Locating Heaven: Modern Science and the Place of Christ's Gloried Body

It seems only ftting to respond to mysteries of faith with awe and astonishment, but there is something dangerous about being embarrassed by them. Unfortunately, when it comes to the mystery of the Ascension, Christians sometimes cannot help but gravitate toward the latter response. 7ere are those nagging "why" questions, as we wonder if things would not have been better of if Christ had stayed on earth. On top of that, there are the dumbfounded "where" questions by which we wonder where Christ went when he le; the Apostles' sight and where he actually is right now, if anywhere. 7ese are not new questions, of course, and the tradition of the Church overs a great deal of re=ection to guide us, re=ection which seems quite apt at answering the "why" questions, but which can appear inadequate to answer the "where" question.1 Every Sunday, Catholics profess: "He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." 7e Church has always been clear that the "right hand of the Father" should not be understood physically, for the