Pope Francis celebrates the feast of the Ascension

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday celebrated the feast of the Ascension of Jesus to heaven, celebrated forty days after Easter.

Speaking to the faithful present in St. Peter’s Square for the Regina Caeli prayer, the Pope reflected on the reading from the Gospel of Matthew which presents us with the moment of the definitive departure of the Risen Lord from his disciples.

The scene, he said, is set in Galilee, the place where Jesus had called them to follow him and form the first nucleus of his new community. The disciples have gone through the “fire” of the Passion and Resurrection