Ascension of our Lord

ASCENSION of our Lord, a Festival which the Church celebrates forty Days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, in memory of what happened, when our Saviour, having conversed with his Apostles for forty days after his Resurrection, and sufficiently instructed them, led them from Jerusalem as far as Bethany, 2 Sam. ii. 18, 19, &c.and the Mount of Olives, at half a league’s Luke xxiv. 50. and Acts i. 4, &c.distance from Jerusalem. Then lifting up his hands to bless them, he was raised up to Heaven in their sight; and set down at the right hand of his Father, there to continue till he shall descend at the last day, to judge the quick and the dead, and render to every man according to his works. It is believed by some¹, that our Saviour did eat with his Disciples in a cave of Mount Olivet, before he separated from them. Several of the Ancients assure us², that when He ascended up to Heaven, he left impressions of his feet upon the ground, which have remained there ever since, tho’ the faithful every day are carrying away some of the Earth of this place, and preserve it with great devotion.

Some have added to this Miracle and tell us³, that the Empress Helena having built the magnificent Church of the Ascension, in the midst whereof the impressions of our Saviour’s feet are to be seen, this place, tho’ it was often attempted, never could be paved; whatever was put there to adorn it, immediately removing from it; so that they were forced to leave it as it was, and in the condition wherein we see it at this day. It is affirmed likewise⁴, that no one could ever close the roof, which answered to this place, and that all that space thro’ which Christ ascended up to Heaven was left open. S. Austin⁵ believed, that Jesus Christ sanctified the hour of noon-day by ascending up to Heaven; and the Apostolical Constitutions appoint the Festival of the Ascension to be observed on Thursday⁶. This solemnity is so ancient in the Church, that the beginning of it is not known; which is some reason to believe, that it came traditionally from the Apostles.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages