Taking leave of beloved ones can be a saddening, and even harrowing experience. No doubt the Apostles felt something of that sadness at the Ascension of Jesus. But the words of the "two men dressed in white" would have drawn them away from sadness to a new expectancy and a new hope. If we may take the Apocalypse for a guide, the colour white signifies, among other things, victory and joy: the two men were dressed in white, for their message was one of victorious joy. The Apostles, however, would have to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit before they could fully appreciate the mystery of Jesus' joyful victory. As the Holy Spirit enlightened them, they came to share in that joy, for they realized that, while Jesus had left this world and the realm of human history, He had not abandoned His Apostles and disciples: He had only changed His relationship with them through a greater and more intensive presence in the Church than was possible within the confines of human history.