Postfeast of the Ascension
Psalm 108
My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Thy glory be over all the earth!
—Psalm 108:1,5 (LXX)
Psalm 108 combines parts of two earlier psalms into one. Verses 1-5 are Psalm 57:7-11, and verses 6-13 are Psalm 60:5-12. They were put together and slightly modified to make one prayer, most likely by those who had experienced the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylon exile in the 6th century BC. The prayer is a confession of faith, that even in exile and distress, I am ready to hear the Word of God, to pray and “awake the dawn,” to put my trust in Him and hope in his ultimate victory and sovereignty. Earthly powers may threaten for a time, but God will have the last word and “throw his shoe” (a Middle-eastern insult) at enemies like Edom.
Verse 5 is used on the feast of the Ascension and when the priest censes the Holy Gifts after communion. As we sing at the Ascension the Lord remains with us, always.
When Thou didst fulfill the dispensation for our sake, and didst unite earth to heaven, Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, not being parted from those who love Thee, but remaining with them and crying: I am with you and no one will be against you! (Kontakion).
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Two years ago the Holy Synod met for it’s Spring meeting at the women’s monastery of the Dormition in Rives Junction, MI (Romanian Episcopate). The monastery’s beautiful new church was then almost completed and the nuns gave the bishops a tour. The photo I took that day reminds me of the Ascension: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11).
Update
It was a very full weekend at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, with meetings of the Board of Trustees, commencement and events surrounding the visit of Arvo Pärt and the concert at Carnegie Hall.
On Sunday afternoon, Archbishop Job of Telmessos visited His Beatitude at the Chancery for lunch and conversation. He was the commencement speaker at Saint Vladimir’s and celebrated the Divine Liturgy there on Sunday, where he also ordained Tor (Theodore) Svane to the diaconate. Deacon Theodore, his wife Hannah and their three-year old son are from Norway and in the jurisdiction of Archbishop Job, who is Patriarchal Exarch for the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Tradition in Western Europe (he has 120 parishes in nine countries).
Yesterday His Beatitude attended the performance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Meanwhile, Father Eric Tosi is in Atlanta working with the local committee preparing for the All-American Council to be held in July 2015.