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, /
Christ the giver of life, //
Who ascended from earth to Heaven.
Irmos: O thou who art
God’s Mother transcending mind and word, /
who ineffably in time gavest birth unto the Timeless One, /
thee do we the faithful //
magnify with one accord