THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD: CHRIST ABOVE US, WITH US, AND AHEAD OF US

READINGS: SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - ASCENSION

On this 7th Sunday of Easter, we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord—a moment that marks not an ending, but a new beginning. After His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples for forty days, strengthening their faith and preparing them for mission. Then, as Acts 1:1–11 recounts, He was lifted up before their eyes and returned to the Father.

Ascension is not simply about Jesus “going up.” It is also about Jesus taking His rightful place at the right hand of the Father—a position of authority, victory, and intercession. St. Paul says He is now “far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion” (Ephesians 1:20–23), a statement that has many implications for our lives today.

1. It means that Christ is not distant from the world—He reigns over it; He is not an absent Lord, but the One who guides, protects, and sustains His Church, and so, the mission of the Church cannot be defeated. Darkness may seem loud, but it will never have the final word; truth, justice, and love will. Kingdoms will rise and fall, but the Gospel inevitably endures.

2. We are not left alone. Jesus ascended so that the Holy Spirit could descend—our Advocate, our strength, our inner compass. In a world where many voices compete for our attention, Ascension reminds us that Christ’s voice still leads His people through the Holy Spirit, and His Spirit will continue to empower ordinary believers to do extraordinary things.

3. There is a place we are going. Just as Christ returned to the Father, we too are destined for God. Heaven is not a distant dream; it is our true home. This gives meaning to our struggles and hope in our trials. It gives meaning to death itself.

4. It is a powerful confidence-booster for prayers. The One who will judge the world is also the One who intercedes for us. Christ is not only our Lord—He is our Advocate. When life feels overwhelming, we can call on His Name with authority and trust.

5. The Ascension of the Lord challenges us to lift our lives upward. The angels asked the disciples, “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” In other words: Don’t get stuck staring upward—start living outward. It is a call to bring faith into our workplaces, compassion into our homes, integrity into our decisions, and hope into our parishes and communities. The same Name that strengthened the apostles and worked miracles is available to us today. In moments of fear, temptation, confusion, or injustice, the Name of Jesus remains a source of strength and clarity.

So, as we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, let us do our best to live with our feet on the ground but our hearts set on heaven; to work faithfully in this world while longing for the next, to trust that Christ is not only above us— He is with us, for us, and ahead of us. May this Feast renew our hope, deepen our courage, and remind us that our lives are held in the hands of the One who reigns over all creation. Amen!