40 Days after Pascha the Church celebrates the reality of the Messiah’s physical return to the Father, to glorified with Him and to prepare a place a for you and me in order to send the Holy Spirit.
The Divine Liturgy will be live streamed on Thursday, May 21, at 6:30 pm.
You have 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! (Troparion).
“On the fortieth day after His passover, Jesus ascended into heaven to be glorified on the right hand of God (Acts 1.9–11; Mk 16.19; Lk 24.51). The ascension of Christ is His final physical departure from this world after the resurrection. It is the formal completion of His mission in this world as the Messianic Saviour. It is His glorious return to the Father Who had sent Him into the world to accomplish the work that He had given him to do (Jn 17.4–5).
. . . and lifting His hands He blessed them. While blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Lk 24.51–52).
Join us in prayer.