Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Peter SchinellerMay 18, 2009

Some years ago, I asked one of my students,  a religious sister, what she would say if she were to preach on the feast of the Ascension. Without a second’s hesitation, she replied: “The Ascension is God’s act of faith in us.”  Yes.  God the Father entrusts to us the mission of his Son Jesus Christ, to share the good news of God’s love.

We believe that on this day Jesus ascends  to be seated at the right hand of the Father.  He is no longer physically present, going about doing good.  But God in turn puts his trust in us, that  with the help of the Holy Spirit,  we can carry on the work.    We might call Ascension Thursday the feast of the Christian going on mission – a forward looking mission.

In the Scripture of the day, the angels remind the apostles and us that we are not to look up in the sky (Acts 1:11).  Nor, as Jesus reminded us, are we to look back, after putting our hand to the plough (Luke 9:62). And we are not to look down, downcast,  as Jesus found the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.    We have only one direction to look – and that is forward, look ahead.  On this feast of the Ascension,  God looks to us, relies upon us, and  trusts us to be the continuing  presence of  Jesus Christ in the world.

Peter Schineller, S.J.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
15 years 10 months ago
Is the Holy Day the 21st or the 28th?  Is this one that was pushed to Sunday (the 24th or 31st?)  I live in the Baltimore Province, Arlington Diocese (since the rules vary by location).

The latest from america

Pope Francis shared that he is experiencing “healing,” specifically “in my soul and my body,” as he reaches the eighth day of the minimum two-month period of rest and convalescence prescribed by his doctors.
Gerard O’ConnellMarch 30, 2025
With 38 years of experience in overseeing the process of canonization and beatification of saints, Monsignor Robert Sarno offers a deep dive into the world of Catholic relics, including their history, hierarchy and controversy.
JesuiticalMarch 28, 2025
Pope Francis continues to be in stable condition and has registered improvements in both breathing and speech, the Vatican said on March 28.
Gerard O’ConnellMarch 28, 2025
A large crowd gathers as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a rally at Zocalo Square in Mexico City March 9, 2025. (OSV News photo/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha, Reuters)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s deft handling of the mercurial U.S. president has sent her approval rating soaring, reaching 85 percent in the latest survey from the newspaper El Financiero.
David AgrenMarch 28, 2025