The Ascension

The Stanza (Stikhira) for: Lord, I have cried: In Tone VI. The Lord hath ascended into heaven, that he may send the Comforter unto the world. The heavens have prepared his throne, the clouds his ascension. The Angels marvel, beholding a man exalted over them. The Father awaiteth him whom, as coeternal, he hath in his bosom; and the Holy Spirit commandeth all his Angels: Lift up your gates, ye Princes; clap your hands, all ye nations, for Christ is ascended up to the place where he was before. (Twice.)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone VI. O sweetest Jesus, who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast, as a man, dwelt among the earth-born, to-day art thou ascended in glory from the Mount of Olives, and graciously hast borne on high our fallen nature, and hast sat down with the Father. For which cause the Bodiless Powers of heaven, amazed at the marvel, were affrighted with dread, and seized with trembling, they magnified thy love toward mankind. With them also, we earth-born, glorifying thy condescension toward us, and thine Ascension from us, pray, saying: Do thou, who, at thine Ascension, didst fill with joy unutterable thy disciples and the Birth-giver of God who bare thee, vouchsafe unto us, thine elect, joy also, through their prayers, because of thy great mercy.

The Gradual (Prokimen) for the Day.

The Parables (Paremii). Isaiah ii. 2-3, lxii. 10-12, lxiii. 1-3, 7-10; Zech.

The Stanza for the Litiyd, in Tone I. Being ascended up into heaven, whence also thou hadst come down, leave us not comfortless, O Lord. But let thy Spirit come, bearing peace unto the world, and show the works of thy might upon the sons of men, O Lord who lovest mankind.

The Hymn for the Day (Tropdr), in Tone I. Thou art ascended up into glory, O Christ our God, having made joyful thy disciples by the promise of thy Holy Spirit, the blessing which was announced unto them. For thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

The Collect-Hymn (Konddk). When thou hadst accomplished thy dispensation to usward, and hadst united things earthly with things heavenly, thou didst ascend into glory, O Christ our God, yet in nowise departing but abiding uninterruptedly with us, and crying unto those who love thee: I am with you, and none shall prevail against you.

The Exaltation (Velitchdnie). We magnify thee, O life-giving Christ, and do homage to thy divine Ascension into heaven in thy holy flesh.

The Gradual (Prokimen), in the Fourth Tone. God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump.

Verse (Siikh): O clap your hands together, all ye people: cry aloud unto God with the voice of gladness.

The Gospel. Mark xvi. 9-20.

The First Canon. In Tone V (St. John of Damascus.)

Theme-Songs (Irmosi). I. Unto God the Saviour, who led his people through the sea with foot unwet, and drowned Pharaoh with all his host, — unto him alone will we sing: For he hath glorified himself.

III. By the might of thy Cross, O Christ, establish thou my mind, that I may sing and glorify thy redeeming Ascension.

IV. I heard the fame of the might of thy Cross, how that through it Paradise was opened; and I cried: Glory to thy might, O Lord!

V In the morning, waking early, we cry aloud unto thee, O Lord, Save us! For thou art our God: we know none other beside thee.

VI. The abyss compassed me round about, the whale became unto me a tomb: but I cried unto thee who lovest mankind, and thy right hand saved me, O Lord.

VII. Blessed is the God of our fathers, who saved the Youths which sang in the fiery furnace.

VIII. The Son of God, who was born of the Father before the ages, and in these latter days became incarnate of a Virgin-Mother, sing, O ye Priests; and ye people, magnify him unto all the ages.

In place of: My soul doth magnify the Lord: the Refrains:

Magnify, O my soul, the Life-giver, who hath ascended up from earth into heaven.

The Angels, when they beheld the Ascension of the Lord, were amazed with awe to see how that he, with glory, was taken up from earth on high.

IX. Thee, who above understanding and speech didst become the Mother of God, and ineffably didst bring forth in time him who knoweth not time, we faithful, with one accord, do magnify.

The Benediction. May he who is ascended up in glory from us into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, Christ our true God: and the rest. (See page 122.)

At the Liturgy. Antiphon I., Tone II. Verse 1: O clap your hands together, all ye people: cry aloud unto God with the voice of gladness.

Refrain. Through the prayers of the Birth-giver of God, O Saviour, save us.

Verse 2: For the Lord is high and to be feared: he is the great King upon all the earth.

Verse з: He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

Verse 4: God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump.

Antiphon II., Tone II.

Verse 1: Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, in the city of our God, even upon his holy hill.

Refrain. Save, O son of God who art ascended up in glory, those who sing unto thee: Alleluia.

Verse 2: Upon the north side of the hill of Zion lieth the city of the great King.

Verse 3: God is well known in her palaces as a sure refuge.

Verse 4: For lo, the kings of the earth are gathered and gone by together.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Only-begotten Son and Word of God!.. (See page 170.)

Antiphon III., Tone IV

Verse 1: O hear ye this, all ye people; ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world.

Refrain: The Hymn for the Day (Tropdr). Thou art ascended up into glory, O Christ our God, having made joyful thy disciples by the promise of thy Holy Spirit, the blessing which was announced unto them. For thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Verse 2: Ye earth-born and sons of men: rich and poor, one with another.

Verse 3: My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall muse of understanding,

Verse 4: I will incline mine ear to the parable, and show my dark speech upon the harp.

The Introit. God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump.

The Gradual (Prokimen), in the Seventh Tone. Be thou exalted in heaven, O God, and thy glory above all the earth.

Verse (Stikh): My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give thanks.

The Epistle. Acts i. 1-11.

The Gospel. Luke xxiv. 36-53.

In place of: Meet is it: The Ninth Theme-Song of the Canon: Thee, who above understanding (See page 243.)

The Communion Hymn. God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump.