Feast of the Ascension of the Lord celebrated May 4

The feast of the Ascension of the Lord, a holy day of obligation, will be celebrated May 4 in churches through the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

This feast commemorates Christ’s ascension into heaven 40 days after Easter. It is celebrated on the seventh Sunday of Easter in Baltimore and most other provinces in the United States.

According to the “Dictionary of the Liturgy” by Father Jovian P. Lang, O.F.M., “It marks the close of the visible mission of Jesus on earth, the reappearance in heaven of his total humanity glorified, placed in the position of honor at his Father’s side eternally.”