Rublev icône de l’Ascension
In the Creed we say that Jesus “ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father”. Jesus’ earthly life culminated with the Ascension, when he passed from this world to the Father and was raised to sit on his right. What does this event mean? How does it affect our life? What does contemplating Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father mean?(Pope Francis, general audience April 17th 2013) CLICK HERE
Prayer
God our Father, make us joyful in the Ascension of your Son Jesus Christ. May we follow him into the new creation for his Ascension is our glory and our hope. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.(Prepared by the Spiritual Theology Department of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross )
Scripture texts to be meditated upon:
“I will not let you be without a friend” (John 14, 18 ). “I am ever with you, even to the end of the world“. (Matthew 28, 20). Jesus was taken up to heavens. And while they (the Apostles) were looking up to heaven with great attention, two men came to them, in white clothing, and said, O men of Galilee, why are you looking up into heaven? After the Ascension Day “they all with one mind gave themselves up to prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus ” (Acts1,14)
With our Pope Francis, the Ascension Day exhorts us to pray and to go out to the peripheries to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.
” Praying is speaking to God with love” (Father Charles de Foucauld). We are invited to pray, as the apostles with Mary.
” Going out to the peripheries “, it is not to be afraid of paying attention to anybody we may meet especially those who are nameless, without influence, and often disdained.
The Hope of every Christian, being a missionary by definition, is that Jesus repeats him non stop ” Go ahead, I am with you for ever !“. It is this certainty which guided us throughout our missions.