A: Solemnity of the Ascension (24 May 2020) - ONE STEP AT A TIME (Mt 28:16–20)

A famous Chinese proverb says that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

What this adage practically tells us are two important things. First is that we should not rush the process of reaching our destination. There are neither lottery nor quick-fix moments that magically transport one to the Promised Land. Thousand miles cannot be even reached by a day of drive; much more if trekked by foot. One should admit that the finish line is a long shot, yet, something that is not impossible to reach. Second is that each single step matters. While a single step is exponentially incomparable to thousand miles, the goal is unattainable without it. With diligence and perseverance, the seemingly unreachable star becomes nearer and nearer each day. Sooner or later, the goal is within one’s grasp.

Our occasion today features the Ascension of our Lord into heaven. Before he ascended, he had convened first his eleven disciples in a mountain in Galilee (Mt 28:16) to give them his ultimate instructions. He particularly enjoined them to go out and make disciples by baptizing (v. 19) and teaching his commandments to them (v. 20). This double-mission of baptizing and teaching is definitely a long ongoing process evinced by the use of the Greek present active participle “baptizontes” and “didaskontes,” respectively. This grammatical tense may infer that these verbs are inceptive (i.e., a beginning of a series of actions) and/or durative (i.e., habitual, progressive, or repetitive action), as opposed to being punctual (i.e., a one-and-done action). If he meant that the activities of baptizing and teaching are confined to a singular temporal event, the Matthean evangelist should have used the past tense instead. However, by using the present active participle, the ongoing nature of the disciples’ ministry is truly emphasized.

The Ascension event happened forty days after the Resurrection of our Lord. During these forty days, Jesus patiently appeared before his disciples on separate occasions, probably, in order to allow them to grasp gradually the fact that he is indeed risen and that they are being entrusted to carry on his big task from the Father. Despite these tedious efforts of Jesus, still some continued to doubt him (v. 17). Notwithstanding their readiness and disposition, Jesus passed the baton to them anyway even if they were not fully sold out to accept his mandate.

In our present situation of lockdown as one of the preventive measures for the escalation of COVID-19 infections, we are called to take each day of our lives in quarantine with dedication and fortitude. The word quarantine is derived from the Italian word “quarantina” (“forty days”) that refers to a period of isolation to deter any potential spread of disease or plaque to the public. While these days are slow, lonely, dull, and droning, anybody who wishes to protect the greater population should embrace this bitter pill with hope and courage.

Similarly, in the spiritual sense our journey on earth is a daily struggle against the debacle brought by sin. With Christ’s entrusted directive to carry on his mission of baptizing and teaching his goodness to others, we should painstakingly take each day as a moment of advancing gradually to our ultimate goal of attaining God’s reward in heaven. May we never tire of surviving amidst the monotony of the new normal in our society. Much more, may we never lose our sights on the dream for a better tomorrow, both on earth and in heaven.

- Rex Fortes, CM