Location: St. Andrew Catholic Church-Lytle
As the Church commemorates the Lord’s Ascension into heaven, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of St. Andrew’s Church in Lytle. What is next for this community?
The Ascension of the Lord is the full expression of his glorification in the encounter with the Father, revealing to us the ultimate consequences of the Resurrection. At the same time, Jesus shows us the final destination to which we are invited. But first, we must travel the path marked by the mission that the Lord entrusts to us. It is his own mission, in which He makes us participate through the work of the Holy Spirit. Like the apostles, we must prepare our hearts with total obedience to receive the Holy Spirit, who will make us fulfill our mission. The Lord becomes present in the world through the fulfillment of the mission of his missionary disciples.
The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, describes the Ascension of Jesus as the culmination of the Lord’s earthly ministry. This event marks the beginning of a new phase for the community of disciples and leads them to the birth of the Church. As Jesus physically ascends to heaven, his presence remains with us through the Holy Spirit, enabling us for the task before us. This passage also highlights the importance of looking outward at the world and its needs, rather than simply focusing on the heavenly kingdom we want to reach. The departure of Jesus challenges us to engage with the world, bringing about transformation and redemption through the Gospel.
The second reading, from the Letter to the Ephesians, emphasizes the unity of the Church in the Holy Spirit. The Church is founded on a common faith and hope in Christ. She reminds us of our vocation as members of the Body of Christ.
We are called to live our faith in community and to proclaim the Gospel to the world. This passage highlights the meaning of Baptism as an entrance into the community of believers and reception of the Holy Spirit. As the physical Body of the Lord ascends to the glory of the Father, both the Father and the Son send us the Holy Spirit, who makes present the Mystical Body of Christ, which is his Holy People: the Church. The presence of the Mystical Body of Christ is extended through the work of Christians moved by the Holy Spirit.
Finally, the reading from the Gospel of Mark presents Jesus’ commission to his disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations. This mission is not only a continuation of Jesus’ own ministry but also a call to imitate his example of love, compassion, and service. Like Saint Andrew, who called his brother Peter to meet his Savior, we partake in the same mission.
The Lord expects us to call others to encounter Jesus, in the hope that they will receive an even greater mission. As followers of Christ, we are called to participate in the ongoing work of building God’s kingdom on earth, confronting evil and bringing hope to all who suffer.
Our communion in Christ makes us sharers in a profound responsibility, which at the same time is the privilege of our vocation as Christians. Just as Jesus entrusted his disciples with the mission of spreading the Gospel, we too are called to be witnesses of his love and mercy in the world. It is good for us that the Lord has ascended to heaven, because, as Pope Francis has said, Jesus “does not want to limit our freedom. On the contrary, he leaves space to us, because true love always generates a closeness that does not stifle, is not possessive, it is close… Indeed, true love makes us protagonists.”
May Our Lady of Guadalupe help this parish to take its next steps in the mission.
