O Christ our God, upon fulfilling Your dispensation for our sake, You ascended in Glory, uniting the earthly with the heavenly. You were never separate but remained inseparable, and cried out to those who love You, “I am with you and no one is against you.”
(Kontakion of the feast)
The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is a celebration of great significance for all mankind, a living proof that the divine work for the salvation of humanity is complete. Just as the Apostle Paul says, “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10). The Son of God has incarnated, took on human nature, descended to earth in order to raise us (earthly human beings) to heaven, suffered because of our sins, by death conquered death, rose to inexpressible glory, and now ascends to Heaven without separating from us, to bring, reconcile, fulfil and unite our fallen nature with God. Delighted and confused is the mind, in front of these great mysteries performed for our salvation, because we, powerless human beings, according to the words of the apostle, we only partially understand. But this truth was understood by the apostles, at the moment of the Ascension, when “He was lifted up before their eyes in a cloud which took Him from their sight”. (Acts 1:9).
The unearthly joy and consolation received by the apostles are passed on to all the faithful in Christ, to the members of His Body – the Holy Church, which have been celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with great solemnity for centuries. Great is the joy of the Bigorski and Rajcica Monasteries, beheaded by our beloved Elder and Abbot, Archimandrite Parthenius, because the Son of God with His mercy, gentleness, strength and justice constantly and without separating from us, revives and restores our souls.
Christ our God, Who ascended to glory, have mercy and save us. Amen
