Many of us consider ourselves Orthodox Christians. At the same time, most people still have a very vague idea of the details, the history of the formation and the significance of the most important holidays of Christians. The time has come to restore the gaps in our knowledge and to understand why the Ascension holiday is of such great importance for the vast majority of believers.
When is this momentous event celebrated?
A great many eyewitnesses leave no shadow of doubt that forty days after his resurrection, Jesus Christ, being in the flesh, ascended into heaven with God the Father and sat at the right hand of the Creator. According to historians, the Ascension Day was celebrated separately only in the fourth century A.D. Until this time, this event was celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. At the place where Christ ascended to God the Father, Queen Helen erected a temple in honor of this event. And still this shrine, standing on the Mount of Olives, inspires believers with the great joy and hope that the Savior gave us. Until now, it contains a stone imprint of Christ's foot - this relic can be seen with your own eyes. Around the same time (4th century AD), the Church decided to devote a separate day to this event, and the Ascension Day began to be celebrated on the 40th day after Easter. Hundreds of centuries have passed, some states have disappeared from the face of the Earth, and this tradition has still remained unchanged and is still one of the most revered in the Christian world. We add that the Ascension Day of 2013 fell on June 13, and in 2014 this day will be celebrated on May 29.
What the New Testament Says
This historical fact is described in detail in the Scriptures of Luke (chapter 24, verse 50-51) and in the book of the acts of St. apostles (chapter 1, verse 9-11). The brief essence of this event is set forth in the Gospel of Mark (Ch. 16, v. 19). The Feast of the Resurrection every year reminds us of the days when Jesus, having overcome Death, repeatedly appeared to the future apostles in order to make sure of the truth of his bodily resurrection. In his own words, he prepared them to receive the Holy Spirit, and his presence strengthened their faith more and more. Finally, the moment came when Jesus led his disciples to Mount Eleon in Bethany. There he gave them his blessing, and then, raising his hands, he gradually began to move away and ascend into heaven. According to the description of this event in Acts St. the apostles, in the end, Christ hid behind the clouds, and then two angels appeared, announcing to the disciples of his Second Coming. With this good news, the apostles returned to Jerusalem, where, after ten days, their hearts were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Feast of the Resurrection: traditions and reasons for joy
Since this day is entirely dedicated to our Lord, priests wear exclusively white clothing during worship. This is a symbol of the divine light that Jesus brought with us into our world. On this day it is forbidden to engage in all sorts of difficult and dirty deeds. It is best to spend it in a quiet circle with your loved ones and relatives. The Ascension Day gives people the opportunity to feel great joy from the fact that the Lord performed a great feat - he was able to defeat death, and now our souls can rise again. Thanks to him, the sky - an eternal and new home - is always open to man. Ascended to the Father, Christ not only did not leave the Earth, but became closer to us. Having set a great example, he indicated how we should live in order to be truly happy. And we, as children, can only listen to his words and stop rejecting the long-proven truths.