When is the Orthodox feast of the ascension of the Lord. Ascension of the Lord. The connection of the holiday with the events of the Sacred history of the Old and New Testaments

Ascension of the Lord. Miniature in the Gospel of Rabula. 586 Florence, Laurentian Library. Ascension of the Lord. Miniature in the Gospel of Rabula. 586 Florence, Laurentian Library. The Ascension of the Lord is one of the twelfth holidays in ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary "World History"

Ascension of the Lord- On the fortieth day after the Holy Resurrection of Christ (Easter), this year June 9, Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the great feast of the Ascension of the Lord. According to the Gospels, after the Resurrection, Jesus Christ stayed on earth for another forty ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers

Modern Encyclopedia

One of the twelfth holidays in Orthodoxy. Established in honor of the return of Jesus Christ at the end of his earthly life in the divine sphere of being in Heaven. According to the New Testament, the Ascension took place 40 days after the Resurrection, in ... ... Historical dictionary

Ascension of the Lord- THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD, one of the twelve feasts, established in honor of the return of Jesus Christ after the end of his earthly life to the divine sphere of being in Heaven. According to the New Testament narrative, the ascension took place 40 days after... Illustrated encyclopedic Dictionary

Exist., Number of synonyms: 1 holiday (133) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

ASCENSION OF THE LORD- [Greek. ᾿Ανάληψις τοῦ Κυρίου; lat. Ascensio Domini], the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven is one of the main events of St. stories. After VG, the visible earthly presence of Christ gives way to His invisible presence in the Church. In the church tradition V. G ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

Ascension of the Lord- one of the Christian twelfth holidays, performed on the 40th day after Easter. It was 40 days that the risen Christ spent on earth. On this day, Jesus Christ, together with his disciples, climbed the Mount of Olives, gave them a blessing and ... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (encyclopedic dictionary of a teacher)

Ascension of the Lord- (see Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-12) the twelfth feast celebrated on the 40th day after Easter. According to the New Testament narrative, the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ took place 40 days after His resurrection (see Acts 1, 3) in the vicinity of ... Orthodoxy. Dictionary-reference

Ascension of the Lord- the twelfth master's holiday of the movable annual cycle of the Orthodox Church. calendar, performed on Thursday of the sixth week, on the fortieth day from Easter. The name of the holiday (in the Western tradition Ascensio, Ascension) expresses one of the most important ... ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

Books

• Ascension of the Lord. Service for the holiday. Moscow, 1911. Synodal Printing House. Edition with 1 color lithograph. The text is decorated with vignettes, screensavers, initial letters. Printed binding with gold stamping. The safety is good. IN…
• Ascension of the Lord, The Ascension of Jesus Christ is a mysterious event. After His Resurrection, He gathered the closest disciples on the Mount of Olives and left the earth before their eyes, hiding in a cloud. What happened?...

Ascension of the Lord

(Celebrated 40 days after Easter)

purpose

The Lord was in heaven from the beginning and came down to earth in order to save the perishing human race. The Lord came down to earth out of love for us. And, having completed His great earthly ministry, He again returns to His Father - to the place where He was before.

The purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God was to proclaim the Divine truth to the world, to direct people on the path of repentance and salvation, to grant people deliverance from eternal death.

And so, having accomplished the work of saving the human race, having reconciled God with people, the Lord ascends to heaven.

This event is always celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, on Thursday of the 6th week after Easter. The number 40 is not random, but carries meaning. Throughout sacred history, this was the time of the end of great deeds. Blessed Augustine believed that the number 40 expresses a person's journey to truth and God.

The name of the holiday reflects the essence of the event - it is the Ascension to Heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ, the completion of His earthly ministry. According to the law of Moses, on the 40th day, babies were to be brought by their parents to the temple, to the Lord.

And now, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection, as if after a new birth, Jesus Christ was to enter the heavenly temple of His Father as the Savior of mankind.

Having conquered death, this terrible consequence of sin, and thus giving the opportunity to resurrect in glory, the Lord exalted human nature in His Person, including the human body. Thus, the Lord opened to every person the opportunity, after the universal Resurrection, to ascend to the highest abode of light to the very Throne of the Most High.

“Do not touch Me,” the risen Christ said at his appearance on Easter morning to Mary Magdalene, “for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.”
(John 20:17).

This word of Christ was fulfilled in His Ascension.

Completion of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ
and His return to His Father

The Ascension of Jesus Christ is the final completion of the Paschal victory of the crucified and buried Son of God, the final completion of His work of our salvation until His Second Coming.

Just as the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the beginning of victory over the death of all redeemed mankind and “Christ is risen from the dead, the firstborn of the dead” (1 Cor. 15:20), so His glorious ascension to heaven with a glorified and deified human nature is a revelation for all those who believe in Christ a free way to heaven: “And when I am lifted up from myself, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12, 32), said Christ the Savior.

IN Old Testament Elijah was taken up to heaven. He was sent to a certain area, where he lives in bodily and spiritual rest.

Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot as proof that he, as a man, could not do this without outside help. This help was given to him by the angels when he ascended to heaven, for he himself could not ascend...

Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, did not need third-party assistance for his Ascension.

Before the Ascension of the Lord, none of the people had a way to heaven: “No one ascended to heaven,” says the apostle, “as soon as he descended from heaven” (John 3:13). “He who descended, he is also ascended above all the heavens” (Eph. 4:10).

St. John Chrysostom explains: “Jesus Christ ascended not with the help of someone to lead Him, but Himself walked this way. Elijah did not ascend in the same way as Christ, he was lifted up by an outside power, because human nature cannot go in a way that is not characteristic of it.

As God, He came to this earth to take on our human nature and, by taking it, to save the entire human race. And as God and Man, He now ascends to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father above all cherubim and seraphim, all angels and archangels.

And “we see that for enduring death, Jesus was crowned with glory and honor, who was not much humbled before the angels, so that, by the grace of God, he might taste death for all” (Heb. 2, 9). “God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2, 9- eleven).

After the Resurrection of the Lord, His disciples incessantly lived with a sense of celebration. For forty more days He appeared to them one by one and gathered together. His last appearance to them on the Mount of Olives, located near Jerusalem, atoned for all the torments, all the burden of the terrible days when He was handed over for crucifixion. His blessing to all of them was both a sign of forgiveness and a promise of help in the work of evangelism. Simple people, not scientists, “not bookish”, the apostles became eyewitnesses of the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies of the Holy Scriptures, and the words of the Teacher Himself that He was to be “lifted up”, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.

Before the eyes of the disciples, the Lord rose above the earth, as if assuring them that on the last day of the world He would come to earth just as He had departed to God the Father. Saying goodbye to them before the time, He promised to send them the Comforter - the Holy Spirit, coming from God the Father. The disciples did not know what this meant, but they believed that everything would be according to the word of the Lord.

“Having said this, He arose before their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And when they were looking at the sky, at the time of His ascension, suddenly two men in white clothes appeared to them and said: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing and looking at the sky? This Jesus, who ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him ascending into heaven, then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath journey away (Acts 1:9-12)."

New Testament accurately determines the place and time of the Ascension of Christ: it happened forty days after the Resurrection of Christ (“... He showed Himself alive, after His suffering, with many sure proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God” - Acts 1:3); on the Mount of Olives (“Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, at a distance of a Sabbath journey” - Acts 1:12); near Bethany: “And he brought them out of the city as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And when he blessed them, he began to move away from them and ascend to heaven. They worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”
(Luke 24:50-52).

For forty days there were appearances of the resurrected Christ to the disciples on earth, and now He leaves this earth. But leaving the earth, He does not put off our acceptance on this earth. human body, does not remove from Himself our human nature, but with it, with the human soul and with human flesh, ascends to the glory of the Father.

The appearance of the Risen One on earth ends with the Ascension of Christ. Christ now enters wholly into His glory. He returns to God the Father.

Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “The Savior did not need a chariot, did not need angels, for the Creator, by His divine power, ascended to heaven. He returned to where he came from; he ascended to where he had abode from eternity, for although he ascended in humanity, yet in divinity he possessed both heaven and earth.

St. Demetrius of Rostov preaches: “Before, no one could ascend into heaven, although he was righteous ... However, none of them before Christ could ascend into heaven ... When our Lord, clothed in human nature, ascended into heaven, immediately revealed to the whole generation human way to heaven. The souls of the holy forefathers and prophets, led out of hell, followed him after Christ. They ascended the apostles, martyrs and confessors. Worthy and righteous people who follow in the footsteps of Christ ascend to them even now. For everyone now the path to heaven is known, which was never heard of before, only, O people, do not be lazy to ascend it!”

Evangelist Luke depicts the Ascension of Christ as an obvious and historically reliable event. Unlike the previous departures of Christ, who appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, when He left them suddenly, this time, Christ ascended gradually: “He ascended in their eyes,” and a cloud covered Him…

Christ ascended, left, to give people the opportunity to comprehend true love and true Christian life.
St. Demetrius of Rostov speaks about it like this: “Oh, how joyful is this reason for the ascension of the Lord! He ascended to heaven in order to open wide the doors of heaven for us, to set them aside for our unhindered ascent to heaven. Open for us, O Lord, open the doors of Thy mercy!”

The Gospel says that having left the disciples, leaving them, Christ again and again, in response to faith and love, enters into communion with them during community meetings for prayer and the breaking of Bread (as Communion was called in ancient times).

The Significance of Ascension

By His Ascension, the Lord opened the way to heaven to a blessed home for all who believed in Him.

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk sings: “Christ ascended into heaven before His holy disciples and showed all His faithful the way there. Christ the Head has ascended into heaven, and His holy members, true Christians, will also ascend. The way to people was closed there, but by the death of Christ it was opened. “The veil in the temple was rent” at the death of Christ (Matt. 27:51), and the way and entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven was opened to the faithful (Heb. 10:19-20).”

The Lord Himself taught the meaning of the Ascension in this way: “There are many mansions in my Father's house. And if it were not so, I would say to you: I am going to prepare a place for you. And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that you too may be where I am” (John 14:2-3); "...and where I am, there my servant will be" (John 12:26);

The Apostle Paul calls Jesus Christ the "Forerunner" (Heb. 6:20). The very word "forerunner" means: one who goes ahead and paves the way for those who come behind. Thus, by His Ascension, the Lord enables all those who believe in Him to be in the same place where He Himself resides after the Ascension.

Speaking about the meaning of the ascension of Jesus Christ, St. Paul said that "Christ has entered not into a sanctuary made with hands... but into heaven itself, now to present himself before God for us" (Heb. 9:24).

The Lord ascended from us into heaven in order to arrange for us the way to heaven and to be our leader in the mountainous countries. There was no way for a person to heaven until the Ascension of the Lord to heaven. “No one ascended to heaven as soon as he descended from heaven,” says the Lord (John 3:13).

The Second Meaning of Ascension It is the glorification of human nature. In Christ the purpose for which human nature was intended is achieved. The human flesh, glorified and deified, ascended into heaven and became a participant in the eternal glory, majesty and power of the Son of God.

The Gospel speaks of the Ascension as the return of the Son to where He was before (John 6:62), or as a return to the Father (John 14:28; 24:5-16; 20:17). But this return to where it was before, the return to the Father, takes place already with the flesh assumed for eternity. The Lord accomplished His Atonement for the human race in a state of humiliation, in the form of a slave. His whole earthly life was the glorification of the Father, but through the very humiliation the Lord, in His humanity, ascends to the highest glory, for which He prayed in the High Priestly Prayer “Father! the hour has come: glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee." (John 17, I):

Thus, the Ascension of the Lord had its purpose - the Lord visited His disciples for the last time. After that, He no longer communicated with them in a bodily form, as it was before and after His Resurrection. It was from the Ascension that He, according to His humanity, received the glory that He always had according to Divinity, and a place equal to God the Father in dignity and power, for he "sat at the right hand of the Father."

The ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven opens the way for us to heaven, to eternal life, expressing the victory of good over sin and death. The ascension of the Lord to heaven is closely related to our salvation, to the personal salvation of each of us. In separation from the Lord during His ascension, we see the manifestation of God's love for people, showing us our human calling.

As the apostle Paul teaches: “...seek the things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God; Think about things above, and not about things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2).

To fulfill this lofty calling, the Lord Himself is our faithful helper.

Leaving the earthly world with His body, He does not lay aside His care for His Church. He promised the apostles: "And lo, I am with you... all the days, to the end of the age..." (Matthew 28:20). The main consequence of the Ascension of the Lord was that from that moment human nature received full participation in the Divine life.

Christ remains the God-man forever and the second time will come to earth in the same way in which he ascended into heaven (see: Acts 1:11), but already “with power and great glory”
(Matt. 24:30; Luke 21:27).

When Christ tells us: “Reject yourself, take up your cross and follow Me,” He not only says that in our temporary sojourn we must renounce earthly attachments and take upon ourselves the whole burden of earthly life in following Him. He tells us that we are called to follow Him and, according to His own word, to be where He is, in the glory of eternal Divine life (John 12:26; 17:24).

But one must prepare oneself for a worthy life in order to be accomplices in this glory.

The Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Thessalonians says that on the last day of the coming of the Lord, those who believe in Him will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:17). This means that something similar to the Ascension of Christ the Savior Himself must happen to the true followers of Christ.

The Ascension of the Lord has an enduring role as an image of the deification of every believer in Christ. For by His Ascension the Lord testifies that everything created by Him is capable of being spiritual and God-bearing.

We believe that it was on this day, the day of the Ascension of the Lord, that man acquired the opportunity to be always with God. And the path to this is shown to us by Christ the Savior. This is the same path by which our Lord ascended, that is, the path of the cross, the path of purification, self-denial, the path of external and internal suffering.

On the day of the Ascension, the Lord parted from His disciples until His second coming. But, having ascended to heaven, the Lord left His Church the most precious spiritual heritage - His blessing

As noted by St. Gregory Palamas “The Ascension of the Lord belongs to all people: everyone will be resurrected on the day of His second coming, but only those who “crucified sin through repentance and living according to the Gospel” will be exalted

Alexander A. Sokolovsky

Akathist

Kondak 1

Chosen Voevodo, Creator of heaven and earth! We bring laudable singing to the conqueror of death, as if by Your most bright Resurrection from the dead you ascended to heaven with glory and with your most pure flesh at the right hand of God and the Father you ascended, and you also raise our fallen nature with yourself, and free from sins and from eternal death forever . We celebrate Your Divine Ascension with Your disciples, crying out to You from the bottom of our hearts:

Ikos 1

The archangels and angels are the faces of You, the King of all, on the Mount of Olives, with fear seeing You on the heights of heaven with the flesh, and I glorify the greatness of Your philanthropy, singing to You like this:

Jesus, King of Glory, ascend to heaven with an exclamation at the sound of the trumpet.

Jesus, Lord of hosts, rise up on the cherubim and lie down on the wings of the windmill.

Jesus, eternal God, give to your voice a voice of power, let the whole earth tremble now.

Jesus, Most High Light, manifest Your Power in the clouds, and let the fire from Your Face be kindled.

Jesus, the Redeemer of creation, prepare Your Throne in heaven and may there be no end to Your Kingdom.

Jesus, Creator of heaven and earth, sit at the right hand of your Father, may God be all in all.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 2

Seeing the Apostles rise from the dead, Lord Lord, when in the forty days you showed yourself to them, speaking about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and having received from you the commandment not to leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promises of the Father, until they are clothed with power from above, having come down, I am with one accord together in prayer we sing to You with one mouth and one heart: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Opening the mind of Divine scrutiny, O All-good Jesus, you brought Thy disciples out to Bethany, and led them up to the Mount of Olives, began to prepare the sacrament for Your great Ascension to heaven, saying: Draw near, O my friends, the time of ascent, having gone, teach all the tongues the word you hear from my voice, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. But Tii, still wise on earth, asked if this summer would you build the Kingdom of Israel. Either way, you said to them: “You don’t have to understand times and years, even put the Father in His power,” so that they will prepare for the meeting of Your Heavenly Bridegroom, crying out:

Jesus, Good Shepherd, never part from us, but abide with us unfailingly.

Jesus, the Good Teacher, the Holy Comforter of the Spirit, send down to us, may it always be with us.

Jesus, our Enlightener, enlighten our souls with Your Ascension to the Heavenly Father.

Jesus, our Savior, save us from cowardice and storms by Your intercession.

Jesus, our Guide, by the word of Your mouth, guide us into Your service.

Jesus, our Helper, by Your Holy Spirit remember to us Your Revelation.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 3

With power from above, clothe the Apostles, O Jesus, when on the Mount of Olives you promised them the descent of the Holy Spirit. Thou hast commanded them that Thy witnesses be in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and even to the last earth, saying: Come and enter My gates, prepare My way and make My way with My people and place stones from the way, lift up a sign in tongues, yes All faiths will sing with you: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having an abyss of mercy, Sweetest Jesus, Your disciples and Your wife who followed You and, most of all, Your Mother Who gave birth to You, fulfilled innumerable joys in Your Ascension, when you already departed from them, stretched out Your hands and blessed You, saying: “Behold, I am with you in all days until the end of the age, ”they, filled with fear, glorify Your merciful indulgence, saying:

Jesus, Mercy Giver, have mercy on the human race who has come to Olivet.

Jesus, Pleasure of the mournful, comforting those who are with Thee are Thy friends.

Jesus, Hope of the hopeless, with Your blessing, when we depart to heaven, we are saved from despondency.

Jesus, Refuge of the homeless, by Your Ascension, ascend to the Heavenly Father and grant us.

Jesus, the Good Comforter, another Comforter from the Father, send us a promise.

Jesus, Great Shepherd of the Sheep, unwilling to scatter Your faithful flock.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 4

A storm inside the bewilderment and sadness of many possessions, the Apostles were filled with sobs of tears, when they saw Thee, Christ, on the clouds we lift up and weepingly say: Master, how are you leaving Thy servants now, for Thy mercy did you love them, go, keep the ends with your hands? We, having left everything, follow You God, rejoicing, forever with You, the hope of being. Do not leave us orphans, as you promised, do not part from us, our Good Shepherd, but send us Your Most Holy Spirit, instructing, enlightening and sanctifying our souls, let us thankfully sing to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing the sobs of Your disciples, Master Lord, about the separation of those who mourn, You bestowed the most perfect blessing on Your friends, saying: do not cry, beloved, and reject all lamentation, it is good for you to eat, but I go to My Father, if I do not go, the Comforter will not come . For your sake I have descended from heaven, and for your sake I will ascend to heaven to prepare a place for you; Those same Divine words of consolation were the former, with tenderness crying out to You:

Omnipotent Jesus, turning our sorrow and tears into joy, do not deprive us of eternal joy in Your Kingdom.

Omnipotent Jesus, filling us with joy in Your Ascension, preserve our spirit in everlasting joy and in earthly wanderings.

Jesus, like a kokosh gathering his chicks, do not let us part along the haystacks of this world.

Jesus, who bound us with a union of love at the Supper, do not give us Satan's work, as if the wheat were scattered.

Jesus, leaving Your peace to us as an inheritance, keep us in oneness of mind and Your love.

Jesus, having established many abodes in paradise, prepare a place for us in Thy Heavenly Abode.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 5

The divine cloud was brightly lifted up by Thee, Life-giver, Lord, as a disciple who saw, always departing from them, blessed thou, and so with much glory, as if carried on the wings of the cherubim, thy miraculous ascent to Your Father made thou to heaven, hedgehog before it was impassable from the spirits the malice of the heavenly and from the princes of the power of the air, now inside you is welcome, but from all creation, visible and invisible, hear the angelic song: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Seeing Your glorious Ascension from the flesh to heaven, the King of creation, the order of the Angels, the valley of existence, horrified, I said to the powers of the highest: Take up the eternal gate, as the King of Glory is coming, open the heavens and you are the heavens of heaven, receive the Lord of hosts and worship Him, crying out:

Jesus, Glory of the Father's radiance, enlighten us with the light of Your face.

Jesus, veiling of the minds above, daub us in the never-ending days of Thy Kingdom.

Jesus, who came to reality in the fires and the storm of greenery, call Your clever sky from above.

Jesus, Great and Praiseworthy, in Thy Holy Mountain, proclaim Thy righteousness in heaven.

Jesus, who magnifies Thy mercy to heaven, manifest Thy glory in all the earth.

Jesus, who ascended into the heavens of heaven in the east, may your word forever be in heaven.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 6

Preachers of the Divine Glory, the chief ranks of the Angels, who exist at the height of the heavenly Lordship, Thrones, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, opening together all the heights of heaven, meeting Thee, Lord of All, and seeing Thee Ascended in the flesh, crying out to each other with surprise: Who is this who came from Edom, Sovereign and Strong in battle? Who is this, who came from Basor, the hedgehog is of the flesh? Why are His robes scarlet, as if from dipping in blood, wear a crown of thorns? This is truly the King of Glory, the Lamb of God slain and resurrected for the salvation of the world, now coming in the flesh to sit at the right hand of the Father, We will sing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Thou didst shine with Divine glory, Jesus, when human nature was clothed in worthlessness, Thou graciously exalted, Thou didst seat the Father, and deified Thou. With them, we are also on earth, for your sake, for the sake of indulgence, and from us to heaven, the Ascension is glorifying, we pray, saying:

Jesus, Thy stream of life, by Your Ascension to heaven, to us wanderers of the earth, the path of eternal life to Jerusalem above is indicated.

Jesus, the abyss of His mercy, at Your right hand of the Father, our carnal perception is deified by sitting.

Jesus, who took up our lost nature, take on yourself my grave sins.

Jesus, ascended in the Flesh to the Incorporeal Father, lift up my grief to the valley of drooping thoughts.

Jesus, ascended from the earth at the right hand of God and the Father to the mountain, grant me the right part of the saved sheep to receive.

Jesus, from Zion revealing the splendor of Your beauty, make me a partaker of the eternal bliss of Your being.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 7

Wanting to exalt and glorify the human nature that has fallen in Adam, You, like the second Adam, having ascended to heavenly heights, have prepared Your Throne for ever and ever, and sat down at the right hand of God and the Father, by Your Divinity you can never part from the bowels of the Father. Come, therefore, to Jesus, who has become poor for us and ascended to the right hand of the Father, Jesus, let us bow, let us give Him greatness, and sing from the depths of our souls: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

Thou hast opened a new and pure habitation, O Lord, when Thou hast ascended into heaven with Thy Flesh, and renew the world, grown old with many sins, by Thy resurrection and into heaven by Ascension, showing us clearly, as the Divine Paul says, that our dwelling is in heaven. For this sake, let us withdraw from the vain world, turn our minds to heaven, and cry out to You like this:

Jesus, with the Angels of His heavenly Divinity to heaven, by ascending us to heavenly habitation, calling us to struggle.

Jesus, with men - the earthly Flesh, by His departure from the earth, teaching us to turn away from earthly addictions.

Jesus, who came to look for the lost sheep, lead us to heaven to Your not lost sheep.

Jesus, who descended to unite the growing nature, even on earth unite with the heavenly at the Highest Father.

Jesus, who easily ascended into heaven in a cloud, vouchsafe us, earthly left, to look straight at the heavenly gates.

Jesus, sitting in glory on the Throne of the Godhead, give us, opening our eyes, from the Law understand Your miracles.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 8

Strange and marvelous is Your Resurrection, strange and terrible is Your Resurrection, Life-Giver Christ, hedgehog from the holy mountain Divine Ascension, incomprehensible and more mind than Your seat at the right hand of the Father in the Flesh, about him David in the spirit of the verb: “The Lord said to My Lord: sit at the right hand of Me, until I will put Your enemies under Your feet.” For this sake, for the sake of all the powers of heaven, seeing Your ascension to heaven, truly submitting under Your noses, singing with angelic tongues the Cherubic Hymn: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

All in the Highest, Sweetest Jesus, when, by the will of us, you ascended with glory to heaven and sat on the right hand of God and the Father, but you didn’t leave the lower ones either, you didn’t promise to stay relentlessly in the Church and cried out to those who love you: “I am with you and no one else on you." This merciful promise of Yours is remembered and kept in the heart, with love crying out to You such:

Jesus, having received all power in heaven and on earth after Your Ascension, receive us into Your eternal inheritance.

Jesus, Thy disciples filled with all joys by the promise of the Holy Spirit, fill us with that grace by coming.

Jesus, bowing the heavens with your descent, bow before the greatness of Your glory to the bottom of my bowed pride.

Jesus, having exalted all creation with Your Ascension, exalt the grief of my soul to sing with the Angels of Your Holiness.

Jesus, the Word of God, Who established the heavens with Your Word, establish Your words in my heart, so that I will not sin with You.

Jesus, Son of the Father, by the Spirit of your mouth revealing all your power from heaven, renew the right Spirit in my womb, lest I defile myself.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 9

All fallen human nature, drooping down and decayed with sins, you took on your frame, Lord God, newly created by Himself, and above all beginning and power, you raised it today and brought it to God and the Father, and with You seated you on the Throne of Heaven, but sanctify e, and glorify, and adore. Without flesh, wondering, the verb: Who is this Red Husband, but not a man, but together God and Man, let us sing to him: Hallelujah.

Ikos 9

Vitya Divinity, Thy disciples, Savior, marveling at Your glorious Ascension, I gaze at heaven, grieving, I will ascend to Thee, and behold, two Angels will appear before them in white clothes, and recosta to them as a consolation: “Men of Galilee, what are you standing, seeing the sky? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way, in the same way that he was seen going to heaven.” This angelic gospel of Your Second Coming, O Lord, who heard Your disciples, came in joyful awe, and with them we joyfully sing to You such:

Jesus, ascend from us in all Your glory, yes, come soon with Your holy angels.

Jesus, having packs to come to create a judgment of justice, she, come with glory in the lordship of Your saints.

Jesus, great and terrible over all those around, have mercy and then protect all the meek earth.

Jesus, glorified in the Council of Thy Saints, glorify us Yourself in Thy Kingdom in heaven.

Jesus, who passed through the heavens through Flesh, deign to lead the soul through the ordeals of the air and see Thee in the street.

Jesus, ascended into the clouds of heaven, vouchsafe us with joy and boldness on the last day to raise Thee on the clouds.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 10

Save at least the disciples who are with You, Christ the Savior, and all the believing words for their sake in Thee, and following You, ascended into heaven, and prepare a place for them, as if in the house of Your Father there are many abodes, as if He Himself had spoken to the passion of the future , saying: "If I prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, but where I am Az, and you will be." For this sake, vouchsafe us, O Lord, after our mortal ascension to find a temple not made by hands, eternal in heaven, prepared not from a tree, or hay or a reed of our carnal deeds for the sake of, even in the fire they will not stand, but from gold or silver or other stones on Your the foundation built, where we will take it out to glorify and sing to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

O Eternal King, Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven with Thy Most Pure Flesh and called us all to our heavenly Fatherland, raise us to the valley of the fallen from worldly passions and carnal wisdom to the heights of heaven and grant us, even in the days of our flesh, with the pure testimony of conscience, partake of heavenly life and I will take out to eat heavenly food in the sacrament of the Divine Eucharist, and from a pure heart and right spirit we will sing to You this:

Jesus, the Great Bishop of the blessings to come, in His Ascension, having passed the heavens in the Flesh and ascended not into the temple made by hands, but into the sky itself, may you appear from us to the Face of God.

Jesus, Heavenly Architecton, who built a tabernacle not made with hands in heaven and entered into the Holy of Holies to the Father with His own blood, so that you make eternal redemption.

Jesus, Immaculate Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world alone, “in a hedgehog to take away the sins of many”, offer up to the Throne of God my sin offering.

Jesus, Intercessor of the New Testament, ascended alone to heaven to the Father, in a hedgehog open the way to the Heavenly Tabernacle, perceive the impurity of my sigh.

Jesus, our Beloved Zhenishe, who prepared the Luminous Chamber in heaven, prepare there a place for Thee alone to serve those who desire.

Jesus, Good Shepherd of Your sheep, heavenly pastures in paradise to Your flock, grant us crowns, who desire to follow Thee alone.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 11

The singing of all tenderness is offered to Thy Divine Ascension, the Word, Thy All-Immaculate Mother who gave birth to Thee. For in the passion of Your motherly, more than all others, it is more painful for You, for this sake, it is more appropriate for Them to glorify Your Flesh, enjoy the joy of joy, and with this great joy descend from the Mount of Olives from the Apostles, and return all to Jerusalem and ascend to the upper room, and beat all the Apostles , suffering unanimously together in prayer, prayer and fasting with women and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with His brethren, expecting the Descent of the Holy Spirit, praising and blessing God, and singing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

The light of the eternal and incorruptible ascension to the whole world from the Holy Mount of Olives, where Thy most pure feet stand, Christ the Savior, when thou ascended with glory to heaven, having passed heaven with the Flesh, You opened the gates of heaven, closed by the fall of Adam, and this very Way, Truth and Life, you opened the way for all flesh in the abode of Your Heavenly Father, as if you predicted it to Your disciples, saying: “From now on, you will see the heavens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of Man.” For this reason, I guide Your path, as no one will come to the Father, only by You, we sing to You:

Jesus, ascending to the Father on clouds of light, enlighten the extinguished lamp of my soul.

Jesus, in the lordships of Your saints ascended to the mountain, ignite Your life-giving fire in my heart.

Jesus, resplendent more than the Sun at the height of heaven in Thy Ascension, with the warmth of Thy Spirit unleash the coldness of my soul.

Jesus, Light from the Light of Your Divinity, shining to the world from the Father, enlighten us sleeping with the light of Your words in the night of sin.

Jesus, the Sun of Truth, having from the edge of heaven Your Rising and Your Meeting - even to the edge of heaven, to the whole earth, proclaim Your announcement to us always.

Jesus, Non-Evening Light, have packs at Your Coming, Your exodus, like lightning from the east and even to the west, Your appearance, the fire of Your anger did not hit us then.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 12

Thou hast given new grace, Sweetest Jesus, for the perfection of the saints and for the building up of Thy Holy Church, when Thou ascended to heaven with Thy Most Pure Flesh and sat down at the right hand of God and the Father, as it is written: "He who first descended into the lower countries of the earth for our salvation" , You now ascended to a height above all heavens, but fulfill everything to the perfection of the saints, to the building of the Body of Christ, for this sake you captured captivity, and gave giving to man, until we reach everything in the union of faith and knowledge of You, the Son of God, in a husband perfect, to the extent of the age of Your fulfillment, yes, having improved salvation, we gratefully sing to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing Your free Ascension to heaven with glory, we worship Yours, Lord Christ, at the right hand of God and the Father neighbor, we glorify Your reign in heaven and on earth and believe with Your Apostles, as truly, in the same way you ascended to heaven, so again you will come to the clouds with glory and great power. Then do not put us to shame in You, who believe and cry like this:

Jesus, always neighbor with Your Father on the Throne of the Godhead, make those who overcome the world with Your help sit with You in Your Kingdom.

Jesus, with the Holy Comforter by Your Spirit, bow down, do not deprive us, according to Your promise, of That Descent in Your service.

Jesus, from the Cherubim and Seraphim and from the faces of the saints after Your Ascension in heaven, dwell, give us here to pray in Your Name, gathered to feel Your presence.

Jesus, Thy holy temples, after Thy departure to heaven, granting the right to the believers in Thee, help us to think in the temple standing for ourselves in heaven.

Jesus, Thy Most Pure Mother from the Apostles in Thy Ascension to prayer for the whole world, forsaking Himself, do not leave us without the intercession of Thy Saints.

Jesus, Church, leaving Your Bride on earth after Your Ascension until the end of time, do not deprive us of Your blessed gifts.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 13

O Sweet and All-Generous Jesus, ascended from us into heaven and sitting at the right hand of God and the Father, having mercy and deifying our fallen nature! Look from the heights of heaven to the weak and to the earth of Your fallen servants and grant us the strength from above to overcome all the temptations from the flesh, the world and the devil that is upon us, so that we will be wise on high, and not earthly. And save us from all enemies, visible and invisible, who rise up against us. At the end of our earthly life, lift up our souls to the heavenly abode, where we will sing with all the saints: Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1st and kontakion 1st)

TROPAR

Troparion, tone 4

Kontakion, tone 6

magnificence

We magnify Thee, Life-Giver Christ, and honor the hedgehog to heaven with Your most pure flesh Divine Ascension.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who descended from the heavenly heights for our salvation and nourished us with spiritual joy on the holy and bright days of Your Resurrection, and again, after completing Your earthly ministry, ascended from us to heaven with glory and sat at the right hand of God and the Father! On this clear and all-bright day of the Divine ascension to heaven, the earth celebrates and rejoices, heaven also rejoices in the Ascension of the Creator of creation today, people praise unceasingly, seeing their erring and fallen nature on Your frame, Savior, earthly and ascended to heaven, the Angels rejoice, saying: Who is this, who came in glory, mighty in battle, this is truly the King of Glory?! Grant us the weak, the earthly still wise and carnal pleasures, create unceasing, Your ascension to heaven is terrible thinking and celebrating, carnal and worldly, lay aside cares and from Your Apostles to heaven now look with all your heart and all your thoughts, remembering that there are in heaven woe is our dwelling place, but here on earth we are exactly strangers and aliens of Esma, who has departed from the house of the Father to the land of sin far away. For this sake, we earnestly ask Thee, by Your glorious Ascension, Lord, revive our conscience, even if there is nothing more necessary in the world, raise us from the captivity of this sinful flesh and world and make us wise on high, and not earthly, as if we would not please anyone and to live, but we will serve You the Lord and Our God and we will work, until we have renounced the bonds of the flesh and passed through unrestricted air ordeals, we will reach Your heavenly abodes, where, standing at the right hand of Your majesty, with the Archangels and Angels and all the saints we will glorify Your All-Holy Name with the Beginningless Thy Father and Most Holy and Consubstantial and Life-Giving Thy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

CANON

(Ascension of the Lord)

Troparion, tone 4

You ascended in glory, Christ our God, creating joy for the disciple by the promise of the Holy Spirit, informed by the former blessing, as You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Canon, Tone 5

Canto 1

Irmos:To the Savior God in the sea, people instructed with wet feet, and the pharaoh with the whole host of the drowned, We sing to the One, as if glorified.

Chorus:

Let us sing to all the people, I will ascend on the frame of the Cherubim with the glory of Christ and Who has seated us at the right hand of the Father, the song of victory: as if glorified.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Intercessor to God and the man of Christ, having seen the faces of Angelstia from the flesh in the highest, I marvel, according to the singing of the song of victory: as if you were glorified.

Glory:To Him who appeared to God on Mount Sinaiste and gave the law to the God-seer Moses, from the Mount of Olives ascended in flesh, let us all sing to Him: as if you were glorified.

And now:The Most Pure Mother of God, incarnated from You, and from the bowels of the Parent of God who has not departed, pray unceasingly to save from every circumstance, even created.

Canto 3

Irmos:By the power of Your Cross, Christ, confirm my thoughts, in a hedgehog to sing and glorify Your saving Ascension.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Thou hast ascended, O Life-giver Christ, to the Father, and Thou hast exalted our race, Lover of mankind, by Thy indescribable kindness.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Order of the Angels, Savior, human nature, having seen what ascended to You, constantly surprise the singing of Thee.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

I am horrified by the Angelic face, Christ, seeing You with the body ascended, and I sang Your holy Ascension.

Glory:Thou hast raised human nature, O Christ, that has fallen into corruption, and Thou hast lifted up Thy rising, and Thou hast glorified us with Thee.

And now:Pray unceasingly, Pure One, who came from Your beds, be delivered from the charms of the devil, who sing to Thee, Mother of God.

Sedalen, tone 8

Following on the clouds of heaven, leaving the world to exist on earth, you ascended and sat down at the right hand of the Father, as if He was of the same essence and the Spirit. If thou didst appear in the flesh, but thou didst remain immutable: the same is the end of the end, to judge the world that is coming to earth. Justice, Lord, spare our souls, granting forgiveness of sins, as God is Merciful, to Your servant.

Canto 4

Irmos:I heard the hearing of the power of the Cross, as if paradise was opened to them, and I cried out: glory to Your power, Lord.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Thou hast ascended in glory, Angels to the King, Sending us the Comforter from the Father. We also cry out: glory, Christ, to Thy Ascension.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

As if the Savior had ascended to the Father with the flesh, the Angelic host marveled at Him, and cried out: glory, Christ, to Your Ascension.

Glory:Angelic powers to the highest cries: take the gates to Christ our King, Him we sing along with the Father and the Spirit.

And now:Give birth to a virgin, and do not know a mother: but there is a Mother, but the Virgin remains, Yuzhe glorifying, rejoice in the Mother of God, we cry.

Canto 5

Irmos:Morning cry to Thee, O Lord, save us: Thou art our God, unless we know Thee otherwise.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Having fulfilled all kinds of joy, O Merciful One, Thou hast come to the heavenly forces with the flesh.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Seeing the gates, I cry out to our King, take it.

Glory:Seeing the exalted Savior, the apostles cry out with trepidation to our King: Glory to Thee.

And now:We sing the Virgin at Christmas to Thee, Mother of God, You gave birth to the God of the Word in the flesh of the world.

Canto 6

Irmos:The abyss was around me, the coffin was a whale for me, but I cried out to You, Lover of mankind, and save me, Your right hand, Lord.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

The apostles jumped up, seeing the Creator on high today, with the hope of the Spirit, and calling with fear: glory to Thy sunrise.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Presenting yourself to the Angels, crying out to Christ as your disciple: in the same way you saw Christ ascending with the flesh, the Righteous Judge of all will come again.

Glory:As if we saw You, our Savior, the heavenly forces, we perched on high with the body, crying out, saying: Great is the Master, Your love for mankind.

And now:I’ll give you an inflammable bush, and a mountain, and an animated ladder, and a heavenly door worthy of praise, glorious Mary, Orthodox praise.

Lord have mercy. (thrice.) Glory now.

Kontakion, tone 6

Even having fulfilled the look of us, and having united the heavenly on the earth, thou hast ascended in glory, Christ our God, never departing, but remaining unrelenting, and crying out to those who love Thee: I am with you, and no one is against you.

Ikos

Even though you have left the earth on earth, even yielding ashen dust, let us rise, and let us raise our eyes and thoughts to a height, look at the views, together with feelings, at the heavenly gates, death, we cannot be in the mountain of olives, and look at the Deliverer on the clouds we wear. From then on, the Lord will ascend to heaven, and there, distributing gracious gifts by His apostles, I consoled like a Father, and I confirmed, instructing like sons, and I said to them: I am not parting you, I am with you, and no one is against you.

Canto 7

Irmos:In the fiery cave, the songwriters saved the youths, blessed be the God of our fathers.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Ascended on clouds of light, and saving the world, blessed be the God of our fathers.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

On the Ramos of the Savior, the nature that erred in the earth, ascended, you brought God and the Father.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Ascended in the flesh to the incorporeal Father, blessed be the God of our fathers.

Glory:Our nature, mortified by sin, has been brought to Thy proper Father, Savior, by Thou.

And now:Born of the Virgin, Thou didst make the Mother of God, blessed be the God of our fathers.

Canto 8

Irmos:From the Father before the age of the born Son, and God, and in the last years incarnated from the Virgin Mater, priests sing, people exalt for all ages.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

In two beings, the Life-Giver of Christ, who has flown to heaven with glory, and to the Father of the neighbor, priests sing, people exalt for all ages ( Twice).

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

From the work of the idol creature he delivered, and presented that free to Your Father, You, Savior, we sing, and we exalt You forever.

Glory:By your descent, who deposed the adversary, and by his exaltation, who lifted up the people, sing the priests, exalt the people for all ages.

And now:Thou, the Most High Cherubim, appeared to the Pure Mother of God, in Your womb carrying these Nosimago: He is with the incorporeal, we glorify men forever and ever.

Canto 9

Irmos:Thee, more than mind and word, the Mother of God, in the summer of the Unspeakable birth, unspeakably we magnify the faith.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

To you, the Redeemer of the world of Christ God, the apostles are seeing Divinely exalted, with fear playing majesty.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

Seeing your deified flesh, Christ, at the height of the angels to each other, I say: truly this is our God.

Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.

You incorporeal ranks, Christ God, seeing on the clouds of the earth, I cry out: glory to the King, take the gate.

Glory:You descended even to the last of the earth, and saved a man, and exalted by Your ascent, We magnify Him.

And now:Rejoice, Mother of God Mother of Christ God: You gave birth to him, today from the earth you are lifted up from the apostles seeing, you exalted.

On the 40th day after Easter, the Orthodox Church celebrates one of the main 12 holidays of the year (twelfth holidays - UNIAN.) - the Ascension of the Lord.

The full name of the holiday is the Ascension of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

history of the holiday

The Ascension of the Lord is the day when Christ ascended into heaven and sat down "to the right of the Father." After his resurrection, he appeared to his disciples, talked to them and taught them, ordered them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He ascended with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, where he blessed them for the last time and ascended to heaven.

Ascension date 2018

Traditions, signs and divination:

According to the Slavic folk tradition, from this day spring ends and the transition to summer begins, so you can no longer be afraid of cold snaps.

It is believed that if the weather is good on Ascension, then it will last until November 21, Michaelmas Day. A rainy day, according to signs, portends crop failure and disease in livestock.

If you swim on the Ascension in the river, your health will be strong.

If a chicken laid an egg that day, it must be hung under the roof of the house so that it protects the residents from misfortune.

Hearing the cawing of a crow on this day is a good sign.

On this day, they washed themselves with dew: it was believed that on the Ascension of the Lord it becomes healing.

It is customary to pray for well-being and health: on this day, before ascending to heaven, the Lord, as is commonly believed, listens to all the requests of people and fulfills them.

Also on this holiday, you should ask for forgiveness from everyone with whom you are in a quarrel.

On Ascension, there is a custom to "walk at the crossroads" - to visit relatives and friends and give them "ladders" baked from wheat dough with honey and with sugar patterns, symbolizing the path to heaven.

On Ascension, it is customary to set the table and prepare symbolic pastries - bread in the form of a "ladder" / photo angelvalentina.livejournal.com

To find out the fate of a sick person, birch branches were woven on Ascension, several of which were braided. It is believed that if the branches do not wither 10 days before the Trinity, then the mysterious person will recover. In the same way, the girls guessed at the future marriage.

If for 40 days (from Easter to Ascension) you help the destitute and feed the poor, the year will be successful in every way.

What not to do on Ascension:

swear, swear;

Engage in gluttony and have fun;

Taking out the trash;

Spit on the ground (Jesus on a holiday continues his earthly journey along the roads);

Refuse strangers;

Have sex;

On this day, the dead are not buried;

Do hard work around the house (it is believed that this distracts from thinking about the Lord);

You can not say the words "Christ is Risen", because on this day the shroud is taken out of the temples.

Whole church year in Orthodoxy it obeys a certain rhythm. And the main starting point, of course, is the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. Since the date of Easter changes every year, the dates of other major holidays also change. So, it depends on Easter when the Church celebrates the Great Twelfth Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. What is this day and why is it so important for the Orthodox?

Meaning of the Feast of the Ascension

The Ascension of the Lord is the day when Jesus Christ left our world and ascended to Heaven. It happened on the 40th day after His resurrection from the dead. This day marks a certain transition or milestone, when the visible physical presence of God on earth ends, and His invisible spiritual presence begins in the life of every believer.

Great Twelfth Feast of the Ascension of the Lord

In the theological sense, there are several meanings of this day for Christians:

• ascension marks the union of the earthly physical nature with the Divine essence;
• this is the day of the last presence of God on earth;
• in a moral sense, this holiday reminds us that a person consists not only of physical flesh, but also has a soul, which must strive for God all his life.

In the Gospel, the events of this feast are described in some detail by the Apostle Luke, and the events are also described in the Acts of the Apostles. After his resurrection, Jesus Christ appears to the disciples in the flesh many times so that they can verify the Miracle that has taken place. When his disciples were sufficiently strengthened in faith and became ready to perform further service, the Lord gathered them on the Mount of Olives.

About other twelfth holidays:

On this mountain, Christ gave them the last blessing, and began to retire into the sky, surrounded by clouds. His disciples were filled with joy, and upon their return to Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

Important! From that day on earth, the ministry of God in human nature ends and the ministry of the apostles begins. The very fact of the ascension of Christ does not mean only physical departure, but marks a special glorification of God, about which there are many words in the Gospel. In addition, Christ himself, while on Earth, said that he would sit at the right hand of his Heavenly Father, i.e. glorified after his resurrection.

Thus, we can say that the Ascension was the culmination of the glorification of God after his earthly life and suffering on the cross. That is why the significance of this day is so great for every Orthodox person.

The Ascension of the Lord is associated with the return of Jesus Christ to the heavenly Father

The meaning of the Feast of the Ascension for the Orthodox Christian

At first glance, it may seem that the meaning of this holiday is too complicated and incomprehensible for a simple Christian. In fact, it is enough to understand that this day means the victory of the Divine nature over the sinful human essence.

Interesting! The number 40 is not random in all Christian symbolism. Even according to the law of Moses, it was supposed to bring babies to the temple on the 40th day in order to devote their lives to the Lord. Symbolically, one can trace the analogy with the Ascension Day.

The resurrected, as it were, the newly born Christ ascends to the heavenly temple for eternal triumph. For every believer, this means the possibility of personal salvation, if you accept the Lord with all your heart and follow Him.

How to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension for believers

Any Orthodox holiday involves the participation of Christians in festive services. This is what Christian holidays differ from secular, when a person allows himself to completely relax and unwind. Important Christian dates are an occasion for additional work over your soul, your life. These days should be spent especially piously, with the memory of God, of His great Sacrifice for the sake of each of us.

Since Ascension is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, it always falls on a weekday. This imposes difficulties due to the fact that most people are at work. If possible, it is advisable to take a day off in advance or free up the first half of the day to attend worship. If this is not possible, you can attend the festive evening service the night before.

Divine services on holidays are always special, solemn, filled with grace and majesty.

In any case, even if a person is at the workplace, this does not prevent him

Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki

Do you see the common triumph that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to those who believe in Him by His ascension to heaven? This triumph came through sorrow. Do you see life or, better, immortality? It shone for us through death. Do you see the heavenly height to which Christ ascended, and the high glory by which He was glorified? He received it through humiliation and disgrace. And the apostle said of Christ that He humbled Himself, being obedient even unto death, but the death of the cross. In the same way, God exalted Him, and gave Him a name, even more than any name: yes, in the name of Jesus, every knee bows down in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confesses that the Lord Jesus Christ is to the glory of God the Father (). So, if God exalted His Christ because He humbled Himself, because He suffered disgrace, because He was tempted, because He lifted up the cross for us, how will He glorify us if we do not love humility, if we do not show love to brethren, if we do not win our souls for ourselves by patience in temptations, if we do not follow our Leader, who leads us into eternal life through the narrow gate and way? We are called to this: for this, says the chief apostle Peter, and call quickly: for Christ suffered for us, leave an image for us, let us follow His footsteps ().

Why did the Christ of God go through such great suffering? Why did God exalt Him for this and call us into the union of the sufferings of His Son? God Himself is one and the same, always and forever remaining unchanged, Himself changing everything for the better, as He wills, Himself allowing everything that desires it to change for the worse. Thus, a creature, visible and invisible, possessing freedom, can change for better or worse, or, adhering to the will of the Divine, receives from it what is necessary in order to make an ascent to the better, or, opposing the Divine will, is justly abandoned by God and falls into worst condition. Having been created by God, two rational natures - the nature of spiritual angels and people who are partakers of the flesh - did not retain obedience to the Creator and Lord of nature, but the oldest of all spiritual angels, the original one, first fell away from God. Those of the spiritual angels who have remained above this fall are light and full of light and always shine with the brightest light, rejoice in the first light and, as leaders of the light, send luminous grace to those who are illuminated by the lower light. And the incessantly warring Satan, leaving obedience to God, departed from the world, was condemned to eternal darkness and became a vessel of darkness, its inventor and servant, first for himself, then for the allied angels of crime, and then (oh misfortune!) And for us, who not trusting God, they believed him (the devil). But all the angels of shame are darkness itself, the essence of the beginning and fullness of unbelief, the bitter root and source of all sin, serve as the culprits of sin for us and therefore are unworthy of any forgiveness. And we are given punishment from God in mercy; although we are condemned to death, we must not submit to it (unless after time has been given for repentance). This wisely indicates that our salvation is not hopeless and that we have no reason for despair, for our whole life is a time of repentance, since God does not want the death of a sinner, ... but to turn ... and I live to be him (). Indeed, why was not the fall immediately followed by death (of man)? Or how would we sinners deserve life if there was no hope of conversion (repentance)? On the contrary, the son of Adam, Abel, immediately received a testimony from God that he appeared pleasant and pleasing to Him (); a short time after the fall, Enoch began to call with faith (name) of the Lord (), and Enoch not only pleased, but was even relocated by God () and, thus, was an obvious proof of God's mercy to sinners. Again sin increased, and again there was a falling away of our race from God: righteously we were given over to the general flood, and again - not one anger, not one condemnation without mercy. But, as if the second root of our kind, God miraculously preserved Noah, finding him righteous in His kind, as if cutting him off from the world, immersed in passions, but not destroying the human race to the ground. After him, Abraham became faithful and pleasing in the eyes of God (having received evidence from Himself), then Isaac, Jacob, and the patriarchs descended from him, to whom the promise was given that the great Shepherd Himself would come from the holy heavens in order to restore life to the lost flock. Now Christ has appeared, the very eternal Word of God, who created us, in order to renew and restore the afflicted. Indeed, He wisely and mercifully accomplished our renewal in the form of a man, strengthening us by uniting with us for turning to Him, opening even the way to heaven for us through turning to Him, through His teaching given to us. But since the opposite is cured by the opposite, since we died according to the evil intention of the evil one, then we revived again according to the good intention of the Good One; and since he who thought of death revealed pleasures, lusts, by which our race is cast down into the abyss, then he who thought of true life has opened to us the narrow and narrow path that leads to life.

Enter through the narrow gate, says the Lord, like a spacious gate and lead a wide path into destruction ... a narrow gate, and lead a narrow path into the stomach (). In another place, turning away from this path of destruction, He says: Woe to you rich... Woe to you now... Woe to you when all people speak kindly to you. (); more: do not hide treasures on earth for yourself (). Listen to yourself, but not when your hearts are burdened with overeating and drunkenness and worldly sorrows (). How can you believe, accepting glory from one another, and do not seek glory even from the one God? (). With these words, the Lord turns away from the path that leads to death; but He points out the way of life in another place, saying this: blessed are the poor in spirit ... blessed are mercy ... blessed are exile for the sake of righteousness (). Sell ​​your possessions and give to the poor: and have a treasure in heaven (). And everyone who leaves the house, or brethren ... or children, or villages, or anything else earthly, for the sake of My name and the Gospel, will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life (). The Lord proclaims even wrath in vain equal to homicide, and condemning to the same punishment one who attacks his neighbor in anger with cruelty, He said that such a one is worthy of hellfire (). The Lord not only called meekness blessed (), but also bestowed the greatest rewards. Intemperance He condemned so much that one view of a woman with lust called adultery (). And calling the one who loves purity (of the heart) blessed, He adds that such a person will see God (). He was so far from condemning perjury that he even says: everything beyond "yes, yes" and "no, no" is from the evil one: wake up your word: to her, to her:, neither, nor: I sow more from dislike is (). But what is this doubling for? - in order for the consent of what we are talking about, either “yes” or “no”, to be affirmed in practice, because in this case, indeed, “yes” will be “yes” (assertion by affirmation) and “no” - "No"; otherwise, “yes” will be “no” and “no” will be “yes”, this will obviously be from the evil one, for when he speaks ... a lie, he speaks his own and is not worth it in truth (). Thus, the Lord clothed all our words and actions, our whole life in truth, in justice, meekness, chastity. What about those who, being angry with us, oppress us, either in words or deeds, and attack us, how should we behave towards them? Conquer, He says, good evil (); do not repay evil for evil () or dishonor with dishonor; but love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who attack you and drive you out (). What is the purpose of this oppressed life? May you be, He says, the sons of your Father, who are in heaven (), - heirs ... to God, the heirs of Christ (), living and reigning with God forever and ever. Do you see what a narrow and thorny path - why is it required of us?! Do you see to what glory and joy, to what gain it leads those who seek to walk on it?! If someone promises you a temporary life so that you obey him, will you not obey (except, of course, when he requires something beyond your strength)? If, moreover, he promises you healing, fame, pleasures in addition to a temporary life, then what will you not bear for this? And if he joins the kingdom and the kingdom without war, without offense, with a long, painless life, then will you not pay attention to this and consider easy the time that will lead you to this kingdom, feeding on hope and rejoicing in the promised kingdom, as if real (if we think that that kingdom is true)? Well, do we want temporary life, but put eternal life in nothing? Kingdom (true, great, but) having an end, glory and joy (true, great, however) transient, riches connected with this life, we strongly desire and work for them, but we do not seek blessings that are much more excellent, incorruptible, endless and we do not even use a little effort to reach them. In vain would we imagine a kingdom without war, which is on earth, or a life without labor, which cannot be found anywhere but in heaven. But if anyone desires this (kingdom) - let him rush to heaven and, whether the path leading to it is easy or thorny, let him pave the path along it, rejoicing in hope, enduring work.

You know why people usually give themselves up to labor and death. Is it not for a small reward that warriors present themselves to danger and even defeat? Is it not for the slightest increase in wealth that the merchant neglects storms, winds and cruel people who make both sea and land dangerous? Is it not because of a small piece of bread that many of the strong often become servants of the masters? Shall we not serve a philanthropic God? Shall we not withdraw from the abundance of riches in order to reach heavenly riches? Shall we not endure the reproach and disgrace on the part of people in order to achieve divine glory, exchanging the mortal for the immortal? Shall we not hunger and thirst a little, that we may eat the bread of life that comes down from heaven, and drink truly living waters, which whosoever finds worthy to eat and drink shall no longer hunger and thirst forever? Shall we not purify the eyes of our souls, abstaining from all spiritual and bodily impurity, in order to see a light more bright than the sun, or better, in order to be children of a higher light? May it not be, I pray you, brethren, that we prefer darkness to light, divine and eternal joy - the pleasure of death and the service of hell, rich love - the luxury of corruption, the substance of fire, with which those who seek evil will forever burn, as the Lord showed us in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (). But let us live as He Himself lived, as He Himself taught us, having become like us and bearing the cross, let us follow Him, crucifying the flesh with passions and lusts, in order to be glorified with Him and after the Resurrection be taken to Him, as He was now taken to Father. Standing in the midst of His disciples, He (the Savior) gave them the commandment to preach and the promises of the Spirit, adding that He would be with them until the end of the age (); saying this, and raising his hands, he blessed them, and in their sight he rose, indicating that whoever obeys him will ascend to God the Father after the resurrection. So, the Lord departed from them, the apostles, in body, for according to the Divinity He was inherent in them, and, as He said to them, the Exalted One sat at the right hand of the Father with our image. Therefore, just as He resurrected and ascended, so we will all resurrect: we will not achieve the ascension, but only those who live, Christ, and die (for His sake) gain (). Those who, before death, crucified sin through repentance and the conversion of the Gospel, only after the resurrection will they be caught up in the clouds to the meeting of the Lord in the air. The apostles, after the Lord ascended, contemplated Him with the eyes of their souls and bowed together. And we, ascending to the highest level of our soul, will purify ourselves from vicious and earthly thoughts. For thus we shall also receive the coming of the Comforter, and we shall worship in spirit and truth the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers

Troparion to the Ascension of the Lord

Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, / having created joy as a disciple, / by the promise of the Holy Spirit, / by the former blessing announced to him, / / ​​as You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Translation: You ascended in glory, Christ our God, filling the disciples with joy with the promise, upon confirmation of their blessing, that you are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Kontakion to the Ascension of the Lord

Even after fulfilling a look at us, / and even on earth uniting Heavenly, / you ascended in glory, Christ our God, / never leaving, / but remaining relentless, / and crying out to those who love you: // I am with you and no one is against you.

Translation: Having fulfilled the whole plan of our salvation, and having united with heaven on earth, You ascended in glory, Christ our God, not leaving us at all, but remaining inseparably and crying out to those who love You: “I am with you and no one is against you! »

Glory to the Ascension of the Lord

We magnify Thee, / Life-giving Christ, / and honor the hedgehog in Heaven / with Your most pure Flesh / / Divine ascension.

Prayer to the Ascension of the Lord

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who descended from the heavenly heights for our salvation and nourished us with spiritual joy on the holy and bright days of Your Resurrection, and again, after completing Your earthly ministry, ascend from us into heaven with glory and seated at the right hand of God and the Father! On this “clear and all-bright day of the Divine Ascension to heaven” of Your “earth celebrates and rejoices, heaven also rejoices in the Ascension of the Creator of creation”, people praise unceasingly, seeing their erring and fallen nature on the frame Yours, Savior, earthly and ascended to heaven, The angels rejoice, saying: Who is this, who came in glory, mighty in battle. This is truly the King of Glory?! Grant also to us weak, earthly still wise and fleshly pleasures, work unceasingly, Your ascension into heaven is terrible thinking and celebrating, carnal and worldly, lay aside cares and with Your Apostles in heaven now look with all your heart and with all your thoughts, remembering how it is in heaven Woe is our dwelling place, but here on earth we are pilgrims and strangers of Esma, who departed from the house of the Father into a land far away of sin. For this sake, we zealously ask Thee, by Your glorious Ascension, Lord, revive our conscience, even though there is nothing more necessary in the world, lift us up from the captivity of this sinful flesh and the world and make us higher up to be wise, and not earthly, as if we would not please anyone and to live, but we will serve You the Lord and our God and work, until we have renounced the bonds of the flesh and passed through the airy ordeals without restraint, we will reach Your heavenly abodes, idee, having become the right hand of Your Majesty, with Archangels and Angels and with all the saints we will glorify Your All-Holy Name with the Beginningless Thy Father and Most Holy and Consubstantial and Life-Giving Thy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Canons and Akathists

Canon of the Ascension of the Lord

Canto 1

Irmos: To the Savior God in the sea, people instructed with wet feet, and the pharaoh with the whole host of the drowned, We sing to the One, as if glorified.
Chorus:
Let us sing to all the people, I will ascend on the frame of the Cherubim with the glory of Christ and Who has seated us at the right hand of the Father, the song of victory: as if glorified.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Intercessor to God and the man of Christ, having seen the faces of Angelstia from the flesh in the highest, I marvel, according to the singing of the song of victory: as if you were glorified.
Glory: To the One who appeared to God on Mount Sinaiste and gave the law to the God-seer Moses, from the Mount of Olives to the ascended flesh, Let us all sing to Him: as if you were glorified.
And now: The Most Pure Mother of God, incarnated from You, and from the bowels of the Parent of God who has not departed, pray unceasingly to save from every circumstance, even created.

Canto 3

Irmos: By the power of Your Cross, Christ, confirm my thoughts, in a hedgehog to sing and glorify Your saving Ascension.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Thou hast ascended, O Life-giver Christ, to the Father, and Thou hast exalted our race, Lover of mankind, by Thy indescribable kindness.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Order of the Angels, Savior, human nature, having seen what ascended to You, constantly surprise the singing of Thee.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
I am horrified by the Angelic face, Christ, seeing You with the body ascended, and I sang Your holy Ascension.
Glory: Thou hast raised human nature, O Christ, that has fallen into corruption, and Thou hast lifted up Thy rising, and Thou hast glorified us with Thee.
And now: Pray unceasingly, Pure One, who came from Your beds, be delivered from the charms of the devil, who sing to Thee, Mother of God.

Sedalen, tone 8
Following on the clouds of heaven, leaving the world to exist on earth, you ascended and sat down at the right hand of the Father, as if He was of the same essence and the Spirit. If thou didst appear in the flesh, but thou didst remain immutable: the same is the end of the end, to judge the world that is coming to earth. Justice, Lord, spare our souls, granting forgiveness of sins, as God is Merciful, to Your servant.

Canto 4

Irmos: I heard the hearing of the power of the Cross, as if paradise was opened to them, and I cried out: glory to Your power, Lord.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Thou hast ascended in glory, Angels to the King, Sending us the Comforter from the Father. We also cry out: glory, Christ, to Thy Ascension.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
As if the Savior had ascended to the Father with the flesh, the Angelic host marveled at Him, and cried out: glory, Christ, to Your Ascension.
Glory: Angelic powers to the highest cries: take the gates to Christ our King, Him we sing along with the Father and the Spirit.
And now: Give birth to a virgin, and do not know a mother: but there is a Mother, but the Virgin remains, Yuzhe glorifying, rejoice in the Mother of God, we cry.

Canto 5

Irmos: Morning cry to Thee, O Lord, save us: Thou art our God, unless we know Thee otherwise.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Having fulfilled all kinds of joy, O Merciful One, Thou hast come to the heavenly forces with the flesh.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Seeing the gates, I cry out to our King, take it.
Glory: Seeing the exalted Savior, the apostles cry out with trepidation to our King: Glory to Thee.
And now: We sing the Virgin at Christmas to Thee, Mother of God, You gave birth to the God of the Word in the flesh of the world.

Canto 6

Irmos: The abyss was around me, the coffin was a whale for me, but I cried out to You, Lover of mankind, and save me, Your right hand, Lord.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
The apostles jumped up, seeing the Creator on high today, with the hope of the Spirit, and calling with fear: glory to Thy sunrise.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Presenting yourself to the Angels, crying out to Christ as your disciple: in the same way you saw Christ ascending with the flesh, the Righteous Judge of all will come again.
Glory: As if we saw You, our Savior, the heavenly forces, we perched on high with the body, crying out, saying: Great is the Master, Your love for mankind.
And now: I’ll give you an inflammable bush, and a mountain, and an animated ladder, and a heavenly door worthy of praise, glorious Mary, Orthodox praise.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) Glory now.
Kontakion, tone 6
Even having fulfilled the look of us, and having united the heavenly on the earth, thou hast ascended in glory, Christ our God, never departing, but remaining unrelenting, and crying out to those who love Thee: I am with you, and no one is against you.
Ikos
Even though you have left the earth on earth, even yielding ashen dust, let us rise, and let us raise our eyes and thoughts to a height, look at the views, together with feelings, at the heavenly gates, death, we cannot be in the mountain of olives, and look at the Deliverer on the clouds we wear. From then on, the Lord will ascend to heaven, and there, distributing gracious gifts by His apostles, I consoled like a Father, and I confirmed, instructing like sons, and I said to them: I am not parting you, I am with you, and no one is against you.

Canto 7

Irmos: In the fiery cave, the songwriters saved the youths, blessed be the God of our fathers.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Ascended on clouds of light, and saving the world, blessed be the God of our fathers.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
On the Ramos of the Savior, the nature that erred in the earth, ascended, you brought God and the Father.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Ascended in the flesh to the incorporeal Father, blessed be the God of our fathers.
Glory: Our nature, mortified by sin, has been brought to Thy proper Father, Savior, by Thou.
And now: Born of the Virgin, Thou didst make the Mother of God, blessed be the God of our fathers.

Canto 8

Irmos: From the Father before the age of the born Son, and God, and in the last years incarnated from the Virgin Mater, priests sing, people exalt for all ages.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
In two beings, the Life-Giver of Christ who has flown to heaven with glory, and to the Father of the neighbor, priests sing, people exalt for all ages (Twice).
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
From the work of the idol creature he delivered, and presented that free to Your Father, You, Savior, we sing, and we exalt You forever.
Glory: By your descent, who deposed the adversary, and by his exaltation, who lifted up the people, sing the priests, exalt the people for all ages.
And now: Thou, the Most High Cherubim, appeared to the Pure Mother of God, in Your womb carrying these Nosimago: He is with the incorporeal, we glorify men forever and ever.

Canto 9

Irmos: Thee, more than mind and word, the Mother of God, in the summer of the Unspeakable birth, unspeakably we magnify the faith.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
To you, the Redeemer of the world of Christ God, the apostles are seeing Divinely exalted, with fear playing majesty.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
Seeing your deified flesh, Christ, at the height of the angels to each other, I say: truly this is our God.
Glory, Lord, to Your holy Ascension.
You incorporeal ranks, Christ God, seeing on the clouds of the earth, I cry out: glory to the King, take the gate.
Glory: You descended even to the last of the earth, and saved a man, and exalted by Your ascent, We magnify Him.
And now: Rejoice, Mother of God Mother of Christ God: You gave birth to him, today from the earth you are lifted up from the apostles seeing, you exalted.

Akathist to the Ascension of the Lord

Kondak 1

Chosen Voevodo, Creator of heaven and earth! We bring laudable singing to the conqueror of death, as if by Your most bright Resurrection from the dead you ascended to heaven with glory and with your most pure flesh at the right hand of God and the Father you ascended, and you also raise our fallen nature with yourself, and free from sins and from eternal death forever . We celebrate Your Divine Ascension with Your disciples, crying out to You from the bottom of our hearts:

Ikos 1

The archangels and angels are the faces of You, the King of all, on the Mount of Olives, with fear seeing You on the heights of heaven with the flesh, and I glorify the greatness of Your philanthropy, singing to You like this:

Jesus, King of Glory, ascend to heaven with an exclamation at the sound of the trumpet.

Jesus, Lord of hosts, rise up on the cherubim and lie down on the wings of the windmill.

Jesus, Eternal God, give to Your voice a voice of power, so that the whole earth may now tremble.

Jesus, Most High Light, manifest Your Power in the clouds, and let the fire from Your Face be kindled.

Jesus, the Redeemer of creation, prepare Your Throne in heaven and may there be no end to Your Kingdom.

Jesus, Creator of heaven and earth, sit at the right hand of your Father, may God be all in all.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 2

Seeing the Apostles rise from the dead, Lord Lord, when in the forty days you showed yourself to them, speaking about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and having received from you the commandment not to leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promises of the Father, until they are clothed with power from above, having come down, I am with one accord together in prayer we sing to You with one mouth and one heart: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Opening the mind of Divine scrutiny, O All-good Jesus, brought Thy disciples out to Bethany, and raised them to the Mount of Olives, began to prepare the sacrament for Your great Ascension to heaven, saying: Draw near, O my friends, ascension time, having gone, learn all languages word, if you hear from my voice, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. But Tii, still wise on earth, asked if this summer would you build the Kingdom of Israel. Either way, you said to them: “You don’t have to understand times and years, even put the Father in His power,” so that they will prepare for the meeting of Your Heavenly Bridegroom, crying out:

Jesus, Good Shepherd, never part from us, but abide with us unfailingly.

Jesus, the Good Teacher, the Holy Comforter of the Spirit, send down to us, may it always be with us.

Jesus, our Enlightener, enlighten our souls with Your Ascension to the Heavenly Father.

Jesus, our Savior, save us from cowardice and storms by Your intercession.

Jesus, our Guide, by the word of Your mouth, guide us into Your service.

Jesus, our Helper, by Your Holy Spirit remember to us Your Revelation.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 3

With power from above, clothe the Apostles, O Jesus, when on the Mount of Olives you promised them the descent of the Holy Spirit. Thou hast commanded them that Thy witnesses be in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and even to the last earth, saying: Come and enter My gates, prepare My way and make My way with My people and place stones from the way, lift up a sign in tongues, yes All faiths will sing with you: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having an abyss of mercy, Sweetest Jesus, Your disciples and Your wife who followed You and, most of all, Your Mother Who gave birth to You, fulfilled innumerable joys in Your Ascension, when you already departed from them, stretched out Your hands and blessed You, saying: “Behold, I am with you in all days until the end of the age, ”they, filled with fear, glorify Your merciful indulgence, saying:

Jesus, Mercy Giver, have mercy on the human race who has come to Olivet.

Jesus, Pleasure of the mournful, comforting those who are with Thee are Thy friends.

Jesus, Hope of the hopeless, with Your blessing, when we depart to heaven, we are saved from despondency.

Jesus, Refuge of the homeless, by Your Ascension, ascend to the Heavenly Father and grant us.

Jesus, the Good Comforter, another Comforter from the Father, send us a promise.

Jesus, Great Shepherd of the Sheep, unwilling to scatter Your faithful flock.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 4

A storm inside the bewilderment and sadness of many possessions, the Apostles were filled with sobs of tears, when they saw Thee, Christ, on the clouds we lift up and weepingly say: Master, how are you leaving Thy servants now, for Thy mercy did you love them, go, keep the ends with your hands? We, having left everything, follow You God, rejoicing, forever with You, the hope of being. Do not leave us orphans, as you promised, do not part from us, our Good Shepherd, but send us Your Most Holy Spirit, instructing, enlightening and sanctifying our souls, let us thankfully sing to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing the sobs of Your disciples, Master Lord, about the separation of those who mourn, You bestowed the most perfect blessing on Your friends, saying: do not cry, beloved, and reject all lamentation, it is good for you to eat, but I go to My Father, if I do not go, the Comforter will not come . For your sake I have descended from heaven, and for your sake I will ascend to heaven to prepare a place for you; Those same Divine words of consolation were the former, with tenderness crying out to You:

Omnipotent Jesus, turning our sorrow and tears into joy, do not deprive us of eternal joy in Your Kingdom.

Omnipotent Jesus, filling us with joy in Your Ascension, preserve our spirit in everlasting joy and in earthly wanderings.

Jesus, like a kokosh gathering his chicks, do not let us part along the haystacks of this world.

Jesus, who bound us with a union of love at the Supper, do not give us Satan's work, as if the wheat were scattered.

Jesus, leaving Your peace to us as an inheritance, keep us in oneness of mind and Your love.

Jesus, having established many abodes in paradise, prepare a place for us in Thy Heavenly Abode.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 5

The divine cloud was brightly lifted up by Thee, Life-giver, Lord, as a disciple who saw, always departing from them, blessed thou, and so with much glory, as if carried on the wings of the cherubim, thy miraculous ascent to Your Father made thou to heaven, hedgehog before it was impassable from the spirits the malice of the heavenly and from the princes of the power of the air, now inside you is welcome, but from all creation, visible and invisible, hear the angelic song: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Seeing Your glorious Ascension from the flesh to heaven, the King of creation, the order of the Angels, the valley of existence, horrified, I say to the powers of the highest: Take up the eternal gate, as the King of Glory is coming, open the heavens and you are the heavens of heaven, receive the Lord of hosts and worship Him, crying:

Jesus, Glory of the Father's radiance, enlighten us with the light of Your face.

Jesus, veiling of the minds above, daub us in the never-ending days of Thy Kingdom.

Jesus, who came to reality in the fires and the storm of greenery, call Your clever sky from above.

Jesus, Great and Praiseworthy, in Thy Holy Mountain, proclaim Thy righteousness in heaven.

Jesus, who magnifies Thy mercy to heaven, manifest Thy glory in all the earth.

Jesus, who ascended into the heavens of heaven in the east, may your word forever be in heaven.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 6

Preachers of the Divine Glory, the chief ranks of the Angels, who exist at the height of the heavenly Lordship, the Throne, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, opening together all the heights of heaven, meeting Thee, Lord of All, and seeing Thee Ascended in the flesh, crying out to each other with surprise: Who is this who came from Edom, Sovereign and Strong in battle? Who is this, who came from Basor, the hedgehog is of the flesh? Why are His robes scarlet, as if from dipping in blood, wear a crown of thorns? This is truly the King of Glory, the Lamb of God slain and resurrected for the salvation of the world, now coming in the flesh to sit at the right hand of the Father, We will sing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Thou didst shine with Divine glory, Jesus, when human nature was clothed in worthlessness, Thou graciously exalted, Thou didst seat the Father, and deified Thou. With them, we are also on earth, for your sake, for the sake of indulgence, and from us to heaven, the Ascension is glorifying, we pray, saying:

Jesus, Thy stream of life, by Your Ascension to heaven, to us wanderers of the earth, the path of eternal life to Jerusalem above is indicated.

Jesus, the abyss of His mercy, at Your right hand of the Father, our carnal perception is deified by sitting.

Jesus, who took up our lost nature, take on yourself my grave sins.

Jesus, ascended in the Flesh to the Incorporeal Father, lift up my grief to the valley of drooping thoughts.

Jesus, ascended from the earth at the right hand of God and the Father to the mountain, grant me the right part of the saved sheep to receive.

Jesus, from Zion revealing the splendor of Your beauty, make me a partaker of the eternal bliss of Your being.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 7

Wanting to exalt and glorify the human nature that has fallen in Adam, You, like the second Adam, having ascended to heavenly heights, have prepared Your Throne for ever and ever, and sat down at the right hand of God and the Father, by Your Divinity you can never part from the bowels of the Father. Come, therefore, to Jesus, who has become poor for us and ascended to the right hand of the Father, Jesus, let us bow, let us give Him greatness, and sing from the depths of our souls: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

Thou hast opened a new and pure habitation, O Lord, when Thou hast ascended into heaven with Thy Flesh, and renew the world, grown old with many sins, by Thy resurrection and into heaven by Ascension, showing us clearly, as the Divine Paul says, that our dwelling is in heaven. For this sake, let us withdraw from the vain world, turn our minds to heaven, and cry out to You like this:

Jesus, with the Angels of His heavenly Divinity to heaven, by ascending us to heavenly habitation, calling us to struggle.

Jesus, with men - the earthly Flesh, by His departure from the earth, teaching us to turn away from earthly addictions.

Jesus, who came to look for the lost sheep, lead us to heaven to Your not lost sheep.

Jesus, who descended to unite the growing nature, even on earth unite with the heavenly at the Highest Father.

Jesus, who easily ascended into heaven in a cloud, vouchsafe us, earthly left, to look straight at the heavenly gates.

Jesus, sitting in glory on the Throne of the Godhead, give us, opening our eyes, from the Law understand Your miracles.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 8

Strange and marvelous is Your Resurrection, strange and terrible is Your Resurrection, Life-Giver Christ, hedgehog from the holy mountain Divine Ascension, incomprehensible and more mind than Your seat at the right hand of the Father in the Flesh, about him David in the spirit of the verb: “The Lord said to My Lord: sit at the right hand of Me, until I will put Your enemies under Your feet.” For this sake, for the sake of all the powers of heaven, seeing Your ascension to heaven, truly submitting under Your noses, singing with angelic tongues the Cherubic Hymn: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

All in the Highest, Sweetest Jesus, when, by the will of us, you ascended with glory to heaven and sat on the right hand of God and the Father, but you didn’t leave the lower ones either, you didn’t promise to stay relentlessly in the Church and cried out to those who love you: “I am with you and no one else on you." This merciful promise of Yours is remembered and kept in the heart, with love crying out to You such:

Jesus, having received all power in heaven and on earth after Your Ascension, receive us into Your eternal inheritance.

Jesus, Thy disciples filled with all joys by the promise of the Holy Spirit, fill us with that grace by coming.

Jesus, having exalted all creation with Your Ascension, exalt the grief of my soul to sing with the Angels of Your Holiness.

Jesus, the Word of God, Who established the heavens with Your Word, establish Your words in my heart, so that I will not sin with You.

Jesus, Son of the Father, by the Spirit of your mouth revealing all your power from heaven, renew the right Spirit in my womb, lest I defile myself.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 9

All fallen human nature, drooping down and decayed with sins, you took on your frame, Lord God, newly created by Himself, and above all beginning and power, you raised it today and brought it to God and the Father, and with You seated you on the Throne of Heaven, but sanctify e, and glorify, and adore. Without flesh, wondering, the verb: Who is this Red Husband, but not a man, but together God and Man, let us sing to him: Hallelujah.

Ikos 9

Vitya Divinity, Thy disciples, Savior, marveling at Your glorious Ascension, I gaze at heaven, grieving, I will ascend to Thee, and behold, two Angels will appear before them in white clothes, and recosta to them as a consolation: “Men of Galilee, what are you standing, seeing the sky? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way, in the same way that he was seen going to heaven.” This angelic gospel of Your Second Coming, O Lord, who heard Your disciples, came in joyful awe, and with them we joyfully sing to You such:

Jesus, ascend from us in all Your glory, yes, come soon with Your holy angels.

Jesus, having packs to come to create a judgment of justice, she, come with glory in the lordship of Your saints.

Jesus, great and terrible over all those around, have mercy and then protect all the meek earth.

Jesus, glorified in the Council of Thy Saints, glorify us Yourself in Thy Kingdom in heaven.

Jesus, who passed through the heavens through Flesh, deign to lead the soul through the ordeals of the air and see Thee in the street.

Jesus, ascended into the clouds of heaven, vouchsafe us with joy and boldness on the last day to raise Thee on the clouds.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 10

Save at least the disciples who are with You, Christ the Savior, and all the believing words for their sake in Thee, and following You, ascended into heaven, and prepare a place for them, as if in the house of Your Father there are many abodes, as if He Himself had spoken to the passion of the future , saying: "If I prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, but where I am Az, and you will be." For this sake, vouchsafe us, O Lord, after our mortal ascension to find a temple not made by hands, eternal in heaven, prepared not from a tree, or hay or a reed of our carnal deeds for the sake of, even in the fire they will not stand, but from gold or silver or other stones on Your the foundation built, where we will take it out to glorify and sing to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

O Eternal King, Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven with Thy Most Pure Flesh and called us all to our heavenly Fatherland, raise us to the valley of the fallen from worldly passions and carnal wisdom to the heights of heaven and grant us, even in the days of our flesh, with the pure testimony of conscience, partake of heavenly life and I will take out to eat heavenly food in the sacrament of the Divine Eucharist, and from a pure heart and right spirit we will sing to You this:

Jesus, the Great Bishop of the blessings to come, in His Ascension, having passed the heavens in the Flesh and ascended not into the temple made by hands, but into the sky itself, may you appear from us to the Face of God.

Jesus, Heavenly Architecton, who built a tabernacle not made with hands in heaven and entered into the Holy of Holies to the Father with His own blood, so that you make eternal redemption.

Jesus, Immaculate Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world alone, “in a hedgehog to take away the sins of many”, offer up to the Throne of God my sin offering.

Jesus, Intercessor of the New Testament, ascended alone to heaven to the Father, in a hedgehog open the way to the Heavenly Tabernacle, perceive the impurity of my sigh.

Jesus, our Beloved Zhenishe, who prepared the Luminous Chamber in heaven, prepare there a place for Thee alone to serve those who desire.

Jesus, Good Shepherd of Your sheep, heavenly pastures in paradise to Your flock, grant us crowns, who desire to follow Thee alone.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 11

The singing of all tenderness is offered to Thy Divine Ascension, the Word, Thy All-Immaculate Mother who gave birth to Thee. For in the passion of Your motherly, more than all others, it is more painful for You, for this sake, it is more appropriate for Them to glorify Your Flesh, enjoy the joy of joy, and with this great joy descend from the Mount of Olives from the Apostles, and return all to Jerusalem and ascend to the upper room, and beat all the Apostles , enduring unanimously together in prayer, supplication and fasting with the wives and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brethren, expecting the Descent of the Holy Spirit, praising and blessing God, and singing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

The light of the eternal and incorruptible ascension to the whole world from the Holy Mount of Olives, where Thy most pure feet stand, Christ the Savior, when thou ascended with glory to heaven, having passed heaven with the Flesh, You opened the gates of heaven, closed by the fall of Adam, and this very Way, Truth and Life, you opened the way for all flesh in the abode of Your Heavenly Father, as if you predicted it to Your disciple, saying: “From now on, you will see the heavens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of Man.” For this reason, I guide Your path, as no one will come to the Father, only by You, we sing to You:

Jesus, ascending to the Father on clouds of light, enlighten the extinguished lamp of my soul.

Jesus, in the lordships of Your saints ascended to the mountain, ignite Your life-giving fire in my heart.

Jesus, resplendent more than the Sun at the height of heaven in Thy Ascension, with the warmth of Thy Spirit unleash the coldness of my soul.

Jesus, Light from the Light of Your Divinity, shining to the world from the Father, enlighten us sleeping with the light of Your words in the night of sin.

Jesus, Non-Evening Light, have packs at Your Coming, Your exodus, like lightning from the east and even to the west, Your appearance, the fire of Your anger did not hit us then.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 12

Thou hast given new grace, Sweetest Jesus, for the perfection of the saints and for the building up of Thy Holy Church, when Thou ascended to heaven with Thy Most Pure Flesh and sat down at the right hand of God and the Father, as it is written: “He who first descended into the lower countries of the earth for our salvation” Thou hast now ascended to a height above all heavens, but fulfill every one to the perfection of the saints, to the building of the Body of Christ, for this sake thou hast captivated captivity, and has given giving to man, until we reach all in the union of faith and knowledge of Thee, the Son of God, in a husband perfect, to the extent of the age of Your fulfillment, yes, having improved salvation, we gratefully sing to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing Your free Ascension to heaven with glory, we worship Yours, Lord Christ, at the right hand of God and the Father neighbor, we glorify Your reign in heaven and on earth and believe with Your Apostles, as truly, in the same way you ascended to heaven, so again you will come to the clouds with glory and great power. Then do not put us to shame in You, who believe and cry like this:

Jesus, always neighbor with Your Father on the Throne of the Godhead, make those who overcome the world with Your help sit with You in Your Kingdom.

Jesus, with the Holy Comforter by Your Spirit, bow down, do not deprive us, according to Your promise, of That Descent in Your service.

Jesus, from the Cherubim and Seraphim and from the faces of the saints after Your Ascension in heaven, dwell, give us here to pray in Your Name, gathered to feel Your presence.

Jesus, Thy holy temples, after Thy departure to heaven, granting the right to the believers in Thee, help us to think in the temple standing for ourselves in heaven.

Jesus, Thy Most Pure Mother from the Apostles in Thy Ascension to prayer for the whole world, forsaking Himself, do not leave us without the intercession of Thy Saints.

Jesus, Church, leaving Your Bride on earth after Your Ascension until the end of time, do not deprive us, children of Toy, of Your grace-filled gifts.

Jesus, ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kondak 13

O Sweet and All-Generous Jesus, ascended from us into heaven and sitting at the right hand of God and the Father, having mercy and deifying our fallen nature! Look from the heights of heaven to the weak and to the earth of Your fallen servants and grant us the strength from above to overcome all the temptations from the flesh, the world and the devil that is upon us, so that we will be wise on high, and not earthly. And save us from all enemies, visible and invisible, who rise up against us. At the end of our earthly life, lift up our souls to the heavenly abode, where we will sing with all the saints: Alleluia.

This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1

Prayer to the Ascension of the Lord

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who descended from the heights of heaven for our salvation and nourished us with spiritual joy on the holy and bright days of Your Resurrection, and again, after completing Your earthly ministry, ascended from us to heaven with glory, and sits at the right hand of God and the Father! On this “clear and all-bright day of the Divine ascension to heaven” of Thy “the earth celebrates and rejoices, the sky also rejoices in the Ascension of the Creator of creation today,” people praise unceasingly, seeing their erring and fallen nature on Thy frame, Savior, earthly and ascended to heaven, The angels rejoice, saying: Who is this, who came in glory, mighty in battle. This is truly the King of Glory?! Grant us the weak, the earthly still wise and carnal pleasures, create unceasing, Your ascension to heaven is terrible thinking and celebrating, carnal and worldly, lay aside cares and from Your Apostles to heaven now look with all your heart and all your thoughts, remembering that there are in heaven woe is our dwelling place, but here on earth we are exactly strangers and aliens of Esma, who has departed from the house of the Father to the land of sin far away. For this sake, we earnestly ask Thee, by Your glorious Ascension, Lord, revive our conscience, even if there is nothing more necessary in the world, raise us from the captivity of this sinful flesh and world and make us wise on high, and not earthly, as if we would not please anyone and to live, but we will serve and work for You the Lord and Our God, until we have renounced the bonds of the flesh and passed through the air ordeals without restriction, we will reach Your heavenly abodes, where, standing at the right hand of Your Majesty, with the Archangels and Angels and all the saints we will glorify Your All-Holy Name with the Beginningless Thy Father and Most Holy and Consubstantial and Life-Giving Thy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Instruction for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

Sermon of St. Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky). Word on the day of the Ascension of Christ.

Sermon of St. Philaret of Moscow. Word of the Ascension of the Lord.

Sermon of St. Demetrius of Rostov. Teaching on the Ascension of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Mark 16:19.

My beloved listeners! I don’t know how to call the current feast of the Ascension of the Lord: is it a joyful holiday, or a deplorable one? I would call it a joyful holiday, but now I see the holy apostles weeping and mourning, as the church also testifies, singing in stichera on “Lord, cry out” the following: “Lord, the apostles, as they saw Thee are exalted in the clouds ... Random test