St. Augustine calls this life the ‘Before Easter’ season — a time of labor, suffering and praise — preparing us for the eternal ‘After Easter’ joy of heaven.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a symbol is “something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of ...

Far from being a moment of loss, the Ascension opens up a joyful reality: Christ is closer than ever, not limited by space or time.