The Ascension of the Lord

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Ascension of Christ. In the US, most dioceses have moved the Holy Day of Obligation to Sunday, as is the case with the Diocese of Fort Worth. We will be celebrating this most Holy Day Sunday, May 20th. Formally we call this the "Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord" There are some beautiful passages from Sacred Scripture to reflect upon the importance of this day in our Church, in our faith:

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." [John 14:2-3]

When Jesus ascends into Heaven He takes His seat at the right hand of the Father in all the glory and splendor of His divinity. St. Mark describes the scene:

"So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into Heaven, and sat at the right hand of God" [Mark 16:19]

Then Prophet Daniel prophesied about the ascension:

"And to him was given dominioin and glory and Kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his Kingdom one that shall not be destroyed" [Daniel 7:14]

It wouldn't be a complete post without a quotation from St. Josemaria:

"Christ has gone to heaven, and at the same time he gives himself to us as our nourshment in the sacred host." (Christ is Passing By, #120)

A special thanks to my friend Sandy Leners for providing the bulk of the material for this post.

To learn more about the Ascension of our Lord:

Catechism of the Catholic Church #659-667

Homily by St. Josemaria on the Solemnity of the Ascension
The Image of Man Has Been Raised Up, Carl E. Olson