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Sunday, June 16, 2024

 7th Sunday of Pascha

Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

Afterfeast of the Ascension

Ascension of our Lord

Commemorated on June 13

Introduction

(GOARCH) The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated each year on the fortieth day after the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha (Easter). Since the date of Pascha changes each year, the date of the Feast of the Ascension changes. The Feast is always celebrated on a Thursday.

The Feast itself commemorates when, on the fortieth day after His Resurrection, Jesus led His disciples to the Mount of Olives, and after blessing them and asking them to wait for the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit, He ascended into heaven.

Background

The story of the Ascension of our Lord, celebrated as one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church, is found in the book of the Acts of the Apostles 1:3-11. It is also mentioned in the Gospels of Mark (16:19) and Luke (24:50-53). The moment of the Ascension is told in one sentence: "He was lifted up before their eyes in a cloud which took Him from their sight" (Acts 1:9).

Christ made His last appearance on earth, forty days after His Resurrection from the dead. The Acts of the Apostles states that the disciples were in Jerusalem. Jesus appeared before them and commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the "Promise of the Father". He stated, "You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:5).

After Jesus gave these instructions, He led the disciples to the Mount of Olives. Here, He commissioned them to be His witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). It is also at this time that the disciples were directed by Christ to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Jesus also told them that He would be with them always, "even to the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).

As the disciples watched, Jesus lifted up His hands, blessed them, and then was taken up out of their sight (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9). Two angels appeared to them and asked them why they were gazing into heaven. Then one of the angels said, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

Icon of the Feast

The icon of The Ascension of Our Lord is a joyous icon. It is painted with bright colors. Christ is shown ascending in His glory in a mandorla A mandorla is a design which is almond-shaped or round. Inside the mandorla is the figure of a holy person. Christ blesses the assembly with His right hand. In His left is a scroll. The scroll is a symbol of teaching. This icon shows that the Lord in heaven is the source of blessing. In addition, Jesus is the source of knowledge. The icon reminds us that Christ continues to be the source of the teaching and message of the Church, blessing and guiding those to whom He has entrusted his work.

The Theotokos occupies a very special place in this icon. She is in the center of the icon, immediately below the ascending Christ. The gesture of her hands is gesture of prayer. She is clearly outlined by the whiteness of the garments of the angels. The Theotokos is depicted in a very calm pose. This is quite different from the appearance of the Disciples. They are moving about, talking to one another and looking and pointing towards heaven. The entire group, the Theotokos and the disciples represent the Church.

The icon of the Ascension includes some who did not witness the Ascension. St. Paul is shown to the left of the Theotokos, but we know that he was not present at the Ascension. At that time, St. Paul did not yet believe in Jesus. But he became a Christian and one of the greatest Apostles and missionaries of Church.

The icon expresses the sovereignty of Christ over His Church; He is its Head, its guide, its source of inspiration and teaching; it receives its commission and ministry from Him, and fulfils it in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ is Risen!

This coming Thursday, June 13, is the Feast of the Ascension. We will have Vespers, on Wednesday (6/12) at 5:30 PM and Divine Liturgy, on Thursday at 7:00 AM.

This coming Sunday is Father's Day. We will offer memorial prayers for our departed fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, spiritual fathers, brothers, sons, uncles, and the other men in our lives.

In Christ,

Fr Gregory

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This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

Wednesday, June 12

• 1:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions
• 5:30 PM: Vespers (Ascension)

Thursday, June 13 (Ascension)

• 7:00 AM: Divine Liturgy
• 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions [canceled]

Saturday, June 15

• 3:00 PM: Catechumen/Inquirers Class
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers 
• 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, June 16: Sunday of the Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council

• 9:00 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy & Memorial Service for Father's Day.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Wednesday, June 19

• 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions

Thursday, June 20

• 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions 

Saturday, June 22

• 3:00 PM: Catechumen/Inquirers Class
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers 
• 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, June 23: Pentecost

• 9:00 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy & Kneeling Vespers

Hymns After the Small Entrance

Tone 6 Troparion (Resurrection)

The Angelic Powers were at Thy tomb; the guards became as dead men. Mary stood by Thy grave, seeking Thy most pure body. Thou didst capture hell not being tempted by it. Thou didst come to the Virgin, granting life. O Lord, Who didst rise from the dead,//glory to Thee.  

Tone 4 Troparion (Ascension)

Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, granting joy to Thy Disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Through the blessing, they were assured that Thou art the Son of God,//the Redeemer of the world!            

Tone 8 Troparion (Fathers)

Thou art most glorious, O Christ our God, Who hast established the Holy Fathers as lights on the earth. Through them Thou hast guided us to the True Faith.//O greatly compassionate One, glory to Thee!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

Tone 8 Kontakion (Fathers)

The Apostles’ preaching and the Fathers’ doctrines have established one Faith for the Church. Adorned with the robe of truth, woven from heavenly theology,//It defines and glorifies the great mystery of piety.

now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 6 Kontakion

When Thou hadst fulfilled the dispensation for our sake, and united earth to heaven, Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, not being parted from those who love Thee, but remaining with them and crying://“I am with you, and there is no one against you!”

Epistle: Acts 20:16-18, 28-36

In those days,  Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' " And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

Gospel:  John 17:1-13

At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.

"I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."

By the age of 25, about 60% of those baptized as infants will no longer consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. A parish on a university campus is an important witness not only to the surrounding community but also to high school age and younger parishioner. Establishing a parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison helps remind young people that graduating high school doesn't mean "graduating" from the Church. Please consider joining those who have committed their time, treasure and talent in establishing an Orthodox community on the Isthmus.

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