“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, 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. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus’ final words to His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew are the “mission statement” of the Church for all time. The Risen Lord’s closing act is a revelation of three truths.
In our glorified human nature, Jesus has all authority, given to Him by the Father Who sent Him to be with us. That is His identity in time and in Eternity. His command, which gives the Church her identity, is to make disciples of all human beings in all nations. This is to be accomplished by plunging them into the Paschal Mystery through Baptism in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Sacramental reality of the Church is to continue for all time what Jesus did in His public ministry.
Teaching the “words” that Jesus spoke, His commands, which are transmitted through Scripture and Tradition, is the charge given. This is the role of the Magisterium, the living teaching authority of the Church and of all who live and put into practice what the Lord has taught.
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And, finally, Jesus promises to be with us until the fulfillment of all that has been promised. This reality of fulfillment is the heart of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ mission. His Presence among us through the Holy Spirit gives us all that we need to accomplish the purpose for which we have been created. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses. . . .”
The Church exists in this world as a “bridge” into the Kingdom. In our time, it is becoming ever clearer that we are meant to be “in the world, but not of the world.” Our eyes and our hearts must be fixed on the goal, while at the same time we apply ourselves to the mission entrusted to us to bring knowledge of Jesus Christ to others.
Paul’s prayer for enlightenment is a reminder that Jesus has not only the authority, but also the capacity and the power to free us to meet whatever challenges we may face on our journey in this world. Our acknowledgement of this and our trust in Him dispel our fear about whatever may happen along life’s journey and empower us to commit.
“May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.”
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Hope gives us the ability to commit to doing our part for the building up of the Kingdom. When we can see where we are headed and that, in Christ, we have the power to get there, no obstacle can stand in our way. Real engagement, empowered by the promised Spirit, moves us forward.
Some may see Hope in God as a weakness that keeps us from seeing the reality of the world around us. On the contrary, it is Hope that sustains us in our efforts to work toward the betterment of the world. Solutions are possible when we commit ourselves to work for them and when we are given the power to see our way through. That is the essence of Christian Hope.
