Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
Written by Megan Ourso
This past year, I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time. What a masterpiece! A few weeks ago I sat down and finally watched all the movies (extended cut, of course!), and I enjoyed them immensely. It felt like an appropriate watch for the Easter season, especially The Return of the King. People of every nation in Middle Earth were waiting– waiting for good to triumph over evil, waiting for peace to be restored, waiting for the promise to be fulfilled, waiting for… the return of the king.
We are still a people waiting for many of the same things, but can you imagine the heavenly host also waiting in anticipation for the King to return? We as Catholics celebrate Easter intentionally and liturgically, but our beautiful celebrations must be mere shadows in comparison with the celebration and rejoicing in Heaven, both past and present.
After completing His earthly mission as the God Man, Jesus returns to Heaven at the Ascension. He takes His seat at the right Hand of the Father. Everyone and everything in Heaven surely praised Him with “cries of gladness” (v.2) and “hymns of praise” (v.8). That is what eternity is, being in the presence of the Lord, praising Him and giving Him His due. Nothing on Earth could compare with the joy of this celebration! But that does not mean our praise and joy do not matter. They matter all the more because our worship is one of our weapons against the enemy and one of the ways that we learn the Heart of our Lord.
Yes, Jesus returns to the Father in this feast that we celebrate today, but that does not mean that He has abandoned us. He is still about the work of getting us to Heaven. Jesus promised, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). Because the King will not rest until we join Him in Heaven for eternity. That is a promise we can rejoice in.
There are many forms of prayer and no set way to praise the Lord. How do you praise the Lord? What form of prayer brings you straight to His Presence? Feel free to try different forms (music, journaling, declaring scripture, playing, etc.) to find how you connect quickly with God.
Megan Ourso works as an appraiser in southeast Louisiana. She has always been fascinated by stories and is an avid reader and writer. Follow Megan on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.