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We Are More Than Compost In Waiting

The Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord, often overshadowed by its transfer to a Sunday later in the Easter season, holds profound significance for understanding humanity's destiny. This pivotal event, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us (CCC 659-667), marks the completion of Christ’s earthly mission and his glorification at the right hand of the Father. Far from a mere spatial departure, the Ascension is a "transhistorical reality," an event that opens a window into the ultimate purpose of human existence. It signifies that human nature, assumed by Christ at the Incarnation and glorified in his Resurrection, is now incorporated into the very life of the Triune God. As the Church Fathers consistently taught, what Christ accomplished in his humanity, He accomplished for all humanity, offering us the hope of sharing in His divine life.

The importance of the Ascension is amplified in our current cultural moment, which grapples with a crisis in the very idea of the human person. In a world increasingly prone to reducing humanity to mere biological matter, as exemplified by practices like "natural organic reduction," the Ascension stands as a powerful counter-narrative. This feast reminds us that we are not merely "congealed stardust" or "compost-in-waiting," but creatures of a loving Creator destined for glory. The Catechism underscores this by explaining that Christ’s Ascension is "our exaltation" (CCC 665), meaning that "where the Head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope." This hope is not a vain fantasy, but a divine promise that we, who ally ourselves with Christ, will follow him into the Father’s house (John 13:36, 14:2).

Therefore, celebrating the Ascension is crucial for cultivating a truly humane view of the person, one that underwrites personal happiness and social solidarity. It corrects the distorted anthropology that views humanity as an accidental outcome of biochemical forces, instead affirming our inherent dignity and divine calling. The Ascension completes the narrative of God's redemptive plan, pointing us toward a future where creation is brought to fulfillment in the "new Jerusalem" (Rev. 21:2, 4), where "death shall be no more." By reflecting on this great feast, the Church reasserts the truth of human destiny: not oblivion or fertilizer, but eternal life in the glory of God.

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