The Feast of the Ascension
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
Acts 1:9
I wish you all a happy and blessed Feast of the Ascension! Today marks 40 days after Easter Sunday, and on this day, we commemorate Christ being taken up into Heaven in front of His disciples. You can read the story in Acts 1:6-11.
Every Sunday we profess in our Creed, “He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right of the Father.” But have you ever wondered exactly what it is that Jesus is doing at the Father’s right hand? Well, He’s doing a lot, but I just want to mention 2 things here.
First, He is sitting in the seat of authority, ruling over Heaven and Earth. He is the King; He is in control; and He’s got this. Jesus knows what He’s doing; and he is far wiser, greater, and more loving than we can ever imagine. We may ask why He does what He does or allows what He allows… or why there is such pain and suffering in the world. But if He is King, we can press on. As Rev. Chris Rodriguez has said, “If we’re on the bus, we can let Him drive.”
Second, as the verse above says, Jesus is our advocate. By His death and resurrection and through His blood, He has washed us clean from our sin and has won the victory of eternal life on our behalf. Now, as our great High Priest in Heaven, He presents us as innocent and forgiven before the throne of God, so that we would receive the inheritance He is keeping in Heaven just for us (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Therefore, because of Christ’s Ascension, we can trust Him to care for us now and praise Him for securing our future place in Heaven. How’s that for a Good Word?
Blessings in Christ,
Fr. BJ+
PS – Although Jesus has ascended to His Father, He has not left us alone. He is still with us and always will be. If you’re having trouble feeling His presence, let me encourage you to listen to Fr. Matthew’s sermon from this past Sunday. Here are his 5 points for experiencing the presence of God:
- Remember that if you are seeking God; then He is already seeking you.
- In the Bible God attaches his presence to various things, so seek his presence in various ways. But always use Scripture!
- Turn down the volume in other areas of your life. You will hear God more.
- Live in openness to God. Open hands. Open heart.
- Sometimes, you will feel God’s presence most intensely when you have lost something in your life. Look for Him and do not despair.