The Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Categories: hymns, feast-days
Date: 31 May 2006 13:14:47
[last entry: Kristus Vstal A Mrtvych! -- Czech; response: Opravdi Vstoupil!]
Happy Feast Day!
Tonight we celebrated an Evening Divine Liturgy for the The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God for the wonderful priest of St Nicholas' Bankstown, Fr Mitko, who graciously allows us to worship in his church, and celebrates Divine Liturgy for us on Feasts where we cannot hire the hall we use on Saturdays and Sundays. A truly wonderful man.
Communion Verse:
God has gone up with a shout; the Lord to the sound of the trumpet. Alleluia.
[I did put Finzi's God is Gone Up on as I drove away after the service!]
Troparion:
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, granting joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Through the blessing they were assured that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.
Kontakion:
When You fulfilled the dispensation for our sake, and united earth to heaven, You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, not being parted from those who love You, but remaining with them and crying: "I am with you and no one will be against you."
Other Hymns from the Evening:
The Lord ascended to heaven, to send the Comforter into the world. The heavens prepared His throne; the clouds, His royal mount! The angels were amazed, seeing a Man exalted. The Father awaits the Son Who is eternally in His bosom! The Holy Spirit commands the angels: Lift up your heads, gates! Clap your hands, all nations! For Christ has ascended to where He was before!
Without leaving the Father's bosom, having lived with mankind as a Man, today You have ascended in glory from the Mount, mercifully raising our fallen nature, enthroning it with the Father on high! The angelic hosts were amazed with awe, seeing Your great love for mankind! With them, we glorify Your condescension to us; with them, we glorify Your Ascension from us! By it, You filled Your disciples and Your Mother with great joy! By their prayers, and through Your great mercy make us Your chosen people, worthy of this joy!