The Holy Apostle Hermas; The Holy Martyr Hermes.
Acts 20:7-12; John 14:10-21.
Read John 14:10-21
Jesus speaks about a profound truth about the unity between Himself and the Father, and the continuation of His mission through believers: “He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father” (John 14:12). This promise not only affirms our call to active discipleship but also invites us into divine cooperation—becoming living instruments of Christ’s ongoing work.
The “greater works” Christ refers to are not necessarily more miraculous, but point to the global and spiritual reach of the Church’s mission after Pentecost, empowered by the Holy Spirit. St. Augustine reflects on this, saying, “The fact that they would do greater works than He did, He attributes not to their own power, but to His departure to the Father, so that He might send them the Holy Spirit” (Tractates on the Gospel of John, 72.3). Thus, Christ’s ascension does not end His work but magnifies it through His Body, the Church.
Similarly, St. Gregory the Great notes, “The Lord manifests His presence to us in two ways: through teaching and through miracles, and He does not cease to work in the hearts of His faithful” (Homilies on the Gospels, 30).
Christ’s divine presence fuels the believer’s ability to love and serve as Christ did. Through faith in Jesus and by the grace of the Spirit—who Jesus sends upon us after his Ascension— we are entrusted to continue His redeeming work in the world.