Feast of the Ascension of Jesus
The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus, celebrated forty days after Easter, commemorates the moment when the risen Christ, in the sight of his apostles, ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). It marks the completion of his earthly mission and the beginning of his exaltation at the right hand of the Father, where he intercedes for us as our eternal High Priest. The Ascension is a reminder that heaven is our true home and that Jesus, fully God and fully man, has gone before us to prepare a place for us in the Father’s house.
When Is the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord?
In 2026, the Catholic Church will celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The Church celebrated the Feast of the Ascension 2025 on Thursday, May 29. This solemnity occurs just forty days after Easter Sunday, and thus is the culmination of Jesus’ time on earth with his disciples (Acts 1:1-10-11). In some dioceses, especially in the United States, the solemnity may be transferred to the following Sunday (May 17) to allow for broader participation among the faithful. This feast is a holy day of obligation, meaning that, unless legitimately excused or otherwise dispensed (CCC 2181), Catholics need to participate in Mass to commemorate how Jesus ascended into heaven, completing his earthly mission.
The Biblical Foundation: Jesus’ Return to Heaven
The Feast of the Ascension, also known as Ascension Thursday, commemorates the moment when the Lord Jesus lifted up into heaven, as his disciples witnessed forty days after his Resurrection. Luke 24 and Acts 1 provide the clearest accounts of this event. Scripture tells us that, after appearing to his followers over forty days, Jesus raised his hands and blessed them. Then,
“while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:50–52).
The Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem, is traditionally believed to be the site of this event. A cloud hid Jesus from their sight, symbolizing the mystery of his divine presence (Acts 1:9-11). This moment marked Christ’s return to heaven as the Incarnate Word, the risen God-man with a glorified human body and soul where he now reigns at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 1:3-4; 1 Pet. 3:21-22).
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