Many of us remember when The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord was celebrated on “Ascension Thursday.” For various reasons, in most places in the United States it is now celebrated on the Sunday following 40 days of Easter. It’s hard to believe how fast time flies, isn’t it? We’ve now been giving glory to God for Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Morning for over 40 days! That’s more than the entire Lenten observance which preceded our great paschal celebration.

As we continue the Easter celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead, our Sunday Masses are going through the first months and years of the Church, newly founded and told in The Acts of the Apostles. Besides being our “family story” in the faith, it tells us how the Apostles and early Christians understood what God was revealing about Himself through Jesus. Since they were mostly Jews, these men and women understood God to be One, Holy, the Creator, the Lawgiver and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had formed a special covenant with Israel, God’s Chosen People.