Quick Bytes
- Bishop Augustine’s homily highlights the spiritual significance of the Ascension.
- The Feast of the Ascension celebrates our unity with Christ and His Church.
- Pope St. Leo the Great and Apostle Paul reflect on the joy and divine plan revealed in the Ascension.
Understanding the Feast of the Ascension
In a profound homily, Bishop Augustine spoke about the Ascension of Jesus Christ, urging believers to set their hearts on heavenly things.
Augustine emphasized the unity between Christ and His Church, suggesting that as members of His Body, we too have ascended with Him. This unity is not just a spiritual concept but a call to live out our faith actively within the Church for the world’s benefit. Pope St. Leo the Great also celebrated the Ascension, marveling at humanity’s elevated status through Christ’s divinity.
The article explains that the Ascension is not the end of Jesus’ relationship with the Church but the beginning of a new way of His presence in the world through His followers. It is a reminder of our participation in the divine nature, a gift mediated through the Church’s sacraments and teachings. The Church is described not as an entity but as the living Christ, a seed of the Kingdom of God, working to fulfill His redemptive mission.
The Feast of the Ascension is portrayed as a continuation of Christ’s mission and a celebration of God’s love and plan for humanity, as echoed in the words of Apostle Paul. Believers are called to live this new relationship with Jesus Christ, with the Father, through the Holy Spirit, and to embrace their vocation within the heart of the Church.