But more than that, the manner of his leave-taking also taught them that he was at last returning to the glory of Heaven.  Because we think of Heaven, that is, the visible Presence of God, as being something far, far better than this earthly life, so by a natural metaphor we picture it as being above.

And so Our Blessed Lord ascended towards the sky, not because Heaven is “above the bright blue sky”, as the hymn would wrongly have us believe, but because it was a simple and effective way of teaching us that he was returning to a higher kind of life.

Thus the Ascension marked the end of Christ’s earthly pilgrimage which had begun over 30 years before when as God the Son he had laid aside his Divine majesty and glory, which had been his from all eternity, and came from Heaven to this world and was made man.

So now he returns to the glory of Heaven and reassumes his rightful majesty – it is the homecoming of the King of Kings.  Rightly do we metaphorically speak of him as seated at his Father’s right hand and enthroned in Kingly State, and receiving from the holy angels and the blessed Saints the homage of their joyful adoration.