On Sunday, May 17, the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Archbishop José H. Gomez administered the sacrament of confirmation on 23 young people at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The following is adapted from his homily.
The solemnity of the Ascension is a very special moment in the life of the Church every year. Our Lord is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and this is where he calls us to follow and to be with him.
As he rises to heaven, Jesus gives his Church its mission on earth: “Go … 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.”
It is also very special to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation today, because confirmation is the sacrament of mission, the sacrament in which Jesus puts his seal on our hearts and makes us his own.
So, my dear confirmandi, today Jesus claims you today for his mission. And you proclaim your commitment to be his disciples — to follow him, to share in his life and to share in the responsibility for his mission.
Jesus did not come to create an institution. He came to create a family, the family of God, the kingdom of God.
Jesus came to make one family out of all the nations of the world, to invite every man and woman to enter into his kingdom, to be sons and daughters of God, baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Each one of us in the Church, as baptized and confirmed Catholics, has a part to play in building up the family of God here on earth. We have an amazing call and a beautiful vocation!
So, Jesus speaks to each one of us in the first reading of today’s Mass when he says: “You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.”
A witness is one who testifies, not just in words but in our deeds. In the way we treat other people, in the way we love, we witness to the difference that Jesus makes in our lives. And in that way, we can help the people in our lives to discover Jesus’ love.
And in the same first reading of today’s Mass, Jesus tells his disciples “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise” of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
The first Christians did just what Jesus told them to do and went back to Jerusalem with Mary, Jesus’ Mother, and devoted themselves to praying together, celebrating the breaking of the bread, and living by the apostles’ teaching. And they awaited for the gift of the Holy Spirit that he promised to them.
For us, those first Christians continue to be our model, as disciples and as the Church. And something that is good to reflect on is how we need to stay close to our Blessed Mother Mary, and we also need to stay close to Jesus in the Eucharist.
Jesus goes to heaven, but he does not leave us alone on earth. He goes away, but he will never leave us behind. We heard his promise today in the Gospel: “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Let us ask Jesus for the grace to love and follow him more closely. Let us ask him to deepen our awareness of his presence in our lives and in the world around us.
Jesus came down from heaven to share in our human life, in all our sufferings and joys. Today he ascends into heaven. Now, every step we take in our human lives becomes a pathway to heaven because we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
My dear confirmandi, never forget that from now on you have the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And the gifts of the Holy Spirit are going to help you make the right decisions in life. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit — wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, piety, and reverence.
So, with an active faith and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to respond to Christ’s call to you, and you will have a beautiful and happy life.
As we await the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, let us all ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Angels, Mother of the Church.
May she help us to carry out the mission of our lives — to be witnesses to the love of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to all the nations.
