Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religious Events
The Ascension And The Eucharist

The Ascension And The Eucharist

Last updated on: May 18, 2023 at 2:49 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

The Ascension And The Eucharist 2023-05-18T02:49:04-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Slkozhin: Ascension / Wikimedia Commons

Christ’s ascent into heaven after the resurrection should not be understood merely as a physical elevation, as if he took off like a rocket, going to outer-space. It is about a metaphysical elevation, that is, the completion of the transformation of human nature as it is glorified and brought into the eschaton. This is portrayed symbolically; we are presented with a description of the ascent where it is said that he ascended into the sky, into the heavens. This presentation was done in order to suggest that Jesus not only was glorified, but that he is also lord over all creation. This is not to say, historically, there might not be some element of him “flying” into the sky, but this was only done to help establish the symbol, for ultimately, his ascent took him beyond space and time, into the eschaton, showing to us the change which will take place in us at our own resurrection from the dead. Upon our entrance into the eschaton our bodies will become spiritualized as well, and like Jesus, we will find ourselves no longer bound by empirical laws.

Christ’s ascension is not meant to have us think he is now somewhere in space waiting for the time to come back down to earth; instead, we are to understand that he transcended the material sky, indeed, the whole material creation, to become a part of the spiritual reality from which material creation emerged. Material creation can be said to be “within” the spiritual or metaphysical reality, so that all material creation touches and is penetrated by the spiritual reality but not all of the spiritual reality is found within the material realm of being (as it extends beyond it). Because of this, Christ’s body, being spiritualized, is able to be encountered in the physical realm in a new way, explaining, for example, the way we can encounter him in the eucharist:

Thus the repetition of the Last Supper in anamnesis does not simply concern some earthly body and blood, just as Christ Himself after the Ascension is not present on earth in the same way that He was at the institution of the Eucharist. Hence, we are talking about the Body and Blood of Christ in a different sense, that is, in a Heavenly one. [1]

Physical being, with all the properties understood to be had by matter, cannot be used to explain the real presence. What we experience, and so what we receive, is physically bread and wine. This is what it means to say the accidents are that of bread and wine. However, that is not what they are in essence, what they are by nature. What we receive is Christ, and Christ’s fullness, which would be impossible if what we received was bound by and explained by physical laws. We experience the same fullness of Christ, his full person, in either a small or large piece of the eucharistic host. This makes no sense physically, but spiritually, it does, for the spirit is not bound by properties of space and time. The spiritualized body of Christ is no longer composed of material parts which can be cut up and split apart, but rather, it is one, and always one, and that oneness is what allows all those who partake of Christ to come together and become one, transcending their own material separation from each other. Everyone, no matter what location they find themselves in, no matter the physical size of the eucharistic species they receive, partake of one and the same Christ. They find themselves joined together in and through the oneness of Christ. The eucharistic presence is thus a great mystery because we do not truly understand the spiritual reality and how it works, even if we can apprehend it enough to get a sense of what is going on. And since Christ ascended, since he entered into the spiritual realm, making his very body spiritualized, he is now able to be with us until the end of the age, becoming the living bread which also “descends” to all creation, even into the “lowest” parts of it:

But when this bread descends, look how far it descends, not just to the earth, but to the farthest below the earth. For the one who descends is also the one who ascended far above the heavens. [2]

Thus, the ascension is connected to Christs’ everlasting presence with the faithful, and with it, the eucharist, for it tells us that Christ truly ascended so as to no longer be bound by material laws. His body is truly his body, but it is now glorified, it is spiritualized, and that spiritualization is presented both in the glory of the resurrection, where he is alive and will die no more, but also in the ascension, where he shows us that all things can and will be taken with him into that glory, that all things will join him in transcending material, temporal being and find their way to the eschaton. St. Albert the Great pointed out that this is also connected to the transfiguration, so that the glory we see revealed in the transfiguration, the glory of Christ’s divinity, is able to serve as the basis for the resurrection and the glorification of Christ’s humanity, and the glorification of Christ’s humanity then touches all creation, all material being, so he not only shares that glory with all creation, those which partake of it will find themselves being assumed by Christ so that they can find their proper place in the eschaton:

On the other hand, the potential for Christ’s resurrection is proven by the Transfiguration, whereas the act [of his resurrection] is proven by the appearances that follow after the resurrection. Moreover, the state of glory in both, namely in the head and in the members, is proven by Christ’s Ascension and the ascension of those who ascended with Christ. [3]

We can receive and experience a share of that glory now with communion. The eschaton is immanent, revealed in the already and not-yet relationship we have with it. For it is with us, and yet we have not yet entered into it. We experience a share of the glory here, revealing to us a foreshadowing of the glory and deification which is to take place when we enter into the eschaton ourselves. And so, as Bulgakov said:

The “transmutation” of the earthly elements, the bread and wine, into the Body and Blood of Christ, it is clear, cannot be limited in this connection only to the earthly state of the Lord’s humanity, but should contain in itself all that He is: that is, not only what is proper to our world, in which He abided until His Ascension in, glory, but also all the things that followed. And all of them happened in their turn, and yet they are connected to each other by the forms of the Lord’s corporeality in His sacrificial self-immolation. [4]

The eucharist, though it comes to us in and through the glory of the resurrected Christ, is the same person, the same Christ who willingly took on the cross so as to show the world the love God has for it. Just as we do not partake merely of a part of Christ when we partake of the eucharist, we do not partake of only a part of Christ’s person when we receive communion. Christ’s person is not divided into parts. It is one and the same person who died that was resurrected; it is one and the same person who “came down from heaven” who then “ascended into glory.” When we partake of the eucharist, we receive the Christ who gave his all to us in his self-emptying, sacrificial love, making it truly a sacrifice, even if it is much more than that, as we also receive the glorified Christ who, thanks to his resurrection, has brought about the restoration of all things. This is why the ascension, though important, must not lead us to ignore the kenosis behind the incarnation, for the two are one, even as Christ is one.

[1] Sergius Bulgakov, The Eucharistic Sacrifice. Trans. Mark Roosien (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2021), 30.

[2] Origen, Homilies on the Psalms: Codex Monacensis Graecus 314. Trans. Joseph W. Trigg (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2020), 337 [Homily 4 on Psalm 77].

[3] St. Albert the Great, On Resurrection. Trans. Irven M. Resnick and Franklin T. Harkins (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2020), 96.

[4] Sergius Bulgakov, The Eucharistic Sacrifice, 32.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

General Christian

Religious Events

Previous Post

May 17, 2023

How Can Pope Francis Promote Coptic Martyrs As Catholic Saints?

Next Post

May 21, 2023 Legends of Nicea

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"First things first is the easiest way forward. "If someone is bleeding profusely, we must ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Why We Must Embrace Empathy, Sympathy ..."

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Halloween Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Vainglory Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz