What happened at the Ascension, and will Christ return?
Forty days after his Resurrection, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven before the eyes of his apostles. The Ascension marks the decisive entry of Christ's humanity into the heavenly glory and power of God the Father.
From his throne at the right hand of the Father, Jesus reigns as universal King and High Priest, continually interceding for us and pouring out the Holy Spirit upon the Church. His physical departure does not mean he has abandoned us; he remains present in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and in the community of believers.
The Church also professes that at the end of history, Jesus will return visibly and in power at his Second Coming (the Parousia). He will come to judge the living and the dead, overcome all evil definitively, and establish the new heavens and the new earth.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 659
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 668
- Acts 1:9-11
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.