Religious Education and Social Justice

Feast of the Ascension

On Sunday 16th May, the Church will celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven he met with his disciples and gave them an important message.

The  Sunday Gospel reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

The Lord Jesus was taken into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God.

Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised is saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name, they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’

And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.

Reflection  on the Gospel

What were some of the things that Jesus told his disciples to do?

Imagine what the disciples must have been thinking when he talked about healing the sick, proclaiming the Good News to every part of the world. Maybe they were thinking they couldn't do that. Left on their own they probably couldn't but Jesus was not going to leave them on their own. The Holy Spirit was to come to help the disciples. But it was not just the disciples who would receive the Holy Spirit. We all received the Holy Spirit when we were baptised. We all can spread the Good News. 

Take some time to think about how you can spread the Good News.  Who do you know who shows, by his or her life, the strength of their faith. You don't always have to talk to spread the message that we belong to God; sometimes it is more powerful to show by our example.

Jane Wilkinson

Religious Education Leader