Icon of Ascension

Today my friend in Holland, a Russian Orthodox, sends me this beautiful icon of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, an event celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox today. In Holland the Ascension is a national holiday although, as he says, “you wouldn’t get rich were you to get a euro per correct answer if you asked passers-by that the holiday commemorates.”

In the Roman Catholic Church Ascension used to be a “Holy Day of Obligation” meaning you needed to go to Mass that day. But I think it is no longer such since I heard nothing about it at the Catholic Church I attended in Littleton, Co. last Sunday and my wife also did not hear about it at Church up north where she attended with our grandchildren.

So the Ascension seems to be have diminished in both countries, USA and Holland, but at least in Holland it is a national holiday.

Jesus left the earth, body and soul and ascended into heave we Christians believe. In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus’ last words before leaving the earth was “And, behold I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Now that is a great promise if we commemorate it or not.

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