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Gospel Reading for May 17, 2026 – Matthew 28: 16-20
FAITH
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “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.”
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Perhaps they were still in a haze—from Calvary to the Resurrection. That may have been why, when they saw Jesus, they worshiped him, yet still doubted.
It must have been frightening for the disciples to suddenly find themselves on their own. Jesus had not explicitly told them that he would remain with them physically for only three years. Had they known, perhaps they would have listened even more attentively to every word he spoke and understood him more deeply. Perhaps they would have prepared themselves better for that moment.
In Acts 1:12–14, after Jesus had ascended into heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and gathered in the upper room where they were staying. There, they devoted themselves with one accord to prayer. At that moment, prayer was the best thing they could do, for how could they possibly begin the mission of making disciples of all nations on their own?
PRAYER is essential whenever we find ourselves in confusion or uncertainty about what to do in difficult situations. Yet even more important is FAITH—the faith to believe Jesus when he says, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Thank you, Lord Jesus! We believe that you are always with us and will remain with us until the end of the age!
