The Ascension of our Lord - 5/21/26
On Thursday, May 21st, at 8:00 am, the Divine Liturgy will be served to celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. “I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God, and Your God” (John 20:17).
In these words the Risen Christ described to Mary Magdalene the mystery of His Resurrection. She had to carry this mysterious message to His disciples, “as they mourned and wept.” (Mark 16:10) The disciples listened to these glad tidings with fear and amazement, with doubt and mistrust. It was not Thomas alone who doubted among the Eleven. On the contrary, it appears that only one of the Eleven did not doubt—Saint John, the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” He alone grasped the mystery of the empty tomb at once: “and he saw, and believed” (John 20:8). Even Peter left the sepulcher in amazement, “wondering at that which was come to pass” (Luke 24:12).
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As on the day of Christ’s Nativity the earth was astonished on beholding God in the flesh, so now the Heavens do tremble and cry out. “The Lord of Hosts, Who reigns over all, Who is Himself the head of all, Who is preeminent in all things, Who has reinstated creation in its former order—He is the King of Glory.” And the heavenly doors are opened: “Open, Oh heavenly gates, and receive God in the flesh.” It is an open allusion to Psalms 24:7-10, now prophetically interpreted. “Lift up your heads, Oh ye gates, and be lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty....” Saint Chrysostom says, “Now the angels have received that for which they have long waited, the archangels see that for which they have long thirsted. They have seen our nature shining on the King’s throne, glistening with glory and eternal beauty.... Therefore they descend in order to see the unusual and marvelous vision: Man appearing in heaven.”
Readings for Thursday, May 21st:
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1
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2
until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
3
to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
4
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5
for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11
who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
12
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.
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36
Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”
37
But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.
38
And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
39
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
41
But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”
42
So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43
And He took it and ate in their presence.
44
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
45
And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48
And you are witnesses of these things.
49
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
50
And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
51
Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
52
And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53
and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
The Holy Scriptures are part of the Church’s Holy Tradition. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of blessed memory wrote:
In the words of Father Alexander Schmemann, “A Christian is the one who, wherever he looks, finds everywhere Christ, and rejoices in Him.” This is true in particular of the biblical Christian. Wherever he looks, on every page, he finds everywhere Christ.
See Metropolitan Ware’s article How to Read the Bible for more on an Orthodox approach to scripture.