My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, before beginning our reflection homily on today’s Scriptural readings, let us first have a common understanding and clarification of the term “heaven.” The term “heaven” has deep biblical and spiritual meanings that come from both the Latin and Hebrew traditions.
1. Heaven in Hebrew
The Hebrew word for heaven is “Shamayim” (שָׁמַיִם). This word can mean: the sky above the earth, the dwelling place of God, or the realm of divine glory and eternal life. Spiritually, Shamayim expresses the idea of God’s greatness, holiness, and transcendence. It points to a reality beyond ordinary human life perception — the place of communion with God, peace, and eternal fulfillment. Hebrew is the Biblical language of the Old Testament. So, in the Old Testament, heaven is not only a physical place above, but also a sign of God’s presence and authority over creation.
2. Heaven in Latin
The Latin word for heaven is “Caelum” (or Coelum). It means: the heavens, the sky, or the celestial realm. From this word we get English terms such as: celestial, celestial body, and ceiling (originally connected with covering above). Spiritually, Caelum refers to the divine realm where God reigns in glory. In Christian theology, it signifies eternal union with God — the final destiny of the faithful.
3. Their Implication Meaning
Both the Hebrew Shamayim and the Latin Caelum imply more than a physical location above the earth. They symbolize a state of: God’s presence, holiness, eternal life, peace and joy, and the ultimate destiny of humanity.
From a geographical and scientific point of view, heaven cannot be understood as a physical place somewhere in the universe or something up or down, but because of the weakness of our languages we end just by saying heaven is there above the sky. Astronomy shows that the earth is one among the planets of the solar system, and despite the study of galaxies and space, no physical “heaven” has ever been discovered. If heaven were simply a geographical location, one might wrongly think of it as another planet beyond the known universe, which is not the Christian understanding.
Therefore, the Ascension of Christ does not mean that Jesus travelled to a physical place in space, but that He entered into the eternal glory and perfect communion with the Father. This to say that Heaven is not a geographical place but a divine state. So, when we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord today, we understand that Christ did not ascend to another physical location in the universe, but entered fully into a divine state of God’s presence, holiness, eternal life, peace and joy, and the ultimate destiny of humanity.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, from this clarification and understanding of the term Heaven; we begin our reflection on the mystery of the Ascension of Our Lord.
Today the Church celebrates the glorious feast of the Ascension of Our Lord. At first sight, the Ascension may appear like a moment of separation, as if Jesus is leaving His disciples behind. Yet, in reality, it is not a story of absence but a story of a new and deeper presence. Christ ascends to the Father, not to abandon His people, but to remain with them forever in a new way.
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples stand looking toward heaven as Jesus is taken from their sight. Their eyes remain fixed upward because their hearts are still attached to the physical presence of the Lord. But the angels remind them: “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?”. Clarification of the angel’s question, why are you there looking at the sky while Christ had already sent you into the world for special mission?
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus before ascending gives the great command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (all=Asian, American, African, European and so forth) These words are not meant only for priests, bishops, or missionaries; they are addressed to every baptized person. The Lord sends each one of us to proclaim the Gospel through our words, actions, Charity and our way of life. He is sending us to do so because Sometimes people may never read the Bible, never go to church but they will read and know the Christ’s Gospel through our words, actions, charity and even more in our way of lives. They will know Christ by the love we show, the patience we practice, and the compassion we offer to others.
Therefore, the Ascension is not the end of Jesus’ mission; it is the beginning of the Church’s mission and our Mission. (As the mission our Archdiocese Go out, Go deep, Go together). As we have heard Jesus as He was ascending into heaven, He entrusted His disciples with the responsibility of continuing His work on earth. By doing so means Christ entrusted His work of mission to us.
So, Ascension teaches us that every Christian has a mission. In our families, communities, schools, workplaces, and parishes, Christ sends us to become witnesses of hope, peace, forgiveness, and love.
The Ascension also reminds us that our true home is in God. Jesus ascends into heaven carrying our human nature with Him. This is a great source of hope for humanity. Heaven is no longer closed to us. Christ has gone before us to prepare a place for us. Therefore, even in the middle of struggles, sufferings, disappointments, and burdens of life, Christians are called to be people of hope. We know that our journey does not end in pain or death or in this world but in eternal communion with God. (Heaven)
Saint Paul, in the second reading, prays that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened so that we may understand the greatness of the hope to which God has called us. Many people today live without hope. Some are discouraged by poverty, sickness, loneliness, broken relationships, or fear about the future. The feast of the Ascension tells us that Christ reigns above every power, every darkness, and every suffering. He is Lord of history, and He walks with His Church.
Finally, the most comforting words of today’s Gospel are these: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Jesus ascends into heaven, yet He never leaves us alone. He remains with us in the Holy Eucharist, in His Word, in the Church, and in every act of love and mercy (Box of confession), in His Priests. Even when we feel abandoned or weak, Christ is nearby. May this feast renew our faith, strengthen our hope. And may we never forget that where Christ has gone, we are also called to follow one day. Amen.