Abbot Robert’s homily for the Solemnity of the Ascension
While praying in preparation for this liturgy I was led to three words, words that I would like to suggest offer a key to the depth of the mystery that we are celebrating in the Lord’s Ascension. Three words that must somehow impress themselves upon us and form us so that we, disciples of Jesus, can live our vocation fully and with excitement. What are these three words: Destination, Mission, and Encounter.
What more inspiring words do we need than those we have heard from Paul in the letter to the Ephesians?
“ that the God… may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.”
No wonder that Jesus, now ascended, lives to make intercession for us before the Father. He wants the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened so that we see clearly what is the hope to which he has called us. Why? Because where He has gone, we are to follow. We are heaven bound; it is written into our DNA. Heaven, that’s our destination. This is what the Preface for this Mass boldly proclaims: “…He ascended, not to distance himself…but that we…might be confident of following where he…has gone before.”
Maybe we need to allow that truth to sink in. This is not a sad farewell but an amazing foretaste of what is to come. We see His glory and in doing so we understand our own invitation to share in that same glory. We are heaven bound. We have a clear destination. Our greatest concern, therefore, is make sure we get to where we are meant to be? We must not lose focus.
Hence the Ascension is about mission, it is not a conclusion. “Don’t just stand there, mouths open looking upwards…Go?” The disciples were to go and share. Earlier Jesus had explained to the bemused disciples that He had been given all authority from the Father and He was now sharing this authority with them, with us. He was sent, empowered to announce the reign of God, the Kingdom had come and when the Kingdom is present, life changes. The only reason God entered our time and space was to announce that the time had come. The Kingdom was here.
If God can punch a hole into our world at the incarnation and create a bridge between ourselves and eternity. If during Jesus’ time on earth He could make the Kingdom present not only through preaching but with physical signs such as healing, feeding, prophecy and casting out demons. And if, through the action of the Holy Spirit, God can change bread and wine into the living presence of Jesus each day at Mass. Then I personally am simple enough to believe that He will anoint us with the gifts that we need to proclaim that Kingdom today.
So, the angel said to the disciples and says equally to us: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” We need to be energised once more not simply to collect numbers, as if that is a sign of spiritual vitality, but to ‘make disciples’. That is invest time in people who want to be with Jesus, so as to become like Him and then in our time, our day to do what He did in his earthly life. We are forming future leaders in the faith not more pew fodder. People who want to follow Him, align their lives, attitudes, values, actions with His. We are not looking for volunteers, admirers of Jesus, but rather people who are hungry for the fullness of life. We are sent to release the power from on high into others.
That brings us to our final word. To become a disciple is to live in relationship, a living encounter with the life changing Rabbi from Nazareth. We cannot become like Him unless we encounter Him daily. It is in our daily walk with the Lord Jesus that we can pass on to others the joy of knowing Him. So, the Ascension invites us to remember:
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We are always leaners. A Disciple is one who is always ready to lean. A lifelong learning process. In our daily encounter we keep on the journey of becoming.
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A disciple is learning to live and love like Jesus. Though we do this imperfectly we are consistent in desiring to be a window through which others can see and experience Him. The world around us calls us to seek affirmation, status, and personal fulfilment. The Gospel invites us to take, eat and become.
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A disciple wants to help others to do the same. We cannot keep Jesus to ourselves and the more we give Him away the stronger we ourselves become. By definition, a disciple is a ‘disciple maker’ one who gives witness and mentors others to become witnesses. We long for others to have the relationship we have found, a relationship so life-giving.
Destination, mission, and encounter. Take these words into today and live them and then the real power of the Ascension will become a reality in our lives.
Abbot Robert Igo, OSB
Ampleforth Abbey
14 May 2026
