A Special Catholic Feast Day

Feast of the Ascension, Thursday, May 29

The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter Sunday. Because Easter
is always on a Sunday, Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday. It may be referred to as Holy
Thursday; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord; Ascension Day; or Ascension Thursday.
Other Christian denominations may rank its importance differently, but in the Catholic Church,
the Feast of the Ascension is ranked as both a solemnity and a Holy Day of Obligation.

The calendar date, of course, varies from year to year, depending on the date of Easter Sunday. In
the West, the earliest possible date for the Feast of the Ascension is April 30. The latest possible
date may be June 3. The three days before the Feast of the Ascension may be referred to as
“Rogation Day” and the prior Sunday, “Rogation Sunday”.

As depicted in the Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11:

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.  After his suffering, he
presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with  water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.’

As Christian tradition underscores, this special feast day celebrates Christ’s ascension into
heaven. During His time on earth, He served to help others, led a humble life, and brought the
messages from God to humanity. Now in heaven, Christ, the Son of God, has become the lord of
all and represents mankind. Thus, those who believe in Christ and all who love Him and follow
His teachings will have eventual passage to heaven.

Special Prayer:

Jesus, I honor You on the feast of Your Ascension into heaven, I rejoice with all my heart at the
glory into which you entered to reign as King of heaven and earth. When the struggle of this life
is over, give me the grace to share Your joy and triumph in heaven for all eternity.