TheFeast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ[1] (also called theSolemnity of the Ascension of the Lord,Ascension Day,Ascension Thursday, or sometimesHoly Thursday)[2][3] commemorates the Christian belief of the bodilyAscension of Jesus into Heaven. It is one of theecumenical (shared by multiple denominations) feasts of Christian churches, ranking with the feasts of thePassion andPentecost. Following the account ofActs 1:3 that the risen Jesus appeared for 40 days prior to his Ascension, Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day ofEaster according toinclusive counting, although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday, sometimes calledAscension Sunday. The day of observance varies by ecclesiastical province in many Christian denominations, as with Methodists and Catholics, for example.
Ascensiontide refers to the ten-day period between the Feast of the Ascension and the Feast of Pentecost.[4] The Sunday within that period may be referred to as the Seventh Sunday of Easter or the Sunday in Ascensiontide.[5]
The observance of this feast is of great antiquity.Eusebius seems to hint at the celebration of it in the 4th century.[6] At the beginning of the 5th century,Augustine of Hippo says that it is ofApostolic origin, and he speaks of it in a way that shows it was the universal observance of the Catholic Church long before his time. Frequent mention of it is made in the writings ofJohn Chrysostom,Gregory of Nyssa, and in theConstitution of the Apostles. ThePilgrimage of Aetheria speaks of the vigil of this feast and of the feast itself, as they were kept in the church built over the grotto inBethlehem in which Christ is traditionally regarded as having been born.[7] It may be that prior to the 5th century the event narrated in the Gospels was commemorated in conjunction with the feast of Easter or Pentecost. Some[who?] believe that the much-disputed forty-third decree of theSynod of Elvira (c. 300) condemning the practice of observing a feast on the fortieth day after Easter and neglecting to keep Pentecost on the fiftieth day, implies that the proper usage of the time was to commemorate the Ascension along with Pentecost.[citation needed] Representations of themystery are found indiptychs andfrescoes dating as early as the 5th century.[citation needed] Hymns for this feast are found in the Georgian Chantbook of Jerusalem,[8] which contains material composed during the 5th century.[9]
The Latin terms used for the feast,ascensio and, occasionally,ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by his own powers, and it is from these terms that the holy day gets its name. In theBook of Common Prayer of theAnglican Communion, "Holy Thursday" is listed as another name for Ascension Day.[2][3][10]William Blake's poem "Holy Thursday" refers to Ascension Day; Thomas Pruen used the term to refer to Ascension Day in hisIllustration of the Liturgy of the Church of England, published in 1820;[11][12] however use of the term "Holy Thursday" to mean Ascension Day is rare,[13] and the term is more generally applied by most Christian denominations toMaundy Thursday inHoly Week.
The three days before Ascension Thursday are sometimes referred to as theRogation days, and the previous Sunday—the Sixth Sunday of Easter (or the Fifth Sundayafter Easter)—asRogation Sunday.[citation needed]
Ascension has avigil and, since the 15th century, anoctave, which is set apart for anovena of preparation for Pentecost.[14]
Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens, that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that according to his promise he abideth with his Church on earth, even unto the end of the world; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.[15]
Catholic parishes in a number of countries that do not observe the feast as a public holiday have obtained permission from theVatican to move observance of the Feast of the Ascension from the traditional Thursday to the following Sunday, the Sunday before Pentecost. Similarly, theUnited Methodist Church allows the traditional celebration on Holy Thursday to be moved to Sunday.[16] This is in keeping with a trend to moveHoly Days of Obligation from weekdays to Sunday, to encourage more Christians to observe feasts considered important.[17][18] The decision to move a feast is made by eachConference of Catholic Bishops with prior approval of theApostolic See.[19] In some cases the Conference may delegate the determination for specific feasts to the bishops of anecclesiastical province within the conference, i.e. anarchbishop and the neighbouring bishops.
In theEastern Church this feast is known in Greek asAnalepsis, the "taking up", and also as theEpisozomene, the "salvation from on high", denoting that by ascending into his glory Christ completed the work of ourredemption.[citation needed] Ascension is one of the TwelveGreat Feasts of the Orthodoxliturgical year.
The feast is always observed with anAll-night vigil. The day before is theApodosis (leave-taking) of Easter (i.e., the last day of the Feast of Easter). Before the Vigil, thePaschal Hours are said for the last time and thePaschal greeting is exchanged.[citation needed]
O Christ God, You have ascended in Glory, 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!
During thePolyeleos atMatins, theEpitaphios, which was placed on the altar onHoly Saturday (either at Matins or theMidnight Office, depending on local custom) is taken from the altar and carried in procession around the church. It is then put in the place reserved for it. The Gospel isMark 16:9–20. The kontakion is sung, which announces:[This quote needs a citation]
When You did fulfill the dispensation for our sake, And unite earth to Heaven: You did ascend 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.
Themegalynarion andirmos from Ode IX of the Canon (also sung at liturgy) is:
Magnify, O my soul, Christ the Giver of Life, Who has ascended from earth to heaven! We magnify you, the Mother of God, Who beyond reason and understanding gave birth in time to the Timeless One.
Ascension Thursday also commemorates the HolyGeorgianMartyrs of Persia (17th–18th centuries).[26]
Ascension has anAfterfeast of eight days. The Sunday after Ascension is the Sunday of theHoly Fathers of theFirst Ecumenical Council atNicaea.[citation needed] This council formulated theNicene Creed up to the words, "He (Jesus) ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end."[27] The Afterfeast ends on the following Friday, the Friday before Pentecost. The next day is appropriately aSaturday of the Dead (general commemoration of all faithful departed).
The Eastern Orthodox Church uses a different method ofcalculating thedate of Easter, so the Eastern Orthodox commemoration of Ascension will usually be after the western observance (either one week, or four weeks, or five weeks later; but occasionally on the same day). The earliest possible date for the feast is May 13 (of the Western calendar), and the latest possible date is June 16. Some of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, however, observe Ascension on the same date as the Western Churches.[28]
^"Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. 2015. Archived fromthe original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved17 May 2015.The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ is celebrated each year on the fortieth day after the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha (Easter). Since the date of Pascha changes each year, the date of the Feast of the Ascension changes. The Feast is always celebrated on a Thursday.
^"Rules to Order the Christian Year".Church of England. 2015. Retrieved14 May 2015.Rogation Days are the three days before Ascension Day, when prayer is offered for God's blessing on the fruits of the earth and on human labour. The nine days after Ascension Day until Pentecost are days of prayer and preparation to celebrate the outpouring of the Spirit.
^"The Church in Malankara switched entirely to the Gregorian calendar in 1953, following Encyclical No. 620 from Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem I, dt. December 1952."Calendars of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
