While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. Jesus led his disciples “out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. The Ascension of Jesus actually happened on the Mount of Olives, close to the place where he had withdrawn to pray before the Passion in order to remain in deep union with the Father: once again we see that prayer gives us the grace to be faithful to God’s plan.Īt the end of his Gospel, St Luke gives a very concise account of the event of the Ascension. We too should be clear in our Christian life that entering the glory of God demands daily fidelity to his will, even when it demands sacrifice and sometimes requires us to change our plans. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that: “The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven” (n. While he was “going up” to the Holy City, where his own “exodus” from this life was to occur, Jesus already saw the destination, heaven, but he knew well that the way which would lead him to the glory of the Father passed through the Cross, through obedience to the divine design of love for mankind. St Luke notes: “When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51). Let us start from the moment when Jesus decided to make his last pilgrimage to Jerusalem. What does this event mean? How does it affect our life? What does contemplating Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father mean? Let us permit the Evangelist Luke to guide us in this. The Jesus’ earthly life culminated with the Ascension, when he passed from this world to the Father and was raised to sit on his right. In the Creed we say that Jesus “ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father”. The Ascension is traditionally celebrated on the Thursday of the sixth week of Easter, but in many dioceses around the US the celebration of the Ascension is transferred to the following Sunday.īelow is a reflection given by Pope Francis during a General Audience in St.
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