This feast celebrates the moment when the risen Christ, forty days after His Resurrection, ascended bodily into heaven in the presence of the Apostles. This marks the completion of His mission on earth and the beginning of His time spent at the right hand of the Father and exaltation as the eternal High Priest and King of All Creation. Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place for us in heaven. This important event is seen clearly in Scripture, most notably in the Gospel of Luke and the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.  

The Ascension is much more than a historical milestone. It is a feast with deep theological impacts. Jesus leaves us, not to abandon us, but to intercede for us and make way for the Holy Spirit which is to come at Pentecost. It is through the Ascension that Jesus points out his authority and our destiny to be in heaven with Him.

The Ascension is a beautiful time to lift our hearts and minds toward heaven and remembering that Jesus’ reign does not end but continues forever as he sits at the right hand of the Father. As we await the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, may we remain a people of joy, confident that Christ who has gone to heaven before us will draw us to himself.