Today's Gospel (Mc 16:15-20):  Jesus showed himself to the Eleven, an said to them, «Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes and, if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed».

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took his place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied them.

Today, in this solemnity, what is being offered to us, as we have never ever been able to imagine before, is a Word of Salvation. Our Lord Jesus has not only resurrected, defeating death and sin, but He has also been taken up into the glory of God! This is why, the path of return to the Father, that path we had lost and that opens up to us in the mystery of Christmas, has been today irrevocably offered to us, after Christ, on the Cross, offered himself totally to the Father.

Offered? Yes, offered. Because the Lord Jesus Christ, before being taken up into Heaven, has sent his beloved disciples, the Apostles, forth to invite all men to believe in Him, so that they can reach where He is. «Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved» (Mk 16:15-16).

The salvation we are finally given consists in living God's life, as St. John mentions in his Gospel: «Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ» (Jn 17:3).

But, whatever is given with love must be accepted in love to be received as a gift. Therefore, Jesus Christ, whom we have never seen, wants us to offer him our love through our faith, which we receive by listening to his ministers, whom we can indeed see and listen to. «We believe in Him, whom we have not seen. Those who have seen him, have announced him (...). He who has promised is faithful and never fails: boost your confidence and await his promise (...) keep your faith strong!» (St. Augustine). If faith is an offer of love for Jesus Christ, to keep it and make it grow, will also increase our charity within us.

Let us, therefore, offer our faith to the Lord!