By Clement Harrold
May 14, 2026
Although we don’t always spend a lot of time thinking about it, surely one of the strangest mysteries of Christianity is the fact that Jesus returned to heaven after His Resurrection.
Think about it for a moment.
As Christians we believe that the almighty Triune God became a human being and died a slave’s death on a cross for our sake, after which He descended into hell, plundered the strongholds of the devil, and rose again on the third day. We believe Jesus did all of this . . . only to announce that He would be leaving again as soon as it’s over.
It’s a puzzling move, and certainly not one we would expect. For many of us, therefore, our desire is like that of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb: we wish we could cling to the Risen Jesus and never let go. But instead we must learn, like her, to wrestle with the mystery of Christ’s Ascension: “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17).
These must have been incredibly tough words for Magdalene to hear. And yet, earlier on in the Gospel of John, Jesus had already forewarned His disciples regarding the necessity of His Ascension: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
It’s a startling claim for Jesus to make, and perhaps it’s one we are tempted to doubt during the more difficult seasons of our lives. Perhaps there are times when we’re just not convinced that the Counselor (the Holy Spirit) is truly present. And so, if we’re being honest, maybe we find ourselves saying: I disagree, Jesus. I disagree with your methods. I disagree that it is better for me if you go away. I don’t want you to leave again. I want you to stay.
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As we pray through these difficulties, it’s worth calling to mind the counsel that St. Paul offers to the Corinthian church. For Paul, it’s essential to understand that the darkness of this present life is always an opportunity to strengthen our faith in the things that are unseen:
So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. . . . From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. (2 Cor 5:6–9,16)
These are important lessons for us, particularly when we struggle to accept God’s plan and we find ourselves wishing He had arranged the world differently.
Another figure who thought long and hard about the mystery of Christ’s Ascension was St. Augustine of Hippo, the great Doctor of Grace. In his Confessions, Augustine reflects powerfully on the deeper reason for Christ’s returning to heaven after His Resurrection:
But our very Life descended hither, and bore our death, and slew it, out of the abundance of His own life; and thundering He called loudly to us to return hence to Him into that secret place whence He came forth to us — first into the Virgin’s womb, where the human creature was married to Him — our mortal flesh, that it might not be for ever mortal — and thence “as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, rejoicing as a strong man to run a race” [Psalm 19:5]. For He tarried not, but ran crying out by words, deeds, death, life, descent, ascension, crying aloud to us to return to Him. And He departed from our sight, that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here. (Bk 4, Ch 12)
With characteristic eloquence, Augustine reminds us that although Jesus has departed from our sight, He never really left. He remains in our hearts; and the only reason He departed bodily was so that we might encounter Him in a deeper way.
Mary Magdalene seems to have internalized this lesson when she rushes to the other disciples with these simple words (her last recorded words in the Gospels): “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18). Although she would no longer be able to see Jesus with her physical sight, Magdalene realized that this was okay because she would continue to see Him through the eyes of faith.
Perhaps this can be a lesson for us too when our faith feels weak and uncertain. At every Mass and in every Eucharistic monstrance, we are met by the Risen One who invites us to advance beyond the confines of our bodily senses and to proclaim, together with Magdalene: “I have seen the Lord!”
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About Clement Harrold
Clement Harrold earned his master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in 2024, and his bachelor’s degree in theology, philosophy, and classics from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2021. He is a columnist for The Catholic Herald, and his writings have appeared in First Things, Word on Fire, Catholic Answers Magazine, Church Life Journal, Our Sunday Visitor Magazine, Crisis Magazine, and the Washington Examiner.
