Icon of the Ascension of the Lord. When can you turn to her for help?  

All Orthodox Christians know the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ, in honor of which everyone celebrates one of the main holidays - Easter. The second miracle was the Ascension of the Lord on the fortieth day after His Crucifixion. This meant the end of His earthly journey. It is this truly great moment that is captured on the Ascension of the Lord icon. Celebrated on Thursday of the sixth week after Easter.

“...And when they (the apostles) looked at heaven, during the ascension of Him (Jesus Christ), suddenly two men in white clothes appeared to them and said: men of Galilee! Why are you standing and looking at the sky? This Jesus, who has ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him ascending into heaven...”

— about the Ascension of Jesus Christ.

This version of the icon of the Ascension of the Lord can be seen in the temple. Photo: hram-chg.ru

The icon of the Ascension of the Lord has a multi-figure composition

The history of the Feast of the Ascension is told in the four Gospels. The icon of the Ascension of the Lord has a multi-figure composition. At the very top we see the Savior, who holds a scroll in his left hand, and with his right hand he blesses. The Savior is in the circle. The circle is held by two Angels.

Below we see the Mother of God, who stands surrounded by the apostles. Behind Her back you can also see Angels pointing their fingers upward at the Savior. It is also worth paying attention to the attire of Jesus Christ. If you look, you can see that on almost all icons the Savior is depicted in modest clothing, but on this icon Jesus is depicted in a royal golden robe. A photo of the icon of the Ascension of the Lord can be seen below.

Icon of the Ascension of the Lord

How does the icon of the Ascension of the Lord help?

The New Testament, concluded by the Lord God through His Son Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer, gave every person hope for eternal life. But only the righteous who honor the commandments of Christ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The icon of the Ascension of the Lord reminds us of this: Jesus on his earthly path showed mercy to the fallen, but being the King and Judge of Heaven, he will be fair and strict, and then everyone will answer for their actions.

Praying before the icon of the Ascension, each time we realize that we will have to appear before His judgment, and this helps us to realize the vanity of our life and the sins we commit. At the same time, prayer in front of this icon helps us gain strength to follow His commandments, so that when the hour comes to appear before the Lord, our soul will be pure. When we commit ourselves to Him, He serves as our protection; By trusting in Him, we become stronger.

The Ascension of the Lord is a very important event, which is described in the New Testament

The Ascension of the Lord is a very important event that is described in the New Testament. It makes clear to us that Jesus combines two essences - divine and human, who sacrificed Himself for the sake of all mankind. Thus, he made it clear to everyone that the righteous would be able to gain eternal life.

What is the difference between the Gospel and the Bible

Then, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ, the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is celebrated. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire. Thus, the Lord gave the apostles the ability and strength to preach the Gospel.

Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. Photo: iknigi.net

The meaning of the icon of the Ascension of the Lord

The significance of the Ascension of the Lord is invaluable - this is the most important event described in the New Testament. It clearly demonstrated that Jesus combines two essences - divine and human, which He sacrificed to atone for original sin, thereby giving the promise that the righteous would be able to find eternal life at the Divine Throne.

Original sin closed people's path to the Kingdom of God, but the Savior opened it again by sacrificing Himself. It is this opening of the path to the Kingdom of Heaven that the icon of the Ascension of the Lord shows.

This plot is widespread both in Orthodox icon painting and throughout the Christian world.

It can often be seen on the paintings of the domes of Orthodox and Catholic churches, and the Ascension always evokes in both believers and non-believers a feeling of an incredibly solemn, fateful moment for all humanity.

The image of Jesus Christ is especially impressive on the Ascension icon. If on the icons dedicated to His earthly life and crucifixion, His human essence is revealed, then during the Ascension - the divine essence in all its greatness. The soul of every believer is filled with rejoicing at the sight of His greatness and power, and in it, in this sinful human soul, there arises hope for redemption and Eternal Life.

Here the Lord truly appears in all His glory, as the Heavenly Judge, who will reward “everyone according to his deeds.” In iconography, such an image of the Savior is called Pantocrator (translated from Greek as Pantocrator).

One of the famous paintings is the painting of the Ascension of Shebuev by Vasily Kozmich

Currently, there are paintings in honor of the Ascension of the Lord, which are painted by artists. One of the famous is the painting of the Ascension of Shebuev by Vasily Kozmich. It was written in 1843. Currently kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Shebuev. Painting of the Ascension. 1843 Photo: ros-vos.net

In 1755, Ivan Yakovlevich Vishnyakov painted the icon of the Ascension, which is kept in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Vishnyakov. Ascension. 1755 Photo: dominicanfriars.org

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Iconography of the Ascension of the Lord in the art of Byzantium and Ancient Russia. Svetlana Lipatova

The Ascension of the Lord, remembered on the fortieth day after Easter, is one of the oldest Christian holidays, established, apparently, already in the 4th century. The great fathers of the Church - Saints John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa - are the authors of the very first conversations on the Ascension, and Blessed Augustine in his writings mentions the widespread celebration of this day[1].

The source of the iconography of the Ascension of the Lord are the texts of the Gospel and the Acts of the Holy Apostles. The oldest surviving images of the Ascension date back to the 5th century.

The so-called Bamberg Avorium, a carved ivory plaque kept in Munich, dates back to around 400. The main scene here is the coming of the myrrh-bearing women to the Holy Sepulcher, complemented by the image of a young beardless Christ with a scroll in his hand, walking along the mountain towards heaven. From the cloud segment one can see the right hand of God, which seems to “draw” the Savior into heaven. The movement of Christ is quite impetuous: the left leg is bent, and the right leg is set far back. Below the stepped hill along which Jesus ascends are the figures of two people falling on their faces. The described composition has been interpreted differently by researchers. The most famous Byzantine scholar N.P. Kondakov believed that it does not show the Ascension, as N.V. claimed. Pokrovsky, and the very moment of the Resurrection of Christ[2]. He understood the figures at the foot of the mountain as images of two defeated Roman guards, and not of the Lord’s disciples, since there should have been twelve of the latter. It is worth noting, however, that in Christian art there is no depiction of the most important moment of Gospel history - the moment of the Resurrection - it is not described by the holy evangelists and church hymns do not speak about it. In turn, N.V. Pokrovsky convincingly interpreted the Ascension depicted on the plaque as a kind of literal illustration of the text of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, where it is said about the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus: “God raised this Jesus, of which we are all witnesses. So he was exalted by the right hand of God...” (Acts 2: 32-33)[3]. In the medieval art of the Western Christian world, such images of the Ascension are found quite often, which is probably also due to the fact that in Latin the words “ascension” and “ascension” are denoted by one word - ascensus.

Another ancient example of Ascension iconography is one of the scenes depicted on the carved wooden doors of the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome (5th century). It is full of early Christian symbolism and a special doctrinal character. The Young Savior with a scroll in his left hand is depicted standing in a round medallion, woven as if from laurel branches. On either side of Him are large letters α (alpha) and ω (omega), referring to the text of the Revelation of John the Theologian, where the Lord says: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 1: 8). Around the halo of Christ are the symbols of the holy evangelists, and below is a vault with heavenly bodies and two disciples standing before Christ and holding a cross in a circle above the head of the Woman depicted between them. The evangelists do not report anything about the presence of the Mother of God during the Ascension of the Son, but Her image will henceforth be central in all icons of the holiday as evidence of Christ ascending in the flesh, born of the Virgin. It should also be noted that among the witnesses of the Lord’s ascension into heaven is present, along with the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul. This discrepancy with historical reality did not bother the artists, since they created, first of all, a symbolic image of the New Testament Apostolic Church, established on earth by the Savior and entrusted by Him to the Apostles after the Ascension.

In the extremely developed iconography of the Ascension from the Syriac Gospel of Rabula (586), the triumphal nature of the event and its connection with the second coming of the Lord are especially emphasized. Thus, the Mother of God standing in the center is flanked on either side by the figures of two angels in white robes. The right hand of the angel leading the right group of apostles is shown in a gesture of speech, while the angel shown on the left indicates Christ ascending in glory. This is a direct illustration of the text of the Acts of the Holy Apostles: “And when they looked into the sky, during His ascension, suddenly two men in white clothes appeared to them and said: men of Galilee! Why are you standing and looking at the sky? This Jesus, who has ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him ascending into heaven.” (Acts 1:10–11). The eschatological meaning of the composition is emphasized by the image under the glory of Christ of a tetramorph with wheels of fire, described in the texts of Old Testament prophecies (see: Ezek. 1: 4–25) and the Apocalypse (see: Rev. 4: 7–8).

On one of the pilgrimage ampoules kept in the treasury of the cathedral in Monza (VI–VII centuries), Christ, carried up by angels, is depicted sitting on a throne, whereas in the monuments discussed above He was depicted standing. At a later time, the Savior is most often shown sitting on a rainbow.

In monumental painting, already in the early Christian era, the Ascension was located in the vault of the dome. Professor D.V. Ainalov believed that the oldest image of the holiday in the interior of the temple was in the dome of the rotunda of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, erected by the Christ-loving Emperor Constantine the Great[4]. The oldest documented image of the Ascension was located in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, destroyed in 1469. The composition of the Ascension was of particular importance in the system of painting churches in the post-conoclastic era. In mosaics and paintings of Byzantine churches of the 9th–11th centuries, the scene of the Ascension, along with the descent of the Holy Spirit and the image of Christ Pantocrator, was widely used for dome decoration. It satisfied not only the formal conditions of Middle Byzantine decor (the upper part of the temple is the heavenly zone), but also had a natural center - the image of the Ascending Lord in a medallion, around which, according to the remarkable comparison of O. Demus, angels were located, like the spokes of a wheel. Their complex poses created the impression of rhythmic movement, almost a dance.[5] The even number of angels could always be different: in the Ascension from the Church of Hagia Sophia in Ohrid (mid-9th century), the sphere with the Savior is lifted up by four angels, in other monuments there may be six or even eight.

An ancient, but rarer tradition also includes the placement of the Ascension in the conch of the altar apse, the oldest example of which can be seen in the rotunda of St. George in Thessalonica (late 9th century)[6].

In Rus', the composition of the Ascension is represented in dome paintings of the 9th–12th centuries - in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozh Monastery in Pskov, the Church of St. George in Staraya Ladoga, and the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa. In the latter, the drum of the dome was surrounded by the text of the inscription, separating the image of Christ and the angels from the belt of the apostles. 2nd and 6th verses of the 46th Psalm: “All nations clasp your hands, shout to God with a voice of joy. God has risen with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet,” glorifying the already ascended Lord, the completion of His redemptive mission on earth[7].

In Russian high iconostases, the Ascension appears as part of the festive rank from the middle of the 14th century (the festive rite of 1340–1341 of the iconostasis of the Church of St. Sophia in Novgorod). Numerous icons have a single composition. Our Lady in the center, two angels pointing to heaven, and twelve disciples praising Christ, depicted in blue glory supported by angels. The posture and gestures of the Mother of God vary. Most often She is presented frontally, with her hands raised in prayer or bent at her chest, palms facing the viewer. The apostles are depicted in various positions, sometimes quite expressive. On the Tver icon of the mid-15th century from the State Tretyakov Gallery, the disciples of Christ do not stand in two static and ordered groups, as, for example, on the tablet icon of the late 15th century from the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral. Each of them is engulfed in movement: one, holding his head, looks into the sky, others point upward with various impetuous gestures, while the apostle standing to the right of Peter, on the contrary, looks down, with his hands folded to receive the blessing.

If we consider the options for depicting angels, then the icon from the festive row of the iconostasis of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (circa 1497) is noteworthy. The angels standing on the sides of the Mother of God at the bottom of the icon are shown with lowered hands and in dark clothes, unlike all the examples given above. The angels who bring glory do not soar to the sides of it so that their entire flying figures are visible, but are depicted as if pressed against the mandorla with their legs bent at the knees, extending beyond its edges. Their faces are shown not in profile, but almost frontally.

A new significant detail appears in the Pskov iconography of the Ascension in the 16th century. In the center of the image on the hills under the glory of the Lord, a stone is depicted with the imprints of the Savior’s feet. This directly referred the worshipers to the relic kept in the chapel at the site of the Ascension - the Mount of Olives, as well as to the Old Testament prophecies: “And he said to me: Son of man! This is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the children of Israel forever” (Ezek. 43:7) and “Behold, on the mountains are the feet of the evangelist who brings peace” (Nahum 1:15). The outline of a stone with footprints can be clearly seen on the 1542 icon from the Novovoznesenskaya Church in Pskov (now in the Novgorod Museum) and the mid-16th century icon from the festive row of the Pskov Church of St. Nicholas of Usokha (State Russian Museum). In both images, trumpeting angels are depicted at the top of the icon.

The icon of the early 17th century by the Stroganov master Michael from the Annunciation Cathedral in Solvychegodsk (State Russian Museum) shows not only the Ascension Stone, but a rare iconographic detail. The composition of the bottom row includes an additional scene, “The Blessing of the Apostles,” which, according to the Gospel story, immediately preceded the Ascension (see: Luke 24: 51).

Numerous images of the Ascension convey the main joy of the holiday - the joy of Christ, who raised human nature from death to endless life in heaven, where He sat down at the right hand of God the Father.

________________________________________________________

[1] Skaballanovich M. Explanatory Typikon. M., 2004. P. 263.

[2] Pokrovsky N.V. The Gospel in iconographic monuments. M., 2001. P.485.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ainalov D.V. Hellenistic motifs of Byzantine art // Notes of the IRAO. St. Petersburg, 1901. T. 12. Issue. 3–4. pp. 185–186.

[5] Demus O. Mosaics of Byzantine churches. Principles of monumental art of Byzantium. M., 2001. pp. 34–36.

[6] Sarabyanov V.D. Gospel narrative in the program of paintings of Sophia of Kyiv // Art of the Christian World. Vol. 10. M., 2007. pp. 214–215.

[7] Pivovarova N.V. Frescoes of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa in Novgorod. Iconographic painting program. St. Petersburg, 2002. P. 45.

https://www.pravoslavie.ru/jurnal/1361.htm

A prayer is read in front of the icon of the Ascension of the Lord

A prayer is read in front of the icon of the Ascension of the Lord. The prayer is read on the day of celebration.

Don't forget that you can always turn to God with your simple words for help. The most important thing is that your words come from the heart and are sincere.

The prayer to the icon of the Ascension must be read in the morning or afternoon.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who descended from the heavenly heights of our salvation for the sake of and nourished us with spiritual joy on the holy and bright days of Your Resurrection, and again, after the completion of Your earthly ministry, ascended from us to heaven with glory and is seated at the right hand of God and the Father!

On this “clear and all-bright day of Your Divine ascension into heaven”, “the earth celebrates and rejoices, and the sky also rejoices at the Ascension of the Creator of creation today,” people praise unceasingly, seeing their lost and fallen nature on Your frame, the Savior, taken to earth and ascended to heaven, The angels rejoice, saying:

He who came in glory is mighty in battle. Is this truly the King of Glory?! Grant us the power also to the weak, earthly ones who still philosophize and indulge in carnal pleasures, to create unceasingly, Thy awesome rise into heaven, contemplating and celebrating, putting aside carnal and worldly cares and with

Thy apostles now look to heaven with all their hearts and with all their thoughts, remembering that there is a mountain in heaven where we live, but here on earth we are just strangers and aliens, having departed from the house of the Father to the faraway land of sin.

For this reason, we earnestly ask Thee, by Thy glorious Ascension, O Lord, revive our conscience, even though there is nothing more necessary in the world, lead us out of the captivity of this sinful flesh and world and make us wise on a mountain, and not earthly, so that we will not please anyone and live, but to You, Lord and

We will serve Our God and work until we have renounced the bonds of the flesh and gone through the airy ordeals without restraint; we will reach Your heavenly abodes, where we have stood at the right hand

Let us glorify Your Majesty, with the Archangels and Angels and all the saints, Your All-Holy Name with Your Originless Father and Your Most Holy and Consubstantial and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Ascension of the Lord. Divine service

On the eve of the Ascension, Easter is celebrated. On Wednesday evening the festive service begins, its structure is similar to other twelve holidays. The texts of the chants describe the Lord’s ascension to heaven and His meeting with the angels, and also explain the symbolic meaning of the holiday event:

Lord, the sacrament that has been hidden from time immemorial and from generation to generation, having fulfilled itself as Good, came with your disciples to the Mount of Olives, having given birth to You, the Creator of all and Maker. Even though during Your Passion you felt more maternal pain than all others, it is fitting for Your flesh to enjoy much joy. Even as we have received communion, even as Thy Lord rises into heaven, we glorify Thy great mercy upon us.

During the evening service, three proverbs are also read - excerpts from Old Testament books containing prophecies about the Ascension of the Lord. The first proverb (Isaiah II: 2-3) contains a prophecy about the mountain of the house of the Lord, to which all nations will flow and say: Come, let us enter the mountain of the Lord, into the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us his ways; in the second (Isaiah LXII, 10-12, LXIII, 1-3, 7-9) the greatness and glory of the Savior is predicted; in the third (Zechariah 14, 1, 4, 8, 11) it is predicted that the Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives and on that day the Lord will be King over the earth:

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and on that day they will stand before Him on the Mount of Olives, right in Jerusalem, towards the east of the sun.

At Matins two canons are read. They were compiled by Saints John of Damascus (8th century) and Joseph the Songsinger (9th century). According to legend, the kontakion and ikos for the holiday were composed by the Venerable Roman the Sweet Singer (5th century).

Library of the Russian Faith Canon of the Ascension of the Lord →

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The feast of the Ascension of the Lord sometimes coincides with the day of remembrance of the great saint. In this case, the liturgical Charter contains instructions on how to combine both services.

Troparion for the holiday. Church Slavonic text:

Ascended in the glory of our God, the joy of creating our 1m њbetovanіem s™agw d¦a, and 3informed before ћve blessed for the sake of ћkw you2 є3с2 сн 7b b9ii i3deliverer mjru.

Russian text:

You ascended in glory, Christ our God, bringing joy to them through the promise of the Holy Spirit, and assuring (affirming) them through Your blessing that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Kontakion for the holiday. Church Slavonic text:

He already looked at us, and 3 already on earth2 connected 1 with 8 nbs, ascended in the glory of our God, and 3 in no way rayed, but remained not ttypnw, and 3 vopiS any one tz, ѓz є4cm with you, and3 no one2 same on you2.

Russian text:

Having accomplished our salvation, O Christ our God, and having united the earthly with the heavenly, You ascended in glory to heaven, but did not leave the earth, persistently remaining on it and calling out to those who love You: “I am with you, no one is against you.”

Akathist written to the icon of the Ascension of the Lord

An akathist was written to the icon of the Ascension of the Lord. It is read on the day of celebration. On the same day, everyone can read it at home.

Akathist:

Kontakion 1

Chosen Voevodo, Creative of heaven and earth! To the conqueror of death we offer a laudable song, as through Your most luminous Resurrection from the dead You ascended into heaven with glory and with Your most pure flesh You sat down at the right hand of God and the Father, and You took up our fallen nature with You, and freed us from sins and from eternal death forever . We celebrate Your Divine Ascension with Your disciples and cry out to You from our hearts:

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Ikos 1

The faces of the Archangels and Angels presented themselves to You, the King of all, on the Mount of Olives, with fear seeing You on the heights of heaven and taking you down in the flesh, and glorifying the greatness of Your love for mankind, singing to You like this:

Jesus, King of Glory, ascend into heaven with a shout of trumpets.

Jesus, Lord of Hosts, mount the cherubim and fly on the wing of the wind.

Jesus, Eternal God, give Your voice a voice of power, so that the whole earth may now tremble.

Jesus, Most High Light, show Your Power on the clouds, and let fire ignite from Your Face.

Jesus, Redeemer of creation, prepare Your Throne in heaven and let Your Kingdom have no end.

Jesus, Creator of heaven and earth, sit at the right hand of Your Father, that God may be all in all.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 2

Having seen the Apostles rise from the dead, Master Lord, when in the forty days You showed Yourself to them, speaking about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and having received from You the commandment not to separate from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promises of the Father, until they were clothed with power from above, having come together, we remained together with one accord. in prayer singing to You with one mouth and one heart: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Opening the mind of Divine vision, O All-merciful Jesus, Thou brought forth Thy disciples as far as Bethany, and brought them up to the Mount of Olives, and began to prepare for the great Mystery of Thy Ascension into heaven, saying: Draw near, O My friends, the time of ascension, as it goes on, teach all languages the word that you heard from My voice, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Tiy, still wise on earth, asked whether in this summer you would establish the Kingdom of Israel. Instead, You told them: “You cannot understand the times and years that the Father has laid down in His power,” so that they will be prepared to meet His Heavenly Bridegroom, crying out:

Jesus, Good Shepherd, never be separated from us, but remain with us continually.

Jesus, the Good Teacher, sent down the Holy Comforter Spirit to us, may he always remain with us.

Jesus, our Enlightener, enlighten our souls with Your Ascension to the Heavenly Father.

Jesus, our Savior, save us from cowardice and storms through Your intercession.

Jesus, our Teacher, by the word of Your mouth guide us to Your service.

Jesus, our Helper, by Your Holy Spirit remember to us Your Revelation.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 3

The Apostles were endowed with power from above, O Jesus, when on the Mount of Olives you promised them the descent of the Holy Spirit. Thou hast commanded them, that Thy witness may be in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and even to the last of the earth, saying: Come and enter into My gates, prepare My way, and make My way for My people, and place stones for the way; lift up a sign in tongues, yes all the faithful will sing with you: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having an abyss of mercy, Sweetest Jesus, Your disciples and the wives who followed You and especially Your Mother who bore You, filled You with countless joys at Your Ascension, even when you had already departed from them, You stretched out Your hands and blessed You, saying: “Behold, I am with you in all the days until the end of the age,” and filled with fear, I glorified Your merciful condescension, saying:

Jesus, Giver of mercy, have mercy on the human race who came to Olivet.

Jesus, Joyner of the Sorrowful, Your friends who are with You, desire to comfort them.

Jesus, Hope of the hopeless, Your blessing saved us from despondency when we departed to heaven.

Jesus, Refuge of the homeless, by Your Ascension the rise to the Heavenly Father has been granted to us.

Jesus, Good Comforter, send us another Comforter from the Father who has promised.

Jesus, Great Shepherd of the sheep, Your faithful flock is not pleased to be scattered.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 4

In a storm of bewilderment and much sorrow, the Apostles were filled with sobs of tears, when they saw You, Christ, they were lifted up into the clouds and weepingly said: Master, how now are you leaving Your servants, you have loved them for Your mercy, as you go, you will hold the ends with your hands? We, having left everything, followed God to You, rejoicing, having hope of being with You forever. Do not leave us orphans, as you promised, do not separate from us, our Good Shepherd, but send us Your Most Holy Spirit, instructing, enlightening and sanctifying our souls, so that we may sing to You with gratitude: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing the sobs of Your disciple, Lord Lord, about the separation of those who mourn, You bestowed the most perfect blessing on Your friends, saying: Do not weep, beloved, and reject all lamentation, it is good for you to eat, so that I go to My Father, if I do not go, the Comforter will not come . For your sake I descended from heaven, and for your sake I will ascend again into heaven to prepare a place for you, for I will not leave My sheep, which I have gathered together, I will not forget, them whom I have loved. Having been comforted by these Divine words, I cried out to You with tenderness:

All-merciful Jesus, having turned our sorrow and tears into joy, do not deprive us of eternal joy in Your Kingdom.

All-Bounteous Jesus, who filled us with joy in Your Ascension, preserve our spirit in everlasting joy and in the earthly journey.

Jesus, like a kokosh who gathers his chicks, do not allow us to be separated according to the centuries of this world.

Jesus, who bound us together in a covenant of love at the Supper, do not allow us to be scattered by the action of Satan, like wheat.

Jesus, Thy peace which you have left for us as an inheritance, keep us in one mind and in Thy love.

Jesus, who has established many abodes in paradise, prepare a place for us in Your Heavenly Abode.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 5

The God-rich cloud greatly brightened and lifted You up, O Life-Giver, as a disciple of the beholders, when you retreated from them, You blessed, and so with much glory, as if carried on the wings of cherubim, Your wondrous ascent to Your Father You made into heaven, which was previously impassable from the spirits the evils of the heavenly places and from the princes of the powers of the air, now you are received within, so that from all creation, visible and invisible, you will hear the angelic song: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Having seen Your glorious Ascension with flesh into heaven, the King of creation, repair the angelic, the depths of existence, being horrified, I said to the highest powers: Lift up the eternal gates, for the King of Glory is coming, open the heavens and you heavens of heavens, receive the Lord of hosts and worship Him, crying out:

Jesus, Glory of the Father, enlighten us with the light of Your Face.

Jesus, desecration of the heavenly minds, desecration of us in the unfading days of Your Kingdom.

Jesus, who came in reality in fires and a green storm, call upon your intelligent heaven from above.

Jesus, Great and Praiseworthy in Thy Holy Mountain, proclaim Thy righteousness in heaven.

Jesus, having magnified Your mercy to the heavens, show Your glory throughout all the earth.

Jesus, who ascended into the heavens of the east, may Your Word remain in heaven forever.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 6

The Preachers of the Divine Glory, the highest ranks of the Angels, existing at the height of the heavenly Dominion, the Throne, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, opened together all the heights of heaven, meeting Thee, Lord of All, and seeing Thee Ascended in the flesh, crying out to each other in amazement: Who is this? , who came from Edom, Sovereign and Strong in battle? Who is this who came from Basor, who is of the flesh? Why are His garments scarlet, as if He wore a crown of thorns from being washed with blood? This is truly the King of Glory, the Lamb of God who was slain and risen for the salvation of the world, who now comes in the flesh to sit at the right hand of the Father, and to Him we will sing: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

You shone with Divine glory, Jesus, when you were clothed with human nature, you mercifully exalted you, you made you sit with the Father, and you deified you. In the same heavenly incorporeal order, marveling at miracles, being horrified by the horror and awe of the content, your love for mankind is great. With them we are on earth, Thy condescension for us and from us to heaven Ascension in glorification, we pray, saying:

Jesus, Thy stream of life, by Thy Ascension into heaven showed to us wanderers on earth the path of eternal life to Jerusalem on High.

Jesus, the abyss of mercy, at Your right hand of the Father, seated in our fleshly perception of God.

Jesus, taking upon Yourself our lost nature, take upon Yourself also my grave sins.

Jesus, who ascended in the Flesh to the Immaterial Father, lift up my sorrow from the depths of my drooping thoughts.

Jesus, who has ascended from the earth to the right hand of God and the Father, grant to me the right hand portion of the saved sheep.

Jesus, who has revealed the splendor of Your beauty from Zion, grant me to be a partaker of Your eternal bliss.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 7

Wanting to exalt and glorify the human nature that fell in Adam, You, like the second Adam, ascended to the heights of heaven, prepared Your Throne for the ages of ages, and sat down at the right hand of God and the Father, by Your Divinity in no way separated from the Father’s bosom. Come, let us worship Jesus who became poor for our sake and has ascended to the right hand of the Father, give Him greatness, and sing from the depths of our souls: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

Thou didst reveal a new and pure life, O Lord, when Thou ascended into heaven with Thy Flesh, so that Thou mightest renew the world, aged by many sins, by Thy ascension and into heaven by Ascension, showing us clearly, as the Divine Paul says, how our life is in heaven. For this sake, let us withdraw from the vanity of the world, placing our minds in heaven, and crying out to You like this:

Jesus, with the heavenly angels, by His divinity into heaven, calling us to strive for heavenly residence.

Jesus, with man, earthly Flesh, who taught us by His departure from earth to turn away from earthly attachments.

Jesus, you who came to seek the lost sheep, lead us to heaven to your unlost sheep.

Jesus, descended to unite the scattered nature that was on earth united to the heavenly one with the Highest Father.

Jesus, who ascended into heaven in a light cloud, grant us, who are left behind on earth, to gaze evermore at the gates of heaven.

Jesus, sitting in glory on the Throne of the Divine, grant us, having opened our eyes, to understand Your miracles from the Law.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 8

Strange and wondrous is Thy Resurrection, strange and terrible is Thy, Life-Giver Christ, hedgehog from the holy mountain of the Divine Ascension, incomprehensible and more than Thy mind, sitting at the right hand of the Father in the Flesh, about which David said in the spirit of the verb: “The Lord said to My Lord: sit at My right hand, until I will make Your enemies Your footstool." For this reason, all the powers of heaven, beholding Your ascension into heaven, truly submitting under Your nose, singing with the tongues of angels the Cherubic song: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

All in the Highest, Sweetest Jesus, when by the will of us for our sake you ascended with glory into heaven and sat at the right hand of God and the Father, but you were also absent from those below, you promised beforehand to remain persistently in the Church and you cried out to those who love You: “I am with you and no one else.” I remember this merciful promise of Yours and keep it in my heart, crying out to You with love:

Jesus, having received all power in heaven and on earth after Your Ascension, take us into Your eternal inheritance.

Jesus, Thy disciples, filled with all joy with the promise of the Holy Spirit, fill us with His grace by coming.

Jesus, having exalted all creation by Your Ascension, lift up my soul to sing with the Angels of Your Holiness.

Jesus, God's Word, who has established the heavens with Your Word, establish Your words in my heart, so that I will not sin against You.

Jesus, Son of the Father, having revealed all Your power from heaven by the Spirit of Your mouth, renew the Right Spirit in my womb, lest I defile myself.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 9

All fallen human nature, downcast and corrupted by sins, you took into your frame, O Lord Lord, who created new by yourself, and today you raised it above all beginning and power, and you brought it to God and the Father, and you seated it with yourself on the Throne of Heaven, so that you sanctify Yes, and glorify and adore. The disembodied one, marveling, said: Who is this Red Man, but not exactly a Man, but together God and Man, to whom let us sing: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

Divine Vitias, Thy disciples, Savior, marveling at Thy glorious Ascension, I look up to heaven, sorrowfully, I ascend to Thee, and behold, two Angels appeared before them in white clothing, and recited to them as a consolation: “Men of Galileistia, why are you standing looking up to heaven? This Jesus, who ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way, in the same way as He was seen going into heaven.” Having heard this angelic tidings of Your Second Coming, Lord, Your disciples came into joyful trembling, and with them we too joyfully sing to You like this:

Jesus, Who ascended from us in all Your glory, come quickly with Your holy angels.

Jesus, having come again to execute the judgment of justice, come with glory in the lordship of Your saints.

Jesus, great and terrible above all those around, then have mercy and protect all the meek of the earth.

Jesus, glorified in the Council of Your Saints, glorify us Yourself in Your Kingdom in heaven.

Jesus, who passed through the heavens in the Flesh, deign to lead the soul through the ordeals of the air and to see Thee outside.

Jesus, Who ascended upon the clouds of heaven, grant us the privilege to sit upon Thee on the clouds on the last day with joy and boldness.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 10

To save the disciples who are with You, O Christ the Savior, and all their believing words for the sake of You, and those who followed You, You ascended into heaven, so that You prepared a place for them, as in the house of Your Father there are many abodes, as You Yourself promised to come to the passion , saying: “If I prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am, you too will be.” For this reason, grant us, Lord, upon our mortal ascension to find a temple not made by hands, eternal in heaven, prepared not from the wood, or hay, or reeds of our carnal works, which cannot stand in fire, but from gold or silver or precious stones on Yours. foundation, where we will glorify and sing to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

To the Eternal King, Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven with Your Most Pure Flesh and called us all to our heavenly Fatherland, lead us down from worldly addictions and carnal wisdom to the heavenly heights and grant us, even in the days of our flesh, with a pure testimony of conscience, to partake of heavenly life and I will take out to taste heavenly food in the sacrament of the Divine Eucharist, and from a pure heart and right spirit we will sing to You like this:

Jesus, the Great Bishop of the blessings to come, in His Ascension passed through the heavens in the Flesh and ascended not into a temple made with hands, but into heaven itself, so that you may appear before us before the Face of God.

Jesus, Heavenly Architect, who built a tabernacle not made with hands in heaven and who alone entered into the Holy of Holies to the Father with His Blood, so that He may accomplish eternal redemption.

Jesus, Immaculate Lamb of God, who alone was slain for the sins of the world, “to take away the sins of many,” lift up my sin offerings to the Throne of God.

Jesus, the Mediator of the New Testament, who alone ascended into heaven to the Father, to open the way to the Heavenly Tabernacle, accept groaning for my uncleanness.

Jesus, our Beloved Bridegroom, Who has prepared the Luminous Palace in heaven, prepare there a place for You alone to serve those who desire.

Jesus, Good Shepherd of Your sheep, who has raised the heavenly pasture into paradise for Your flock, grant us crowns, Who alone desire to follow You.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 11

All-contrite singing is offered to Your Divine Ascension, the Word, Your All-Immaculate Mother, who gave birth to You. Because in Your passion, motherly, more than anyone else, I was more painful for You, for this sake, befitting You, for the glorification of Your Flesh, I enjoyed the greatest joy, and with this great joy, I descended from the Mount of Olives from the Apostles, and returned all to Jerusalem and ascended to the upper room, and beat all the Apostles , enduring with one accord in prayer, supplication and fasting with the women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brethren, awaiting the Descent of the Holy Spirit, praising and blessing God, and singing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

Eternal and imperishable light rose to the whole world from the Holy Mount of Olives, where you stood on your most pure nose, O Christ the Savior, when you ascended with glory into heaven, having first passed through the heavens with the Flesh, you opened the gates of heaven, closed by the fall of Adam, and this very Path, Truth and Life, Thou hast opened the way for all flesh in the abode of Thy Heavenly Father, as Thou didst foretell to Thy disciples, saying: “From here ye shall see the heavens opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” For this reason, having led Your way, for no one will come to the Father except You, I sing to You:

Jesus, who ascended to the Father on clouds of light, enlighten the extinguished lamp of my soul.

Jesus, in the lordships of Thy saints is the mountain exalted, Thy life-giving fire is ignited in my heart.

Jesus, who shone more than the Sun on the heights of heaven in Your Ascension, with the warmth of Your Spirit the coldness of my soul was kindled.

Jesus, Light from the Light of Your Divinity, shining forth to the world from the Father, enlighten us sleeping with the light of Your words in the night of sin.

Jesus, the Everlasting Light, having again at Your Coming Your coming, like lightning from the East and even to the West, Your appearance did not hit us then with the fire of Your wrath.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 12

Thou didst bestow new grace, O Sweetest Jesus, for the perfection of the saints and for the building up of Thy Holy Church, when Thou ascended into heaven with Thy Most Pure Flesh, and sat down at the right hand of God and the Father, as it is written: “Thou hast gone down first into the depths of the earth for the sake of our salvation.” , Thou hast now ascended to a height above all the heavens, that thou hast fulfilled all things for the perfection of the saints, for the building up of the Body of Christ, for this sake thou hast taken captivity captive, and thou hast given gifts unto man, until we reach all things in the union of faith and knowledge of Thee, the Son of God, into a husband perfect, according to the age of Your fulfillment, so that, having improved our salvation, we will sing gratefully to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing Your free Ascension into heaven with glory, we worship Yours, Master Christ, at the right hand of God and the Father, we glorify Your reign in heaven and on earth and believe with Your Apostles, for truly, in the same way You ascended into heaven, in the same way You came to the clouds with glory and much power. Then do not disgrace us who believe in You and cry out like this:

Jesus, ever neighbor with Thy Father on the Throne of the Divine, grant that those who conquer the world with Thy help may sit with Thee in Thy Kingdom.

Jesus, worshiped with the Holy Comforter by Your Spirit, do not deprive us of that Descent in Your service according to Your promise.

Jesus, from the Cherubim and Seraphim and from the faces of the saints after Your Ascension in heaven, grant us here gathered to feel Your presence in prayer in Your Name.

Jesus, Thy holy temples, after Thy departure to heaven, gave the right in Thy to believers, help us in the temple standing in heaven to think.

Jesus, Thy Most Pure Mother and the Apostles at Thy Ascension left Himself to pray for the whole world, do not leave us without the intercession of Thy Saints.

Jesus, Church, having left Your Bride on earth after Your Ascension until the end of the century, do not deprive us, Your children, of Your grace-filled gifts.

Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven, do not leave us orphans.

Kontakion 13

O Most Sweet and All-Bountiful Jesus, who ascended from us into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, having mercy and deifying our fallen nature! Look down from the heights of heaven on your weak and prostrate servants to the earth and grant us strength from above to overcome all temptations from the flesh, the world and the devil that come upon us, so that we may be wise on heaven, and not on earth. And save us from all enemies, visible and invisible, who rise against us. After the end of our earthly life, lift up our souls to the heavenly abodes, where we will sing with all the saints: Alleluia.

This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1.

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Ascension of the Lord. Folk traditions

Ascension Day is the last spring holiday in Rus'. “Spring-Red reached Ascension Day, listened for the last time to how “Christ is Risen” was sung - then the end came for her!” - people say. “Spring ascends to heaven from the Ascension - it asks to rest in the blessed paradise!” - can be heard in Volga villages. “It’s not forever for a girl to be married: why is spring so beautiful, and even on the Ascension of Christ she marries the summer!”, “And spring in Rus' would be glad to last forever, but when Ascension Day comes, it will crow like a cuckoo, fill itself with a nightingale, and by summer it will be in your bosom will be cleared up!”, “Spring will bloom - until Ascension!”, “Ascension Day will come, Spring-Red laziness will be thrown off his shoulders, in the summer he will turn around and pretend to be - he will get to work in the field!” - Russian proverbs are chasing one after another. And spring, indeed, from the day of the Ascension of the Lord, gives way to hot summer with his work on the soil watered with the sweat of the Russian plowman.

According to an old legend, on the eve of the Ascension of the Lord, nightingales sing more loudly than at all other times. They also seem to know that this is the last night of the risen Christ’s stay on earth. Therefore, it is impossible to lie in wait and catch the nightingale, a song bird, on this day. Whoever catches it will not have any spores in it for a whole year, until the new Ascension Day.

According to popular legend, the Savior walks on earth for forty days, from Sunday to Ascension: “By Ascension Day, all the spring flowers bloom - Christ the Father is escorted to the heavenly gardens with secret prayer.”

Associated with the holiday of the Ascension of the Lord is an ancient legend about the Kalikas of the people passing by. According to popular belief, from the Holy Resurrection of Christ until the Ascension, it is a grave sin to refuse all possible alms to a beggar, a wretched stranger; it is a sin not to share with the one asking in the name of Christ if there is something to share.

“The heavens rejoice, And the earth rejoices, Together with people, Always and forever, All the angels, archangels, Heavenly powers, Apostles, prophets With the martyrs and saints, With the saints with everyone, Pleasers of the Lord!” —

sing the poor people of God sitting at church porches on the day of the Ascension of the Lord with cups in their hands.

“Ascend to heaven, O God! Who can speak Your mercy? The lips of Your faithful cannot speak about the immortals. Oh miracles in heaven and sea! The earth is full of Your glory, the mountains, the hills are triumphant, they rejoice, they behold the glory of the Lord. The Mount of Olives rejoices as the Lord ascends into the sky...

On the Ascension holiday, villages baked pies with green onions, and the main special dish was bread “ladders”. Such stairs were always made with seven rungs, like steps, according to the number of the seven heavens of the apocalypse. Previously, these pies and ladders were blessed in the church, taken to the bell tower and thrown down to the ground. At the same time, of course, they wondered which of the seven heavens the fortuneteller was destined to go to. When all seven steps remained intact, this indicated to the fortuneteller the direct path to heaven, and vice versa: if the ladder was broken into small pieces, it thereby revealed a terrible sinner who was not fit for any of heaven.

In many places there was a custom of going to Ascension to visit relatives and friends. In the old days, this was called “walking at a crossroads,” and guests brought the hosts as a gift ladders baked from wheat dough with honey and with a sugar pattern. On this day in old Moscow there was a cheerful spring festivities - in the squares, around the churches.