The reason for the mission

THE STORY is told about a man who visited his mother's grave. While praying, he overheard the man visiting the next grave repeatedly saying "Why did you have to die? Why did you have to die?" Wanting to be of comfort, he approached the man and said, "Sir, I can feel your pain. But tell me, for whom do you mourn so deeply? Your child? Your parent?" The mourner took a moment to collect himself and then replied, "My wife's first husband."

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Today is Ascension Sunday. In today's Gospel, (Lk. 24, 46-53) Jesus explains to His disciples why He had to suffer and die, and on the third day rise again. This had to happen. Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told His disciples that the mission does not end with His departure. They were to preach forgiveness and repentance to all nations in His name. They were to be His witnesses. They were to carry on His mission.

Are you in any way continuing Christ's mission with who you are and with what you are doing now? Is His mission your mission? Is His vision your mission? Is His agenda your agenda? Is He in your agenda at all?

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Jesus was a very practical boss. He knew His disciples were weak and their faith was fragile, so His last-minute instruction was for them to remain in the city until they were "invested with power from above." He made sure they would be fully charged with the Spirit. They were to wait and prepare themselves for the mission. There is wisdom in waiting. There are reasons for delays.

A missionary is not one who is always on the move. He is one who knows how to sit still and allows himself or herself to be moved.

What moves you? What drives you?

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I had an "Ascension moment" when I celebrated the Eucharist for our departing missionaries last May 18. Some 38 priests, brothers, sisters and lay persons from different congregations joined the "Missionary Alis-Bayan" program this year. It is a program to help prepare our Filipino missionaries who are about to leave for foreign missions. Headed by Sister Evelyn, S.Sp.S. and by Father Dante Venus, SVD, this program gives the departing missionary the necessary tools and mind-set for better integration into the foreign missions. It was so inspiring to be with missionaries so full of zeal and idealism. I'm sure they have a lot of fears and worries-and loneliness, too-but, they knew the reason for their mission, and that was all they needed to go and to go on.

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Latent in the question "Why did Jesus have to die?" is the existential question "Why must there be goodbyes?" Life is a series of goodbyes and the final goodbye, of course, is death. However, in Jesus' resurrection and ascension, we are given the assurance that nothing, not even death, can separate us from God and from one another. Jesus has conquered death. Where once there was a wall, Jesus has put a door. What once was a dead-end has become an opening called "till-we-meet-again."

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Another "ascension moment" came last May 17. I was at the "mission cross-giving ceremony" for our four newly ordained priests at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City. All departing missionaries are given a mission cross to bring with them wherever they go. The cross is their companion in all their travels, to serve as their consolation in their sorrows, their comfort in their toils, sickness and persecution. The cross is the reason for their mission. It was a moving experience as we prayed over and sent off our four young confreres, who, in the prime of their lives said goodbye to home, family and country, to go and "preach the Gospel to all creation." It was ascension all over again.

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I have cried many times in prayer with my mission cross in hand. Sometimes there is nothing more to say, and nothing more to do but embrace the cross. I have found so much comfort in just holding on and embracing the cross. In the cross, I have often found the reason for everything, and the mission in everything. Have you ever cried with your God? If you have, you must be very close to Him. Have you prayed in tears? If you have, then you must know what prayer really is.

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The Ascension was premised by a mission. I wonder how many of those who will "ascend" to elected positions will have a true mandate from the people, or will have a sense of mission for the people. Let's pray for the people. Let's pray that those who ascend to glory will bring people with them on their way up.

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Public service is a public trust. If those people who serve us are not trustworthy or do not have our trust even in the way they got their mandate, then there is something basically wrong. Let the Ascension of the Lord serve as a strong reminder to our leaders of their mission to lead and of the need for them to have the moral ascendancy to lead.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, remind me, again and again, that you are the reason for whatever mission I have in this life. Amen.