A Living Example of Christ

Alexis Dallara-March shares a reflection on the Ascension of the Lord.

A most blessed Feast of the Ascension to you, brothers and sisters! Today we see that in the final chapter of Luke's Gospel, immediately prior to His glorious ascent, Jesus reminds us we are never alone. Foreshadowed by verse 49, Jesus promises to send the power of the Holy Spirit to His disciples.

I think sometimes the Holy Spirit can be more of a mystery for us than the Father or Son, whom Scripture offers far more guidance on. Yet the significance of the final component of the Most Holy Trinity must not be overlooked. It is through the Spirit that we can partake in God's Kingdom.

The final verses of Luke's Gospel note the great joy of the Apostles, continuously in the Temple blessing God. Having an active responsibility as Christians, we each have an individual duty to continue to carry Christ's teachings on in today's age. Pope Benedict XVI noted,

Every person carries within himself [herself], a project of God, a personal vocation, a personal idea of God, on what he [she] is required to do in history to build His Church, a living temple of His presence. (March 25. 2007)

We must have the wisdom to make use of this power in our day-to-day actions of caring for those around us, as a living example of Christ. Let us ask that we be made ablaze today and always in His unending love and compassion. May we recall Christ's reign as King of Heaven as well as His being eternally alive with each of us here on Earth. May His glory be praised forever.

What is one way today you will continue to make Christ known through your actions?