ARMENIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST
Aysor
May 13 2010
Armenia
Today Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension
of Jesus Christ on the fortieth day following the Feast of the Glorious
Resurrection of Our Savior Jesus Christ.
Following His Resurrection and defeat of death, Christ remained on
earth for forty days, and continued to appear to His disciples. On the
fortieth day, Christ is seen by His disciples for the last time. He
blesses them and leaves them with instructions, after which He ascends
into heaven.
Two of the Gospel writers, St. Mark and St. Luke, testify about
Christ’s ascension. There is also an account of it in the Acts of
the Apostles.
Following a final meeting of Christ with the eleven remaining apostles,
St. Mark writes, "So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he
was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (Mark
16:19)
St. Luke gives a little greater detail as he writes, "And he led them
out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed
them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted
from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him,
and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in
the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen." (Luke 24: 50-53)
But by far the most beautiful account of the Ascension can be found
in the Book of Acts: "And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their
sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye
men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11)
The hymn that is sung in the Armenian Church on Ascension Day mentions
the miraculous event of Christ’s Ascension into heaven and the descent
of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.
In the Armenian Church, the day of Jesus Christ’s Ascension is also
commemorated for another reason as well. On this date in 1441, the See
of the Catholicosate of All Armenians was returned to its historical
origins. Following a resolution of the National Assembly gathered in
Vagharshapad, the Patriarchal See was relocated from the city of Sis
in Western Armenia to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Following
his vision of Christ striking the ground with a golden hammer,
St. Gregory the Illuminator had founded the Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin in 303. However, less than 200 years later, in 484, the
Patriarchal See was forced to relocate, and for the next 1000 years,
settled in various cities throughout Armenia. The decision to return
the throne of the Catholicos to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
was the fulfillment of a national dream for the Armenian people.