Gospel (Mk 16,15-20) - At that time, [Jesus appeared to the Eleven] and said to them: «Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. These will be the signs that will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages, they will take serpents in their hands and, if they drink any poison, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover." The Lord Jesus, after speaking with them, was raised up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God. Then they set out and preached everywhere, while the Lord acted together with them and confirmed the Word with the signs that accompanied it.

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

Today we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is the fulfillment of Easter. Just as the sky surrounds the earth, so the Risen One will accompany his disciples everywhere so that they communicate the Gospel of love to all the peoples of the earth. The Byzantine liturgy sings: «From heaven, he who loves to give, distributed gifts to his Apostles, consoling them like a father, confirming them, guiding them like children and telling them: I am with you and no one is against you». The risen Jesus will support them in their mission. Luke writes that, after having adored him: "They returned to Jerusalem with great joy". The time of the Church began. The Word of God makes us listen to the invitation of Easter again. We cannot remain like the Eleven, gazing at our little sky, stopping within our usual confines, cultivating our narrow-minded habits. We are invited to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus so that the Gospel is preached with new boldness and generosity. The two angels warn the disciples: "He will come in the same way as you saw him go to heaven." We could translate by saying that Jesus returns in our days preceding us in the many Galileees of this world until the fullness of the kingdom. It is on the outskirts of the world, where there are the poor, the sick, the lonely, the desperate, where wars and conflicts continue, it is there that the Risen One awaits us. The kingdom of God is built starting from the suburbs, from compassion for the poor and from the rush for peace. The Risen One needs us to make his love for him visible, our arms so that the weak feel supported, our preaching of peace to counteract the habit of war, our meekness to disarm hearts. Of course, faced with the force of evil that shows such ferocity in this time, we are aware of our littleness and our sin. But Jesus - and the image of the ascension narrated by Luke in the Gospel is beautiful - breaks away from the disciples and, raising his hands, blesses them. It is Jesus' last gesture. Even today the Lord blesses our community gathered around his table, because in turn we bless places everywhere in the world.