Ascension Day
A happy and most glorious feast of the Ascension! Our Lord ascended glorious into Heaven forty days after His Resurrection, having instructed his disciples and given them their great commission to go and preach the Gospel to all nations.
One of the notable liturgical traditions of this day is the extinguishing of the Paschal Candle, the symbol of the Risen Christ, after the Gospel, and its removal from its place near the altar to the baptistery or the area of the church where the baptismal font resides. The Easter season extends until Pentecost Sunday, but since Christ has returned to the Father and is no longer upon earth, the visible symbol of Him is taken away. The Paschal Candle is relit for baptisms and funerals that take place throughout the year.
Ascéndit Deus in jubilatióne, et Dóminus in voce tubæ.
God is ascended with jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
– Psalm 46:6, from the Paschal Alleluia and Offertory for today
May 10, 2018