The Feast of the Ascension and Why It Matters
The Feast of the Ascension, a Holy Day of Obligation, commemorates Jesus’ ascension into Heaven 40 days after His glorious resurrection. Thus Ascension Day falls 40 days after Easter, on the 6th Thursday of Easter. In some parts of the world, the solemnity is celebrated on the Sunday after the traditional date.
Where does this feast come from?
Forty Days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Holy Scripture records Jesus’ ascension into Heaven in the Book of Acts. The Ascension is an important Christian feast attesting and celebrating the reality of the God-Man Jesus Christ’s returning to the Father, to return again in the future parousia. The Ascension is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection. Along with the Resurrection, the Ascension functioned as a proof of Jesus’ claim that He was the Messiah. The Ascension is also the prophetic event whereby the righteous were taken into Heaven as well. Finally, the Ascension served as the “final blow” so-to-speak against Satan’s power, and thus the lion (Jesus) conquering the dragon (Satan) is a symbol of the Ascension. It’s worth noting that early Christian art and iconography portrayed the Ascension frequently, showing its importance to the early Church.
The Catholic Catechism summarizes three important theological aspects (with which most Christian churches agree) of the Ascension: Christ’s Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity into God’s heavenly domain, whence He will come again (Acts 1:11); this humanity in the meantime hides Him from the eyes of men (Col 3:3).
Jesus Christ, Head of the Church, precedes us into the Father’s glorious Kingdom so that we, the members of His Body, may live in the hope of one day being with Him forever.
Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of Heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the Mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The Mystery of Christ
In the course of a year, the Church celebrates the unfolding of the mystery of Christ, beginning with Advent, anticipating His first coming, and reaching a high point at Easter, the feast of feasts, celebrating Christ’s Resurrection. Through the Church Year, which includes the seasonal, daily, and yearly cycles of Christian time, we commemorate, and participate in, events in the lives of Jesus and His followers, through sanctified time. Thus, we experience in symbol what Jesus and His followers did in reality. We do this through daily prayer (The Divine Office), worship, the Eucharist, the sacraments, art, changing colors, canticles, psalms, antiphons, symbols, and other means.
The Church Year, including all liturgical celebrations and times of prayer, is one of the most meaningful dimensions of the Catholic faith. Many Christians of all traditions feel drawn to this system of holy time, and prefer to orient their lives around the Christian calendar instead of the secular calendar. Postmodern men and women feel especially drawn to many elements of Sanctified Time: mystery, connection to the past, a multitude of religious symbols and experiential elements. Thus the Church Year is a postmodern Catholic evangelism tool, and a powerful means of spiritual growth for all who use it. And because men are hardwired to know, love, and serve God, it is also true that men are hardwired to be amongst His flock in the one, true Church of Christ – the Catholic Church.
Prayer to Christ Ascended Into Heaven
O Lord Jesus,
I adore You,
Son of Mary,
my Savior and my Brother,
for You are God.
I follow You in my thoughts,
O first fruits of our race,
as I hope one day by Your grace
to follow You in my person
into heavenly glory.
In the meantime,
do let me neglect the earthly task
that You have given me.
Let me labor diligently
all my life
with a greater appreciation for the present.
Let me realize
that only by accomplishing
true human fulfillment
can I attain Divine fulfillment
and ascend to You at the completion of my work.
I pray this in Your holy Name, Amen.
Ascension Prayer
On this day of Ascension
as we watch and wait for Jesus’ return,
let us pray:
Father in Heaven,
our minds were prepared
for the coming of Your Kingdom
when You took Christ beyond our sight
so that we might seek Him in glory.
May we follow where He has led
and find our hope in His glory,
for He is Lord forever and ever, Amen.
Happy Feast Day of the Ascension!
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