first reading, He tells His disciples: “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria.” Paul, in our Second Reading, tells us “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call.” And the Gospel from Mark, Jesus says it’s now up to us to go into the whole world and live out the faith you have learned. The common theme here is that the follower of Christ has to respond to that faith. And through though vocations, our moms do that a million ways every day.
Our moms teach us this important reality, that the faith and our vocations need to be lived out daily. Just ponder for a moment all that our moms do for us: the getting up in the middle of the night when we are infants; helping us to tie our shoes and sound out words to read; helping us to learn who Jesus is and why we go to Mass; teaching us that we should think of others first from the basic “please and thank you” to the deeper sacrifices we make for one another. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Our moms teach us tolerance, patience, compassion. Are they perfect? Of course not (other than my own mom of course.) But in all seriousness while our moms are human just like we are and make mistakes, at the same time so may respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and grow in love as time goes by, helping us to see what it means to not just say one is a Christian, but rather how to live out the Christian way of life. Our moms through how they lead their lives do so much to teach us through words and actions how we can get to heaven.
So as you think about the Ascension and also all that your mom has done for you, take a page from her. Make some time for prayer. Help out a family member. Be generous with your time. If you’re still growing up and living at home, spend extra time on homework. Being inclusive to a person at school. If you have kids, make time for them and be a person who is patient and compassionate. Take you kids to Mass and make the faith the center of your life, not traveling sports leagues, school or being a busybody. If you have a loved one who is elderly and not mobile, make sure to call and visit them. Just think of our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, and the many family moments that happened over the years of Jesus life that weren’t recorded, and all that they sacrificed for the Lord and all the loved they demonstrated to Him. That’s evangelization in action.
Mother Teresa said “not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Our moms do that in so many ways day in and day out – and it’s something all of us who say we are Christian are called to do too. Let us truly do just that, and go and be a witness.
God bless,
Fr. Paul