The Great Fifty Days of Eastertide form a single festival period in which the tone of joy created at the Easter Vigil is sustained through the following seven weeks, and the Church celebrates the gloriously risen Christ. Early Christians gave the name Pentecost to this whole fifty-day span of rejoicing. On the fortieth day there has from the late fourth century been a particular celebration of Christ’s ascension. He commissions his disciples to continue his work, he promises the gift of the Holy Spirit, and then he is no longer among them in the flesh. The ascension is therefore closely connected with the theme of mission. The arrival of the promised gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost completes and crowns the Easter Festival.
To celebrate this special day, we have three services this Thursday within our parish. Here is the service list for this Thursday:
12.15pm St Peter’s, Keble Chapel Said Communion
7pm St Peter’s Ascensiontide Eucharist
7pm St Stephen’s Ascensiontide Mass
Please do come and join us for one of the services on this celebratory day and please let others know!