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Listed below last week's homily are copies of Father Alex Ekka's homily from past weekend masses.  Click on the file to download and read his message.

All the immediate family members have gathered for the reading of the last will of this filthy rich man. Since he was a very rich man, everyone expected that he or she will get some large sum of money. The eldest son said, since, I am the eldest, I think Dad will leave me all his million dollar business. The youngest one said, since I am the youngest, Dad loved me more than others and I think, he is going to leave me all his bank balance which is in millions. Thus, each one was trying to guess what he or she might get. Then the lawyer in his black robe entered the room. A complete silence fell over the room. The lawyer solemnly sat down and opened his briefcase and pulled out one sealed envelope. Every one's heart began to beat faster. The lawyer opened the envelope took out just one sheet of paper and began to read. A pin drop silence fell as if all stopped breathing.

"Being of sound mind,” All eagerly waited for the next sentence. The heart beats pounding could be heard. The lawyer continued to read, "I spent every last cent before I died.”

What a disappointing last will. Even the Apostles got very disappointing last will from Jesus. They expected some important positions or important jobs in his Kingdom but his last will also was very disappointing.

In today's Gospel we get the reading of the last will of Jesus. This rich man spent every cent before he died. But Jesus left everything to us. Of course, the last will of Jesus was not read by a lawyer but he himself gave his last will to his disciples before ascending into heaven. 

His last will reads: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

This way just before his Ascension, Jesus entrusted to his disciples the mission of preaching and teaching the Good News and evangelizing the whole world by bearing witness to him through their lives.

Though the Apostles must have been disappointed initially but after receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in order to fulfill this last will of Jesus the Apostles went all corners of the world to preach the Risen Lord and to proclaim the good news to the whole creation. St. Thomas traveled all the way to India. St. Paul visited many cities in his great missionary journeys. St. Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome. During colonial era, the missionaries from Europe went all over the world to fulfill this last will. And just like the early Christians and the Apostles they faced oppositions, persecutions and even martyrdom. Even in my home diocese Belgian Jesuit missionaries faced great persecution and opposition.

Today’s first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, describes the scene of Jesus’ Ascension, with the promise of the Holy Spirit and the instruction that the Apostles were to stay in Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit, the Power from above.

At the time of our baptism, all of us have received the same power of the Holy Spirit and same mission and mandate as Apostles had to fulfill the last will of Jesus: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

The Feast of Ascension is reminding us our responsibility to proclaim the good news to the whole world. We can do this by preaching with words and proclaiming with our lives

Not all of us are called for a full-time service to do the last will of Jesus, but all of us are called for a life time of service. He has called some of us to proclaim in neighborhoods, some in our workplaces and some in our own families. Pray and encourage that more and more young people may dedicate their lives for a full-time service to proclaim the good news to the world.