THE ASCENSION
The Ascension saw Jesus rise,
Leaving earth for heavenly skies.
From mortal bounds, He took His flight,
To be the glorified Lord of eternal light.
Our loved ones, too, in death depart,
Leaving their bodies, but not our heart.
They reach the fullness of life above,
In heaven’s embrace, in eternal love.
Two kinds of death we come to know,
As through this life we ebb and flow.
Terminal death, an earthly end,
To joys and sorrows, to foe and friend.
But seminal death, a deeper tale,
A loss that brings a life to scale.
A new spirit, a life that’s reborn,
As day breaks after night forlorn.
The Ascension means Jesus paved the way,
To a seminal death for a brighter day.
To new life, found at heaven’s door,
With Jesus, and loved ones evermore.
By Medard Laz
My Commentary:
This poem connects the mystery of the Ascension with the mystery of our own lives and deaths. The Ascension is not simply about Jesus leaving the earth. It is about Jesus opening a path. He returns to the Father not to abandon humanity, but to draw humanity toward its ultimate destiny.
That is why the poem speaks so tenderly of our loved ones. Death may separate us physically, but love refuses to end at the grave. In Christ’s Ascension, Christians see the promise that human life is not extinguished, but transformed. Heaven is not an escape from life, but its fulfillment.
The distinction between “terminal” death and “seminal” death is especially profound. Terminal death is the ending we fear — the closing of an earthly life. But a seminal death is different. Like a seed buried in the ground, it appears to be loss, yet it becomes the beginning of something new. Jesus Himself spoke this way: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
We experience these “seminal deaths” throughout life — moments when an old self must give way so that a deeper self can emerge. Pride dies so humility can live. Selfishness dies so love can grow. Fear dies so faith can rise.
The Ascension reminds us that Christ has already gone ahead of us. He has entered eternity carrying our humanity with Him. And because He ascended, our losses, our griefs, and even our deaths no longer have the final word.
The final word is transformation.
The final word is hope.
The final word is home.
Spend some time today reflecting on the Ascension of Jesus — because He ascended, our losses, our griefs, and even our deaths no longer have the final word.
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