Ascension Thursday marks Jesus Christ’s complete victory over human weakness, sin, and even all the powers of hell. Just like how Jesus’ crucifixion, while meant by the Romans to be a terribly humiliating way to be condemned to death, ironically defeated the infernal forces, Our Lord’s Ascension commemorates Jesus Christ in glory “in place and dignity” in Heaven, after the ignominy of the Cross.
Catholic tradition has it that Lucifer, once the most beautiful angel created by Almighty God, was so enraged at the very notion that God Himself would adopt human (and thus highly inferior to the angelic nature) flesh and be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a woman.
Ah, that prideful and wretched angel could not stomach the thought that he, the “angel of light”, would have to worship a God-Man. Eventually, Lucifer’s fateful “non serviam” would plunge himself and all those angels who agreed with him into the fires of hell forever.
Even after being condemned to eternal perdition, the brazen serpent was permitted by God to tempt our first parents Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Fall that resulted from the serpent’s wiles and Adam’s disobedience seemed, for some time, a triumph of evil over good.
Yet Catholic theologians have frequently referred to Adam’s sin as a “felix culpa” (“happy fault”), alluding to the idea that God drew a greater good out of the evil of Adam’s sin, that is, He permitted Jesus Christ to redeem fallen mankind through his Passion, Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection.
Forty days after the Resurrection, Holy Mother Church celebrates Our Lord Jesus Christ’s Ascension into heaven, signifying the completion of His redemptive plans for humankind, and his eternal glory at the right hand of God the Father.
To the chagrin of the infernal powers, Ascension Thursday is the day of their ultimate and decisive defeat when the human flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ was solemnly enthroned in Heaven to be worshipped, praised, and thanked for endless ages.
Moreover, Ascension Thursday marks Jesus Christ’s complete victory over human weakness, sin, and even all the powers of hell. Just like how Jesus’ crucifixion, while meant by the Romans to be a terribly humiliating way to be condemned to death, ironically defeated the infernal forces, Our Lord’s Ascension commemorates Jesus Christ in glory “in place and dignity” in Heaven, after the ignominy of the Cross.
To the chagrin of the infernal powers, Ascension Thursday is the day of their ultimate and decisive defeat when the human flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ was solemnly enthroned in Heaven to be worshipped, praised, and thanked for endless ages.
Let us meditate on the words of Scripture regarding this glorious feast (Acts of the Apostles 1:9):
“Until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth. For John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? But he said to them: It is not for you to know the times or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power: But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth. 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.”
Little did Lucifer know that his scheming deceits to bring the human race’s downfall would lead to his eventual humiliation.
Ah, how God’s ways are neither our ways nor the devil’s.
Blessed be God forever.
“Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God: that we, who believe Thine only- begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have ascended on this day into heaven, may also ourselves dwell in mind amid
heavenly things. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.” (Collect from the feast of the Ascension, 1962 Missal)
