Mario Alberto Molina, O.A.R., Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Los Altos, Quetzaltenango – Totonicapán, leads us on this Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord to understand that Christ’s ascension into heaven is not a farewell, but the opening of a sure path for our own glorification in God.
Christ ascends to heaven: the fulfillment of the paschal season
St. Luke is the only evangelist who directly narrates the Ascension of Jesus, both in his Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles. Forty days have passed since the resurrection, a symbolic number: it does not indicate an exact number, but the time necessary to consolidate the faith of the disciples and prepare them for the mission.
During that time, Christ, with the collaboration of the Holy Spirit, instructed his apostles. Before the full outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus exhorts them to remain in Jerusalem to receive the promise of the Father: the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which will strengthen them for universal witness.
The Ascension: glorification of Christ’s humanity
The Ascension complements the resurrection. If in the resurrection Christ conquers death, in the Ascension his humanity is raised to the glory of God. As St. Paul teaches, Christ “emptied himself” by becoming man and is now “exalted” with the name that is above every name.
We celebrate that the incarnate Son of God recovers the glory that belonged to him from eternity, opening to all of us access to heaven. The paschal mystery is not only a victory over death, but also the definitive entrance of redeemed humanity into divine glory.
Christ, the High Priest who intercedes for us
The letter to the Hebrews explains this mystery with images of the Jerusalem temple cult:
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The earthly temple had limited spaces where only the high priest could enter once a year to ask forgiveness for the sins of the people.
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Christ, on the other hand, enters the sanctuary of heaven, not with the blood of animals, but with his own blood shed on the cross.
His sacrifice is perfect, definitive and universal. Christ intercedes permanently for us in the presence of God. He is the eternal high priest who has destroyed sin and has opened for us a new and living way through his surrendered body.
Our hope: to resurrect and enter glory
The author of the letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Christ will manifest himself again, not to destroy sin – for he has already conquered it – but to bring definitive salvation to those who await him. The Ascension is the guarantee of our resurrection and access to eternal life.
Our communion with Christ, especially in the Eucharist, unites us to his glorious body. Therefore we are exhorted:
“Let us hold fast to the profession of our hope, for he who made us the promises is faithful to his word.”