At the Regina Coeli, Holy Father Pope Francis focused his reflection on the Solemnity of the Ascension and explained the two main elements of the feast of Ascension. His Holiness Pope Francis highlighted the essence as “On the one hand, it directs our gaze to heaven, where Jesus, glorified, sits at the right hand of God. On the other, it reminds us of the beginning of the mission of the Church.”
As reported by Vatican Radio, Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “The mission to spread the Gospel, which Jesus commits to the Church, is literally unlimited. This seems particularly audacious when we look at the small band of disciples to whom Jesus entrusted that mission. But this helps us realize that the Church can fulfill her mission only with the strength that God Himself gives. This mission, begun by the Apostles, has been carried on by their successors through the ages and continues even today. It requires the collaboration of all of us.” Further, His Holiness added, “The Ascension also reminds us that we must be ready to meet Jesus and serve Him and to be His witnesses to our fellow women and men. We must seek after Christ in our own day, and bring His words of salvation even to the ends of the earth.”
His Holiness Pope Francis concluded his remarks by with the prayer that the Blessed Virgin Mary might help us to “lift up our hearts” to Jesus, and at the same time, to have “our feet on the ground” in order to courageously proclaim the Gospel in our own lives.
