Third Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday

The Feast of the Ascension always speaks to me in a very personal way. It reminds me not only of Christ returning to His heavenly Father, but also of my own journey of faith and discipleship. Shortly after my ordination, when I was a young priest, my mother once asked me difficult questions about the Ascension of Jesus. She expressed some doubts about this mystery of our faith. I was surprised because she always had strong faith. She taught me how to pray, trust God, and love the Church. At that time, as a young priest, I thought I had many answers and very few doubts myself. Today, after thirty years of priesthood, I remember this conversation whenever I read the Gospel for the Feast of the Ascension. Saint Matthew tells us that when the disciples saw the Risen Lord, “they worshiped, but they doubted” (Matthew 28:17). These words bring me great consolation and encouragement. The disciples lived with Jesus for three years. They witnessed His miracles, listened to His teaching, and even encountered Him after the Resurrection. Yet some still struggled with doubts. And despite their doubts, Jesus still trusted them and sent them to proclaim the Gospel to the world. Over the years I have learned that doubts can sometimes help our faith grow. Honest doubts encourage us to ask questions, to pray more deeply, and to search for God with greater sincerity. Doubts brought to prayer do not destroy faith; very often they strengthen and mature it. The Ascension of the Lord is one of the central mysteries of our Catholic faith. Jesus conquered sin and death and returned to the glory of the Father. At the same time, He did not abandon us. He remains with us through the Holy Spirit, through the Eucharist, through His Word, and through the Church. The Feast of the Ascension reminds us that heaven is our true home. Yet it also reminds us that we will never fully understand the mystery of eternal life while we are here on earth. As Saint Paul beautifully writes: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This feast fills us with hope. Jesus leads us to the Father, and heaven is our destiny when we continue to follow Him faithfully – even when we struggle, fail, or experience doubts along the way. As I remember my mother’s questions so many years ago, I realize now that faith is not about having every answer. Faith is about trusting Jesus enough to continue walking with Him, even when some mysteries remain beyond our understanding. Happy Feast of the Ascension! Fr. Andrzej