Ascension Sunday

Previously, I have been puzzled that St Luke has two accounts of the Ascension especially since his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles are the two parts of a continuous work. Reading an insight from Fr Justin Taylor sm has been of help: "The narrative of Christ's ascension into heaven in Acts parallels that in Luke 24:50-51, but whereas the earlier account demonstrates that the risen Jesus is high priest and king (cf. Ps 110:1-4; Heb 8: 1; 10:11-13), the later account has different emphases, seeking to show Jesus as the new Elijah and also as the Son of Man." ("Acts of the Apostles" in The New International Commentary, 1510) The first account, as I see it, shows that Jesus in the Resurrection is victorious and glorified. His Ascension signals the end of his earthly ministry. The second account shows how Jesus passes the mantle of his ministry to the Church. Like Elisha, the disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 2: 9-15), the Church receives a double portion of the ascended Master's spirit, this time, at Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-13). This event looks forward as the Church takes up the mission of Christ and its completion at the end of time when the Son Man comes again in glory. This means we are not disheartened by Jesus ascending to heaven and his seeming absence rather we are encouraged to continue his work and join him in his glory.