Forty days after the Resurrection, the Lord ascended to heaven. The Lord's return to the Father from where he had come marked the conclusion of his mission. We read in the book of the Prophet Isaiah, “Thus says the Lord, for just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11). The Lord Jesus, the Word made flesh, would return to God the Father after perfectly fulfilling the mission assigned to him.

Describing the Lord’s Ascension, St. Luke tells us, “While they [the Apostles] were looking intently at the sky as he [Jesus] was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them” (Acts 1:10). These two men were angels. This image reminds me of an image from the Book of Genesis: “And He [God] expelled the man [from the garden of Eden], stationing the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword east of the garden of Eden, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24).

The image of the Ascension reverses the action of Genesis. Humanity, which had been expelled from heaven, is now allowed access again. The angels were no longer guarding the entry way to heaven. The Risen Lord is the new Adam with permanent access to God, to the tree of eternal life. Pope Francis, preaching about the Ascension, said, “In the Ascension of Jesus, Crucified and Risen, is the promise of our participation in the fullness of life with God.” Therefore, the Ascension of the Lord is a cause of great joy for the Church.

Today we thank God for sending us his beloved Son to save us and to open the gates of heaven, which will never again be closed to those who love God.

Finally, before ascending to heaven, the Lord gave the apostles his final instructions. He told them, “And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The mission of the Church is to bear witness to the Lord's Death and Resurrection. Each of us received this mission on the day of our baptism and specifically on the day of our Confirmation when the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit was given to us to fulfill this task.

Let us humbly ask the Lord to grant us the assistance of the Holy Spirit to bear this witness in our daily lives.