Of Ascension and Nostos

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” - from The Confessions of St. Augustine

Today’s Feast of The Ascension is the oft-neglected conclusion to Jesus’ earthbound ministry. It is an inseparable part of the Crucifixion/Resurrection, but as it takes place 40 days later, it is disjointed from the Passion narrative and, as it is commemorated on a Thursday, it can get lost in our diminishing late Easter celebrations.

There is a portion …