Ascension Thursday: A Feast of Hope in Heavenly Things

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into Heaven, may ourselves dwell in mind amidst heavenly things.

It is an appropriate day to "dwell in mind amidst heavenly things." Jesus had to go to the Father to break the dependence the apostles had on His physical presence.  "Blessed are those who have not seen, but have believed."My we always be among those who have not seen with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of our hearts.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee. I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.

Let's Get This Straight....Sunday is not Thursday!

Today is the Feast of the Ascension. You know....Ascension Thursday. Most parishes in the country will be celebrating the feast on Sunday. 

So....When Is Ascension Thursday?

What a conundrum!

Tis a Puzzlement: Celebrating Ascension Thursday on Sunday Creates a Dilemma

Here's my dilemma. When my husband and I are at home we go to daily Mass and rarely miss. Last week, however, we left on Wednesday to pick up our new camper at Lerch RV in Milroy, Pa. (Great experience, by the way. If you're in the market we recommend them.) We ended up spending Wednesday night in a little town out in the middle of nowhere not far from the dealer. I didn't even think about Ascension Thursday because our diocese shifts the Holy Day to Sunday. There was, in fact, a Catholic Church about half an hour away, but, I didn't know it at the time.

On Thursday afternoon we traveled to Gettysburg where our square dance camping club was meeting over the weekend. We settled in about supper time and, again, did not think about the holy day.

On Friday, we went to the battlefield visitor center, bought one of the auto tour CDs, and drove around the battlefield. Then we decided to check out where the church was for Sunday Mass.

So....We Missed the Ascension Altogether!

Our diocese (Arlington) celebrates Ascension Thursday on Sunday. So when we went to Mass on "Ascension Thursday" we got the alternative daily Mass. We were in the Diocese of Pittsburgh for Sunday Mass and they  celebrated Ascension Thursday on Thursday so we celebrated the seventh Sunday of Easter this morning.

Think about it. We missed the Holy Day altogether. That is the nutty situation of the U.S. Church these days. Frankly, I'm bummed. I happen to love Holy Days and we got cheated out of the Ascension this year.

It reminds me of the soup Nazi in Seinfeld. "No Ascension for you." I will remember 2014 as the year we missed out on the Ascension.

Today Should be Ascension Thursday...

....but Thursday in my diocese is on Sunday. (Yes, sounds crazy doesn't it?)  What's wrong with this picture?  Has watering down the faith made Catholics more zealous or more committed to Christ?

Not that I've noticed.

Give us back Ascension THURSDAY as a holy day of obligation instead of moving it to the nearest Sunday. There are few enough obligations on Catholics these days. Sundays and a handful of holy days is little enough to give the Lord of the universe in return for His great love of us.

Two thumbs up to the dioceses that still celebrate Ascension Thursday on Thursday. They include Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha.

My husband and I wouldn't think of missing Mass on the REAL Ascension Thursday (today) even if we did hear readings for the 6th Thursday of Easter. As for Ascension Thursday Sunday -- well, let's just say it's a head-shaker!