Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father. This Feast day has been transferred from the sixth Thursday of Easter to the seventh Sunday of Easter due to its importance in our beliefs. The bishops of the western United States felt that a greater number of the faithful would attend this solemn feast if it were celebrated on a Sunday. The significance of this feast is the theology of the Ascension. Jesus ascended into heaven to be with the Father and to open the gates of heaven to all believers. He told His disciples that He was going to the Father; however, He promised that He would not abandon them or us as He prepared them to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which we celebrate next weekend. For forty days of Easter, we have been hearing about the times that Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. With each appearance, He imparted His peace upon them and promised that He would remain with them forever in Spirit. This feast of Ascension marks the reality of our salvation and concludes Jesus’ public human ministry on earth. After the Ascension, the third person of the Holy Trinity is revealed to the world to carry on His mission for all eternity.

May God Bless you and Mary keep you,

Fr. George P. Blais

Director