The Ascension of the Lord

05-17-2026Weekly ReflectionFather Chris

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Today the Church celebrates the glorious solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. After forty days appearing to His disciples, the risen Christ returns to the Father, not to abandon humanity, but to open for us the way to heaven. The Ascension is not the absence of Jesus; it is the fulfillment of His mission and the beginning of the Church’s mission.

In the Gospel, the disciples gather around the Lord on the mountain. Some worship, while others still doubt. How comforting it is to know that Jesus entrusts His mission not to perfect people, but to disciples still learning to believe more deeply. He sends them — and us — into the world: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Christian discipleship is always missionary. A disciple who truly encounters the risen Lord cannot remain closed in fear or comfort.

This solemnity also brings us to the threshold of the end of the Easter season. Throughout these fifty days, especially for the newly baptized and newly received into the Church, we have walked the path of mystagogy — entering more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection celebrated in the sacraments. Easter was never meant to be only a liturgical season; it is a way of life. The neophytes, and all of us, are invited now to continue discovering the treasures of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation in daily Christian living.

The Ascension teaches us that our true homeland is in heaven, but our mission is on earth. Jesus ascends with His glorified humanity, carrying our human nature into the heart of the Trinity. Therefore, every act of holiness, charity, reconciliation, and fidelity has eternal value. The disciples leave the mountain not saddened, but filled with hope, because the Lord promises: “I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

As we prepare for Pentecost, the Church waits in prayer with Mary, asking for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The end of the Easter season is not the end of the Christian journey; it is the beginning of mature discipleship. Having encountered the risen Christ, we are now sent forth to become witnesses of His mercy and His Gospel in the world.

May the Ascended Lord lift our hearts toward heaven while strengthening our feet for mission here on Earth.

God Bless,

Father Chris