The third day after the glorious Ascension of Our Lord, known in the Traditional Roman calendar as Feria Tertia post Ascensionem, offers us an opportunity to linger in the mystery of Christ’s departure from this earth and the commissioning of His Apostles. The readings prescribed for this feria—Acts 1:1–11 and Mark 16:14–20—complement each other beautifully, drawing our eyes upward to heaven even as our feet remain rooted in the mission of the Church on earth.
✧ The Departure and the Promise (Acts 1:1–11)
In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke recounts the Ascension with serene majesty. Christ, having appeared to His disciples for forty days and instructed them concerning the Kingdom of God, is lifted up before their eyes. The apostles, still wondering about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, are told instead to await the power of the Holy Ghost: “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 Judaea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
As Saint John Chrysostom explains, the Apostles’ question shows that even at this point, they still misunderstood the nature of Christ’s kingdom. Chrysostom writes:
“They still dreamed of a carnal kingdom, though they had seen so many tokens of His divinity. But He draws them away from these earthly notions and elevates their minds to things spiritual.” (Homilies on Acts, I)
The Lord does not rebuke them harshly, but He gently redirects their expectations. He reminds them that the knowledge of times and seasons belongs to the Father, while their task is to wait and to witness.
Saint Augustine notes this divine pedagogy:
“He did not say: It is not yours to know the times, but: It is not for you to know them, meaning: leave these things to the Father. You must be occupied with something else—the preaching of the Gospel and the sanctification of souls.” (Sermon 264)
The Apostles gaze heavenward as Jesus is taken up, and two angels appear to assure them: “This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) This moment is not only a farewell but a promise. It is the pledge of the Parousia, the glorious return of the Lord, and a reminder that our eyes must always be fixed upon eternity even as our hands labor in the field of the Church.
✧ The Great Commission (Mark 16:14–20)
Mark’s Gospel recounts the Lord’s rebuke of the Eleven for their unbelief, but swiftly moves into His commission: “Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). What follows is a litany of divine assurances: signs shall follow, demons will be cast out, tongues will be spoken, serpents handled, the sick healed. Then the Lord ascends, and the disciples go forth.
Saint Bede the Venerable comments:
“The Lord, after having confirmed the faith of His disciples and sent them to preach, is taken up into heaven that He might make them not only preachers of His resurrection, but witnesses of His Ascension.” (Homilies on the Gospels, II.15)
Indeed, His visible departure becomes part of the apostolic proclamation. Saint Leo the Great marvels at how this departure increases the faith of the disciples:
“Our Redeemer’s visible presence has passed into the sacraments. Our faith is nobler and stronger because sight has been replaced by doctrine.” (Sermon 74 on the Ascension)
Thus, Ascension is not absence—it is presence transformed. Christ is no longer seen, but now believed and adored in the Most Holy Eucharist, and encountered in the teaching and sacramental life of His Church.
Mark’s Gospel ends not with uncertainty, but triumph: “They going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed” (Mark 16:20). The Lord’s cooperation with His apostles, though ascended, remains active and potent. He is not distant, but now works through His Mystical Body, the Church.
✧ A Feria of Expectation and Obedience
In these days after the Ascension and before Pentecost, the Church lingers in the cenacle with the Virgin Mary and the Apostles. It is a time of prayerful expectation, a novena of sorts, awaiting the promised Paraclete. It is also a time of obedience—for the Apostles did not disperse immediately but waited, in silence, in prayer, in union.
Saint Gregory the Great exhorts us in this moment:
“The Lord ascended to heaven, yet behold, the earth is full of His presence. He went up that He might fill all things with Himself. Let us ascend with Him in heart and mind, and dwell in the heights through desire.” (Homily on the Gospels, XXIX)
✧ Spiritual Application for Today
On this Feria Tertia, consider these invitations:
- Interior Silence: Like the Apostles in the Upper Room, seek a place of recollection and await the Spirit in quietness of heart.
- Hopeful Watching: Remember the angels’ words—He shall return. Live your day as one who watches the skies and yet toils on the earth.
- Apostolic Mission: You too are sent. What “creatures” in your life have not heard the Gospel? Where are the sick, the fearful, the deceived—those to whom Christ would send you?
✧ Concluding Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst ascend into heaven and sit at the right hand of the Father, grant us grace in this time of expectation. Kindle in us the fire of Thy love, and prepare our hearts for the coming of the Holy Ghost. Strengthen us to preach Thy Gospel with boldness, signs, and humility, so that, laboring in the field of the Church, we may at last be taken up to behold Thee in glory. Amen.