News Item: : Ascension Thursday 2016
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Thursday 05 May 2016 - 09:01:42

In the Summa Theologiae, St. Thomas Aquinas observes three things of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the fortieth day after His Glorious Resurrection.

Namely, that the Ascension was sublime, reasonable and profitable. St. Thomas expounds each of these aspects in three ways.

1. The Ascension was sublime.

a) He ascended above all the corporeal heavens. Prior to this all earthly bodies were on earth.

b) He ascended above all the spiritual heavens. As we read in Ephesians 1:20-22: Raising (Jesus) up from the dead and setting Him on His right hand in the heavenly places, above all principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and He hath subjected all things under His feet.

c) He ascended even unto the Father's throne. Right hand is not to be taken literally, but metaphorically, when we speak of God. Christ as God sits at the Father's right hand in terms of equality with the Father; while as a man He sits at the Father's right hand as being next to Him in the highest goods.

Now this is what the devil craved, but Christ alone rose to that height.

2. The Ascension was reasonable.

Again, St. Thomas develops this theme in three ways.

a) The Ascension was reasonable, because Heaven was due to Christ according to His nature: since it is natural for a thing to return to the place where it originated. Now Christ drew His origin from God Who is above. Though the saints will also ascend to Heaven they do not do this as Christ did. He ascended by His own power; the saints ascend as members of Christ, Who is the head of the Church.

b) The Ascension was reasonable, because Heaven was due to Christ on account of His victory. He overcame the devil and merited to be exalted above all things. I have overcome and am set down with My Father on His throne (Rev 3:21).

c) The Ascension was reasonable, because Heaven was due to Christ on account of His humility.

There never was a humility so great as Christ's.

Although He was God, He chose to become man. Whereas He was Lord, He chose to take the form of a servant, obedient unto death.

Humility is the road to true exaltation. He that humbleth himself shall be exalted (Luke 14:11); He that descended is the same also who ascended above all the heavens (Ephesians 4:10).

3. The Ascension was profitable.

St. Thomas again considers this aspect in three ways.

a) Firstly as our Leader: in as much as He ascended in order to lead us thither: because whereas we knew not the way he showed it to us: He shall go up that shall open the way before them (Mic 2:13) - and in order to assure us of possession of the heavenly kingdom: I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2).

b) Secondly, in order to increase our confidence in Him: in as much as He ascended in order to intercede for us. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just (1 John 2:1).

c) Thirdly, in order to draw our hearts to Himself: Wheresoever thy treasure is, there also is thy heart (Matthew 6:21). 

This leads us to despise temporal things - in the sense of being rightly detached from them. As the Apostle says: If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.

We wish every grace and blessing to our readers on this celebration of Ascension Thursday.  

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