June 1, 2025
Ascension of the Lord
FOCUS: May we be Christ’s joyful witnesses to the ends of the earth.
On this Solemnity of the Ascension, we recall with praise what Jesus has done for us by his suffering, death, and resurrection. We are called to not simply meditate on these events, but to bring the fruits of our prayer into the world as his witnesses. This is the task of the Church – to preach the Gospel to all nations – and we participate in this individually by living and proclaiming our faith within our own spheres of influence.
What's in Your Heart
Whichever of the second readings you hear today, what they say is remarkably similar. Both talk about a great gift but also a great responsibility. The “holy ones” who believe in the risen Christ achieve a special status. Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension have opened the door to the heavenly sanctuary where the assemblies of Earth and heaven become one. All share in God’s victory over sin. All are cleansed.
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How are you an active part of Christ’s mission?
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How do you seek—and give—forgiveness?
Homily Stories
One of the most important things Christ had done, Saint Paul wrote in the second chapter of his Letter to the Colossians, was to forgive sins. To explain that Paul chose his words carefully—particularly the verb describing what Christ did with our sin. He “obliterates” it, the New American Bible translation says (Col. 2:14). Paul could have used other words with milder meanings, but he very deliberately picked a word that conveys the idea that God erases all traces of our sin from the record. God not only forgives; God forgets, too.
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This is the miracle of God’s forgiveness of sin. But along with this miracle comes a great responsibility—the responsibility to do likewise, to forgive others as God forgives us. Jesus spoke often of this duty to forgive. One day, Peter decided to question Jesus more closely about it (Matt. 18:21ff). He wanted to know where the limits are. He asked, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
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We all ask Peter’s question. When do we stop forgiving the wayward spouse, the hostile in-law, the vindictive neighbor, the scheming co-worker? Jesus gives Peter a hard answer. He answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” “Seventy-seven times” is a reference to an infinitely large number. We never stop forgiving, Jesus says.
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But it is possible to forgive this way, precisely because we are forgiven this way. God does not forgive us because we deserve to be forgiven. We are sinners who are redeemed by a merciful, loving God, a God whose mercy knows no bounds. We can forgive those who have wounded us not because they deserve to be forgiven, but because the grace of forgiveness lives in us.
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—Adapted from “God obliterates your sins”
First Reading
Second Reading
Gospel
Quotes
Ascensions into heaven are like falling leaves, sad and happy all at the same time. Going away isn’t really sad, especially when your going enables a new kind of presence to be born.
—Macrina Wiederkehr