Yesterday, Thursday, May 25, was the Feast of the Ascension, which is a very important and often overlooked feast day. What is it? Well…
The Ascension of Christ or Ascension Day is the occasion on which the risen Christ is taken into heaven after appearing to his followers for forty days (Acts 1: 1– 11, Mk 16: 19). The Ascension marks the conclusion of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. It is the final elevation of his human nature to divine glory and the near presence of God. The Ascension is affirmed by the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds. The Ascension is celebrated on Ascension Day, the Thursday that is the fortieth day of the Easter season. It is a principal feast of the church year in the Episcopal Church.
Adapted from Don S. Armentrout’s An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church: A User-Friendly Reference for Episcopalians Church Publishing Inc., 2000.
