To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God.
-Acts 1:3
Ascension Day is fast approaching! On this day we celebrate the moment the disciples witnessed Jesus leave Earth in his resurrected body. Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter and traditionally it falls on a Thursday; this year, May 9. But in most dioceses, Ascension is celebrated on the following Sunday; this year May 12.
Whether you celebrate it on Thursday or Sunday, here are some ideas for observing Ascension with your family.
Novena to the Holy Spirit
It’s an ancient custom to begin a Novena to the Holy Spirit on the Friday after Ascension Thursday, ending on Pentecost. (Pentecost is 10 days after Ascension Thursday and 50 days after the resurrection.) In this way, we imitate the disciples who after the Ascension returned to Jerusalem and for nine days (until Pentecost) “with one accord devoted themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14). (If your diocese moves Ascension to Sunday, you would still begin your Novena on the Friday. So you actually begin your Novena two days before your parish celebrates Ascension.)
I found this introduction to the novena on four different websites, so I’m not sure of the original author:
“The novena to the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the First Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.”
Resources
If you’d like to pray the novena with your family you can find some lovely books on Amazon, including this one. Alternatively, here is a free online guide. My absolute favorite guide is the one written by Father Lovasik, but it doesn’t seem to be readily available anymore. Snap one up if you come across them in a book store.
Eucharistic Adoration
Children often wonder why Jesus isn’t here if he loves them. (Grown-ups wonder about Jesus leaving them behind, too. I wrote about this here.) Children (indeed all humans) have a natural anxiety about separation. Adoration of Christ in the Eucharist is a bridge to the love of Christ for our longing hearts. While Jesus ascended to heaven, his gaze is still upon us, and through Adoration our children begin to experience this.
Attending Adoration with your family on or near Ascension Day is a great way to begin planting in your children’s hearts the seeds of devotion to the Eucharist.
Bring kids to Adoration? Is this possible, wise, or sane? Yup. Adoration isn’t just for the grown-up or the basically mature. As Sarah Estabrooks over at To Jesus Sincerely writes:
Jesus, You said, “Let the children come to me.” You didn’t come for the perfect – not only for the mature in faith, or the advanced in intellect. You didn’t come only for those who already know You. You came for everyone who is on their journey. Everyone who needs to know You better, love You more deeply, grow in virtue and sacrifice.
There are two ways to approach this. You can either take your kids with you during a parish’s regular Adoration or you can take them to a special children’s Adoration. I admit when my kids were all young, I felt self-conscious at Adoration; I worried that all the bobbing little heads were distracting people. That was my problem. My purpose was to model for my kids how to adore Jesus in the Eucharist, and it was time well spent even if we weren’t always the picture-perfect family I carried in my imagination.
Children’s Adoration is a gift if you can find one near you. Children’s Adoration is arranged specifically with kids in mind, so their fidgety arms and surprising questions are never a problem. If you can’t find one, consider starting one yourself. You will find yourself immersed in holy work when you lead children into the mystery of the Eucharist.
Resources for Children’s Adoration
These resources can help you whether you attend a traditional or a children’s Adoration with your kids.
- Children of Hope is a well-known ministry devoted to children’s Adoration. You can find free guides there.
- Eucharistic Adoration Canada has some free resources for adults leading children in Adoration.
- If your children are ages 8-13, they might like this resource from Jennifer Sharp: Come Let Us Adore.
Gardening
“Rogation Days” were traditionally the three days before the Feast of Ascension during which farmers and gardeners asked God to bless their land with rain and bounty. Groups of parishioners processed through their fields and around the parish grounds, praying together and asking for God’s protection.
Inspired by this tradition, perhaps we can lead our kids in planting something simple and asking for God’s protection over our outdoor gardens. I offer ideas for creating a sacred space in your garden in this article. Then, you can ask for a blessing on whole garden. This Blessing of Fields and Gardens is from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. (There’s a whole rite you can follow; this is just one of the prayers.)
Blessing of Fields and Gardens
Oh God, from the very beginning of time you commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation and fruit of every kind. You provide the sower with seed and give bread to eat. Grant, we pray, that this land [or garden], enriched by your bounty and cultivated by human hands, may be fertile with abundant crops [or life]. then your people, enriched by the gift of your goodness, will praise you unceasingly now and for ages unending. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Food and Crafts
You can enjoy a family celebration on Ascension with good “cloud themed” food and activities!
- Lacy at Catholic Icing has some cute craft ideas for younger kids.
- Catholic Inspired has this cool Jesus-in-a-glowing-cloud Ascension activity.
Catholic Cuisine never disappoints; you’ll find many ideas over there for putting together an Ascension tea or picnic.
- An Ascension picnic would be a perfect way to spend the day. How about on a hilltop?
- This Ascension cake looks . . . DIVINE! It would make a perfect focus for a simple Ascension tea. Follow your tea party with a short hike and some cloud spotting.