The Ascension of Our Lord has always been a mixture of sadness and joy for me. I am joyful because the Lord has returned to the Father in His heavenly kingdom. My sadness stems from seeing Him leave us behind. A recent homily has helped redefine my feelings to hope. Yes, Christ has left us, but not abandoned us. Christ is with us with us until the end of time.
In his painting, Ascension of Christ, the artist, Tisi, depicts Christ pointing upward to Heaven. Through this jester, Jesus is telling us where He is going. And, He is also pointing the direction that we should follow so we can join Him at the end of our earthly lives. He is telling us if we live our lives according to God’s laws we will be rewarded with eternal life.
St. Josemaria Escriva explained my thoughts much more eloquently when he wrote:
The feast of our Lord’s ascension also reminds us of another fact. The same Christ, who encourages us to carry out our task in the world, awaits us in heaven as well. In other words, our life on earth, which we love, is not definitive. We do not have a permanent dwelling place here, but we seek that which is to come (Heb 13:14), a changeless home, where we may live forever. (Christ Is Passing By, 126)
I pray that Our Lord will fill our hearts with great joy and deep hope as we continue to live our days on earth.
Artwork: Tisi, Benvenuto. Ascension of Christ. 1520. Oil on panel. Galleria Nazionale D’Arte Antica, Rome, Italy.