Note: The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord is transferred to this 7th Sunday of Easter here in the Archdiocese of Chicago, as it is in many other US dioceses. It's also the titular feast day of my home parish, Ascension in Oak Park.
This great feast celebrates another aspect of the Paschal Mystery.
Christ, in His glorified, Resurrected human body, goes up to Heaven. This gives us hope that we one day shall, in our bodies, go to where He has gone. We the members, shall follow our Exalted Head.
In the mean time, Christ has given us a mission: proclaim His Gospel and build His Kingdom on Earth. He works through us through the promised Holy Spirit, another aspect of the Paschal Mystery we commemorate soon. Even though He left the Earth physically, He continues to be present here, in various signs, especially through our care and compassion.
So Christ spent His Earthly ministry preparing His disciples--including us--to then go forth and disciple others, preparing them for Christ's glorious return, when He welcomes all the faithful into His Kingdom. We rejoice in the Ascension, the impetus for us to get working.
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