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.
The Typical Psalms. Beatitudes on 8: Feast 4, from Ode 3, first Canon;
Saints 4, from Ode 6.
1. Thou didst go up unto the Father, O
Life-giving Christ, and Thou didst exalt our race
by Thine ineffable
compassion, O Friend of man.
2. The ranks of Angels, O
Savior, on beholding man’s nature going up together with
Thee, were amazed and
ceaselessly praised Thee.
3. The choirs of Angels
were amazed, O Christ, as they beheld thee taken up with Thy
body, and they praised Thy holy Ascension.
4. Thou didst raise up human nature which was fallen into corruption, O
Christ, and in
Thine Ascension Thou didst
exalt us and glorify us together with Thyself.
5. “Our God is like the deep of the sea,
unfathomable by the mind and indescribable in
words,” thou didst say to the Moslems who disputed with
thee, O all-wise Cyril; “and
some who attempt to sail across this deep in the leaky
boats of their own intellect are
drowned, falling into errors and heresies, while others are
buffeted by incomprehension
and doubt, knowing not how to sing: O Helmsman, save us,
as Thou didst Peter!”.
6. Sunk deep in the abyss of their false understandings,
the Moslems secretly offered
thee deadly poison.
But He Who said: “If ye drink anything deadly, it will not harm
you”, preserved thee whole and returned thee with honor
to the Imperial City. And,
fittingly blessed by the emperor and patriarch, thou wast
supremely exalted, crying: “O
Helmsman, Thou hast saved
me as Thou didst Peter!”
7. The Holy Spirit once said to the disciples:
“Separate for Me Barnabas and Saul for
the task to which I have called them,” the enlightenment
of the nations who are perishing
in the abyss of ignorance of God; and He likewise
commanded that ye be sent to the
lands of the Slavs, O venerable fathers. And, illumined by the light of your teaching,
people who sat in darkness and the shadow of death have
cried out: “O Helmsman, Thou
hast saved us as Thou didst Peter!”
8. The uttermost abyss of sins hath encompassed
me, and, beset with trembling and
terrified of utter drowning, I offer thee entreaty, O
all-immaculate one: Have mercy upon
my passion-plagued soul!
Stretch forth thy hands, in that thou art good, and as Thy Son
saved Peter, so do thou save me, O thou who dost steer my
soul.
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.
Glory… Tone
4: As ones
equal in character to the Apostles /
and as Teachers of the Slavic lands, /
O divinely-wise Cyril and Methodius, /
pray to the Lord of all, to strengthen all nations /
in Orthodoxy and unity of thought, /
to convert and reconcile the world to God, //
and to save our souls.
Both now… 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: In the Same Tone: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Choir: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Reader: The Reading is from the Acts
of the Holy Apostles:
[Acts 1:1-12 (§1);
Hebrews 7:26-8:2 (§318)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 2nd Tone: 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!
Reader: Thy
priests shall be clothed with righteousness and Thy righteous shall rejoice.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 24:36-53
(§114); Matthew 5:14-19 (§11)]
Kontakion
Glory… Tone
3: Let us honor our sacred pair of enlighteners,
/
who, by translating the
divine writings, /
have poured forth for us a
well-spring of divine knowledge /
from which we draw abundantly
even unto this day: /
We call you blessed, O Cyril and Methodius, /
ye who stand before the
throne of the Most High //
and intercede fervently for
our souls.
Both now… 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