The Ascension
of our Lord
It should go
without saying that if one has any possible means of traveling to a Church
to attend the
liturgy for Ascension, they should do so.
However, if it is not possible
for one to do
so, the following is provided so that at least they can participate in the
feast to the
extent possible, under such circumstances.
In place of the
usual antiphons, use the festal antiphons:
The First
Antiphon (Second Tone)
Stichos
1: Clap your hands, all ye nations;
shout unto God with a voice of
rejoicing.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save
us.
Stichos
2: For the Lord Most High is terrible, a
great King over all the earth.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save
us.
Stichos
3: He hath subdued peoples under us, and
nations under our feet.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save
us.
Stichos
4: God is gone up in jubilation, the Lord with
the voice of the trumpet.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save
us.
Glory to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save
us.
The Second
Antiphon (Second Tone)
Stichos
1: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be
praised, in the city of our God, in
His holy mountain.
Refrain: O Son of God Who didst ascend in glory, save us who
sing to Thee:
Alleluia.
Stichos
2: The mountains of Zion on the
sides of the north, the city of the great
King.
Refrain. O Son of God Who didst ascend in glory, save us who sing to
Thee:
Alleluia.
Stichos
3: God is known in her towers, when
he cometh to help her.
Refrain: O Son of God Who didst ascend in glory, save us who
sing to Thee:
Alleluia.
Stichos
4: For lo, the kings of the earth
were assembled; they came together.
Refrain: O Son of God Who didst ascend in glory, save us who
sing to Thee:
Alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, Who art
immortal, yet didst deign for our
salvation
to be incarnate of the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and without
change
didst become man, and was crucified, O Christ God, trampling down death by
death. Thou Who art one of the Holy Trinity,
glorified with the Father and the Holy
Spirit,
save us.
The Third
Antiphon
Reader: Stichos
1: Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that
inhabit the world.
Choir:
(Troparion, Tone
4): Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our
God,
having gladdened Thy disciples with the
promise of the Holy Spirit; and they were
assured by the blessing that Thou art the Son
of God, the Redeemer of the world.
Stichos
2: Both ye that are born of earth,
and ye sons of men, rich and poor
together.
Choir:
Repeat Troparion
Stichos
3: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and
the meditation of my heart shall be
of understanding.
Choir:
Repeat Troparion
Stichos
4: I will incline mine ear unto a parable, I
will unfold my problem on the
psaltery.
Choir:
Repeat Troparion
Instead of “O come
let us worship…” the Choir signs the entry verse:
God is gone up in jubilation, the
Lord with the voice of the trumpet.
And immediately
after that, the choir sings the Troparion of the feast:
Tone 4: Thou hast ascended in glory, O
Christ our God, having gladdened Thy disciples
with the promise of the Holy Spirit; and they
were assured by the blessing that Thou art
the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.
The
Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 7th Tone:
Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God,
and Thy glory
above all the earth.
Choir: Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, and Thy glory above all the
earth.
Reader: Ready is my heart, O God, ready is my
heart; I will sing and chant in my glory.
Choir: Be Thou
exalted above the heavens, O God, and Thy glory above all the earth.
Reader: Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God.
Choir: And Thy glory above all the earth.
Reader: The Reading is
from the Acts of the Holy Apostles:
[Acts 1:1-12]
Reader: Alleluia in the 2nd Tone.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: God is gone up in jubilation, the Lord
with the voice of the trumpet.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Clap your hands, all ye nations; shout
unto God with a voice of rejoicing.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 24:36-53]
Kontakion
Tone 6:
When Thou didst fulfill Thy dispensation for our sake, uniting
things on earth
with the heavens, Thou didst ascend in
glory, O Christ our God, departing not hence, but
remaining inseparable from us, and
crying unto them that love Thee: I am with you, and
no one shall be against you.
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant
the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the First Canon of
the feast, Fifth Tone:
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, Him Who hath ascended
from earth to heaven,
Christ the Giver of life.
Irmos: Thee that art above understanding and word,
the Mother of God, that
hast ineffably brought forth in time the Timeless One, we the
faithful with one accord
magnify.