Jesus ascends to heaven on no ordinary cloud from
the sky but on the magnificent cloud of God's glory. Many times throughout
salvation history God has manifested his divine presence to Israel in the form
of a cloud. It was in a cloud of glory that God's presence filled the sanctuary
in the desert, filled the Temple in Jerusalem, and overshadowed Christ during
his transfiguration. Now that same cloud of glory lifts Jesus up and brings him
to heaven in triumphant glory (see 1 Tm 3:16).
Christ's return to the Father on a cloud also
signals the fulfillment of an important prophecy from the Old Testament. The
prophet Daniel had a vision of a "son of man"figure who appeared
victorious over his enemies and was carried to God on the clouds of heaven in
order to be given a worldwide kingdom that would last forever.
With Christ
being lifted into heaven on a cloud, the Ascension scene represents a
fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy. Jesus is the "son of man" who in
his exaltation is presented before God the Father and is given an everlasting
kingdom that will reign over all nations (see Catechism of the Catholic Church
664). As such, Christ's ascension may provide a further response to the
apostles' question, "When will the kingdom be restored to Israel?" By
rising to the Father on a cloud of glory, Jesus confirms that he is the Son of
Man who has emerged victorious and that the restored kingdom Daniel envisioned
has finally arrived. It is now up to the apostles to extend this kingdom to the
ends of the earth.
Like the first
apostles, we, too, share in the mission of spreading Christ's kingdom in the
world today. Whether a teacher in a classroom, a businessman in the workplace,
a college student on campus, or a mother raising children in the home, all
Christians play a crucial role in helping build the kingdom in the specific
areas where God has called them to serve. By bringing the extraordinary witness
of Christian truth, virtue, and love into our ordinary, daily endeavors, we can
help transform our culture into the kingdom of the risen and ascended Christ.
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