Troparion (in tone 4):
O Christ God, You have ascended in Glory, / Granting joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. / Through the blessing they were assured / That You are the Son of God, / The Redeemer of the world!
Happy Feast Day! Today we celebrate the Ascenscion of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven after his Holy Resurrection. It is a gray, cold day outside, but the spirit of the feast can certainly keep our hearts warm.
I am currently plyaing the service from Moscow's Sretensky Monastery loudly through the house (our tradition for every feast), as we prepare for liturgy.
This morning as I read the Prologue from Ochrid (by St. Nikolaj Velimirovic), I ran into an interesting snippet that I felt was worthy of sharing. It doesn't pertain to the feast, but to a Christian life in general.
"A monk complained to St. Arsenius that, while reading the Holy Scriptures, he felt neither the power of the words he read nor any sweetness in his heart. To this the great saint replied: 'My child, just read! I have heard that snake-charmers, when they cast a spell on the snakes, pronounce words that they themselves do not understand; but the snakes, hearing the words spoken, feel their power and are tamed. So with us, when we constantly keep the words of Holy Scripture on our lips; even if we cannot feel their power, the evil spirits, hearing these words, flee in terror, for they cannot abide the word of the Holy Spirit. My child, just read. The Holy Spirit, who wrote the divine words through those He inspired, will hear and understand, and will hasten to your aid; and the demons will hear and understand, and will flee from you."
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