Ascension Day Reflection: Living Faithfully in the In-Between

Today the Church pauses to celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, forty days after Easter. It is a feast that can sometimes feel difficult to grasp. We may wonder why the disciples would celebrate what appears to be another goodbye. After the pain of Good Friday and the uncertainty that followed Easter morning, surely watching Jesus ascend into heaven must have felt like another loss.

And yet scripture tells us something remarkable. The disciples did not leave this moment in despair. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Luke 24:52).

Why joy?

Because the Ascension was never about Jesus abandoning his people. It was the fulfilment of his earthly ministry and the beginning of something new. Christ returns to the Father, not to distance himself from us, but to open the way for humanity to be drawn into the life of God. In Jesus, our human nature is carried into heaven itself. Our struggles, our wounds, our ordinary lives are not forgotten by God. They are held within Christ.

The Ascension also reminds us that we are people who live in the “in-between.”

The disciples stood looking toward heaven, perhaps unsure of what came next. Two angels gently asked them, “ _Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?_ ” (Acts 1:11).

It is a question for us too.

We cannot remain standing still, gazing at what has been. Christ sends us back into the world, into our homes, our communities, our churches, and our places of work, carrying the good news of his love.

For many of us, life itself feels like an in-between season. We wait for prayers to be answered. We wait for healing. We wait for clarity. We wait for doors to open. We wait for the next chapter to begin.

Ascension reminds us that waiting is not wasted time.

The disciples waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, but while they waited, they prayed together, remained faithful, and stayed rooted in community. They did not know exactly what Pentecost would bring, but they trusted that God was still at work.

As Franciscans, this feast also calls us to lift our eyes beyond ourselves while keeping our feet firmly planted on the earth God loves. St Francis understood this well. He sought the things of heaven, yet he found Christ among lepers, in creation, in poverty, and in daily acts of love. Ascension spirituality is not escapism. It calls us to become deeply present to the world while remembering where our true hope lies.

For our parish communities, this feast is also a reminder of shared calling. Christ ascends, and then entrusts his mission to ordinary people. Fishermen, tax collectors, doubters, women who remained faithful, and everyday followers became bearers of the Gospel.

That same calling belongs to us now.

In our churches, homes, workplaces, and communities, we are invited to be witnesses to Christ through kindness, prayer, justice, compassion, hospitality, and faithfulness in small things.

Perhaps Ascension asks us today:

Where am I standing still when God is calling me forward?

Where am I waiting for certainty instead of trusting Christ’s presence?

How might I become a witness to hope in my daily life?

Christ has ascended, but he has not left us alone.

He reigns, he intercedes for us, and he prepares us for what comes next.

And as we wait for Pentecost, may we do so with faithful hearts, open hands, and expectant prayer.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Ascended Christ,

you reign in glory and yet remain close to your people.

When we are uncertain, remind us of your presence.

When we are waiting, teach us patience.

When we are fearful, give us courage to continue your work in the world.

Lift our hearts toward heaven,

while keeping our hands ready for service on earth.

Prepare us for the renewing work of your Holy Spirit.

In your holy name.

Amen.