HISTORICAL NOTES
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 officially celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day from Easter day. The feast is one of the ecumenical feasts (i.e., universally celebrated), ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter and of Pentecost among the most solemn in the ecclesiastical calendar.
The Latin terms used for the feast, ascensio and, occasionally, ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by his own powers, and it is from these terms that the holy day gets its name. In Roman Catholicism the Ascension of the Lord is a Holy Day of Obligation. The three days before Ascension Thursday are referred to as the Rogation Days and the previous Sunday, the Fifth Sunday after Easter, as Rogation Sunday. The word “rogation” comes from the Latin “rogare,” which means “to ask.” Rogation days are days to appease God’s anger, implore His mercy for our sins, and to pray for good weather and protection for crops. The Feast of the Ascension has a vigil and, since the fifteenth century, an octave, which is set apart for a novena of preparation for Pentecost, in accordance with the directions of Pope Leo XIII.
Forty days after our Lord's resurrection, still in the Paschal Season, is kept the anniversary of the day that marked the end of His visible reign on earth.
The apostles, who had come to Jerusalem at the approach of Pentecost, were assembled in the Centacle when our Lord appeared and took a last meal with them, afterwards leading them outside on the Bethany side of the Mount of Olives,the highest of the mountains which surrounded the capital. Then Jesus blessing His apostles raised Himself towards the sky.
This was at midday. Then a cloud hid Him from sight and two angles came and told the diciples that "This same Jesus who had ascended into heaven, would hence return to earth" at the end of the world. As a reminder of this last walk of our Lord and his apostles from the Centacle to the Mount of Olives, it was the custom at Rome to have a solemn procession at the hour sext midday), when after Pontifical Mass at St.Peter's, the Pope went with the cardinals and bishops to St. John Lateran.
LITURGICAL NOTES
The Feast of the Ascension was formerly not distinguished from Pentecost but now has its own vigil and octave.
The symbolic ceremony particular to this feast, is the final extinction of the Paschal candle, whose light during these holy forty days has represented the presence of our Lord in the midst of His disciples.It is extinguished after the reading of the Ascension Gospel, which speaks to us of our blessed Lord's departure into heaven.
Chapel of the Ascension
The Chapel of the Ascension (Hebrew: קפלת העלייה, Greek: Εκκλησάκι της Αναλήψεως) on Mount of Olives, Jerusalem is built on the site were Christians (Luke 24:50-51 and - Acts 1:9-11) believe that Christ was physically lifted to heaven.On the Mount of Olives, on the spot where our Lord ascended into heaven, St. Helen had the church comiccioned and built, after the pattern of that of the Holy Sepulchre. By a happily devised piece of symbolism,it was open to the sky.
Ascension Rock
The main octagonal ædicule surrounds the Ascension rock, said to bear the imprint of the right foot of Jesus as he ascended, it is venerated by Christians as the last point on earth touched by the incarnate Christ. Initially open to the sky a dome was added by the Muslim rulers of Jerusalem and the structure was at one time used as a mosque.
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