1. This feast is of apostolic origin and is celebrated forty days after Easter (on Thursday), because Christ ascended into heaven from Mount Olivet forty days after His resurrection. The Son of God had accomplished His mission in this world; He now returns triumphant and victorious over death and hell, to His heavenly Father. With Him ascend the souls of the Just detained in Limbo ardently longing for this day. Heaven is again opened; Christ has established His Church on earth and prepared her for the coming of the Holy Ghost, whom He is to send.
2. Like Mary and the disciples, who saw Christ ascend into heaven, and ardently longed to follow Him, so should we, on this day, awaken a great longing for our heavenly home.
3. The Paschal candle which has been lit at all solemn Divine Services since Easter is extinguished on this day after the Gospel, and lit no more during the services. This typifies the withdrawal of Christ's visible presence from His Church.
OTHER FEASTS
which belong to the subsequent commemoration of Easter.
1. The feasts of some of the instruments of the Passion of our Lord, viz: the feast of the Lance and Nails which falls on the Friday after Low Sunday (if it has not been celebrated during Lent); the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross on the 3rd of May, and the Feast of the Crown of Thorns on the 5th of May.
These instruments of the Passion are trophies of the victory of Christ, therefore triumphant feasts of the risen Redeemer.
Feasts of our Lord's particular sufferings, or instruments of His Passion, are celebrated on the Fridays in Lent, e. g.: the feast of the Crown of Thorns; the Flagellation; the five Wounds, the Precious Blood.
2. No feast of the Blessed Virgin is celebrated during the Paschal season, because Mary is so intimately united with her newly risen Divine Son, that her life forms, as it were, one with His.
3. On the contrary we celebrate the Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph on the third Sunday after Easter. While St. Joseph could not be a witness of Christ's Passion, he has now become a witness of His triumph. With his divine Foster-Son he enters heaven never more to leave His side, and there, by his powerful intercession, becomes the foster-father
of mankind.
4. Besides these feasts we find in this season the feasts of many martyrs, as well as that of the Evangelist St. Mark and the Apostles Philip and James, who also suffered martyrdom. The martyrs imitated most perfectly the love of our Redeemer. Christ died for love of man, the martyrs died for love of God. If, then, Easter reminds us of the infinite love of Jesus Christ, so the feasts of the martyrs should remind us of that ardent reciprocal love, which makes us always ready to sacrifice everything, even life itself, for love of God.
Source: The Ecclesiastical Year, Imprimatur 1903
A coloring picture can be found below:
2. Like Mary and the disciples, who saw Christ ascend into heaven, and ardently longed to follow Him, so should we, on this day, awaken a great longing for our heavenly home.
3. The Paschal candle which has been lit at all solemn Divine Services since Easter is extinguished on this day after the Gospel, and lit no more during the services. This typifies the withdrawal of Christ's visible presence from His Church.
OTHER FEASTS
which belong to the subsequent commemoration of Easter.
1. The feasts of some of the instruments of the Passion of our Lord, viz: the feast of the Lance and Nails which falls on the Friday after Low Sunday (if it has not been celebrated during Lent); the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross on the 3rd of May, and the Feast of the Crown of Thorns on the 5th of May.
These instruments of the Passion are trophies of the victory of Christ, therefore triumphant feasts of the risen Redeemer.
Feasts of our Lord's particular sufferings, or instruments of His Passion, are celebrated on the Fridays in Lent, e. g.: the feast of the Crown of Thorns; the Flagellation; the five Wounds, the Precious Blood.
2. No feast of the Blessed Virgin is celebrated during the Paschal season, because Mary is so intimately united with her newly risen Divine Son, that her life forms, as it were, one with His.
3. On the contrary we celebrate the Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph on the third Sunday after Easter. While St. Joseph could not be a witness of Christ's Passion, he has now become a witness of His triumph. With his divine Foster-Son he enters heaven never more to leave His side, and there, by his powerful intercession, becomes the foster-father
of mankind.
4. Besides these feasts we find in this season the feasts of many martyrs, as well as that of the Evangelist St. Mark and the Apostles Philip and James, who also suffered martyrdom. The martyrs imitated most perfectly the love of our Redeemer. Christ died for love of man, the martyrs died for love of God. If, then, Easter reminds us of the infinite love of Jesus Christ, so the feasts of the martyrs should remind us of that ardent reciprocal love, which makes us always ready to sacrifice everything, even life itself, for love of God.
Source: The Ecclesiastical Year, Imprimatur 1903
A coloring picture can be found below:
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