One of the central themes of the feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus is the kingship of Christ, and the theological implication is that the Ascension was the final redemptive act conferring participation in the divine life on all who are members of Christ. The feast is celebrated on the fortieth day after resurrection of Christ that falls on a Thursday but to obtain maximum participation from the lay faithful it is celebrated on the following Sunday which this year is on 12th of May 2024.

Let us have an insight to the events that happened during the last weeks that Jesus was on Earth.

Palm Sunday: Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, riding a donkey. People waved palm leaves to welcome Him into the city to celebrate His arrival, which was  celebrated this year on 24th March 2024

Maundy Thursday: Jesus had His last meal with His disciples. This is called the Last Supper…. 28th March 2024

Good Friday: Jesus was crucified and died on the cross… 29th March 2024

Easter Sunday: Jesus came back to life. This is called the Resurrection… 31st March 2024

40 days later: Jesus went up to Heaven. This is Ascension Day… 9th May2024 but celebrated on Sunday 12th May2024

So what happened before and after Ascension Day?

On Good Friday, Jesus was crucified on a cross and then buried in a tomb.

He was resurrected on Easter Sunday.

For the forty days following this, He visited a selection of different people, including His disciples, before ascending to heaven.

Ten days after Ascension Day, the disciples were visited by the Holy Spirit, on a day which is now known as Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit is often symbolised as a dove.

The celebration of Ascension Day is an important date in the Christian church. It’s a day when Christian people celebrate that Jesus was King. There are church services where the flowers are white and gold to symbolize the kingship of Jesus Christ. The reference of Jesus’s ascension is mentioned in the Bible in Luke24:50-53 and Acts1:9-12

By Gladys Da Silva