The Ascension of the Lord

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, we aren't talking about a normal saint at all. We are going straight to the top. We are talking about the King of Saints, Jesus Christ himself, and one of the most mind-blowing, jaw-dropping moments in history, the Ascension.

Picture this scene. Imagine you are one of the apostles. Over the last few weeks, you have been on the wildest emotional rollercoaster of your entire life. You saw your best friend and teacher die, but then he defeated death. For 40 amazing days after Easter, Jesus has been appearing to you, blowing your mind with his teachings, and completely changing how you see the world. Then, one day, you are all gathered together. Jesus gives you some final, powerful instructions. And then, something unbelievable happens.

He begins to rise. Right before their very eyes, the risen Christ enters into the ultimate glory of God the Father. He ascends, traveling beyond the physical world to take his rightful place at God's right hand. Now, you might be thinking, wait, didn't he just get back? Why is he leaving again? It's easy to look at the ascension as a sad goodbye.

But the church teaches us that this moment is not a goodbye. It's the ultimate proclamation about human destiny. This amazing feast day, which the church celebrates 40 days after Easter, following the timeline in the book of Acts, serves as the perfect hinge between Easter and Pentecost. Jesus wasn't just coming back to live a normal, earthly life again. This was the beginning of a definitive exaltation. That means the very human nature he assumed from Mary is now literally enthused. The ascension proves that where the head of the church has gone, the rest of the body, that means us, is meant to follow.

Before ascending, Christ gave the apostles their definitive marching orders. He looked right at them and said, you will be my witnesses. He inaugurated a brand new phase of his mission as we all wait for his second coming. The apostles were now empowered witnesses who acted with serious courage. Jesus gave his church real agency to go out into the world and make a difference, even though he still remains present with us, especially in the word and the sacraments.

Fun fact. Because the Ascension happened exactly 40 days after Easter, it originally fell on a Thursday, which is when many places celebrate it. But in other areas, it gets transferred to the following Sunday so that even more of the faithful can gather and celebrate this epic event together.

So, how do we take the ascension of Jesus Christ and apply it to our messy, busy lives today? Well, Jesus is calling you to be a brave witness in your school, your sports team, and your family. When life gets stressful with homework, drama, and distractions, ask the Lord Jesus, who ascended into heaven, to draw your heart to things above. Look past the drama of the moment, and remember that your destiny is so much greater. Act with courage today. Step up. Draw your heart to things above. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.