Why is the Ascension important for us today? It gives us fresh and deeper perspectives on the art of saying goodbye.

Above is a picture of some of the students I have had the immense honor of walking with this year as they conclude their high school career.

They will cross the stage, receive diploma, and move on from the walls of our department and the campus to thrust themselves into the world. The more I meet students, share in their lives, I come to realize how hard it can be at times to say goodbye.

But that is the beauty of life. Saying goodbye and hello over and over again. The Ascension is a scene in saying goodbye.

The Synoptic Gospels on the Ascension

In Luke’s account, it seems that the Ascension took place on Easter Day. Matthew gives no Ascension narrative and while Mark’s longer ending mentions Ascension, there is no suggestion of time after the Resurrection. In the Lord’s conversation with Mary Magdalene, he mentions the Ascension, but other than that the Gospel of John gives no detailed account of this glorious event.

Acts on the Ascension

The Acts of the Apostles is the only one who tells us that the Ascension of the Lord took place forty days after the Resurrection.

Forty days marks a time of preparation. Jesus was forming his Church in that in-between moment of Resurrection and Ascension. We saw it throughout the Easter Season with Mary Magdalene and the Apostles as prime examples.

Now in today’s account in the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus gives his final instructions. He speaks on the Holy Spirit, giving many proofs of his Resurrection, revealing the Kingdom of God, and telling the apostles to stay in Jerusalem until the coming of the Paraclete.

Jesus’ Message at the Ascension

Jesus revealed the Kingdom of God to his apostles. For forty days, he unpacked this great mystery and assured them of the gift of the Holy Spirit to receive power and be his witnesses. This is seen in Peter. Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost, he has been formed by this telling of the Kingdom of God and infused by the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Risen One is the center of the Kingdom in which our hearts have been moved. Power and witness is the Kingdom of God in our midst.

Afterward, Jesus was “lifted up.” It is interesting that the word Ascension or ascended is not even used in the account. Pope Benedict XVI comments that this verbiage demonstrates Jesus’ sovereignty:

In fact the verb “to lift up” was originally used in the Old Testament and refers to royal enthronement. Thus Christ’s Ascension means in the first place the enthronement of the Crucified and Risen Son of Man, the manifestation of God’s kingship over the world.

The “cloud took him from their sight.” This is Old Testament language that reveals intimacy with God. Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father and is with his Church forever in a new way.

What is the significance of the Lord’s Ascension? If he did not ascend to his Father, our faith would be limited. We would be people who felt the need to physically be near Jesus to be close to him. His Ascension has allowed us to be with him in a new way forever. His Ascension is not the absence of God in his Church, but an intimacy with him found in the sacraments of the Church. We have been given power and witness to reveal the Kingdom of God. People come to faith by the witness of believers!

We are not a Church awaiting the return of our absent Master. Like the apostles, we are filled with great joy for we are a Church that has been given authority, charity, and witness to reveal the Kingdom now whether on the internet, California, Australia, and all corners of the world.

Practical Advice Today

Saying goodbye to those who leave you for other journeys is never easy especially when the shared conversations and moments have been etched in your heart. Yet, as they leave, the hope is that they take the message we have tried to engrain in their young hearts. At the same time, every person teaches us a valuable lesson that grows in our own lives and bears fruit. Blessed are we to know such friends!

Below is a quote that means a great deal to me. It helps me understand the Ascension and relates it to my relationship with others in this life where we say hello and goodbye over and over again. The quote is from Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI and emphasizes that the Ascension is a way of loving deeper:

The mystery of saying goodbye is really the mystery of the Ascension, the most under-understood mystery both inside and outside of religion. The Ascension is about going away so that our loved ones can fully receive our spirit. It’s about the mystery of saying goodbye, when goodbye isn’t really goodbye at all, but only love’s way of taking on a different modality so that it can be present in a way that’s deeper, purer, more permanent, less-clinging, and less-limited by the tensions, disappointments, inadequacies, wounds, and betrayals that, this side of eternity, forever make our intimacy a work in progress.

Happy Ascension, everyone! Alleluia.