a priest's musings on the journey

... the fulness of him who fills all in all.



O Christ, you ascended in glory on the Mount of Olives
in the presence of your disciples.
O you who penetrate all things with your divinity,
you were enthroned at the right hand of your Father
and sent down upon your disciples the Holy Spirit
who enlightens, strengthens, and saves our souls. Amen Orthodox Vespers

CS Lewis writes:

...a being still in some mode, though not our mode, corporeal, withdrew at His own will from the Nature presented by our three dimensions and five senses, not necessarily into the non-sensuous and undimensional, but into, or through, a world or worlds of super-sense and super space. And He might choose to do it gradually. Who on earth knows what the spectators might see? If they say they saw a momentary movement along the vertical plane - then an indistinct mass - then nothing - who is to pronounce this improbable?" (God in the Dock, p. 35; also see "Horrid Red Things," in Ibid. pp. 68-71)




See, the Conqueror mounts in triumph; see the King in royal state,
riding on the clouds, his chariot,
to his heavenly palace gate.
Hark! the choirs of angel voices
joyful alleluias sing,
and the portals high are lifted
to receive their heavenly King.

Who is this that comes in glory,
with the trump of jubilee?
Lord of battles, God of armies,
he has gained the victory.
he who on the cross did suffer,
he who from the grave arose,
he has vanquished sin and Satan,
he by death has spoiled his foes.

While he raised his hands in blessing,
he was parted from his friends
while their eager eyes behold him,
he upon the clouds ascends;
he who walked with God and pleased him,
preaching truth and doom to come,
he, our Enoch, is translated
to his everlasting home.

Now our heavenly Aaron enters,
with his blood, within the veil;
Joshua now is come to Canaan,
and the kings before him quail;
now he plants the tribes of Israel
in their promised resting place;
now our great Elijah offers
double portion of his grace.

He has raised our human nature
on the clouds to God's right hand;
there we sit in heavenly places,
there with him in glory stand:
Jesus reigns, adored by angels;
man with God is on the throne;
mighty Lord, in thine ascension
we by faith behold our own.

Glory be to God the Father,
glory be to God the Son,
dying, risen, ascending for us,
who the heavenly realm has won;
glory to the Holy Spirit, t
to One God in persons Three;
glory both in earth and heaven,
glory, endless glory, be.

Words: Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885), 1862

I'm so glad the Anglicans are still celebrating Ascension on a Thursday. The Catholic church has moved this to Sunday because of lack of priests! We have Sung Eucharist tonight.