"The meaning of Christ's Ascension expresses our belief that in Christ the humanity that we all share has entered into the inner life of God in a new and hitherto unheard of way. It means that man has found an everlasting place in God." The Ascension is not "the temporary absence of Christ from the world", but "we go to heaven to the extent that we go to Jesus Christ and enter into him. Jesus himself is what we call 'heaven.'"
Pope Benedict XVI
Not only have I entered such an important age of my life today, but I got to share my day with a couple of great events in the Church. May 1st is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. St. Joseph has been my model for some time now and means even more now that I have my own infant Jesus to care for. What a model Joseph has set before us men: the Protector of the Holy Family; of the Mother of God; of the Word Incarnate.
Today's Feast Day reflects on Joseph the Worker. Instituted as a combatant to the traditional May Day events around the globe sponsored by the Communists, we remember Joseph as the humble Carpenter, who as a righteous Jewish man (Mark 1:19), undoubtedly taught the Scriptures to the Christ Child.
But today St. Joseph the Worker took a backseat to an even greater event in the Church: the Ascension.
Today we are reminded, as the Holy Father mentions, that he has not abandoned us; no, he has taken us to the Father in heaven for all eternity. What a glorious event.
There is hope!
"Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." (Acts 1:11)
Today's Feast Day reflects on Joseph the Worker. Instituted as a combatant to the traditional May Day events around the globe sponsored by the Communists, we remember Joseph as the humble Carpenter, who as a righteous Jewish man (Mark 1:19), undoubtedly taught the Scriptures to the Christ Child.
But today St. Joseph the Worker took a backseat to an even greater event in the Church: the Ascension.
Today we are reminded, as the Holy Father mentions, that he has not abandoned us; no, he has taken us to the Father in heaven for all eternity. What a glorious event.
There is hope!
"Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." (Acts 1:11)
