2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension

By Ivonne Hernandez

​St Peter Julian Eymard's Words:

"In order to keep the hope of Heaven in us and make it more efficacious, in order to have us wait patiently for the Heaven of glory and lead us there, our Lord has created the beautiful Heaven of the Eucharist. For the Eucharist is a beautiful Heaven; it is Heaven begun. Is it not Jesus glorified coming from Heaven to earth, and bringing Heaven with Him? Is not Heaven wherever our Lord is? His state there, although hidden from our senses, is one of glory, triumph, and blessedness. He has done away with the miseries of this life; when we go to Communion, we receive Heaven, since we receive Jesus Who is the whole joy and glory of Paradise.

Through Communion his soul ascends to God. Prayer is defined an ascension of the soul to God. But what is prayer compared to Communion? What a difference between the ascension of our thoughts and desires in prayer and the sacramental ascension wherein Jesus raises us Himself to the very bosom of God!" [1]


MEDITATION:

The mystery of the Ascension speaks to us of hope, the hope of Heaven. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” (John 14:3) These words from Jesus can be applied to the Eucharist, as He, “in order to keep the hope of Heaven in us”, “has created the beautiful Heaven of the Eucharist.”

In Communion Jesus comes down to us. Love seeks His beloved. He knocks on the door and finding a contrite heart, a garden enclosed, in which to make His home, He lifts us up to Himself, “to the very bosom of God.” In the Eucharist we find all the sweetness and delights of Heaven, for Heaven is where Jesus is. We get a taste of Heaven and it leaves us wanting more. Our desire grows along with our hope each time we hear our lover speak and say to us, “Arise, my friend, my beautiful one, and come!” (Songs 2:10)

The Eucharistic presence of Christ endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist, usually around 10-15 minutes after receiving Communion. Let us keep this reality before our eyes each time we receive Him. Let us give Him our whole hearts and minds for those precious minutes that the species are still in our bodies and we have Him, all glorious and immortal, with us. Let us let our minds and hearts ascend to Him like incense in the Heaven of the Eucharist as we patiently wait for Him to bring us with Him to the Heaven of glory.


SEND:

When you meditate on the mystery of the Ascension, ponder on the reality that in Communion Jesus brings you to "the very bosom of God". What does this feel like? What is God saying to you there?
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[1] Eymard, The Real Presence, p.275