The Ascension Of Jesus Christ

And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Acts 1:9

It is not for you to know the time or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power: But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth.
Giotto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Ascension of Jesus Christ is a joyous occasion, obviously. As Catholics, we should celebrate it. But why? As I meditated on this today, I realized that in past, Israel was often not certain of acceptance of their sacrifices to the LORD. But here we have Jesus Christ, who presented himself as the Paschal Lamb. His friends tried to stop him. His people tried to get him to be something other than the Bread of Life. But the Father accepted the sacrifice.

How do we know? The sacrifice was brought back to us to console us and to show us what was to come. And then..! The sacrifice was pulled up to Heaven. We already know that every time we celebrate the Eucharist that it is an accepted sacrifice, because the Apostles have told us it was accepted the first time.

God of the Tabernacle, you alone know our depravity. Help us to turn away from our molten calves and run to you, where we know you will accept the sacrifice made in our names. Send the Holy Spirit down on us to help us fall into the grace you have sent for all mankind and serve you always and everywhere. We pray these things in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.