Lord of Our Lives

Today, we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. For many, this is simply the day Jesus ascended to Heaven and left the apostles behind. He had taught them everything he knew, and now it was time to step back and let them try to sort things out without him. But that is not the purpose of this event. What really happens is that Jesus ascends to Heaven to take his rightful place as Lord of Heaven and Earth. He is now in charge. He is the one who now controls the universe. He is the one who directs all of human history according to his plan of salvation.

This is how St. Paul describes it in the second reading of the liturgy for this feast: “God… [seated] him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,…And he put all things beneath his feet …”

That is the affirmation we make every time we confess that Jesus is Lord. We proclaim that, even though we cannot see him, Jesus is the ultimate authority. He is the one who guides all of human history. Nothing happens without His permission. He is in Heaven because He oversees everything that happens in the universe. Those who have power and authority on Earth have it because He gave it to them. They are accountable to Jesus for how they exercise their power. He can take it away as quickly as He gave it to them.

It was thanks to this belief in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who ascended to the right hand of God, that the apostles and early Christians were able to spread the gospel effectively. This is why they were able to confront the Roman authorities and the Jewish leaders. They believed there was a higher authority than those who threatened to imprison and condemn them to death. They were convinced that the power of earthly kings and princes was only an illusion. They could certainly cause them physical harm, but they could not take away their freedom as followers of Jesus Christ. They could destroy their bodies, but they could not touch their souls.

This feast reminds us that we are also called to be courageous in living our faith. Like those early Christians, we must live our faith with conviction. I invite you to begin by placing our whole being and everything we have under the lordship of Jesus Christ. This means that He is not just a part of our lives, but the center of them. If He is the Lord of our lives, then in everything we say or do, we will seek to please Him alone. He cannot be the Lord of just some parts of our lives, but of all of them.

Now, just because Jesus is our Lord doesn’t mean Jesus is a tyrant. Not at all. He who is Lord of all is also the one who was willing to die for us. We have a Lord who loved us and made the ultimate sacrifice for us. When we make Him Lord of our lives, we find true freedom. The reality is, if Jesus is not our Lord, we have put someone or something in His place. Whether it’s pleasure or possessions, those masters take more from us than they give. In the end, they enslave us. 

But Jesus came so that we might be free. When we surrender ourselves completely to Him and live according to His word, we discover a joy and peace that nothing in this world can give us. Jesus has preceded us to Heaven to rule this world. But He doesn’t want us to sit back and enjoy the ride. Rather, He wants us to join Him in bringing this good news to others. 

That is what it means for us to be the Church. As St. Paul tells us in the second reading, Jesus Christ is the head and we are the body. Just as our head directs all the members of our body, Jesus directs us. When we accept Him as Lord of our lives, He will use us to touch the hearts of others. We will be His hands, bringing food to the poor. We will be His voice, bringing comfort to those who suffer. We will be His feet, guiding others along the path that leads to holiness and freedom. The more we surrender ourselves to Jesus, the freer we will be to serve others.

Jesus Christ, who conquered sin and death, has ascended to heaven to take His rightful place on His throne. He invites us to accept Him as Lord of our lives and to join Him in extending His kingdom of love and mercy throughout this world. We can do so with courage because we know that He has already won the victory and that one day He will return so that all may know that Jesus Christ is Lord.

May the Lord always grant you his peace!

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM Pastor,
Mission San Luis Rey Parish