Ascension
Official Name	{{{official_name}}}
Also Called	{{{nickname}}}
Observed By	many Christians
Type	Religious
Significance	affirmation of the ascension of Jesus
Begins	{{{begins}}}
Ends	{{{ends}}}
Date	Thursday in the sixth week following Easter Sunday
Gregorian Date (2006)	May 25 (Western) June 1 (Eastern)
Celebrations	No traditional celebrations
Observances	Prayer
Related To	Passover, Christmas (which honors the birth of Jesus), Septuagesima, Quinquagesima, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday which lead up to Easter, Easter Sunday (primarily), Pentecost, Whit Monday, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi which follow Easter

The Christian doctrine of the Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to heaven following his resurrection. This is affirmed by Christians in the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Download high resolution version (611x793, 80 KB)Folio 13v of the Rabula Gospels. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. ... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE– 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... Western Christianity refers to Catholicism, Protestantism, and Anglicanism (which is also usually included in the Protestant category). ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... It has been suggested that Eastern Church be merged into this article or section. ... Maria Magdalene in prayer. ... Passover (Hebrew: פסח; transliterated as Pesach or Pesah), also called חג המצות (Chag HaMatzot - Festival of Matzot) is a Jewish holiday that always begins on the 15th day of Nisan (on the Hebrew calendar), which falls in the early spring and commemorates the Exodus and freedom of the Israelites from ancient Egypt. ... Christmas is a Christian holiday held on December 25 which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Septuagesima (in full, Septuagesima Sunday) is the name given to the third from the last Sunday before Lent in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... Quinquagesima is the name for the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. ... A typical meal of pancakes In the Christian calendar, Shrove Tuesday is the English name for the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which in turn marks the beginning of Lent. ... In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. ... In Western Christianity, Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. ... Palm Sunday is a moveable feast in the church calendar observed by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians. ... In the Christian calendar, Holy Thursday (also called Maundy Thursday) is the Thursday before Easter, the day on which the Last Supper is said to have occurred. ... Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by most Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. ... Orthodox pilgrims bathing with the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday. ... Easter (also called Pascha) is generally accounted the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed March or April each year to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (after his death by crucifixion; see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year, almost two... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday is the Christian holiday celebrated the next day after Pentecost, a movable feast in the Christian calendar, being dependent upon the date of Easter. ... Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. ... This article is about the Christian feast of Corpus Christi. ... The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in some Christian churches which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read. ... You might also be looking for the 2005 video game Advent Rising. ... The Christmas season (also known as the holiday season) is a term that covers the time when two interconnected periods of celebration are held. ... John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ as Angels look on in wonder in an Eastern Orthodox icon of the Theophany This article is about the Christian feast. ... Septuagesima (in full, Septuagesima Sunday) is the name given to the third from the last Sunday before Lent in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... In Western Christianity, Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. ... Eastertide, or the Easter Season, begins on Easter Day and continues until Pentecost in the Christian liturgical calendar, thus spanning a total of seven weeks. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ordinary Time is a term used in the Christian (especially the Roman Catholic) liturgical calendar to refer, collectively, to two different seasons of the liturgical year. ... In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. ... The Nativity Fast, practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, is believed to enable participants to draw closer to God by denying the body of worldly pleasure in preparation for celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is held on December 25th (Julian Calendar). ... Nativity is the general time and place of a persons birth and early years. ... John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ as Angels look on in wonder in an Eastern Orthodox icon of the Theophany A theophany is a visible appearing or other local manifestation of Gods presence to humans. ... Great Lent is the greatest fasting period in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Easter (or Holy Pascha). Although it is in many ways similar to Lent in Western Christianity, there are important differences in the timing of Lent... This article is about the Christian festival. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The word Transfiguration means a changing of appearance or form. ... The Dormition of the Theotokos is the Eastern Orthodox commemoration of the falling asleep or death of Mary, the mother of Jesus. ... The Intercession of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary (Russian Pokrov, Покров) is one of the most important Russian Orthodoxy feasts (maybe the most important after the Twelve Great Feasts). ... Western Christianity refers to Catholicism, Protestantism, and Anglicanism (which is also usually included in the Protestant category). ... It has been suggested that Eastern Church be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 2013 (MMXIII) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 2014 (MMXIV) will be a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2016 (MMXVI) will be a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... 2017 (MMXVII) will be a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 2018 (MMXVIII) is a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... 2019 (MMXIX) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 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The theological specifics of the creed appear to be a refutation of Gnosticism, an early heresy. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ...

Biblical accounts

The first account of the Ascension found in the Christian Bible is in the Gospel of Mark (16:14-19). The description is brief. Jesus and the remaining eleven Disciples are seated at a table, presumably in a room in or near Jerusalem. Jesus commands his followers to spread the Gospel, and that those who believe will be known by their invulnerability to poison, ability to heal the sick, and the like. After delivering these final words, Jesus is received into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. No description of the Ascension itself is given; Mark simply states that it happened. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. ... The Gutenberg Bible owned by the United States Library of Congress (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hē biblos) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Work of God, The Word, The Good Book or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βίβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the name used by Jews and Christians for their differing (and... The Gospel of Mark is traditionally the second of the New Testament Gospels. ... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE– 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... Heaven is an afterlife concept found in many religions or spiritual philosophies. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, one of the manifestations of the ultimate reality or God in Hinduism This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

The Gospel of Luke is even more brief in its description (24:50-51). Jesus led the eleven to Bethany, not far from Jerusalem. While in the act of blessing them, Jesus was carried up to Heaven. The Gospel of Luke is the third of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ...

In both Mark and Luke, the Ascension appears to take place immediately after the Resurrection of Jesus. (But see the discussion two paragraphs below.) According to the Trinitarian interpretation of the New Testament, Jesus was both human and God, so he had the power to lay his life down and to take it up again; thus after Jesus died, he came back to life. ...

The third account of the Ascension is in the Acts of the Apostles (1:9-12). For forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus continued to preach the Gospel. Jesus and the eleven were gathered near Mt. Olivet, to the northeast of Bethany. Jesus tells his disciples that they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and that they will spread his message the world over. Jesus is taken up and received by a cloud. Two men clothed in white appear and tell the disciples that Jesus will return in the same manner as he was taken. The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... MT or mt may stand for: Empty, especially in use with compressed gas tanks Gospel of Matthew Honda MT, a 50cc Honda motorcycle from the early 1980s Machine translation Magnetotellurics Republic of Malta (ISO country code MT or Country code top-level domain . ... Olivet may refer to: Olivet, Michigan Olivet, New Jersey Olivet, South Dakota Olivet, Kansas There is also Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. ... Bethany was originally Ronnie Corbett Israel, best known located near Jerusalem, see Bethany (corbett). ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ...

Even though these three accounts might appear contradictory at first glance, the reader should always keep in mind that the Gospel of Luke and Acts were both written by the same author and are thus very unlikely to contain such glaring discrepancies. In fact, the Gospel of Luke never says that Jesus was taken up immediately after his Resurrection but simply states that the ascension happened "when he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany", which could very well be forty days after his Resurrection. It is also recognized by virtually every scholar that Mark either originally ended at 16:8 or had a different ending. This Ascension account should therefore be read in the light of later authorship, probably with reference to the existing traditions surrounding the event.

The Gospel of Matthew ends at a mountain in Galilee, with Jesus commanding the Disciples to spread the Gospel. No mention of the Ascension is made. The Gospel of Matthew (literally: according to Matthew, Greek: Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον ) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... The Great Commission is a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing mission work and evangelism, particularly (but not exclusively) emphasized by evangelicals. ...

There are no extra-Biblical accounts of the Ascension. The chronology of Jesus depicts the traditional chronology established for the events of the life of Jesus by the four canonical gospels (which allude to various dates for several events). ... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE– 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jesus. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... The Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus. ... Jacopo Bellinis Madonna and Child Blessing depicts the infant Jesus in the act of blessing the viewer The Child Jesus is a religious symbol based on the activities of Jesus as an infant up to the age of twelve that recurs throughout history, starting from around the third or... The Baptism of Christ, by Piero della Francesca, 1449 The Baptism of Jesus is the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. ... In Christianity, the temptation of Christ refers to the temptation of Jesus by Satan as detailed in the New Testament, specifically: Matthew 4:1-11 Mark 1:12-13 Luke 4:1-13 According to these Gospels, Jesus has fasted for forty days and nights in the desert or wilderness... The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities which are supposed to have possessed (taken control of) a person or object. ... The word Transfiguration means a changing of appearance or form. ... Jesus vertreibt die Händler aus dem Tempel by Giovanni Paolo Pannini The narrative of Jesus and the Money Changers occurs in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John, although it occurs close to the end of the Synoptic Gospels (at Mark 11:15-19, Matthew 21... The Olivet discourse is a passage found in the Synoptic Gospels of Mark (at Mark 13) and of Matthew (at Matthew 24-25), occurring just before the narrative of Jesus passion begins with the Anointing of Jesus, and in the narrative is a discourse given by Jesus on the Mount... The Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his death. ... A depiction of the Sanhedrin trial, by Giotto The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus is an event reported by all the Canonical Gospels. ... The Passion is the technical term for the suffering and Agony of Jesus that led directly to the Crucifixion, a central Christian event. ... Entombment of Christ by Pieter Lastman The death of Jesus is an event described by the New Testament, as occurring after the Passion of Jesus, as a result of his crucifixion. ... According to the Trinitarian interpretation of the New Testament, Jesus was both human and God, so he had the power to lay his life down and to take it up again; thus after Jesus died, he came back to life. ... The Great Commission is a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing mission work and evangelism, particularly (but not exclusively) emphasized by evangelicals. ...

Feast

The Ascension is one of the great feasts in the Christian liturgical calendar, and commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Ascension Day is always Thursday (the fortieth day from Easter); in some churches (especially in the United States) it is commemorated on the subsequent Sunday (the Sunday before Pentecost). The three days before Ascension Thursday are sometimes referred to as the Rogation days (and the previous Sunday, the Fifth Sunday after Easter, as Rogation Sunday). Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in some Christian churches which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read. ... Thursday, by international standard, is the fourth day of the week, falling between Wednesday and Friday. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Rogation days are the three days immediately before Ascension Thursday in the Christian liturgical calendar. ... Rogation days are the three days immediately before Ascension Thursday in the Christian liturgical calendar. ...

In some countries (e.g. Scandinavia, the Netherlands and in Germany) it is a public holiday; and Germany also holds its Father's Day on the same date. Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe named after the Scandinavian Peninsula. ... Fathers Day is a holiday to celebrate fatherhood and parenting by males, just as Mothers Day celebrates motherhood. ...

In Roman Catholicism the Ascension of the Lord is a Holy Day of Obligation. In the Eastern Orthodox Church the Ascension is one of twelve Great Feasts. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Days of Obligation are the days, other than Sundays, on which the faithful are required to attend Mass. ... Pentecost - Pentecost is considered in Eastern Orthodoxy to be the Birth of the Church. ... // Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church Easter/Pascha The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Easter or Pascha, is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ...

In Western Christianity, the earliest possible date is April 30, the latest possible date is June 3. Western Christianity refers to Catholicism, Protestantism, and Anglicanism (which is also usually included in the Protestant category). ... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ...

• Coinciding with the liturgical feast is the annual commemoration by the Christian labour movement- especialy syndical, in Belgium) of the encyclical Rerum Novarum issued by Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891

In the ancient Church, an encyclical was a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area. ... Rerum Novarum is an encyclical issued by Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. ... Pope Leo XIII, born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci (March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903), was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeeded Pope Pius IX (1846–78) on February 20, 1878 and reigning until his death in 1903. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Superstitions

• According to Welsh superstition, it is unlucky to do any work on Ascension Day.
• In Devon, it was an ancient belief that the clouds always formed into the familiar Christian image of a lamb.
• If the weather is sunny, the summer will be long and hot; but if it rains, crops will do badly and livestock, especially cattle, will suffer from disease.
• Eggs laid on this day will never go bad and will guarantee good luck for a household if placed in the roof.
• Rain collected on Ascension Day is said to be good for inflamed or diseased eyes.
• Those suffering from goitre should bite into the bark of a peach tree at midnight on Ascension Day, so that the disease passes to the tree and the sufferer is cured.
• Gifts to the blind or lame made on this day are sure to be rewarded with great wealth within the following twelve months.

For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom, England and Wales and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (called cows in vernacular usage, kine archaic, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... A disease is an abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person. ... An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams In some animals, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Rain falling For other uses see Rain (disambiguation). ... This article refers to the sight organ. ... A goitre (or goiter) (Latin struma) is a swelling in the neck (just below adams apple or larynx) due to an enlarged thyroid gland. ...

References