Back on April 9, we celebrated Easter Sunday and the beginning of the Easter season. Easter concludes next weekend with the celebration of Pentecost. The Ascension takes place 40 days after Easter, which would have been last Thursday, but in most Dioceses in the United States, the Ascension of the Lord is moved to a Sunday, since most of the faithful do not come to Mass on a weekday compared to Sunday. As we celebrate Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday, and then in the coming weeks the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church; the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity; and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, perhaps the Ascension of the Lord and the significance of the Ascension does not receive the voice in the Church that it deserves.
I think of the Ascension most of all in its context in the Easter season as a part of the Paschal mystery, which includes Jesus’ suffering and death, his resurrection, his ascension, and his sending forth the Holy Spirit to us, his disciples. These parts of the Paschal Mystery, as a whole, comprise one reality. In the resurrection, we understand that Jesus still lives as our Savior and our Redeemer. In the Ascension, we better understand Christ’s relationship with the Father: that the living Christ has entered into glory, a glory that he shares with the Father.
With great joy, we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord this weekend. Blessings to all of you. Father Lincoln.
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