The Ascension of Jesus…His return to heaven, the second glorious mystery of the Rosary. After teaching, suffering, dying, and rising from the dead, Jesus spent time with His disciples. He reassured them that all was forgiven, and he gave them specific instructions to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Then, under His own power, He returned to the Father. There He intercedes for us and awaits the time of His return. Even after all they’d seen and heard, this event must have been awesome! It's tempting to imagine the disciples feeling lonely or abandoned; this person that they’d given up everything for…that they now finally understand is God incarnate, has left them. But they didn’t; they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, the joy that comes from knowing that they had a job to do. They were to be His witnesses to the ends of the Earth, and to await His return. That is our job too...to be Jesus’ witnesses by living the joy of Easter, secure in the knowledge that one day He will return and in the hope that on that day we too will be taken bodily into heaven. That is certainly something to be joyful about, don’t you think? Reflection by parishioner, John Ceglarek