The Ascension of the Lord — Solemnity
First Reading — Acts 1:1–11
In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’
As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 46(47):2–3,6–9
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God is king of all the earth.
Sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
Second Reading — Ephesians 1:17–23
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers.
This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
Gospel Acclamation — Matthew 28:19–20
Alleluia, alleluia!
Go and teach all people my gospel.
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
Alleluia!
Gospel — Matthew 28:16–20
The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’
Reflection
The Ascension of the Lord is often misunderstood as Jesus leaving the world behind. Yet the feast reveals something far deeper. Christ ascends not to abandon humanity, but to reign in glory and prepare the way for humanity to enter heaven through him. The disciples are left standing between earth and heaven, caught between what they have witnessed and what they are now called to do.
In the First Reading, the apostles still think in earthly terms. They ask whether Jesus will now restore the kingdom to Israel. Christ redirects their attention away from political expectation and toward spiritual mission. The kingdom of God will spread not through earthly dominance, but through the power of the Holy Spirit working in ordinary believers. The Catechism reminds us that the Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity into divine glory (CCC 659).
The apostles gaze upward as Jesus disappears into the cloud, a biblical sign of divine presence. Yet the angels immediately challenge them: “Why are you standing there looking into the sky?” Christianity is never meant to become passive admiration. The Church is called into movement, mission, and witness. The same Lord who ascended now sends his people outward.
Saint Paul’s words in Ephesians deepen this mystery. Christ is seated “far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination.” Every earthly ruler, fear, system, and power is beneath him. In a world filled with instability, the Ascension reminds believers that Christ reigns eternally. His kingship is not symbolic. It is real, living, and active over creation itself. CCC 668 teaches that Christ is Lord of the cosmos and history, even while all things are not yet visibly subjected to him.
The Gospel gives the Church what is commonly called the Great Commission. Jesus commands the disciples to make disciples of all nations. This mission is universal. The Gospel is not reserved for one people, culture, or generation. The Church exists to proclaim Christ to the whole world.
What is striking is that Matthew tells us “some hesitated.” Even standing before the risen Christ, some still struggled. Yet Jesus still entrusted them with the mission. God often works through weak, uncertain, and imperfect people. Holiness does not begin with flawless confidence. It begins with obedience and trust.
The final promise of Jesus is one of the most comforting lines in Scripture: “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” The Ascension is therefore not absence, but presence in a new way. Christ remains with his Church through the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, Scripture, and the communion of believers. CCC 697 reminds us that the Holy Spirit continues the work of Christ within the Church.
The Ascension calls every Christian to lift their eyes toward heaven while keeping their feet firmly planted in mission. Christ reigns in glory, but his Church remains on earth to continue his work until he comes again.
One line to carry today:
Christ ascended into heaven, but he still sends us into the world.
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