The Ascension
As the joyful Easter season continues, we will soon celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension on Sunday, May 12 (the seventh Sunday of Easter). We will hear about Christ’s words to his disciples before returning to the Father - words preparing them to receive the Holy Spirit and go on mission to the ends of the earth.
Then we will hear about how “a cloud took him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). We have been promised, though, that Christ’s Ascension into heaven is not a permanent departure. He remains with us today in the Holy Spirit and in the Eucharist, and at the end of time he will return from heaven. Furthermore, it’s because of his Ascension - and his death and Resurrection before it - that we can await the blessed hope of spending eternity with him.
All that we do in our ministry of Catholic Cemeteries is to orient everyone we serve toward Christ’s offer of eternal life. In serving those who grieve, we know that death has taken a loved one from their sight. From the compassionate presence of our team, to the reverence we observe toward the deceased, to the symbols of our faith which fill our sacred grounds, the ministry of Catholic Cemeteries acknowledges this grief and seeks to respond with a glimpse of the glory that awaits the faithful.
Not just a symbol, but a historical event, the Ascension reminds us that although someone has been taken from our sight, Christ has opened the gates of heaven - and this inspires great hope!
