Witnesses Behind the Walls

Every Friday, I walk through prison gates carrying no armor but the Word of God and the conviction that love reaches even here. I go not out of obligation, but out of love—a love rooted in the Ascension of Jesus Christ, and the mission He left us as disciples.

This past Friday, as we reflected on the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, I looked around the room and didn’t see inmates—I saw witnesses. Men who carry stories, burdens, and hope. Men who have fallen and stood back up. Men who know what it means to hunger for mercy. It reminded me that the Ascension wasn’t about Jesus leaving us—it was about entrusting us with something sacred: to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth—yes, even into prison cells.

I shared with them this truth:

“The world may define you by your past. But God sees you as His beloved sons. The Ascension of Christ is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning of yours as witnesses to His mercy.”

That’s why I go back every week. Not to fix. Not to judge. But to walk with them—to remind them they are not forgotten. The same Jesus who rose in glory left us with a promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”

If there is one thing the Ascension teaches us, it’s this:

Jesus has gone before us, but He hasn’t left us behind. He calls us—each of us—to be His witnesses. And some of the most powerful witnesses I’ve met are the men I sit with on Friday afternoons behind prison walls.

Have a Blessed Week!