The Ascension is a profoundly missionary feast. First of all, it celebrates the universality of the significance of Jesus of Nazareth. The gospel of Jesus is good news not only for its  original hearers in the Mediterranean world, but also for people of other times and places, of other generations and cultures. After his resurrection, Jesus belongs no longer only to Israel or the people of the old covenant but to all peoples. The ascension seems to recall an episode in the public life of Jesus where he tells the crowds which wanted to prevent him from leaving: “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Lk 4:42-43).

For the risen Lord to be present to other peoples and places, he needed to “return to the Father” and “ascend to heaven.” And he sends his disciples to preach his gospel to all nations and all creatures. For this reason, the “ascension narratives” in the Synoptic gospels and the Acts of the Apostles all include a “mission mandate.” The mission of the Church is therefore fundamentally linked with the universal significance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, as God’s “first missionary,” Jesus knew when to leave. His own “mission mandate” has now come to an end. Or, perhaps better, his mission has now been fulfilled. The time has come for him to go and entrust God’s mission to his disciples. He was taking a risk in doing so. There was no guarantee that his disciples would be successful. His disciples were not perfect. Their leader denied him and all abandoned him during his passion. Even until now, some of them doubted and others continued to misunderstand his message. But these were all he had; the ones given to him by the Father. Even then, God’s mission had to be entrusted to them. Perhaps he could rely on their generosity and dedication. And so he promises to be with them until the end of time.

Thus, as Vatican II puts it, the Church built on the disciples is missionary by its very nature, from the very start. It is constituted so that disciples can be sent out to preach the good news of Jesus. Mission is its very raison d’etre, its reason for being. And so every member of the Church, every Christian, every disciple of Jesus is a missionary – sent by the risen Lord to witness to the Good News. We are not perfect. We are weak, imperfect and limited. But what the Lord asks of us is not great talents or outstanding abilities, but selfless generosity and unflagging dedication to the mission entrusted to us. After all, it is not our mission first and foremost but God’s. and the risen Lord has promised that he will be with us until the end of time.