May 29, 2022 – The Ascension of the Lord
For forty days, Jesus appeared to his disciples in the form of a human being. However, this time his body was glorified by his Heavenly Father. He appeared to them in his glorified flesh. He ate with them to prove to them that he was not a ghost. Never in the existence of mankind has anyone risen from the dead and was still alive in flesh and blood. He validated and confirmed the faith of the Apostles and disciples. Of course, they were scared when they first saw him alive. However, Jesus quickly dispelled their fears and replaced them with his divine peace. Peace be with you, he said. I give you my peace not as the world gives. Now is the time for him to go to heaven to be with his Heavenly Father. The first reading of the Acts of the Apostles shows the astonishment of the Apostles. They were in a daze, gazing up at the sky as Jesus ascended. On the contrary, the Gospel account of the Ascension depicts the joy of the Apostles as they witnessed the Ascension of Jesus. In both Ascension accounts, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who will empower the apostles and disciples to be his witnesses in the world. Let us pray that with the help of Saint Kateri in Jesus, we will always have the joy of the ascension in our hearts.