Today, May 5, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of
the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The day marks the ascent of our Lord
into heaven, on the 40th day after his resurrection.In the Bible, the opening chapter of the Book of Acts
presents the classic account of Christ’s ascension, where Jesus preaches to the
disciples on the Mount of Olives, and then, “while they beheld, he was taken
up; and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9).
Luke (who is also
the author of Acts) in the closing verses of his gospel reports that “while
[Jesus] blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven” (Lk
24:51). St. Paul gives us the earliest reference to Christ’s presence in
heaven, in his Epistle to the Romans (Rom 10:5-7).
The Feast of the Ascension (Hampartsoum in Armenian) has
been celebrated in the universal church since ancient times. Modern scholarship
traces its observance to the 4th century. The Nicene Creed (A.D. 325), chanted
in the Armenian Church during every Divine Liturgy, asserts that Christ
“ascended into heaven with the same body and sat at the right hand of the
Father.”
Today, a sanctuary on the Mount of Olives marks the place
where the Ascension of our Lord occurred; for centuries the Brotherhood of St.
James at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has held a vespers service and
vigil in the sanctuary on the eve of the Feast of the Ascension.
to learn more about the feast day.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder
Not: Yalnızca bu blogun üyesi yorum gönderebilir.