The Ascension had traditionally been celebrated on the Thursday of the 6th week of the Easter season. However, since many of the Catholic faithful did not come to Mass on that day, our Diocese and many Dioceses in the US have moved the Ascension to the 7th Sunday in the Easter season, a week before the celebration of Pentecost.
The Ascension marks the accomplishment of Christ’s mission here on earth. His ministry on earth is continued in the Church and through the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us and sustain us. Regarding the mystery of the Ascension, St Augustine states: “This is a great truth; that Christ ascended above all the heavens, yet is near to those on earth.” Indeed, the Lord is near to us for he dwells amongst us in the Eucharist and in the other sacraments of the Church.
At the Ascension, the Church learns of the greater implications of discipleship, which is to continue Christ’s mission and ministry here on earth, as we told in the great commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20). As disciples of Christ, we participate in Christ’s mission of salvation and of bearing witness to the truth of his Good News. As Pope Francis emphasized many times, the Church can never break away from this missionary identity.
We are all to participate in different ways to the Church’s mission of being servants in the world. The practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy is one way to align with this mission. All of us are called to different vocations by God. Living out that vocation that we discern from God will lead us to the way we are to personally live out this mission each day.
Perhaps it is a little difficult to wrap our minds around the reality of the Ascension. Just as Jesus still had his place in heaven with the Father when he lived with humanity here on earth, so he has not completely abandoned us as he ascends to heaven. Because of his fully human nature and fully divine nature, his ascension was necessary for his enthronement in heaven to take place at the end of his earthly life and ministry. With Jesus having ascended into heaven, and with our belief that our Blessed Mother was assumed into heaven, both heaven and earth have physical and spiritual implications for us as disciples of Christ. We place our hope that one day we will join them in eternal life as well.
At the end of our reading from the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the Angel’s message to the disciples is forward-looking as they watch Jesus ascending to the heavens: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The union between heaven and earth has begun. It is irrevocable. Our journey now is to prepare for that union to be completed within us. Indeed, we are not just to stand there looking up at the heavens, ignoring our reality here on earth. There is work for us to do as disciples of Christ.
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