There was a time in the not too distant past when we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension as a Holy Day of Obligation on a Thursday. The Feast was celebrated 40 days after Easter Sunday and was known as Ascension Thursday.
Several years ago, many of the dioceses moved this Feast Day to the Sunday immediately after Ascension Thursday. The reason for the move was because it was important that all of the faithful celebrate this essential moment in our salvation history.
God sent us His Son, Jesus, to save us and, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to redeem us. This is only possible for us if Jesus is fully human and fully divine. The Feast of the Ascension celebrates that moment when Jesus ascends into Heaven. It is through this act that our humanity is redeemed. It is through this act that we are able to experience the possibility of eternal life.
One of my teachers used the following imagery to help us understand the importance of the Ascension of Jesus (fully human and fully divine) into heaven. After original sin, when we left the Garden of Eden, there was created a great chasm between us and God. There is no possible way for us to cross this chasm and thus no way for us to be fully reunited with God. By assuming our humanity, and by offering his life of the Cross, Jesus died so that we might be redeemed, but this redemption is not complete unless Jesus ascends into heaven and by this act redeems our humanity and enables us to be reunited with God.
Imagine the cross of sacrifice placed across the chasm as the bridge to reunite us with God. It cannot become that bridge unless Jesus ascends back into heaven. As we gather on Ascension Sunday, we gather and celebrate, yet again, the extent that God has gone to save us by providing the very bridge that will enable us to be reunited fully with Him and so that we have the possibility of experiencing life eternal. We are humbled by this great act of Love. Peace and Joy!
Fr. Don
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