9781644135945

The Light of the World
And Jesus, coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them, . . . teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation
of the world” (Gospel). The disciples, following His orders, gathered there at the mountain
which He had designated beforehand. They were rewarded by seeing Him. They recognize Him
as the same Jesus with whom they had lived so intimately for several years, whom the Jews had
rejected and put to death so cruelly. But now He is risen, and He lives. He speaks to them these
consoling words: “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth.” He has unlimited power,
to which He is entitled not only as God, but also as man, for He is the Lord and shares the
authority and the glory of the Father. We congratulate Him on this glorification and confess in
the Gloria of the Mass: “Thou alone art the Lord. Thou alone art the Most High, together with
the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father.”
Christ passes His authority on to His apostles. “Teach ye all nations.” The apostles
and their successors, the bishops, are the official teachers of the Church, duly appointed
and commissioned by Christ for that purpose. They are the custodians of the truth which
He brought, and the guardians of His doctrine. “He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he
that despiseth you, despiseth Me” (Lk 10:16). They have been sent to save men and to lead
them to eternal life. For this work Christ gave them His authority and assured them of His
continual assistance. “Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the
world.” The risen Christ lives in His Church. He to whom all power is given in heaven and
on earth abides with His Church and guarantees her infallibility, integrity, and holiness. He
is with His Church to defend her from all her enemies. “The gates of hell shall not prevail
against [her]” (Mt 16:18). Storms will buffet the Church, but we must have confidence in
her, for “I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world.” We confess our
faith in the Credo of the Mass.
Christ appears to us in the Church. Today in the liturgy we are the disciples whom the
Lord is to meet at the mountain (the altar, the tabernacle). We received His command and
followed Him to the mountain, and we shall be rewarded, for at the Consecration He will
appear to us. We fall down and adore Him. This is indeed He whom we saw hanging on the
cross in pain and agony, the man of sorrows. But He is risen, and from our altar He speaks
to us: “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth.” He has power over the elements,
over all human ills, over the hearts of men, and over the evil spirits. He has power over
the enemy of our salvation, over our passions, and over our self-love. “All power is given
to Me.” From the mountain of our altar He reassures us, “Behold I am with you all days.”
He is with us, for His love and His kindly providence accompany us everywhere. He is
with us, for His strength helps us to overcome evil and to practice virtue. He is with us,
enlightening us and inspiring us to virtue. What have we to fear? We may always come
for help to the mountain He has pointed out to us. We believe in His readiness to help us,
in His unlimited power, and His undying love. We are confident of His ability to protect
us, and of His will to sanctify us.
“Going, therefore, teach ye all nations . . . to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you.” When we receive baptism, we become subjects of the Church, and she has authority
to teach us all things whatsoever Christ has commanded her, and to require our obedience.
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