17- THE ASCENSION The Acts of the Apostles records the Ascension of Christ in a very simple narrative. "He was lifted up before their eyes in a cloud which took Him from their sight." (1: 9) Our Church celebrates this event of Christ's glorification. It celebrates all that Christ has done and accomplished for us. The Kontakion of the Feast summarizes all of Christ's work: When You fulfilled the plan of salvation for us and united all things on earth to those in heaven, O Christ our God, You ascended in glory, never leaving us but remaining ever present. For You proclaimed to those who love You: "I am with you and no one else has power over you." The Icon of the Ascension is an icon of joy. It celebrates the meaning of this event for the Church and the world. The Ascension took place on the Mount of Olives. Thus, the mountainous background of the panel, dotted with images of scattered olive trees. The figure of Christ ascending in glory is surrounded by a circular nimbus composed of various bands of color , symbolic of the heavens. This nimbus itself is supported by angels whose presence is yet another indication of the glory and divinity of Christ. It recalls the Old Testament image of God enthroned upon the Cherubim. In the foreground of the Icon, the image of the Mother of God is seen surrounded by two groups of Apostles. Of prime importance is her position directly below Christ. This entire grouping, the Mother of God and the Apostles, stands as an expression of the establishment and role of the Church. The Icon includes not only those who actually witnessed the Ascension. It also includes the Apostle Paul, in the Icon at the head of the group on the right, who historically could not have been there. What is intended is that the Church witnesses to this event. The Mother of God, she who had once carried the Christ within herself and was therefore the temple of the Incarnate Son of God, stands here as a personification of the Church, the body of Christ, whose head is the ascending Savior. The gesture of her hands, uplifted in faith and prayer, expresses the role of the Church, ceaselessly interceding for the salvation of the world. The direction of movement of this whole group, their gestures, the focus of their eyes and postures, everything is directed upward: toward the Source of Life of the Church, its head Who abides in heaven. For: He led them out near Bethany, and with hands upraised, blessed them. As He blessed, He left them, and was taken up to heaven. They fell down to do Him reverence, then returned to Jerusalem tilled with joy. There they were to be found in the temple constantly, speaking the praises of God. (Lk. 24: 50-53) Our worship of the Father is one with Christ. Through the Church we are joined with Christ, our hope of glory. TROPARION -You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and delighted the Disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit; through this blessing they were assured that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the World.
I am sitting in a sacred place There are times when we each have sacred blessings to learn. These are the lesions that will push us to the limit of our greatness. At these times, it may seem that others are abandoning, rejection or criticizing us without just cause. They are not. No matter how hard we try, we can't seem to do, say or be what others expect of us. We can't. The harder we try to pull others to us, the farther they move away. The more we try to fix things, the worse they seem to get. What we must do at theses very sacred times is pull back, withdraw and prepare to grow. Our lessons are very sacred. They are the basic ingredient of our greatness. To accept them we must be open. To receive them we must be willing. To understand them we must be alone. In the solitude of your mind are the answers to all your questions about life. You must take the time to ask and listen.