Ascension

Ascension of the Lord
Celebrating His Sacred Humanity

CONTENTS
 40 days after the Resurrection

 Ascension event
 Pentecost and Mission
 Seating at the right-hand of the
Father
Ascension: a mere Transition?
No, rather, an article of faith with
its own wealth of significance
Some keys to understanding it:
Context - Sacred Humanity - Mission
Abasement of Christ
Catechism
no. 661
o This final stage stays closely linked to the

first, that is, to his descent from heaven in the
Incarnation. Only the one who "came from the
Father" can return to the Father: Christ
Jesus. "No one has ascended into heaven but
he who descended from heaven, the Son of
man."
The Risen Christ
and his Body after the Resurrection
Catechism
no. 662
o "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth,

will draw all men to myself." The lifting up of
Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his
lifting up by his Ascension into heaven, and
indeed begins it.”
Pentecost and Empowerment
Acts of the Apostles (1: 4-8)
o 4 And while staying with them he charged them
not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the
promise of the Father, which, he said, "you
heard from me,
o 5 for John baptized with water, but before many
days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
o 6 So when they had come together, they asked
him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel?"
o 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know
times or seasons which the Father has fixed by
his own authority.
o 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you… ”
The Ascension Event
o 8 “…and you shall be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and
to the end of the earth."
o 9 And when he had said this, as they were
looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took
him out of their sight.
o 10 And while they were gazing into heaven
as he went, behold, two men stood by them
in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee,
why do you stand looking into heaven?
o This Jesus, who was taken up from you into
heaven, will come in the same way as you
saw him go into heaven."
Matthew’s Account (28: 16-20)
o “16 Now the eleven disciples went to
Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus
had directed them. 17 And when they
saw him they worshipped him; but
some doubted.
o 18 And Jesus came and said to them,
"All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me.
o 19 Go therefore and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you;
o and lo, I am with you always, to the
close of the age."
Luke’s Account (24: 50-53)
o 50 Then he led them out as far as

Bethany, and lifting up his hands
he blessed them.
o 51 While he blessed them, he
parted from them, and was
carried up into heaven.
o 52 And they worshipped him,
and returned to Jerusalem with
great joy,
o 53 and were continually in the
temple blessing God.
Catechism
no. 662
o 662 …Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new

and eternal Covenant, "entered, not into a
sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God on our behalf." There Christ permanently
exercises his priesthood, for he "always lives
to make intercession" for "those who draw
near to God through him". As "high priest of
the good things to come" he is the center and
the principal actor of the liturgy that honors
the Father in heaven.
Catechism
no. 663
o Henceforth Christ is seated at the right hand of

the Father: "By 'the Father's right hand' we
understand the glory and honor of divinity,
where he who exists as Son of God before all
ages, indeed as God, of one being with the
Father, is seated bodily after he became
incarnate and his flesh was glorified."
And He sits
at the right hand of the Father
Hebrews’ 7: 24-26
o 24 but he holds his priesthood
permanently, because he continues
for ever.
o 25 Consequently he is able for all
time to save those who draw near to
God through him, since he always
lives to make intercession for them.
o 26 For it was fitting that we should
have such a high priest, holy,
blameless, unstained, separated
from sinners, exalted above the
heavens.
The Mission
o 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I

have dealt with all that Jesus began
to do and teach,
o 2 until the day when he was taken
up, after he had given commandment
through the Holy Spirit to the
apostles whom he had chosen.
o 3 To them he presented himself alive
after his passion by many proofs,
appearing to them during forty days,
and speaking of the kingdom of God.
Venerable John Henry Newman
o "Moses brought out of Egypt a timid nation, and
in the space of forty years trained it to be full of
valor for the task of conquering the promised
land; Christ in forty days trains his apostles to
be bold and patient instead of cowards. They
mourned and wept at the beginning of the
season, but at the end they are full of courage
for the good fight; their spirits mount high with
their Lord, and when he is received out of their
sight, and their own trial begins, they return to
Jerusalem with great joy, and are continually in
the temple, praising and blessing God."
The Unfinished Painting
o Leonardo da Vinci had started to work on a large canvas in
his studio. For a while he worked at it – choosing the
subject, planning the perspective, sketching the outline,
applying the colors, with his own inimitable genius. Then
suddenly he stopped working on it. Summoning one of his
talented students, the master invited him to complete the
work. The horrified student protested that he was both
unworthy and unable of completing the great painting
which his master had begun. But da Vinci silenced him.
"Will not what I have done inspire you to do your best?"
Jesus our Master began to spread the Good News two
thousand years ago by what he said and did and,
supremely, by what he suffered. Jesus illustrated his
message and has left us to finish the picture. Will Jesus’
life not inspire us to finish the picture? This is the message
of the Ascension (John Rose in John's Sunday Homilies).
THE END

Ascension

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Ascension of the Lord

Celebrating His Sacred Humanity

 40 days after the Resurrection

o This final stage stays closely linked to the

o "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth,

o 50 Then he led them out as far as

o 662 …Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new

o Henceforth Christ is seated at the right hand of

o 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I

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