Ascension Day Morning with Bishop Iker

This morning, Bishop Iker drove over to Camp Crucis to celebrate Mass of the Feast of the Ascension for the Youth Ministry Summit. His celebration was impeccable, as is to be expected.

His sermon, given without notes, was excellent and succinct. Standing among us before the Lord's table, he taught that the Ascension finished the cycle of the Incarnation and was needful so that Christ would bring his sacrifice to the altar of God, be enthroned in heaven, and make intercession for us.

He began by lamenting that churches don’t emphasize the Feast of the Ascension as they should, even though it is rightly a major feast day. He told us of a time years ago when he eagerly went to an Ascension Day service at a large parish, expecting it to be a big event, only to find it in the chapel with a handful of people. Worse, the priest taught that the Ascension didn’t really happen. +Iker told us he considered it a bit of a waste of time to drive across town to a service to celebrate something that supposedly didn’t happen.

I’m sure you’re wondering . . . . He made no mention of the big event yesterday, except that he agreed with a wry smile when at breakfast I remarked that he had “a busy day yesterday.”

I can be impertinent that way.

As you can guess, I greatly respect Bishop Iker, but had never met him. So this definitely is a special red letter day for me, indeed.