The feast of the Ascension
The Ascension (Matthew 28, 16 – 20)
“And remember, I’m with you always, to the end of the age”
The texts of St. John, which have been suggested recently,we have been encouraged to meditate, to pray to God the Father and to renew our Faith in his Love.
Stéfan Thériault reminds us in the Hymn to Love:
“the desire of the Father so that all humanity
may learn to dwell in His Love…
A call to be drawn into this path of Love
so that we may let ourselves be loved“
in order to love others”.
Today, with the feast of the Ascension, the Church invites us to see Jesus in the continuity of His mission, “He returns to the Fatherfree from the law of space and time,
He leaves our world to enter into thatof God with our transfigured flesh. He
invites us to continue his mission”. (J.Kabangu).
The last vision Jesus had of His disciples was that of their flight (Mt: 26.56); now they are bowing down before Jesus, but some of them had doubts as they had not yet completed
the journey of faith that leads to an unshaken joy (Mt: 28.8).
Jesus said to them, “Men of little faith” (Mt: 14. 31). Faith remains a risk and it is through missionary action (Mt: 14.19-20) that the disciples will be able to overcome their doubts.
“Go and make disciples in all nations (Mt: 28.20): Mission is open to al human groups, without exception. The person of Jesus assumes all human history.
(Claude Tassin, in Gospel of Matthew).
Jesus sends His apostles on the roads of the world in search of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mt: 10. 6)
“While waiting to join Him eternally, He invites us to continue His mission at the heart of our ordinary life… we succeed when, through the Spirit, we make Him present through
our words and gestures, when we love without counting the cost, in His way”
We hear Father Pernet say:
“Let your gestures speak Jesus Christ”
TODAY, in the spirit of the feast of the Ascension, we can hear again our particular call as Little Sisters of the Assumption, to re-identify it in the places where we actualize our sending, our apostolic mission in community.
“All humanity is called by God to live in a covenant of love, with Him and to enter into His plan. His Word, proclaimed in Jesus Christ. It takes hold of us at the deepest level of our history.” (Rule of Life)“We also have been called by the Spirit, and we respond in faith, with the heart of a disciple”. (Rule of Life)
“As members of an international Apostolic Congregation we discover the universality of the message which gathers together people of every continent”. (Rule of Life)
“Am I really willing to proclaim – the Love of the Father and of the Son – this good for souls, both in my community and in the mission?” (Directory )
“In order to be in the intimacy of my soul…all for God my Father, as Our Lord Himself, and all for my neighbor, I will go … without fear or cowardice. For the glory of God and the salvation of the world”… (Sr. Humberte, in “Mission de la LSA”).
May this period of global and perplexing pandemi give us the opportunity to live consciously in Congregational Unity the Mission entrusted to us.
Céline HÉON – LSA-Canada