1 June 2025 #SpreadTheWord

Today, we celebrate Jesus’ return to the heavenly realm, where His (and our) Father eagerly awaits Him. It’s a mind-boggling event—imagine standing in a Bethany field, watching Jesus defy gravity and vanish into a cloud. It’s as astonishing as recent readings where Jesus appears in locked rooms, lets Thomas touch His spear wound, and shares a meal with disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Those who witnessed it ran back to Jerusalem with joy and amazement, ready to set the world right.

But what does Jesus’ Ascension mean for us today, millennia later? We didn’t walk with Jesus, hear His sermons, or witness His miracles. We weren’t in the crowds at His condemnation, at the foot of the Cross, or at the empty tomb. We didn’t see the angels rejoicing or the Father embracing His Son. So, what bearing does the Ascension have on our daily lives?

It’s easy to imitate Jesus in tangible acts—feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, serving others, protecting the helpless, or advocating for the voiceless. We can follow the Teacher in these kingdom-building ways. But we won’t ascend body and soul from a Hastings cornfield. So, what does it mean for us?

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reveals why the Ascension matters—not as a bodily act, but as a spiritual truth: “May the eyes of your heart be enlightened, that you may know the hope that belongs to His call” (Ephesians 1:18). This weekend is about hope.

Hope fuels our actions. It’s why we rise each morning without fear, move through our day with a spring in our step and a smile on our face, pray the Rosary, or sit in adoration and awe in the chapel. Hope is also why Jesus ascended publicly—He didn’t need to, but He wanted to show there’s something more awaiting us, beyond what eyes can see or ears can hear. We don’t know exactly what it looks or feels like, but a “something beyond Beautiful” awaits at life’s end, open to all who know and love Jesus. So, spread the word!

This hope shouldn’t make us complacent. Like many, I sometimes let hope breed inaction, assuming belief in Jesus is enough. But Jesus also commands us to (1) go and make disciples and (2) not be “goats” in this world (Matthew 25:31-46). Hope should compel us to action in our daily lives, not sedate us. That friends, is why the Ascension matters.

#SpreadTheWord