Today is Ascension Day. We hear about the ascension of Jesus at the end of the gospel of Luke and again at the beginning of Acts. The observance of this feast is of great antiquity. Eusebius seems to hint at the celebration of it in the 4th Century. At the beginning of the 5th Century, St. Augustine says that it is of apostolic origin, and the way he speaks of it suggests that it was generally observed by the whole church long before his time.
Over the centuries, this feast has had many representations in art. The attempts to capture the mystery of this experience may be doomed to failure, since "capturing mystery" seems to be an ultimate oxymoron. But the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, Spain evokes the mystery in stunning fashion. The soaring architecture leads our vision up from the altar...to the crucifix suspended above...to the towering windows of light...and finally to the radiant central light. Rather than a depiction, it invites the worshiper into the mystery of the experience -- Jesus' blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension.
