Come!

Of the ecclesiastical feasts which we wrong ourselves by neglecting, as they had been neglected by those who participated in organizing holidays in our country, is the feast of the Lord's Ascension into Heaven. The thing, which many Christians miss, is that this feast, the feast of the Divine Ascension, is another aspect of Pascha. Christ Who, in His Pascha, has conquered death, is crowned, in His ascension, as King of the universe. I am writing about the feast of Ascension, on the eve of the Leavetaking of Pascha, that is, one day before, just to tell the brethren: “arise to the feast. If your churches hold the prayers of the feast at their appointed times, or group them on the eve of the feast, for the sake of pastoral care, do not deprive yourselves of the blessing of witnessing Christ ascending to heaven, and of renewing your listening to the promise that He will come again in glory”. In all generations, this is what disciples do. Those who strive to see Jesus taken up to His Father are capable of saying to Him: come!