Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
"Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him."
Quoted from the Second Reading (Office of Readings of the Ascension), by Saint Augustine:
“Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? and when he said: I was hungry and you gave me food. Why do we on earth not strive to find rest with him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope and love that unites us to him? While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on earth are with him. He is here with us by his divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in heaven, as he is on earth, by divinity, but in him, we can be there by love.”
I recommend that you read the entire Second Reading. For those of you who pray the Liturgy every day, as I do, you’ll know where to find it.
“Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear.” Jesus in Heaven is perfect, He is exalted and He suffers no more pain. (Rev. 21:1-4). He suffers on earth but not in Heaven. Fr. John Paul Mary, MFVA of EWTN explained it so well, in his homily at the 8 AM live Ascension Mass (TV) that it made sense. I had never understood how Jesus can suffer with us while He is in Heaven where there is no more pain. St. Augustine explains it: “He is here with us by his divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in heaven, as he is on earth, by divinity, but in him, we can be there by love.”
We can be with him by love -- that’s why we want to cultivate a strong interior life of the Soul, a life of love for Jesus and for Mary.
Peace and Good,
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
June 1, 2025