The Ascension of
our Lord / St. John the Theologian
The Typical Psalms. Beatitudes on 8: Feast 4, from Ode 3, first Canon;
Apostle 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 &
6.
Isaiah beheld in an image the burning Coal of the divine fire which
purified his
lips, and He was vouchsafed prophecy; and thou, O blessed
John, wast shown to recline
against the breast of God the Word incarnate.
7. The only-begotten Word Who sitteth in the bosom of the Father was seen incarnate, O
blessed John, and told thee, as the beloved initiate of His
mysteries, that thou wouldst see
the incorporeal God Whom no-one can behold.
8. Illumine my soul, O
most hymned Virgin Theotokos who gavest birth to the Effulgence
of the Father’s glory; for, having thy true grace, we
abstain from blasphemous speech.
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 Troparia:
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 2: O Apostle beloved of Christ our God, /
hasten to deliver a defenseless people. /
He that allowed thee to
recline on His breast, /
receiveth thee bowing in intercession. /
Implore Him, O Theologian,
/
to dispel the persistent cloud of the heathen, //
and ask for us His peace and great mercy.
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 8th Tone: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words
unto the ends of the world.
Choir: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the
world.
Reader: The Reading is from the
Acts of the Holy Apostles:
[Acts 1:1-12 (§1); 1 John
1:1-7 (§68)]
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: In the 1st Tone: The heavens shall confess Thy wonders, O
Lord, and Thy truth
in the congregation of
saints.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke
24:36-53 (§114); John 19:25-27, 21:24-25 (§61)]
Kontakia:
Tone 2:
Who can tell of
thy mighty works, O virgin Saint? /
For thou
pourest forth miracles, /
and art a
source of healings, /
and thou
dost intercede for our souls, //
as the
Theologian and friend of Christ.
Glory… 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