The Ascension of the Lord – Sr. Everlene Nekesa, SNDdeN May 14, 2026 Matthew 28: 16-20 Growing up as an African, my understanding of life and the spiritual world has been shaped by both my cultural traditions and my Christian faith. In my culture, going to heaven isn’t usually seen as physically rising up to some faraway place. Instead, it’s understood more as a transition; a change in one’s state and relationship with the spiritual world. The spiritual realm isn’t distant or separate from everyday life. It’s close, present, and always interacting with the world we live in. What comes closest to the idea of ascension is becoming an ancestor. Becoming an ancestor isn’t automatic; it depends on how one lived: with integrity, respect, and responsibility in the community. Ancestors, spirits, and even the divine remain near, and continue to be part of the life of the living, guiding and influencing everything in meaningful ways. Forty days after Easter Sunday, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (1:1–11), the disciples watched as Jesus was taken up into heaven, they watched as He was lifted up and taken from their sight. At first, it may have felt like a moment […]