This Thursday, May 14th, I'll be at Holy Cross Cathedral at noon — not for a meeting, not for a rehearsal, but for one of the most overlooked and underappreciated days in the entire Christian year: the Feast of the Ascension.
If you've never heard of it, or if it's always floated past you on the calendar without much notice, I want to make a case today for why this feast deserves your attention — and maybe even your Thursday lunch hour.
Forty Days After Easter
The Feast of the Ascension is always celebrated exactly 40 days after Easter Sunday, which is why it always falls on a Thursday. This year, that's May 14th.
The 40 days aren't arbitrary. After His resurrection, Jesus didn't immediately disappear from the lives of His disciples. According to the opening of Acts, He spent 40 days appearing to them, teaching them about the Kingdom of God, and preparing them for what was coming next. Then, on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem, He was lifted up and a cloud took Him out of their sight.
Two angels appeared and told the stunned disciples: "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go." (Acts 1:11)
That moment is what we mark today.
What the Ascension Actually Is
Here's why the Ascension is more than just "Jesus went to heaven."
When Jesus ascended, He didn't leave His humanity behind. He carried His glorified, resurrected human body into the presence of the Father. That means right now, at this moment, there is a human being — fully God, yes, but also fully man — seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
That is a staggering claim. It means human nature itself has been exalted to the highest place in the universe. It means the wounds of the cross are present in glory. It means the God who rules all things knows what it is to be tired, to grieve, to be tempted, to suffer.
The letter to the Hebrews puts it this way: "We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God... For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:14–15)
The Ascension is the coronation of the Servant King.
The Door to Pentecost
There's something else the Ascension does that we often miss: it makes Pentecost possible.
Jesus told His disciples plainly, "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you." (John 16:7) The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost — which we'll celebrate ten days from now on May 24th — is directly connected to the Ascension.
The 40 days from Easter to Ascension are days of resurrection joy. The 10 days from Ascension to Pentecost are days of waiting, watching, and prayer. The disciples went back to Jerusalem and devoted themselves to prayer in the upper room. It's a posture worth imitating.
If you want to do something practical between now and Pentecost Sunday, read through Acts chapters 1 and 2 slowly over the next 10 days. You'll see the whole arc — the risen Lord, the ascending King, the waiting church, and the fire of the Spirit — laid out with remarkable clarity.
A Principal Feast
In the Anglican tradition, the Feast of the Ascension is one of the Seven Principal Feasts of the church year — sitting alongside Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints' Day, and the Epiphany. These are the days the Church has set apart across centuries as the highest celebrations of the faith.
That's not a small designation. It means Ascension Day outranks most ordinary Sundays on the liturgical calendar. And yet in much of the modern church, it passes without notice.
I think that's a loss.
Join Us Thursday at Holy Cross
Holy Cross Cathedral in Loganville is marking this feast the way the Church always has — by gathering, by praying, and by celebrating the Eucharist together.
The service is Thursday, May 14th at 12:00pm.
I'll be honest: a noon service on a Thursday takes something from you. It means rearranging a lunch break, stepping away from work, making a small sacrifice of time. But I'd argue that's part of the point. The Principal Feasts of the church year have always asked us to let our lives be shaped by the calendar of the Kingdom rather than the calendar of convenience.
If you've been curious about Anglican worship, or if you're looking for a way to mark this day with the community of faith, I'd encourage you to come.
The King has ascended. That's worth showing up for.
Holy Cross Cathedral (ACNA), Loganville, GA — Feast of the Ascension Service: Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 12:00pm.
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