The Ascension of the Lord
SfIoan Gurgolden
« So, the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, rose to heaven, and sat down to the right of God » (Mark 16:19).
Which holiday is today? It is a high and great holiday, which overwhelms the human mind, and worthy of the great goodness of the one who set it, that is, of God.
Today, at the Ascension of the Savior in heaven, here is what is said in the history of the apostles about angels: « Two men have been before them in white clothes, who also said: Galilee men, who are looking for heaven? This Jesus, who rose from you to heaven, will come, as you have seen him, as you have to go to heaven.
Why did the angels appear then and told them that he was rising to heaven? For two reasons.
First, because the disciples were saddened for the separation of Christ. As they were in truth, we find out from the words of the Lord: « None of you ask me: Where do you go? But, because I told you, the sadness filled your heart » (John 16: 5-6).
When we break up with friends and relatives, we are sorry. How could the disciples have now not to mourn and feel the pain, when they saw that their redeem, the teacher and the supporter full of love, the gentle and good? That is why the angels were shown; They had to alleviate the pain of the disciples to take the Lord from the people, through the promise of His return. « This Jesus, who has risen from you to heaven, will come, as you have seen him going to heaven. » I am sorry that he is taken from you, but do not grieve, he will come again. This is the first reason to show the angels.
For the second reason, no smaller than the first, the angel added: « He rose », that is, he rose, he rose to heaven. The distance was too great and the human eyes could not look at the body that rose until he reached heaven. Like a bird that rises to the height, it is increasingly hidden from our eyes, so does the body of Christ, the higher it rises, the more it departs from the eyes of the disciples, because the weakness of vision could not follow the length of the distance. That is why the angels appeared, to entrust the disciples about His ascension to heaven, so that they may not believe that he was taken to heaven as Elijah. Elijah was taken as a servant of God, and Jesus as Lord; Elijah with a wagon of fire, Jesus was taken by a cloud, for the Father, as Isaiah says, « sits on the cloud » (Isaiah 19: 1). Elijah, at his exaltation, released his coat on his disciple Elisha; But Jesus, after rising, made his disciples descend on the gifts of grace and made not only a prophet, but thousands of prophets, who were much greater and more glorious than Elisa.
Therefore, loved ones, to watch and straighten the eyes of our Spirit at the second coming of the Lord. The Apostle Paul says, « The Lord himself in command, at the voice of the Archangel, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will resurrect first. After that, we who will have remained, we will be abducted with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord » (I Thessalonians 4, 16-17).
The feast of the Ascension of the Lord, celebrated in the Thursday of the sixth week after Easter, Forty days after the resurrection of the Savior is one of the oldest Christian feasts, attested since the fourth century
This year, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord has as a celebration date of May 29.
