On this Sunday, the Church throughout the world lifts her eyes to heaven—not in nostalgia, but in hope. The Solemnity of the Ascension is not a farewell but a triumph. It is not the absence of Christ but the enthronement of the Bridegroom. Forty days after His glorious Resurrection, Jesus ascends not to escape earth but to fill it with His presence in a new way—through His Mystical Body, the Church.
“He Was Lifted Up…”
Saint Luke recounts the mystery in the Book of Acts:
“As they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight” (Acts 1:9).
This is no mere departure; it is a liturgical procession. Christ, the true High Priest, enters the heavenly Holy of Holies to present the one perfect sacrifice—the offering of Himself—for all time (cf. Heb 9:11–12). His ascension fulfills the promise of Psalm 110:
“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”
From the throne of glory, He now reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As the Catechism affirms:
“Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father’s glorious kingdom so that we, the members of His Body, may live in the hope of one day being with Him forever” (CCC 666).
This is not a day of Christ leaving us behind; it is the solemn beginning of His presence through the Church.
The Royal Bride: Mission of the Church Begins
The Ascension is not the end of the story—it is the beginning of our chapter in it.
“Why do you stand looking into heaven?” (Acts 1:11)
The angel’s question is our mission. We are not meant to stare at the clouds, but to carry the Kingdom into the world. The Church, born from the side of Christ on the Cross and animated by the Spirit at Pentecost, now lives and labors in the world as the extension of Christ’s Incarnation.
Saint Leo the Great said it best:
“What was visible in our Redeemer has passed over into His mysteries” (Sermon 74).
This means the sacraments, the liturgy, the Eucharist, and yes, our own lives, are now the instruments through which Jesus continues to work until He comes again.
Mary and the Ascension: The Queen Awaits the Spirit
Let us not forget that the first to live this mystery was the Blessed Virgin Mary.
She who gave Him flesh now prepares the Church to receive the Spirit. Between the Ascension and Pentecost, Mary gathers the Apostles in prayer (Acts 1:14). She is the living icon of the Church in vigil—expectant, receptive, docile to the Holy Spirit.
Her Immaculate Heart teaches us how to live this mystery: to long for Heaven while laboring on earth. To intercede. To wait. To trust.
As Pope Benedict XVI taught:
“Mary, assumed into heaven, is already what the Church is called to become. In her, the victory of Christ has already been realized.”
A Word for the Faithful in Izmir
Here in Izmir, where Christian roots run deep and sacred history quietly echoes through the centuries, we know what it means to live our faith with humility and perseverance. In this land once walked by the early disciples of Christ, the call remains: to pray faithfully, to love generously, and to carry the light of Christ in everyday witness.
Conclusion: “I Am With You Always”
The Ascension ends not with Christ disappearing, but with a promise:
“Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).
From the right hand of the Father, Jesus pours out His Spirit, feeds us with His Body, speaks through His Word, and acts through His Church.
Let us not merely look up to heaven. Let us, with Mary, await the Spirit, live in grace, and extend the reign of Christ until He returns in glory.
“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.”
Totus Tuus.
Sursum Corda.
He reigns!
