A Glorious Ascension
Happy Ascension Thursday!
Today is the day that we celebrate Jesus’s ascension into Heaven! The Gospel describes this scene as the following:
NABRE
Acts of the Apostles 1
4While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; 5for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”6When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. 10While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
I came across this artwork while browsing through images of the Ascension, and I just had to share it with you:
Isn’t it marvelous!
Look at all the motion, first of all! There is so much movement going on by the apostles. Each one of them seems to be reacting to the scene in front of them in a different way. Some of them are staring at Jesus, astounded, while others are clearly puzzled by the whole thing and are looking around for some clues as to what could actually be happening. One is even hiding in a tree!
Then there’s an angel! An angel comes and sweeps down, his hand outstretched in a motion that almost seems to indicate, “There’s nothing to see here!” Indeed, the angel is trying to get them to move on and proclaim the Good News, ASAP!
But then there’s Jesus, who completely steals the scene.
His head is surrounded by a halo, which seems to be also the start of Heaven. (Which, if you think about it, is true in a very literal way!) His arms are outstretched in both a manner which indicates receiving and giving. And then there are the Heavenly Hosts that wait for Him, seeming to stretch on to infinity.
It’s a glorious scene!
Perfect to celebrate such a glorious day, no? 🙂
Happy Ascension Thursday!!!!
