Mk. 16: 15-20
“The great commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed…”(Hudson Taylor). Hudson Taylor was a great protestant Christian missionary in China. He had shared meeting a young man called Wang, a Chemistry student and a champion of martial arts. Wang shared a moving personal experience with Taylor that he quoted in his writings. Once Wang made a bicycle journey during his summer holidays, intending to know the soul of the great Chinese civilisation. He travelled along the Yellow River, the birth place of Chinese civilisation. He crossed thousands of miles and reached a mountain village. Wang realised that those villagers live in utter poverty to the extent that no woman would marry into that village. Once they reach the age of marriage, the village women leave their village and go to some other town and get married there. They clothed themselves in rags. When the villagers realised that one college student had come, all gathered around him, young and old. As everyone stood around the tiny oil lamp, the elder brought a bundle wrapped in black cloth.
They asked him to open the bundle; with his trembling hands slowly, he opened the pile, one layer at a time, with utmost care. Soon he realised that it was a Bible. The elder told him the story behind the bundle. An American missionary came to their village for preaching the Good News. But he was expelled from China during Mao’s liberation. The American missionary handed over this Bible to them, and the villages kept it as their precious treasure. Since no one could read and write, when they gather secretly for their prayer meetings, this bundle would pass among the villagers. They hold it in their hand one by one for a while and experience the presence of God… they were longing to know what is written in the Book and praying for someone who could read and explain to them what is written in the book. Now they were overjoyed because their prayers were answered.
Wang started to read the Word of God for them. The villagers listened to the Word of God intently. They all fell into a trance, and no one left or moved. Without feeling tired, he continued reading late in the night. Whenever he posed, they insisted him read some more. Before a rooster was crowing, villagers asked him to conclude the reading for that day and left for their work in the field, and Wang took a nap. This routine continued for several days. And it was time for Wang to return to his university to resume his studies. The entire village came to bid him farewell. They presented him a sack full of sweet potatoes, the best gift that they could offer from their village. It was their expression of heartfelt gratitude. They would not let him leave the village without taking it. On the way, he had to give up many things to lighten his luggage and carry on his long journey, but he accepted this precious gift of sweet potatoes home and a rekindled faith that he earned by being with them…
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord. After his resurrection, having spent forty days on earth goes back to his eternal glory and to be with His Father. The feast of Ascension is marked by the final commandment that Jesus gave to all his disciples: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” This commandment is not limited to a particular place, race, even goes beyond humanity and includes the entire cosmos. At times we take for granted that this mission of proclaiming the Good News to the whole creation was entrusted to the apostles and other disciples of Jesus, and when apostles took the gospel to different parts of the world, this mission was accomplished. The commandment of Jesus meant for all his disciples of all the times, and this commandment should be carried on till the end of time. No one could receive baptism unless they know Christ and the salvific mission of Jesus. Unless we proclaim Christ, his Good News, and witness his gospel through our way of life, no one would come to believe in Christ.
It does not mean that all of us have to abandon our family, all that we possess and commit ourselves entirely for the proclamation of the gospel. Yes, some people are called by the Lord for this specific mission by being a priest or religious or evangelizer or catechist. However, all the others can be effective instruments of evangelisation by living our Christian values wherever we are. Jesus has told his disciples: “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have a love for one another.”(Jn. 13:35)
In different parts of the world, Church encounters various forms of crisis because the baptised faithful are not practising their faith. They consider Christianity as an institutionalised religion and a great obstacle to their freedom. Who is responsible for this? We need to acknowledge that we failed in our words and deeds in giving witness to each other. As a result, we could not convince them what it means to be a follower of Christ and the purpose of proclaiming the gospel to the whole creation as our primary mission. This mission of proclaiming Good News is not our efforts or attempt. We do this mission being in communion as well as in collaboration with the Holy Trinity. It is our relationship with the Trinity that makes our witness efficacious. As we celebrate that feast of Ascension, let us live the final commandment of Jesus with our whole heart so that our life witnesses inspire others to follow Jesus…