Feast of the ascension of the lord in 2018

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Ascension is one of the twelve great festivals celebrated by all Christians. The date of the celebration changes annually, in direct proportion to Easter Sunday. To find out what date 2018 will be the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, you need to count 40 days from Easter. According to the church calendar, this joyous holiday falls on Thursday, May 17.

The history of the origin of the holiday

The Ascension is one of the most important events of the New Testament time, giving believers hope for resurrection and eternal life after the Day of Judgment. Of no small importance in this is the fact that the son of God was born in the flesh, like all people. Just like any person, Jesus was mortal.

But thanks to the all-encompassing love of his father, he was resurrected and ascended to heaven, completing his earthly mission.

According to the gospel story, Jesus Christ, after a miraculous resurrection from the dead for 40 days, stayed on earth surrounded by devoted disciples, instructing them to continue the good work. After this period, Christ gathered the twelve apostles on the Mount of Olives, in the suburb of Jerusalem - Bethany. Having blessed the disciples and the flock, the Son of God in the flesh ascended to heaven. At this time, two angels appeared from heaven and proclaimed that the Savior would again appear on earth to judge the living and the dead when the day of judgment came.

According to their assurances, Jesus Christ after the Ascension will not leave his disciples and will remain invisibly next to them.

In the history of the origin of the holiday, it is noted that initially the Ascension was celebrated on the same day with the Trinity, but later these holidays were divided. The division with Pentecost began in the 4th century after the Cathedral of Elvira, documentary evidence of this event dates back to the 5th century.

The sacred meaning of the number 40 for Christians

The number 40 has a dual meaning in biblical history. On the one hand, 40 is the beginning of a significant event, and on the other, it is a symbol of logical completion, a transition to a qualitatively new state.

Also, this number symbolizes the preparatory stage or the period preceding any important event, expressing the completeness of the test.

It is no coincidence that after his resurrection and before the Ascension, Jesus Christ was on earth for 40 days, giving instructions to his disciples, carrying the Word of God. In the Holy Scriptures, the number 40 is mentioned about 150 times.

Significant periods in biblical history associated with this number include the following:

• the worldwide flood lasted forty days and nights;
• kings David and Solomon ruled for forty years in Israel;
• the wanderings of the Jews, led by Moses, lasted forty years;
• Moses spent forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai;
• forty days after birth, Jewish babies were to be dedicated to God;
• For forty days and nights the prophet Elijah went to Mount Horeb, where he was rewarded with a vision of the Lord;
• forty days were given to the inhabitants of Nineveh for repentance;
• forty days and nights Jesus Christ fasted in the wilderness and was tempted by the devil;
• Forty years after the Savior's Ascension, Israel was destroyed by the Romans.

Ascension iconography

Until the end of the 4th century, there was a tradition of joint celebration of the Trinity and the Ascension on the fiftieth day after Easter. Early images from this period contain common scenes depicting the events of two important holidays in a single composition.

Starting from the 5th century, the first images of the Ascension appear, differing from the later and modern frescoes and icons. Two scenes are inscribed on a carved plaque made of ivory: an Easter scene with the Myrrh-Bearing Wives, an angel and soldiers near the tomb of the Lord, and the second, where the Savior rises, led by the hand of God the Father into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Over time, the images of the Ascension began to look more and more like the modern and familiar icons of this holiday. The composition depicted on the wooden doors of the Basilica of St. Sabina in Rome is divided into two conventional parts. The lower half depicts the Mother of God surrounded by the apostles Peter and Paul. The disciples of the Son of God hold the royal crown over the head of the Mother of God. In the upper half, representing Heaven, Jesus is surrounded by four animals that represent the evangelical apostles.

Next to the image of the Savior, the letters "alpha" and "omega" are inscribed, personifying the mission of Christ in the Apocalypse - "the beginning and the end, the First and the Last."

In the modern image of the canonical icon of the Ascension, the following points stand out:

1. A golden field, symbolizing divine light and grace, with the division of the composition into two sections - Heaven and Earth, the border of which is a schematic representation of the Mount of Olives, where a miraculous event took place.
2. In the lower part there are traditionally the figures of the twelve apostles with the Mother of God in the center. There are angels on both sides of the Mother of God.
3. In the upper part of the icon, the Savior is depicted ascending over the mountain, surrounded by angels. Moreover, the number of angels in different icons can be different.
4. The figure of Christ, depicted in glory, appears in a golden robe. The Savior is depicted as standing or sitting on an invisible throne, on a rainbow or on the heavenly sphere. In iconography, such an image of the Son of the Lord is called Pantokrator, which in Greek means the Almighty.

Numerous images of the Ascension convey the main message of the holiday - joy in Christ and gratitude for his sacrifice in the name of atonement for original sin, giving hope for eternal life for all the righteous.

Ascension Celebration

Ascension is one of the most ancient and beloved religious holidays among the people. On the eve of the holiday, the Orthodox visit churches, where they can take communion and confess in order to meet the great holiday with a pure heart and soul.

Cleanliness is brought into the churches and houses, courtyards themselves, and later they are decorated for the holiday. At night, there is a service - All-night vigil.

On Ascension, it is customary to set the table and prepare symbolic pastries - bread in the form of a "ladder" and flat cakes "lapotka". On this day, solemn liturgies are held everywhere, illuminating the miracle of the Ascension of the Lord to heaven. Bells ringing is heard everywhere, heralding a joyful event.

The end of the holiday (giving) falls on Friday.