Clergy Gather in Prayer and Fellowship for Retreat
May 29, 2025
Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2025: 2-8 June
June 2, 2025
A spirit of reverence and hope filled the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Norwich, on Thursday 29 May as the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord was celebrated with a deeply moving Mass, led by Bishop Peter Collins.
The Ascension marks the moment when Christ, forty days after His resurrection, ascended into heaven in the presence of His disciples. It is a feast of both farewell and promise — a culmination of Christ’s earthly ministry and the beginning of the Church’s mission in the world. The Mass at the Cathedral captured this dual sense of poignancy and purpose with great solemnity and grace.
The readings of the day underscored the profound theological and spiritual significance of the Ascension. The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles (1:1–11), recounted the moment of Christ’s departure from His disciples, leaving them with a commission to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth.”
The second reading, drawn from Hebrews (9:24–28; 10:19–23), offered a rich meditation on Christ’s ascension as His entry into the heavenly sanctuary, where He intercedes eternally on our behalf. It reminded the faithful that Christ’s sacrifice was once for all, securing our redemption and opening the way for us to draw near to God “with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.”
The Gospel reading, taken from Luke 24:46–53, captured the final moments of Jesus’ earthly presence with His disciples, His blessing upon them, and their worshipful return to Jerusalem, filled with joy and ready to proclaim the Good News. In this reading, Bishop Peter noted, we see the peace and purpose that Christ leaves with His followers — a peace rooted not in His absence, but in the promise of the Holy Spirit and the certainty of His return.
The liturgy was marked by dignified beauty. Incense rose like prayers to heaven as the faithful gathered — both in person and in spiritual communion — to mark this pivotal moment in the liturgical year.
In his closing remarks, Bishop Peter wished all present a happy feast day and said “I want you all to go home levitating at least one foot off the ground!”
As the Mass concluded, there was a palpable sense of mission renewed and hearts lifted. The Ascension calls us not simply to gaze upward, but to look outward — to live as witnesses of the risen and glorified Lord, who remains with us always, even to the end of time.
