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“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go,
therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold,
I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew
28:18–20
What a monumental task the Apostles were given! These are Jesus’
parting words as He stands on the Mount of the Ascension, the final
words recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. They are powerful words by
which Jesus entrusts extraordinary responsibility to eleven of His
closest companions. Their mission was not merely to gain new
followers but to proclaim the Gospel to every nation. Additionally,
they were to baptize all nations and teach them everything Jesus
had commanded.
This incredible task would have seemed daunting, if not impossible.
Yet it is grounded in divine authority: “All power in heaven and on
earth has been given to me. Go, therefore…” These are not mere
words of encouragement but a divine command, rooted in the
authority entrusted to Jesus by the Father. With this declaration,
Jesus equips the Apostles with the grace to fulfill their mission,
knowing they act under His authority.
The Ascension marks a fundamental transition in salvation history.
Before the Incarnation, God established covenants with His people
and sent prophets to call them to fidelity and prepare them for the
coming of the Messiah. With Jesus’ Incarnation, a new era of
salvation history began. Through His Passion and Resurrection,
Jesus opened the floodgates of grace and inaugurated the final
phase of God’s eternal plan. This phase continues today and will
only reach its fulfillment when Christ returns in glory to judge
the living and the dead and establish the new Heaven and new
Earth.
Because we live in this final phase of salvation history, Jesus’
words to His Apostles also apply to us. We are not only among the
“all nations” called to be disciples, but we also share in the
Apostles’ mission to evangelize the world. While the Apostles, as
the first bishops, had a unique role, every baptized person
participates in Christ’s mission through the priestly, prophetic,
and kingly offices conferred at baptism.
The recently canonized Saint John Henry Newman beautifully
illustrates this shared mission in a prayer he wrote: “God has
created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some
work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my
mission…I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between
persons….” Each of us has a unique role to play, and we can be
certain that God has given us some definite service to act as a
link in a chain and a bond of connection between God and
others.
Newman continues: “If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him,
in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my
sorrow may serve Him.” This reminds us that Jesus, the all-powerful
God who holds “all power in heaven and on earth,” can use every
aspect of our lives for His glory and mission—if we let Him.
Reflect today on two truths. First, consider your place among the
“all nations” called to become disciples. Second, reflect on your
duty as a disciple to share in Christ’s mission to evangelize the
world. As we celebrate our Lord’s Ascension, hear His commission
spoken to you. Embrace the privilege and responsibility of His
command, allowing His authority and presence to guide your life and
your mission.
Lord of all power in Heaven and Earth, You have called all
people to Yourself. I accept that call and open myself to Your gift
of eternal salvation. With my “Yes” to You, I also accept the
responsibility to share in Your mission of evangelization. Please
reveal Your will to me and empower me to fulfill my duty so that
all nations will hear Your saving Word. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image: Commission to Peter
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