In the writings of St. Luke, the author gives us two versions of the ascension of Jesus into heaven. The first version appears in Luke 24:50-53 and forms, in dramatic fashion, the ending to Luke’s story of Jesus’ earthly ministry. This glorious event is described as taking place on Easter Sunday night, which links it intimately to Jesus’ resurrection.

The second version comes at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (1:1-11) and serves as the foundational event upon which the future Church will be based. For St. Luke, therefore, the end becomes the beginning. Both versions of the Ascension tell the same story but from two different points of view. Two different languages are used to describe what happened to Jesus. In the Gospel, it is the language of resurrection that narrates Jesus’ victory over death. In the Acts of the Apostles, it is the language of ascension that has Jesus sitting at the right hand of God with full empowerment.

It is in the Acts of the Apostles that Luke extends Jesus’ post-resurrection activity for 40 days, wherein he appears to an assortment of people thereby validating his resurrection. At the end of this period, his disciples will actually see him ascend into heaven. No one had been allowed to see Jesus being raised from the dead.

Here we are interested primarily in the story Luke tells at the beginning of Acts. We will focus on three components that make up Acts 1:1-11. First is the promise of the Holy Spirit (cf. vv. 1-5). Second is the commissioning of the apostles and a description of the Ascension itself (vv. 8-9). Third is the challenge to the apostles issued through the angels (vv. 10-11).

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Luke is writing the Acts of the Apostles for the same person who was the recipient of the Gospel — that is Theophilus, which translates as “lover of God.” He might have been Luke’s benefactor. He appears to have been a gentile God-fearer who recently converted to Christianity. Luke begins by offering a brief summary of Jesus’ activities extending from his resurrection to his ascension. Important here is the emphasis Luke makes regarding the central role of the Holy Spirit for the Church’s mission.

Notice that the instructions given to the apostles came through the Holy Spirit (cf. v. 2). For Luke, the period of the Church is the age of the Holy Spirit. In addition to that, Luke claims that throughout these 40 days Jesus was concluding his mission on earth. Here the subject matter is his preaching about the kingdom of God. This will be the message to which the apostles will be encouraged to witness boldly throughout Acts. However, at the present time, Jesus encourages his apostles to remain in Jerusalem and wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak.” This “promise of the Father” is a reference to the gift of the Holy Spirit, which will be bestowed on the day of Pentecost (vv. 1-4). All of this serves as a preface to the main event itself: the ascension of Jesus into heaven.

Commissioning of the Apostles

Many commentators refer to Acts 1:6-8 as Jesus’ last will and testament. It begins with a question from the apostles regarding when Jesus will restore the kingdom of Israel. From the perspective of the apostles, this is what they understood by “the promise of the Father.” Surely, they thought, the restoration of the kingdom of Israel is what Jesus meant. But in typical Jesus fashion, he deflates that balloon quickly by indicating that the time of restoration is not for them to know. Only God knows when that will happen, and this is not that time.

Jesus quickly moves the discussion in a different direction. He wants to talk about what will happen when the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon the apostles. What follows is a commissioning scene initiated by Jesus and focused on the apostles. As a result of the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles will be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem and throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (cf. v. 8). This is a programmatic verse that in fact gives the basic structure of the Acts of the Apostles both geographically and ethnically. Until Jesus returns again at the Parousia, the apostles will focus on this missionary task with which Jesus has commissioned them. All of this will be possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The actual account of the Ascension is only briefly described by Luke in Acts.. “When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight” (v. 9). Some commentators think that Luke has here been influenced by the Old Testament story of Elijah’s departure in a fiery chariot (cf. 2 Kgs 2:9-15). Just as Elijah was passing on his powers to his successor, Elisha, so Jesus is passing his power and authority on to his followers. Clearly, this seems to be an ideal place to bring the ascension story to a close. Jesus finished his work, commissioned his disciples for their future work and then peacefully ascended into heaven bringing everything to a final conclusion. But once again, the end is not the end. There is more to come, and it will come in the form of challenges.

Challenged by Two Angels

Luke depicts the apostles as being totally engrossed in the moment as they watch Jesus taken into heaven. They appear to be transfixed by this powerful contemplative instance. This heavenly experience comes to an abrupt end, however, when, all of a sudden, two men dressed in white garments position themselves right beside the apostles. Their description and sudden appearance fit that of angels. Obviously, they are heavenly emissaries of some kind. They come in pairs because that was the requirement of the time for authentic witnesses. Their purpose is not to praise the apostles or encourage them to prolong this contemplative moment. In fact, what they do is rebuke the apostles. “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” (Acts 1:11).

Jesus’ return to heaven should not come as a surprise. This return to the Father has been part of his message almost from the beginning. He has also consistently told the apostles that eventually he will return. He will do this in the same way they have just seen him go into heaven. But the apostles do not know when that return will be. What they do know is that they remain in the between times. Meanwhile, there is much to be done on earth. This is no time to have one’s head in the clouds. The real challenge is not in the heavens but right here on earth. The challenge is not to lose sight of the Church’s mission of witnessing to Jesus until he returns, whenever that might be.

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Two Takeaways from the Ascension

At his Angelus address on April 17, 2013, Pope Francis taught about Jesus’ ascension into heaven:

“I would like to note two elements in the account. First of all, during the Ascension Jesus made the priestly gesture of blessing, and the disciples certainly expressed their faith with prostration, they knelt with bowed heads, this is [the] first important point: Jesus is the one eternal High Priest who with his passion passed through death and the tomb and ascended into heaven. He is with God the Father where he intercedes forever in our favor (cf. Heb 9:24). As St. John says in his first letter, he is our Advocate: How beautiful it is to hear this! … We have One who always defends us, who defends us from the snares of the devil, who defends us from ourselves and from our sins!

“A second element: St. Luke says that having seen Jesus ascending into heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem ‘with great joy.’ … But how could this be? Precisely because, with the gaze of faith they understand that although he has been removed from their sight, Jesus stays with them forever, he does not abandon them and in the glory of the Father supports them, guides them and intercedes for them.”

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Keeping Our Heads

Luke’s message to his own Church is that mission and ministry did not end when Jesus ascended into heaven. In fact, that is when it really began in earnest. That message needs to be extended right down to our own time. We are still living in that time frame between when Jesus ascended into heaven and when he will finally return at the Parousia. There is much to be done during this time. It is useless to speculate when Jesus might return again. This is not the time to have our heads in the clouds. It is the time to have our focus aimed clearly on the world we live in, the here and now.

The kingdom of God that was so important to the preaching and teaching of Jesus still needs to be proclaimed. We are currently living on earth, which God created with the final evaluation that it is good. Keeping it good requires a great deal of work by all of us who live here. This has certainly been one of the major themes of Pope Francis as exemplified by his encyclical Laudate Si’ (“On Care for Our Common Home”).

Jesus has ascended into heaven. He commissioned his disciples to find their way in the world without him being physically present. That commissioning has been extended to the Church and, in a special way, to the mission and ministry of the priesthood in the Church. The call to continue witnessing to Jesus until he comes again is loud and clear.

Priests must take up that challenge in their preaching, teaching and especially in their sacramental ministry. This is no time to move into a holding pattern with our heads in the clouds. Many of the former forms of priestly ministry are no longer suitable for contemporary challenges. It is not altogether clear what the new forms will look like. This can cause more than a little anxiety, which tempts us to cling to the past even when we know that is not feasible.

It is important to remember how this ascension story in Acts 1:1-11 began. Jesus had to remind his disciples that he would fortify them with “the promise of the Father.” This was the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is precisely the Holy Spirit that empowered the disciples to bear witness to Jesus after he had ascended into heaven. That same Holy Spirit is still present in the Church, strengthening and empowering all who exercise ministry in the Church. Once again, we find Pope Francis constantly encouraging priests to rely on the Holy Spirit as they continue the mission Jesus has given them. The pope continues to emphasize that the Church by nature is missionary. So also is the priesthood. (See especially, “Disciples Together on the Road: Words of Pope Francis for Priests,” USCCB Publishing, $19.95).

The ascension story in Acts ends with these words: “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.” And to this could be added: Keep your heads out of the clouds. Much work remains to be done before the Lord comes again. And the workplace is the here and now!

FATHER EUGENE HENSELL, OSB, is a monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana, and an associate professor of Scripture at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.

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Collect for the Solemnity of the Ascension

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God, and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, for the Ascension of Christ your Son is our exaltation, and where the Head has gone before in glory the Body is called to follow in hope. Through our Lord.

Or:

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we who believe that your Only Begotten Son, our Redeemer, ascended this day to the heavens, may like him dwell in spirit in the heavens. Who lives and reigns with you.

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