GREAT VESPERS FOR THE
ASCENSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
At Psalm 140
In Tone 6
10.
The Lord ascended into heaven
to send the Comforter into this world.
The heavens prepared His throne and the clouds were His ladder;
the angels marvelled at the sight of a man more exalted than themselves.
Today, the Father receives again in His bosom
the One who was in Him from all eternity,
and the Holy Spirit gives a command to all the angels:
Lift up your lintels, O you gates!
O you nations of the earth, clap your hands,
for Christ ascends to the place
where He had been from all eternity.
9.
The Lord ascended into heaven
to send the Comforter into this world.
The heavens prepared His throne and the clouds were His ladder;
the angels marvelled at the sight of a man more exalted than themselves.
Today, the Father receives again in His bosom
the One who was in Him from all eternity,
and the Holy Spirit gives a command to all the angels:
Lift up your lintels, O you gates!
O you nations of the earth, clap your hands,
for Christ ascends to the place
where He had been from all eternity.
8.
O Lord, the Cherubim were amazed at Your Ascension;
they were seized with wonder as they beheld You, O God, rising upon the clouds,
for You are the One who is seated above the clouds.
We sing a hymn of praise to You:
Glory to You for Your tender mercy.
7.
O Lord, the Cherubim were amazed at Your Ascension;
they were seized with wonder as they beheld You, O God, rising upon the clouds,
for You are the One who is seated above the clouds.
We sing a hymn of praise to You:
Glory to You for Your tender mercy.
6.
O Christ, splendour and glory of the Father,
when we behold Your Ascension on the holy mountain,
we sing a hymn of praise to the beauty of Your countenance.
We bow down to Your Passion,
we venerate Your holy Resurrection,
and we glorify Your noble Ascension.
O Lord, have mercy on us!
5.
O Christ, splendour and glory of the Father,
when we behold Your Ascension on the holy mountain,
we sing a hymn of praise to the beauty of Your countenance.
We bow down to Your Passion,
we venerate Your holy Resurrection,
and we glorify Your noble Ascension.
O Lord, have mercy on us!
In Tone 4
4.
You gave Your precious cross as a most powerful weapon to the emperor.
Through it he reigned righteously on earth, shining with godliness.
And by Your compassion he was counted worthy of Your heavenly kingdom.
Therefore with him we glorify Your dispensation, almighty Jesus,
Saviour of our souls, and Lover of mankind!
3.
You gave Your precious cross as a most powerful weapon to the emperor.
Through it he reigned righteously on earth, shining with godliness.
And by Your compassion he was counted worthy of Your heavenly kingdom.
Therefore with him we glorify Your dispensation, almighty Jesus,
Saviour of our souls, and Lover of mankind!
2.
As the King of kings, the Lord who reigns over all,
You, Lover of mankind, granted Your servant the wisdom of Solomon
the meekness of David, and the orthodox faith of the Apostles!
Therefore we glorify Your dispensation, almighty Jesus,
Saviour of our souls, and Lover of mankind!
1.
Emperor of eternal memory,
first you willingly submitted the purple to Christ,
recognizing Him as true God and King of all,
the great Benefactor and Source of victory.
You saw Him set above every principality and power.
Therefore Jesus made the kingdom prosper for you, lover of virtue,
for He is the Saviour of our souls, and Lover of mankind!
In Tone 2
Glory…
Constantine the great, most powerful emperor,
you received the finest of rich gifts from God making you pre-eminent.
Enlightened by the rays of the most Holy Spirit through baptism,
you appeared invincible while you reigned,
receiving the world as a free gift of the Creator.
You ruled the city with faithfulness.
Since therefore you have boldness before Him,
never cease to pray to Christ
that all who celebrate your memory in faith
may be granted forgiveness of sins and great mercy!
In Tone 6
Now…
O loving Jesus, while You lived on earth,
You were God inseparable from the Father,
and yet You truly shared our humanity.
Ascending in glory today from the Mount of Olives,
through Your great love, You lifted up our fallen nature
and enthroned it with the Father on high.
Therefore, the bodiless Powers were amazed and filled with awe
at seeing Your great love for all.
Together with them, we who live on earth
glorify your condescension to us
and Your Ascension away from us.
Now we implore You, saying:
Through Your Ascension You have filled Your apostles and Your Mother
with a joy that surpasses every other joy,
and through their intercession
make us worthy of the joy of Your elect,
for You are rich in mercy.
Readings
Isaiah 2:2-3
Isaiah 62: 10-12 and 63: 1-9
Zechariah 14: 1, 4, 8-11
1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30
Isaiah 61:10-62:5
Isaiah 60:1-16
Lytia
In Tone 1
By going up again into heaven from which You had descended,
You did not leave us orphans, O Lord.
Show to all Your people the works of Your power,
that Your Spirit may come down upon us
and bring peace to the world,
O Lord and Lover of Mankind.
You ascended, O Christ, to Your eternal Father,
even though You were not removed from His bosom;
and the Powers could not contain their praise of the Trinity.
Even after the Incarnation
they recognize You as the only Son of the Father.
In the abundance of Your goodness, have mercy on us!
Your angels, O Lord, said to the apostles:
Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?
Christ our God, who by leaving you ascended into heaven,
will come again
in the manner by which you have seen Him leave.
Therefore, serve Him in justice and holiness.
In Tone 4
When You came to the Mount of Olives, O Christ,
completing the favourable plan of Your Father,
the angels in heaven were moved with wonder,
and the demons trembled beneath the earth.
The apostles were filled with both fear and joy
when You were speaking with them.
A cloud was prepared before You as an awaiting throne;
heaven opened its gates, shining with beauty;
and the earth uncovered its deep abyss
to show the fall of Adam and his rising up to You again.
As an unseen power raised You from the earth,
You gave Your blessing in a loud voice;
the cloud carried You away, and heaven opened to receive You.
Such is the great work that is beyond words, O Lord,
that You accomplished for the salvation of our souls.
You have renewed in Yourself, O Lord,
the human nature which had fallen, in Adam,
into the very depths of the earth.
On this day You are raised far above
the Principalities and Powers of heaven.
Having so loved human nature,
You granted that it may be enthroned with You;
in Your compassion You united it with Yourself;
in union with it You have suffered;
and by Your Passion You glorified it, O God, beyond all suffering.
Now the bodiless Powers are saying:
Who is this man clothed in majesty?
He is not only a man, but is indeed the God-Man,
for He possesses the appearance of both.
And the angels, arrayed in splendid garments, encircle the apostles, saying:
As Jesus the God-Man is separated from you,
in His divine humanity He shall come again
to judge both the living and the dead;
and He grants to all the faithful
forgiveness of sins and great mercy.
When You were raised up in glory, O Christ our God,
in the sight of Your disciples,
the cloud carried Your body away.
The gates in heaven were opened;
the choir of angels exalted and danced with joy;
the Powers on high cried out, saying:
Lift up your lintels, O gates,
that the King of glory may enter.
As for the disciples, they were seized with fear and said:
Do not leave us, O Good Shepherd,
but send down upon us your most Holy Spirit.
Glory… Now…
O Lord most merciful,
after fulfilling the mystery hidden from all eternity,
You, the Creator and Master of all,
went up to the Mount of Olives with your disciples and your Mother.
For the one who, at the sight of your Passion,
had suffered more than anyone else in her motherly heart,
had more than anyone else the right to share the joy that fills us
as we witness your ascending into heaven.
We glorify your infinite mercy overflowing upon us.
Aposticha
In Tone 2
O our God, You were born in a manner of your own choosing;
You appeared and suffered in the flesh as You willed;
You crushed Death through Your Resurrection and ascended into glory,
and You sent down the divine Spirit upon us.
Therefore, we sing a hymn of praise and glorify Your divinity.
All peoples, clap your hands; cry to God with shouts of joy!
O Christ, when the Powers of heaven
beheld Your Ascension from the Mount of Olives,
they wondered and exclaimed: Who is He?
And they heard the reply: He is the mighty Conqueror;
He is the mighty One in battle;
He is indeed the King of glory.
And why are His clothes crimson?
Because He comes from Bosor, which is the flesh.
As for You, O Christ, since You are God,
You are enthroned at the right hand of God the Father;
and You send down upon us the Holy Spirit
that He may enlighten us and save our souls.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
O Christ, You ascended in glory
on the Mount of Olives in the presence of Your disciples;
You fill all things with Your divinity;
You were enthroned at the right hand of the Father
and sent down upon Your disciples the Holy Spirit
who enlightens, strengthens, and saves our souls.
In Tone 8
Glory…
Brightly shining moon and star of evening,
you were turned from unbelief to faith in the true God.
You were led to sanctify the people and city.
Beholding the figure of the Cross in the sky, you heard from above:
Conquer with this Cross in which lies victory over your enemies!
Receiving wisdom from the Holy Spirit, you were anointed as holy emperor,
anointing and supporting the Church of God,
father of orthodox emperors, Constantine,
equal to the apostles whose relics pour forth healing:
ever intercede for our souls!
In Tone 6
Now…
God goes up with shouts of joy,
the Lord goes up amid trumpet blast,
in order to raise up the fallen image of Adam
and to send down upon us the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter who will sanctify our souls.
Troparion
In Tone 4
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through Your blessing* that You are the Son of God,** the Redeemer of the world. (2)
In Tone 8
After seeing the image of Your cross in the heavens, O Lord,* and receiving like Paul the summons that was not from men,* Your apostle among kings entrusted into Your hands the imperial city.* Always save it in peace by the prayers of the Mother of God,* only Lover of mankind.