Fr. Jorge Miró shares with Exaudi readers his commentary on the  Gospel for Sunday, May 17, 2026,  entitled, “The Ascension of the Lord”

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Today we celebrate the solemnity of the ASCENSION OF THE LORD, a feast that has a profound meaning for our faith: forty days after the Resurrection he was taken up to heaven in the presence of the disciples, sitting at the right hand of the Father, until he comes in his glory to judge the living and the dead.

Christ died and rose again for this very reason: to be Lord of the dead and the living  (cf.  Rom  14:9). Christ’s Ascension into Heaven signifies his participation, in his humanity, in the power and authority of God himself. Jesus Christ is  Lord : he possesses all power in heaven and on earth… He is the  Lord  of the cosmos and of history. He intercedes for us as the mediator who assures us of the perpetual outpouring of the Spirit.

As Lord, Christ is also the head of the Church, which is his Body (cf.  Eph  1:22). Ascended into heaven and glorified, having thus fulfilled his mission, he remains on earth in his Church (cf.  Catechism  668ff).

The Lord is present in the Word we hear, which is a living Word that addresses each one of us; the Lord is present in the sacraments; the Lord is present in the assembly, in the Body of Christ that is gathered here in his name, celebrating the Eucharist.

Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the new creation. He is the first, and after Him we all follow, because we are called to be holy and blameless in love. We are called to go to heaven. The goal of our life and our faith is not to grow old, but to reach heaven.

The Ascension of Jesus Christ is already our victory, and it reminds you that the goal of your life is heaven, eternal life. Therefore, it invites you to  work for the food that endures.

To receive the  gift of the Holy Spirit,  you are invited to open your heart and proclaim Jesus Christ as  Lord  of your life, of your entire life. May there be no corner of your life left unlit by the light of Christ!

To proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord of your life means that each day, when you live, you don’t live according to the dictates of your heart wounded by original sin, nor do you follow the trends of the world. Rather, each day, when you live, you place yourself at the Lord’s feet and ask Him, “Lord, what do you want from me? How do you want me to live? What do you want me to do today in the specific things I have to do?”

The Lord invites you to live in  trust . The apostles asked Jesus, “  Lord, are you now going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”  It’s like you and I asking, “Lord, are you now going to solve all my problems?”

And Jesus answers us as he did the Apostles:  It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.

Now the time of the Spirit is about to begin  .  Next Sunday we celebrate Pentecost. The Spirit is the one who will do the work of the  new creation.  He will renew everything… if you let Him.

And  while Jesus was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven.

Jesus blesses you, speaks well of you. He loves you. He will never stop loving you… And He will be with you every day until the end of the world. This is the foundation of our hope: the certainty that  nothing and no one can separate you from the love of God manifested in Christ Jesus.

Every day we must ask for the Holy Spirit so that we can  see  this presence of the Lord in life and in the problems of each day.

Take heart! Do not be afraid! The Lord is with you.

Come, Holy Spirit! Come, Holy Spirit!