Ascension of the Lord, 2026

 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. First of all, I wish all of you a very happy Feast of the Ascension.

In the life of a priest, transfers usually happen every three years. When a transfer takes place, some parishioners are happy, while others are sad. It often depends on the relationship they share with the priest. This is something normal in every priest’s life.

But today, in the Gospel, we see something very different. Jesus is leaving His disciples and ascending into heaven, yet the disciples are filled with joy. Normally, when someone dear departs, sadness follows. But the disciples rejoiced.

Why?

We know that after the crucifixion and death of Jesus, the disciples were in complete confusion and hopelessness. Their dreams had collapsed. Fear and uncertainty filled their hearts. But after encountering the risen Lord during those forty days, everything changed. When they witnessed Jesus ascending into heaven, they were no longer afraid. Instead, they were filled with deep joy and peace.

The Evangelist Luke tells us that the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy. The departure of Jesus brought happiness into their lives because they understood a profound truth: Jesus had completed His mission on earth and was returning to the Father, where He would sit at the right hand of God.

At this moment, a great transformation takes place in the existence of Christ. Through the Incarnation, the transcendent God became man and lived among us. God entered human history through the Nativity. But now, after the Resurrection and the forty days with His disciples, Jesus ascends into heaven. His visible earthly presence comes to an end, and He returns to His transcendent glory.

This also reminds us of our own destiny. We live now in this earthly existence, but one day we too shall pass from this life into another existence in eternity. Just as Christ ascended into heaven, we are also called toward heaven.

Why did Jesus remain with the disciples for forty days after the Resurrection?

Those forty days were a period of preparation. Jesus stayed with them, taught them, strengthened them, and opened their minds to understand His teachings more deeply. Even though the disciples had physically walked with Jesus during His ministry, they had not fully understood Him. But during these forty days, their spiritual eyes were opened.

This period became a time of transformation for the disciples.

Their fear turned into faith.
Their confusion turned into clarity.
Their weakness turned into courage.

Earlier, they hid behind closed doors out of fear. But after the Ascension, they became bold witnesses of Christ. They received confidence and clarity about their mission.

Today’s Gospel also highlights the authority Jesus entrusted to His apostles. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gathered the eleven disciples and commissioned them:

“Go into the whole world, proclaim the Gospel, and baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus handed over His mission and authority to them. He blessed them, strengthened them, and sent them forth to continue His work in the world.

Two beautiful biblical images appear in today’s readings: the mountain and the cloud.

The mountain symbolizes the place of divine revelation. The prophet Zechariah had foretold that the Lord would appear upon the mountain, and now this prophecy is fulfilled as Jesus ascends from the mountain into heaven.

The cloud is another powerful image. In the Old Testament, the cloud represented God’s presence and protection. During the journey of the Israelites through the desert, the cloud guided and sheltered them. At the baptism of Jesus, the heavens opened and the voice of the Father declared: “This is my beloved Son.” Now, at the Ascension, the cloud again reveals the glory of God as Jesus is lifted into heaven.

And one day, Christ will come again in glory.

My dear brothers and sisters, what does the Ascension mean for our lives today?

Very often, in the journey of life, we become so absorbed in worldly matters that we forget our final destination — heaven. We know the values we must live by in order to reach heaven: love, forgiveness, humility, truthfulness, prayer, and charity. We know these things in our minds, yet sometimes we fail to practice them in our daily lives.

Today the Lord invites us to reflect:
Am I living a life directed toward heaven?
Am I faithful to the Gospel values?
Am I taking even one extra step to spread the Word of God?

Not everyone is called to preach from a pulpit. But every one of us can proclaim Christ through our way of living — through kindness, honesty, compassion, patience, and love toward others.

As we celebrate this Solemnity of the Ascension, let us ask ourselves whether we are truly walking the path that leads to heaven. If we have drifted away, let today become a moment of renewal — a moment to return to the Lord, to experience His presence once again, and to continue our journey with hope.

One day, just as Christ ascended into heaven, we too are called to share in His eternal glory.

May God bless us all.

Amen.