The Ascension of the Lord

Reflect on the Ascension as Christ's enthronement, the Church's sending, and the promise that He remains with us always. Today's liturgy draws us into the Ascension not as departure but as enthronement. Christ returns to the Father to reign, to intercede, and to send His Church into the world. Acts shows the apostles lingering beneath the mystery, but the angelic rebuke is gentle and direct: do not stay staring upward when the Lord has given you a mission. Psalm 47 celebrates the kingship of God with joy. In the Ascension, the Church hears this psalm as fulfilled in Christ, whose victory is not distant from us but sacramentally present. Saint Paul expands the vision further: Christ is seated above every power, and the Church is His Body. The Ascended Lord is not absent. He is intimately present to the Church He fills. The Gospel closes with the Great Commission and the promise: I am with you always. Mission and presence belong together. We go because Christ remains. Saint Paschal Baylon shows how even quiet Eucharistic fidelity becomes missionary. Ordinary duties, humbly lived, become witness when they are offered in Christ. Lord Jesus, ascended in glory, teach me not to remain passive. Strengthen me to live as Your witness and keep me near You in the Eucharist. Amen. Offer one clear word of Christian encouragement today. Adore Christ at Mass as the One who reigns and remains. Ask how your ordinary work can become witness. First Reading Acts 1:1-11 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 47 Second Reading Ephesians 1:17-23 Gospel Matthew 28:16-20