Saints LightHe ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty
Forty days after Easter, Jesus went body and soul into the glory of God, where He reigns and prays for us. He has not left us; He prepares a place for us and stays with us through the Spirit and the sacraments.
For forty days after Easter, the risen Jesus appeared to His disciples and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. Then, on the Mount of Olives, He was lifted up and a cloud took Him from their sight (CCC 659). The Church celebrates this as the Ascension, forty days after Easter.
This is not a story about Jesus traveling into outer space. The cloud is the Bible's sign of God's presence, the same cloud that filled the Temple and covered the mountain at the Transfiguration. The Ascension means that Jesus' risen humanity, His real body and soul, entered fully into the glory of God (CCC 659-660, 665).
Seated at the right hand is a picture, not a seating chart. In the ancient world, the place at the king's right hand belonged to the one who shared his authority. The Church explains that the Father's right hand means the glory and honor of divinity, and that Christ's being seated there marks the start of His kingdom, which will have no end (CCC 663-664).
Why is His going away good news? Jesus Himself said: It is expedient to you that I go. First, He goes to prepare a place for us. Where the Head has gone, the members hope to follow (CCC 661). Second, He lives always to make intercession for us. He stands before the Father as our high priest, still bearing the wounds of His love (CCC 662). Third, He sends the Holy Spirit, who makes Him present everywhere at once, not in one town in Galilee but in every tabernacle, every sacrament and every believer (CCC 667, 1084).
Some feel the Ascension means Jesus left us on our own. The angels at the Ascension asked the apostles why they stood looking up at heaven. They were not meant to stare at the sky but to go to work, telling the world about Him. He is not absent; He is present in a new way, and He will return.
This line also says something about your own body. A human body is now in the glory of God. Human nature, with all its weakness, has been raised to the highest place. That is how much God thinks of what He made.
Key points
- Forty days after Easter, Jesus ascended into heaven, and His humanity entered God's glory.
- Seated at the right hand means He shares the Father's divine glory and reigns now.
- He goes to prepare a place for us, intercedes for us, and sends the Holy Spirit.
- He is not absent but present in a new way, especially in the sacraments.
The Word of God
And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments. Who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen him going into heaven.
In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself; that where I am, you also may be.
Whereby he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him; always living to make intercession for us.
Catechism paragraphs for this lesson
- CCC 659-661
- CCC 662-664
- CCC 665-667
- CCC 1084
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
From the tradition
Q. After Christ had remained forty days on earth, whither did He go? A. After forty days Christ ascended into heaven, and the day on which He ascended into heaven is called Ascension day.
Live it this week
Spend five minutes this week in front of the tabernacle in a Catholic church, or wherever you can be quiet. Tell Jesus one thing you need Him to intercede for, and remember that He is praying for you right now.
Check yourself: three questions
1. What does seated at the right hand of the Father mean?
- Jesus literally sits on a chair to the Father's right
- Jesus shares the Father's divine glory and reigns now
- Jesus is resting until the end of the world
- Jesus ranks below the Father as a servant
Show the answer
Jesus shares the Father's divine glory and reigns now. The right hand means the glory and honor of divinity, and His sitting there marks the start of His kingdom (CCC 663-664).
2. What is the cloud at the Ascension a sign of?
- The weather that day on the Mount of Olives
- The disciples' confusion and sorrow
- God's presence and glory
- The end of Christ's humanity
Show the answer
God's presence and glory. In Scripture the cloud signals God's presence; the Ascension is Christ's humanity entering God's glory (CCC 659-660).
3. Which is one reason the lesson gives for why the Ascension is good news?
- Christ intercedes for us and sends the Holy Spirit
- It means Christ no longer has a human body
- It ended Christ's involvement in the world
- It means the apostles could stop preaching
Show the answer
Christ intercedes for us and sends the Holy Spirit. Christ lives to intercede for us and sends the Spirit, making Him present in a new way (CCC 662, 667).
Words to know
- Ascension
- Christ's going up, body and soul, into the glory of heaven forty days after Easter.
- Intercession
- Praying on someone's behalf; Christ intercedes for us before the Father.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
For catechists: a one hour class plan
Goal. The group should understand the Ascension and what it means that Christ is seated at the Father's right hand, and take to heart that He has not left us but prays for us and stays with us.
Opener. Ask: "Have you ever had someone you love move far away? How did you stay connected?" Then ask whether the Ascension felt like Jesus leaving.
Discussion questions
- Why did Jesus ascend instead of staying on earth? [His humanity entered God's glory, He prepares a place for us, and He sends the Spirit (John 14:2-3).]
- What does seated at the right hand of the Father mean? [Sharing the Father's divine glory and reigning now. Not a literal chair.]
- Hebrews 7:25 says Jesus lives always to intercede for us. How does it feel to know He is praying for you right now? [Invite personal reflection.]
- Where do you most experience Christ present in a new way: the sacraments, Scripture, the poor, prayer? [All are good answers.]
Activity. If possible, go into the church and spend 10 minutes in silence before the tabernacle. Give each person a slip of paper beforehand to write one need they want Jesus to intercede for. If the church is not open, light a candle in the meeting room and keep the silence there.
Closing prayer. Lord Jesus, You ascended into glory, and You still pray for us before the Father. Thank You for staying with us in Your Spirit and Your sacraments. Hear the needs we have brought tonight, and keep our eyes on the home You are preparing for us. Amen.
Timing. Opening prayer 5 min, opener 5 min, read the lesson together 15 min, discussion 18 min, activity (silence before the tabernacle) 12 min, closing 5 min.
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