Ascension of the Lord

Ascension of the Lord (year A)

(Mt 28:16–20)

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Verses 19–20 are devoted to the mission entrusted to the apostles, who are to go out into the world clothed in the same authority as Jesus Christ. It is a mission with specific objectives and the means to achieve them. First and foremost is proselytism, as indicated by the verb ‘mathēteusate’, ‘to make disciples’ through making known. The aim of the mission is ‘to make disciples’. The Christian is a disciple, one who establishes a close and personal relationship with Christ: the disciple bonds with the person of the teacher and commits to sharing his very vision of life. The apostles must go to every people. They must leave Galilee. They must go beyond the borders of Israel. The whole world awaits them. They must teach all nations.

Thus, God’s message is not addressed to a single people, but to all nations, so that no nation may claim or assert that it is God’s chosen one. When a people thinks it has God on its side, it uses Him to dominate others. When a people feels itself to be the chosen people, it is always dangerous, because in the name of this election it believes it has a duty towards other peoples: to dominate them. On the US one-dollar bill it says “In God we trust”, as if they had mistaken God for the Federal Reserve. Their resource lies in the dollar, not in God. Make “all” peoples [my] disciples – says Jesus – so that no people may claim superiority over others.

Secondly, there is baptism, which serves as an instrument of incorporation into the new faith. Baptism is administered “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. It is, therefore, an instrument that leads the new believer into the bosom of the Trinity, placing them in close relationship with it, whose life they now share. Indeed, baptism is “in” the name; it is an entering “into the name”, entering into a relationship of fidelity. The mission is conceived as gathering the nations around the proclamation of salvation, to lead them all back into the bosom of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At the same time, “name” in the singular (not “names”) emphasises the uniqueness of the three Persons of the Trinity.

The third aspect is teaching, expressed by the verb “didáskō”. This concerns all the things that Jesus commanded. The apostles must not limit themselves to baptising. They must teach those who have been baptised how to fulfil God’s will. Their teaching must be twofold, in every respect like that of Jesus: through word and deed. They must show visibly – and not merely by hearing – how to observe all that Jesus commanded. If teaching lacks the visible dimension, it is no longer true teaching; rather, it is incomplete teaching. It bears no fruit. Just as Christ taught, so must they teach the whole world. This is the law of true evangelisation. All the rest is sterile theory.

Now Jesus makes them a great promise: “And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He will be with them until the end of the ages. With this faith, the Apostles must present themselves before every person. The presence of Jesus is not merely one of companionship. It is an active presence. Jesus will work in them and through them his great works of salvation and redemption. Yesterday and today, tomorrow and always, this is how the evangelisation of the nations must be carried out.

The Gospel of Matthew ends as it began. At the beginning, the name of Emmanuel, God with us, was announced to us, as had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Mt 1:23). Now he assures us that that prophecy has become a permanent reality: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” In other words, Jesus continues to be Emmanuel, God with us. History is made up of many ‘days’ and every day Jesus is with us. It is not every other day, or days in between: every day, in the everyday reality of life. What a tragedy it is to have relegated the Lord to heaven and not to have realised that the Lord is with us every day, a Lord whom we believe has not fallen silent with time, but who continues to speak even if he is not heard.

In concluding his Gospel, Matthew formulated Jesus’ final words to his disciples on the model of the closing words of the Hebrew Bible, which ends with the Second Book of Chronicles, with the words of Cyrus, King of Persia, the one who granted freedom to the Jews deported to Babylon:

2 Chronicles 36:23 ‘Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has commanded me to build him a temple in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to his people, may his God be with him, and let him go!’

By Cyrus’ decree, the Israelites were invited to leave Babylon, the land of captivity, and go to Judea, the land of freedom; with Jesus, the disciples must go out from Judea to all nations. Cyrus’ decree was to go and build a temple; through the apostles, Jesus will build a new temple – the Church – and this is the extraordinary conclusion of this Gospel.

Furthermore, the Gospel of Matthew begins with the words: “Biblos geneseōs Iēsou Christou” (Mt 1:1), “The Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ”. In other words, it begins with the words of the first book of the Bible (Genesis), and concludes with those of the last book of the Hebrew Bible (2 Chronicles): it is a way of encapsulating the entire history of the people of Israel in Jesus. From the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible, everything is encapsulated in Jesus, and now it is not over; we must roll up our sleeves – and, conscious that he is present, go out to all people.

Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books

- Revelation – an exegetical commentary

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, True God and True Man in the Trinitarian Mystery

The Prophetic Discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24–25)

All Generations Will Call Me Blessed

Catholics and Protestants Compared – In Defence of the Faith

The Church and Israel According to St Paul – Romans 9–11

(Available on Amazon)

25 Last modified on Tuesday, 12 May 2026 05:12

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Argentino Quintavalle

Argentino Quintavalle è studioso biblico ed esperto in Protestantesimo e Giudaismo. Autore del libro “Apocalisse - commento esegetico” (disponibile su Amazon) e specializzato in catechesi per protestanti che desiderano tornare nella Chiesa Cattolica.

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Wherever people want to set themselves up as God they cannot but set themselves against each other. Instead, wherever they place themselves in the Lord’s truth they are open to the action of his Spirit who sustains and unites them (Pope Benedict

Dove gli uomini vogliono farsi Dio, possono solo mettersi l’uno contro l’altro. Dove invece si pongono nella verità del Signore, si aprono all’azione del suo Spirito che li sostiene e li unisce (Papa Benedetto)

But our understanding is limited: thus, the Spirit's mission is to introduce the Church, in an ever new way from generation to generation, into the greatness of Christ's mystery. The Spirit places nothing different or new beside Christ; no pneumatic revelation comes with the revelation of Christ - as some say -, no second level of Revelation (Pope Benedict)

Ma la nostra capacità di comprendere è limitata; perciò la missione dello Spirito è di introdurre la Chiesa in modo sempre nuovo, di generazione in generazione, nella grandezza del mistero di Cristo. Lo Spirito non pone nulla di diverso e di nuovo accanto a Cristo; non c’è nessuna rivelazione pneumatica accanto a quella di Cristo - come alcuni credono - nessun secondo livello di Rivelazione (Papa Benedetto)

Who touched Lydia's heart? The answer is: «the Holy Spirit». It’s He who made this woman feel that Jesus was Lord; He made this woman feel that salvation was in Paul's words; He made this woman feel a testimony (Pope Francis)

Chi ha toccato il cuore di Lidia? La risposta è: «lo Spirito Santo». È lui che ha fatto sentire a questa donna che Gesù era il Signore; ha fatto sentire a questa donna che la salvezza era nelle parole di Paolo; ha fatto sentire a questa donna una testimonianza (Papa Francesco)

But what does it mean to love Christ? It means trusting him even in times of trial, following him faithfully even on the Via Crucis, in the hope that soon the morning of the Resurrection will come. Entrusting ourselves to Christ, we lose nothing, we gain everything. In his hands our life acquires its true meaning. Love for Christ expresses itself in the will to harmonize our own life with the thoughts and sentiments of his Heart. This is achieved through interior union [Pope Benedict]

Ma che vuol dire amare Cristo? Vuol dire fidarsi di Lui anche nell'ora della prova, seguirLo fedelmente anche sulla Via Crucis, nella speranza che presto verrà il mattino della risurrezione. Affidandoci a Cristo non perdiamo niente, ma acquistiamo tutto. Nelle sue mani la nostra vita acquista il suo vero senso. L'amore per Cristo si esprime nella volontà di sintonizzare la propria vita con i pensieri e i sentimenti del suo Cuore. Questo si realizza mediante l'unione interiore [Papa Benedetto]

St Thomas Aquinas says this very succinctly when he writes: "The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit" (Summa Theologiae, I-IIae, q.106 a. 1). The New Law is not another commandment more difficult than the others: the New Law is a gift, the New Law is the presence of the Holy Spirit [Pope Benedict]

San Tommaso d’Aquino lo dice in modo molto preciso quando scrive: “La nuova legge è la grazia dello Spirito Santo” (Summa theologiae, I-IIae, q. 106, a. 1). La nuova legge non è un altro comando più difficile degli altri: la nuova legge è un dono, la nuova legge è la presenza dello Spirito Santo [Papa Benedetto]

Even after seeing his people's repeated unfaithfulness to the covenant, this God is still willing to offer his love, creating in man a new heart (John Paul II)

Anche dopo aver registrato nel suo popolo una ripetuta infedeltà all’alleanza, questo Dio è disposto ancora ad offrire il proprio amore, creando nell’uomo un cuore nuovo (Giovanni Paolo II)

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