The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ (also called the Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday) commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (shared by multiple denominations) feasts of Christian churches, ranking with the feasts of the Passion and Pentecost. Following the account of Acts 1:3 that the risen Jesus appeared for 40 days prior to his Ascension, Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter, although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday, sometimes called Ascension Sunday. The day of observance varies by ecclesiastical province in many Christian denominations, as with Methodists and Catholics, for example.
- Wikipedia
Acts 1:1-11
Eph 1:17-23
Lk 24:46-53
They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy, and they were continually in the Temple praising God.
I always wondered how the apostles could rejoice about Jesus parting from them to ascend to Heaven. Perhaps I am being overly sentimental, but if I imagine myself as one of the apostles at the scene, I might have reacted very differently. After all, the apostles had gone through Jesus’ traumatising crucifixion less than two months back, during which practically all of them had abandoned Him; and even after His unbelievable Resurrection, they had yet to really understand His nature and mission (as shown in the First Reading when they asked Jesus if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel). If I’d been with the apostles, I might have wished for more time with the resurrected Jesus, to come to terms with the guilt of betraying Him and to try and make amends, to discuss further His messages and parables; or just enjoy more meals of grilled fish over charcoal fires.
But maybe I am acting in the same way as Mary Magdalene clinging to Jesus when she first saw Him at His tomb. I have yet to fully grasp that the Ascension is about Jesus being with us in a new way instead of leaving us, and that it must take place to enable the Holy Spirit to come to us. On a personal level, if I really loved Jesus and saw Him as the Son of God, then I should also rejoice that He is finally able to take His rightful place at His Father’s side after an unjust execution, even if it means He will no longer be physically with us.
Another insight I gained on Ascension was from the Set Free Lenten challenge by Fr Josh Johnson, which I tried on a whim, since Ascension Press provided free access to its app. Though the challenge itself sought to give us a better understanding of the Seven Deadly Sins and how they could be present in our mindsets and behaviours, Fr Johnson repeatedly emphasised that we had to avoid focusing on our tendencies to sin to the point that we lost sight of our relationship with God — who is always willing to come to us as we are. He encouraged us to learn from Peter, who remained close to Jesus throughout his life, despite the many times he failed Jesus. Seen in this light, the apostles would have given praise and thanks for Jesus’ Ascension because it was an opportunity to deepen their relationship with Him, even in their sinful state. Even if they didn’t fully understand His message yet, they were willing to trust in Him. May we look to the apostles as our models as we observe the solemnity of Ascension today, to trust in our Lord and be open to how He wants to be with us.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Jaclyn Lam)
Prayer: Lord, help us remember that You came to be in relationship with us. Help us to trust in You and Your plans for us and to allow you to come close to us. Help us to realise the full meaning of Your Ascension.
Thanksgiving: We give you praise and thanks for your glorious Resurrection and Ascension.
OXYGEN 
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