Our Call to Fulfill Jesus' Dream

When Jesus was preparing to leave his disciples and return to his Father, he gave them a lot of last-minute instructions, as a mother might leave a list of do’s and don’ts for her children when she’s going to be away on a trip. However, even though Jesus “was lifted up into the clouds,” as it says in the Acts of the Apostles, he was no helicopter parent! Jesus knew that as long as he was in the world, his disciples would stay dependent on him instead of venturing out to follow their own calling—and besides, his work on earth was done, so it was time to leave them to journey on to his Father. 

Although Jesus was leaving the earth, he said to his disciples, “Remain in me,” which sounds contradictory. How can you remain in someone who isn’t physically present? Those of us who remain close in spirit to loved ones who have died understand very well that their departure doesn’t separate us from them. As Victoria Weinstein observes in the book Beyond Absence, “There is no need to end our relationship with the dead, for they are still ours. Still ours to struggle with, to learn from, and to love. There is no timeline for grieving them and there is no finitude to loving them. Through time—as long a time as it takes—we take their dream and their desires and their issues and integrate them into our own…. We continue the work of their hands.”

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is a good time to recommit ourselves to fulfilling Jesus’ dream of bringing the kingdom of God to earth through love and service—to continuing the work of his hands. When we do that, we remain in Christ and share Christ’s joy in his relationship with the Father and the Spirit—no divine helicopter parenting required!