Scriptural Focus: Acts 1:1–11; Mark 16:14–20
Theme: The Mystery of the Ascension and the Apostolic Mandate
The days between the glorious Ascension of Our Lord and the coming of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost are pregnant with divine silence and expectation. Feria VI Post Ascensionem invites us to meditate more deeply on the final visible act of Christ’s earthly ministry and the enduring mission given to the Apostles. The readings from Acts of the Apostles (1:1–11) and the Gospel according to St. Mark (16:14–20) are rich with mystical theology and ecclesial mandate, echoed powerfully in the writings of the Church Fathers.
The Departure That Is Not an Absence
In Acts 1:9, we read: “He was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” This seemingly simple description conceals a sublime mystery. St. Leo the Great speaks of the Ascension as the consummation of Christ’s victory, not His withdrawal:
“That which was visible in our Redeemer has passed over into the sacraments” (Sermon 74, On the Ascension).
Here St. Leo underscores that although the Lord ascends bodily into heaven, He does not abandon His Church. Instead, He remains mystically present, especially through the Holy Eucharist and the liturgical life of the Church. The cloud that veils Him signifies the divine presence, just as the cloud enveloped the tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 40:34). This is a return to glory, but also the inauguration of a new mode of divine presence.
St. Augustine likewise affirms this mystery when he writes:
“He departed from our eyes that we might return to our hearts and find Him there” (Sermo de Ascensione Domini).
Apostolic Commission and the Witness of Signs
Mark 16:15–16 records Christ’s command: “Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” This is the foundation of the Church’s missionary mandate. The context is especially striking: Christ gives this command just after rebuking the Apostles for their unbelief and hardness of heart. The Gospel thus reminds us that God calls not the perfect but those willing to be transformed.
St. Gregory the Great offers a moving commentary on this apostolic calling:
“He who ascended alone shall return with many. He who went up as our Redeemer shall come again as our Judge, and what He first did in His humility, He will then perfect in His glory” (Homilies on the Gospels, 29).
This remark ties the mission of the Apostles to the eschatological hope. Christ ascends not to forsake us but to prepare us for His return in glory. Their preaching, confirmed by signs—“the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20)—was the manifestation of divine power acting through human frailty. The Fathers never weary of proclaiming that this cooperation between divine grace and apostolic labor is the living heart of the Church’s evangelizing mission.
Awaiting the Promise of the Father
Between Ascension and Pentecost, the Church lingers in the Upper Room, as it were. Acts 1:4 recalls Christ’s instruction: “Wait for the promise of the Father.” The time of waiting is not passive but deeply active in prayer, recollection, and unity. The Church is being formed, and the Apostles are being interiorly prepared to receive the Paraclete.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes with great depth about this interval:
“He who promised to dwell in us now asks our desire, that our hearts may become a fitting temple for the Spirit” (Catechetical Lectures, 17.14).
In these days after the Ascension, the faithful are invited to join with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles in a spiritual novena, disposed to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The Ascension teaches us to lift up our hearts—Sursum corda!—and fix our eyes not on the vanishing point of the clouds, but on the enduring presence of Christ in His Church and the promise of the Spirit.
Final Thought: Heaven Draws Near
Feria VI Post Ascensionem draws our eyes upward, not in wistfulness but in hope. As St. Augustine declares:
“Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but He still suffers all the pain that we, His members, feel on earth. He showed this when He called out from heaven: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Sermon 123).
The Head has ascended, and we, the Body, follow in time. The apostolic mission, born of the Ascension and sealed by Pentecost, continues through every age in fidelity to Christ’s teaching, sanctified by the sacraments, and animated by the same Spirit who descended upon the Twelve.
Let us, then, persevere in prayer, kindle our longing for the Paraclete, and live as those who have already begun to rise, even now, with Christ.
Liturgical Collect Suggestion (from the Traditional Roman Missal):
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have ascended this day into heaven, may ourselves dwell in mind amidst heavenly things.
Recommended Practice:
During these days, pray the Novena to the Holy Ghost in preparation for Pentecost, and meditate on the Glorious Mystery of the Ascension while contemplating how your life participates in the Church’s mission to teach, sanctify, and govern under Christ.