Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 46(47):2-3,6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20
The Ascension was not simply the moment that Christ, Our Lord departed the earth, leaving us to fend for ourselves, and certainly not to save ourselves. There is no sense of abandonment nor of departure. Christ always was divine, but at the moment of his conception he also became human. Throughout his life he showed us how to live. As all humans do, he died, and now, as all humans will, he showed us that we will ascend. Body and soul, our full creation in the image of God, will ascend back to the Father at the last day.
So much did the Apostles and disciples want to follow Jesus, there was quite a tendency to expect that this was going to happen in their own lifetimes. But of course it did not - now approaching 2000 years since ascension, we are all still awaiting that final glory.
While we are waiting, we are far from alone. We wait with each other, but much more than that, we have the Holy Spirit present in our lives. As Christ promises us in todays gospel, "I am always with you; yes, to the end of time!" Not the 'I am', which is the Name of God... God is always with us. Life is not about being separated from God, just about part of our journey with God back to himself.