Feast of the Ascension 2025

 When I was a kid, I’ll admit it—I was a bit of a daydreamer. Especially when I had chores to do. I’d be staring off into space, lost in my own world, when I was supposed to be raking the yard or cleaning the garage. 

And my dad, noticing me not exactly pulling my weight, would say—often with a shake of his head—“Christopher, get your head out of the clouds and get to work!”

I think of that line every time I hear today’s reading from Acts.

Jesus has just ascended into heaven. And there stand the apostles—mouths open, eyes fixed on the sky, completely transfixed. And what happens? Two angels show up and basically say, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?” In other words: “Guys, get your heads out of the clouds and get to work!”

The Ascension is not about Jesus leaving us. It’s about Him entrusting us with His mission. He ascends so that we might rise to the occasion. He entrusts His Gospel to human hands—and now those hands are ours.

He promises the Holy Spirit, and He will deliver on that promise. But in the meantime, the message is clear: stop staring at the clouds—there’s a world down here that needs you. 

There are people who need hope, families who need healing, neighbors who need love, a Church that needs witnesses. That’s the mission. That’s the work.

So yes, gaze at heaven—but only long enough to remember who you're following. Then, roll up your sleeves and bring a little heaven to earth.

Today, let’s take the message of the Ascension to heart. Let’s stop daydreaming about what could be, and start working for what should be. Because Jesus has gone to the Father, but He hasn’t left us. He’s working through us.

Let’s get to work.