Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Great Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ - Holy and Glorious Pascha Celebration Fortieth Day

Feast of Feasts and Great Feasts
Feast	Event Commem- orated	Action of Event	Significance of Event	Celebrate	Apostolos	Gospel	Date	Class	Saints
Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ	Jesus Christ's ascension in human form into heaven.	Jesus Christ going to heaven.	Jesus Christ is Holy God.	Jesus Christ's victory over death.	Acts 1:1-12	Lk. 24:36-53	40th day of Pascha	Great Feast Class 1	Theotokos Apostles

Pascha Cycle

Sundays of Pascha or Pascha Cycle
Sunday of Pascha	Sunday after Pascha	Day of Pascha	Name	Apostolos	Gospel	Tone
Great Feast Ascension into Heaven Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ	Thurs. after 6 Sunday	40th day Pascha 10 days before Pente- cost		Acts 1:1-12	Lk. 24:36-53	6

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven on the Fortieth Day after His glorious Resurrection, which is celebrated on Holy and Glorious Pascha.

Before His Ascension into Heaven, Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Instructed the disciples to baptise all nations
Promised to send the Holy God the Holy Spirit
Assured them that He would be with us always, until the end of the ages

Kontakion, Troparion, Exapostilarion, and Vespers Sticheron or Doxastikon

TROPARION (TONE 4)
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened Your Disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Through Your blessing they were confirmed in their belief that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Apostolos

Acts 1:1-12

Gospel

Lk. 24:36-53

Antiphon

Palsm 117
0 Son of God, who ascended in glory to heaven, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Khallisna Yabnallah, Ya Man sa'eda 'anna bemajdin ila samawaat, nahnul muran-neemeena Laka, Halleloueya.

Relation to Great Feast of Pentecost

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ told the Apostles and disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were "clothed with power from on high".
Also, we await the coming of the Holy Spirit on Great Feast of Pentecost.

Prayer

May Christ our True God, who gloriously ascended into heaven and was seated at the right hand of the Father for our salvation, have mercy on us and bless us, for He is good and He loves all people, now and every and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Pascha Cycle

The Great Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is within the Pascha Cycle. The Great Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is the Fortieth day of the Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha. The Ascension is between Holy and Glorious Pascha and the Great Feast of Pentecost. The Great Feast of the Ascension is the Fortiethth Day of Pascha and ten days before the Great Feast of Pentecost.
Also, the Ascension is between the Sixth Sunday of Holy and Glorious Pascha or Sunday of the Man Born Blind and the Seventh Sunday of Holy and Glorious Pascha or Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council Sunday.

The Great Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ ends the Pascha celebration.

How to determine when the Great Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ occurs

Date of Pascha

Feasts of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha Cycle in Latin Catholic Dominated Countries

Some important dates in Feasts of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha Cycle in Latin Catholic Dominated Countries for the years 2000-2010.

Pascal Greeting, Pascal Troparion, Feasting, the Doors and Curtains of the Ikonostasis are Open, Paschal Candle from the Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha until the beginning of the Vespers of the Great Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.

For the Forty Days from the Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha (Feasts of Feasts) to the Great Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate the Holy and Glorious Resurrection of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ from the dead. By His death He has trampled upon death and given life to the world. By breaking down the gates of Hades, He has opened Heaven to all.

We greet each other by saying "Christ is risen! He is truly risen!" or "Al Masiah Qaam! Haqqan Qaam! / Al Massihu Qam! Haqqan Qam!" or "Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!".

Also, we say "Glory to His Resurrection on the Third Day! We glorify His Resurrection on the Third Day!".

Finally, we sing the Troparion of Pascha repeatedly in the Divine Liturgy ("Christ is risen from the dead and by His death He has trampled upon death, and has given life to those who are in the tombs!"),

We feast for Forty Days! We do not fast, not even on Fridays. Fasting is forbidden.

The doors and curtains of the ikonostasis remain open. This action is to symbolize how Christ's Resurrection has opened Heaven.

The Paschal Candle, the first one lit by the New Light of Pascha, burns brightly on the Holy Table.

Standing from the Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha until the Great Feast of Pentecost

We stand! We do not kneel. Kneeling is forbidden until the beginning of the Vespers of the Great Feast of Pentecost.

These prayers ask the Lord Jesus Christ to send the Holy Spirit also upon us, to empower us to do His will in all aspects of our lives. They are called the "Kneeling Prayers" because they mark the first time we kneel after the 50-day celebration of the Resurrection.

Paper:

Ascension Saint Ann Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Paterson, NJ

More Information

Ascension of Our Lord Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Mobile Feasts of Our Lord

Ikon

Ascension of Our Lord Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Mobile Feasts of Our Lord

Sundays of Pascha or Pascha Cycle
Sunday of Pascha	Day after Sunday of Pascha	Sunday after Pascha	Day of Pascha	Name	Apostolos	Gospel	Tone	Saint
1		0	1	Pascha	Acts 1:1-9	Jn. 1:1-17	0
Bright Monday Vespers			1				0
Bright Monday	Monday after Pascha		2	New Monday	Acts 1:12-17, 21-28	Jn. 1:18-28	0
Bright Week	Mon. - Sat. after Pascha		2-7	New Week	many	many	0
2		1	8	Thomas Sunday Bright Sunday New Sunday	Acts 5:12-20	Jn. 20:19-31	1	Holy Glorious Apostle Thomas
3		2	15	Myrhh- Bearing Women	Acts 6:1-7	Mk. 15:43-16:8	2	Myrrh- bearing Woman Mary Magdalen, Equal of Apostles
4		3	22	Paralytic	Acts 9:32-42	Jn. 5:1-15	3
Mid Pentecost	Wed. after 4 Sunday		25	Middle feast	Acts 14:6-18	Jn. 7:14-30	3
5		4	29	Samaritan Woman	Acts 11:19-30	Jn. 4:5-42	4
6		5	36	Man Born Blind	Acts 16:16-34	Jn. 9:1-38	5
Great Feast Ascension into Heaven Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ	Thurs. after 6 Sunday		40th day Pascha 10 days before Pente- cost		Acts 1:1-12	Lk. 24:36-53	6	Theotokos Apostles
7		6	43	Fathers First Ecumen- ical Council	Acts 20:16-18 27-36	Jn. 17:1-13	7
2 Sat. Dead	Sat. after 7 Sunday		49th day Pascha 1 day before Pente- cost
8		7	50	Pentecost	Acts 2:1-11	Jn. 7:37-52, 8:12	8	Theotokos Apostles

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ's Feast of Feasts and Great Feasts
Feast	Event Commem- orated	Action of Event	Significance of Event	Celebrate	Apostolos	Gospel	Date	Class
Annun- ciation of Theotokos Ever Virgin Mary	Jesus Christ's conception in human form Incar- nation.	Future Theotokos' accepting Holy God's will saying yes to Holy God.	Holy God becomes human Incar- nation.	Beginning of process of our redemption.	Heb. 2:11-18	Lk. 1:24-38	25 March	Great Feast Class 2
Nativity According to Flesh of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ	Jesus Christ's birth in human form.	Jesus Christ being born in human form.	Messiah is born.	Jesus Christ's birthday.	Gal. 4:4-7	Mt. 2:1-12	25 Dec.	Great Feast Class 1
Circum- cision of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ	Jesus Christ's Naming and Circum- cision.	Jesus Christ submitted to Mosaic Law.	Jesus Christ is named	Jesus Christ's Naming and Circum- cision.	Col. 2:8-12	Lk. 2:20-21, 40-52	1 Jan.	Feast Class 3
ºHoly Hypapanty of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ ºPurifi- cation of Theotokos	ºJesus Christ's presen- tation at Temple. ºTheotokos' purification.	Theotokos bringing Jesus Christ to Temple at prescribed time for prescribed rituals.	Messiah's first meeting with His people.	A step in process of our redemption.	Heb. 7:7-17	Lk. 2:22-40	2 Feb.	Great Feast Class 2
Holy Theophany of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ	Jesus Christ's baptism	Holy Prophet and Glorious Fore- runner John Baptist baptizing Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ in River Jordan.	ºAs an adult, Jesus Christ shows His people that He is Holy God (manifestation Jesus Christ to the world). ºHoly God shows His people that Holy God is a Holy Trinity.	ºJesus Christ is Holy God. ºHoly God is a Holy Trinity	Tim. 2:11-14, 3:4-7	Mt. 3:13-17	6 Jan.	Great Feast Class 1
Transfig- uration of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ	Jesus Christ's transfig- uration	Jesus Christ showing His disciples "...as much of His glory as they could behold...".	Jesus Christ is both fully Holy God and fully man.	ºReve- lation of glory of Holy God ºConfir- mation of two natures of Jesus Christ both fully Holy God and fully human.	2 Pet. 1:10-19	Mt. 17:1-9	6 Aug.	Great Feast Class 1
Triumphal Entry of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ into Jerusalem Holy and Glorious Palm Sun. Shaneeneh	Jesus Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem.	Children throwing garments into Jesus Christ's path, pulling down branches from olive and palm trees, putting them in the road, and waving them in air, shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"	Jesus Christ's people hailing Him as Messiah.	Jesus Christ is Messiah.	Phil. 4:4-9	John 12:1-18	7 days before Pascha	Great Feast Class 1
Great and Holy Friday	Jesus Christ's death in human form on Holy Cross	Jesus Christ dies on Holy Cross	Holy God redeems our souls.	We have possi- bility of "eternal life".	1 Cor. 1:18-24	John 5:48-55	2 days before Pascha	Great Holy Fri.
Holy and Glorious Pascha	Jesus Christ's resurrection in human form	Jesus Christ rising from dead and giving "eternal life" to good.	ºJesus Christ is Holy God. ºOpening possi- bility of "eternal life"	ºJesus Christ's victory over death. ºWe have possi- bility of "eternal life".	Acts 1:1-9	John 1:1-17	1st Sun. after 1st full moon after 03/20 Ear- liest is 03/22 latest is 04/25.	Feasts of Feasts
Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ	Jesus Christ's ascension in human form into heaven.	Jesus Christ going to heaven.	Jesus Christ is Holy God.	Jesus Christ's victory over death.	Acts 1:1-12	Lk. 24:36-53	40th day of Pascha	Great Feast Class 1
Exaltation of Precious and Lifegiving Holy Cross	Jesus Christ's Holy Cross is found.	ºSt Helena finding Holy Cross ºRecovering Holy Cross from Persians, returning It to Jerusalem, and raising It up (exalting).	Holy Cross is a sign of glory and victory.	Jesus Christ's victory over death.	1 Cor. 1:18-24	John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28a, 30-35a	14 Sept.	Great Feast Class 1

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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