I’m not cool. Though my flawless jump shot might suggest otherwise, the qualities of cool in my life are noticeably lacking. No matter. I can, however, share with you one really cool thing that did happen: rewind to sophomore year of high school. One of my favorite radio stations in my car was 89.1, which ran a bunch of hip and indie artists that no one had ever heard of yet. On a fateful fall day driving to school in the morning, a heavenly sound pierced through the airwaves into my whole being and has yet to leave since: Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the day I discovered Mumford and Sons a whole three months before their first album would even be released in the US. You may applaud me now.

Not to sound Catholic basic, but real talk if you’ve never listened to Mumford and Sons give them a try. One of my favorite songs is Below My Feet, which in my opinion features veiled lyrics completely about Jesus. Its chorus of “keep the earth below my feet” indeed looks like a direct reference to St. Paul’s writings in today’s second reading where he claims that Christ “put all things beneath His feet” and gave Himself “as head over all things to the Church, which is His body.”

Depending on where you live, you either are celebrating the Ascension today or celebrated within the past week. When we reflect on the Ascension, that reality is ever present of Jesus keeping the earth below His feet, similar to the imagery of Him on the Cross; being above us, yet always with us, beyond us, yet ever present in a tangible and practical way for our lives. The beautiful fact of the Ascension echoes the words we will say in Holy Mass today and forever: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. The Ascension pays testament to this central truth about Christ: He has been raised from the dead and will remain with us forever.

We cannot miss this: Jesus is alive in a very real way! He is not simply a historical fact or a story from the past, He is our God who has done what He said He would do and remains present to our lives now on earth as it is in Heaven. By His glorious Ascension, He remains accessible to us, alive and present to us, and through the Sacraments continually gives Himself to us.

So today, in humility, recognize the great glory of God who is present in your life. Though He is above us in glory, He surrounds us in His love and presence. He looks upon us from His Heavenly throne, the earth beneath His feet, and comes into our lives. In every blessing and sorrow, in good times and in bad, Jesus is with you, by your side, watching over you, ready to reveal His love to you in a new way. AMDG.

Do you let Jesus reign in your life, or are you constantly holding onto control of your life?

How would your life look different if you spent more time with Jesus, specifically in the Eucharist?

What is the coolest way God has worked in your life? (Even if you didn't recognize it as Him at the time)

"Christ has died."

"Christ is risen."

"Christ will come again."

Let yourself be beneath the feet of Jesus today. Let Him rule over your life and your heart. Start this by spending some time with Him in the Eucharist today.