While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
--Luke 24:51-53
The Ascension of Our Lord, traditionally understood, is a feast day. It calls for a festival. At the heart of the word festival is feast. Feasting means having friends and family around with food, fun, and perhaps some frivolity.
Admittedly, it's an odd celebration since the story at its heart appears to be one of separation. Jesus withdrew His visible presence from His disciples and was carried up into heaven. The response to this was not "Jesus, Jesus, come back here right now! How do you expect us to carry on without you?" Rather, they worshiped him! They headed back to Jerusalem and were continually blessing God.
It certainly doesn't appear to be an ending at all. It's a new beginning. They would begin by waiting, and, after ten more days, they would receive the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised. The gift of the Spirit is cause for another feast!
Our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord is into feasting and rejoicing! We get to join in -- with Jesus and with one another!
PD
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