The Ascension of the Lord refers to “the entry of Jesus’ humanity into Divine Glory in God’s heavenly domain, forty days after Easter.”
The Ascension of the Lord is commemorated by the Catholic Church as a Solemnity and Holy Day of Obligation. In many areas of the United States, the Ascension is transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
The Lord Jesus gave the Apostles and disciples His final instructions and promised to be with them and us until the end of time: “I am with you always, to the close of the age". Then, in a traditional Jewish form of blessing, He raised his hands and continued to bless them as He ascended into the heavens by His own power, until a cloud received Him from their sight.
Jesus’ Ascension into heaven accomplished four things:
- He entered into the exalted glory He merited.
- He ascended into Heaven to send down upon us the promised Gift of the Holy Spirit.
- He ascended into heaven to be our Intercessor before the Eternal Father.
- He ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us.
The Ascension not only has a meaning for daily life as we live it, but for those authentically living the Christian Faith, one can actually see and experience its power in our daily lives – this goes a long way in making the faith feel “real.”
“I am going to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.”
Jn. 20:17