The Ascension of the Lord
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION
	Today’s celebration varies from place to place. In some parts of the United States, people gather for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, while other places celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. Several years ago, regions of bishops were permitted to decide whether to retain Ascension Day on Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter, or to move the celebration to the nearest Sunday. This new flexibility in the Christian calendar has to do with the desire to gather the Church to celebrate its central feasts fully, and with the Eucharist. Increasingly, as priests serve remote and scattered parishes, this is not always possible mid-week.
	The Ascension is a key moment for grasping what life in Christ is all about. It is not about a departure, but rather a plan for presence. We who are nourished by the Lord’s body and blood in the Eucharist are transformed to be his abiding presence in the world. That is a truth so worth celebrating that we can adjust our calendar in order that the fullest possible gathering of the Church can be achieved.
—Rev. James Field