Newsletter – The Ascension of the Lord. Year C.

The Feast of the Ascension is really a kind of liminal moment in the Easter season. It is a time between times; a moment when we have left one place but have not yet arrived at a second. While the narratives that describe the Ascension fit well into the unfolding story of redemption, the feast celebrates the exaltation of Jesus. The readings allow us to focus on this theological point while we commemorate a turning point in the life of the church. We do this by considering the enthronement of Christ in the heavens and the new body of Christ on earth.

Many of the Easter accounts have directed our attention to the appearances of Jesus which were intended to strengthen the Christians’ belief in his bodily resurrection.

Today we stand awestruck, watching Jesus ascend into the clouds of heaven, there to be enthroned at the right hand of God. Today is a day to be overwhelmed by the reality of the divinity of the one whom we have known in his humanity.

Christ who ascended into heaven in his body carries on what he began on earth through his new body, the community of believers. He teaches through its apostles and evangelists. He ministers through its prophets and pastors. We have not been left alone; we have his power, the same power with which he performed marvels when he walked the earth. We have not been left alone; we have each other. Together we make up the new body of Christ.