Ascension

From Free net encyclopedia

This page is about the Ascension of Jesus. For other meanings see Ascension (disambiguation).

Template:Infobox Holiday Template:Liturgical year

**Dates for Ascension Thursday, 2000-2020**
Year	Western	Eastern
2000	June 1	June 8
2001	May 24
2002	May 10	June 19
2003	May 29	June 5
2004	May 20
2005	May 5	June 9
2006	May 25	April 30
2007	May 17
2008	May 1	June 5
2009	May 21	May 28
2010	May 13
2011	June 2
2012	May 17	May 24
2013	May 9	June 13
2014	May 29
2015	May 14	May 21
2016	May 5	June 9
2017	May 25
2018	May 10	May 17
2019	May 30	June 6
2020	May 21	May 28

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.

1 Biblical accounts
2 Feast
3 Superstitions
4 Sports and Culture
5 External link

[edit]

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 the fact that it happened.

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.

In both Mark and Luke, the Ascension takes place immediately after the Resurrection of Jesus.

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 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.

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 taken very cautiously.

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.

There are no extra-Biblical accounts of the Ascension.

[edit]

Feast

The Ascension is one of the great feasts in the Christian liturgical calendar, and commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. In the Eastern Orthodox Church the Ascension is one of twelve Great Feasts. 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).

In some countries (e.g. Scandinavia or Germany) it is a public holiday; Germany also holds its Father's Day on the same date.

In Western Christianity, the earliest possible date is April 27, the latest possible date is June 3. Template:Gospel Jesus

[edit]

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.