Iconic Icons: The Ascension

 Ascension Icon by Andrei Rublev (late 14th - early 15th century).

The Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ is traditionally celebrated, following the detail of Acts 1:3, on the Thursday 40 days after Pascha (Easter), which was last Thursday, though most Latin Rite dioceses (at least in the U.S., if not in other countries as well) transfer the celebration of this feast to the next Sunday, which is today.  In Greek, this feast is called 'Η Αναληψις: analepsis means a "taking up," although the term is used in narrative analysis (of films, novels, and other works) to indicate a flashback. 

The events of this feast are outlined in Mark, Luke, and Acts:

"So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (Mk 16:19).

"Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them.  While He blessed them, He parted from them, and was carried up into Heaven" (Lk 24:50-51).

"And when He had said this, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9).

 The Ascension of Our Lord by the Novgorod School, in the Malo-Kirillov Monastery (1543).

The festal icon incorporates some of the details of these accounts, but it is more meant to be a representation of the Church than the event per se.  The main figure is, of course, Our Lord Jesus Christ in a mandorla (though it is usually more round than almond-shaped) flanked by angels, giving a blessing with His right hand (as Luke relates) and holding a scroll in His left hand.  Though the icon is of the Ascension, there is no directional movement explicitly depicted, so it could also represent His Second Coming (since, as angels told the apostles, "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)). 

Below the Lord is the Theotokos, Mary the Mother of God, flanked by angels and surrounded by disciples.  The icon is not strictly historical, thus Mary is present, as is St. Paul--usually found just to the right of the Blessed Mother--who had not been converted yet.  While the disciples are in confusion at this event, the Theotokos is calm and in a posture of prayer.  She is in the center of the icon, below Jesus.  Mary together with the disciples represent the entire Church as she celebrates the Lord's Ascension and awaits His Second Coming.  The angels in white garments both represent the angels who appeared to the disciples after the Ascension (vid. Acts 1:10-11) and the angels who constantly guard the Church at the Lord's command.

 Ascension Icon by a Coptic Christian artist (14th century).

The Ascension by Christo Dimitrov of the Samokov School, 

in the Church of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Gabrovnitsa, Pazardjik, Bulgaria (19th century).

"May Almighty God bless you,

for on this very day His Only-Begotten Son

pierced the heights of Heaven

and unlocked for you the way

to ascend to where He is.

Amen."

--Roman Missal, Solemn Blessing 7: The Ascension of the Lord

 The Ascension of Christ by Pietro Perugino (late 1490s).

[Though not a traditional icon, it follows the same general structure.]

 The Ascension by Theophanes the Cretan, in Stavronikita Monastery on Mount Athos (1546).

"After fulfilling for us Your Plan of Redemption

and joining the things of earth with those of Heaven,

You gloriously ascended, O Christ our God,

without abandoning us, but remained with us forever

and proclaimed to those who love You:

'Behold, I am with you;

no one has power against you.'"

--Kontakion of the Ascension of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ (6th Tone)

Ascension icon on Folio 13v of a Syriac Gospel book by the Scribe Rabbula

 from the Monastery of St. John of Zagba (586).

[Information found here.]

 

 Ascension icon from Sinai (9th century).

O All-Blameless Theotokos, pray for us to your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Ascended One!

Nota Bene: Biblical quotations are all from the RSV-CE published by Ignatius Press.  Quotation from the Roman Missal was found at CNP Liturgical Planning.  The Kontakion was found in the Publican's Prayer Book published by the Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Newton.  Other sources of information for this post were OrthodoxWiki, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and Answers.com.

A Companion Blog: ܫܰܦܝܽܬ ܠܶܒܒܰ (Luminous Heart)

In addition to this blog, I have recently started another blog: ܫܰܦܝܽܬ ܠܶܒܒܰ (Luminous Heart).  My introductory post explains it well: while this blog is more strictly a theological and informational blog, ܫܰܦܝܽܬ ܠܶܒܒܰ will be much more personal and opinion-oriented.  I encouraged you to read both blogs.  God Bless, and thank you for reading.

St. Ephraim the Syrian, pray for us!

Byzantine Psalmody: The Ten Basic Neumes (Part 1)

In Western musical notation, the length and relative timing of notes are shown on a staff, where the vertical position of a note (in notation) on the staff represents which note (on the scale) is to be sung or played.  The mentality of Byzantine psalmody notation is vastly different.  In Byzantine psalmody notation, there is no staff, only a single row of markings.  Each note (in notation) shows which note (on the scale) is to be sung relative to the note that was just sung.  Byzantine psalmody notation thus shows the intervals between notes, rather than which note (on the scale) each note (in notation) represents.  In addition, there are markings in Byzantine psalmody notation for representing the length of notes and other characteristics (such as tying notes together, changing the force of a sung note, increasing volume, etc.)

In Byzantine psalmody, the notes in notation which represent these intervals are called neumes.  There are ten basic neumes for the most common intervals which are then combined to create larger intervals.  These neumes form the basis of the Byzantine psalmody notation.  Below are neutral neueme and the four always ascending neumes.

1. Ison

The ison is a unique neume.  While all the other basic neumes indicate either ascent or descent in notes, the ison indicates a repetition of the same note.  For instance, if the note before an ison was Πα, the note sung on the ison is also Πα.
 

2. Oligon

The oligon is the basic neume of ascent.  It indicates an ascent of one note from the note previously sung.  For instance, if the note before an oligon was Πα, the note sung on the oligon is Βου.


3. Kentimata

The kentimata is another neume of ascent.  Like the oligon, it indicates an ascent of one note from the note previously sung: the kentimata is used, though, when the same syllable is repeated as the previous note.  For instance, if "O" is sung on Πα and the next note is the same "O" being sung on Βου, then a kentimata is used; if the next note is a "Lo" sung on Βου, though, an oligon would be used.


4. Petaste

The petaste is another neume of ascent, and it also represents an ascent of one note.  The uniqueness of the petaste is not when it is used, as the kentimata is separated from the oligon, but in how it is sung: the pesaste involves a quiver of the voice, "a rise of the sound, a little higher from the natural pitch of the tone at hand" (GMT I.II.IV.139).  In other words, there is a quick rising of the voice to the next note higher and then back down.  The following example depicts this, first in Byzantine psalmody notation, then in Western notation (only matching intervals, not the notes themselves).

5. Hypsile

The hypsile is an interesting neume of ascent.  While it is counted among the basic neumes, it never appears on its own: it only appears in combination neumes, where it indicates an ascent of either four or five notes.  It will be explained in greater detail when discussing combined neumes, where it is actually used.

To finish this post, here is an example of ascending the scale using these neumes (without the hypsile, of course), in both Byzantine psalmody notation and Western notation.

 

St. Ephraim the Syrian, pray for us!

 

The Rosary and the Komboskini

Each Wednesday during the school year, I pray a Rosary with a spiritual brotherhood I am a member of, a Rosary that is often prayed during a procession led by an icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa.  This past week, as I prayed with my rosary in my right hand and my komboskini around my left wrist, I thought of the sublime combination of traditions.

On one hand, we were praying the Rosary, the traditional Marian prayer revealed to St. Dominic.  With this prayer, we fervently beseeched the intercession of Our Lady, the Mother of God, as we meditated upon the mysteries of the life of Our Lord.  On the other hand (quite literally), my komboskini wrapped around my wrist reminded me to constantly remember Jesus Christ and to pray unceasingly the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  The Rosary is a traditional devotion of the Western Church, and the Jesus Prayer prayed on a komboskini is a traditional devotion of the Eastern Church.  To lead these prayers, an icon from Poland was processed, and, as my girlfriend's father remarked, Poland can be seen as a geographical point of connection between the Western and Eastern Churches (he mentioned this in connection to the devotion to Divine Mercy of St. Faustina Kowalska, which he sees as being a great tool for the reuniting of the two lungs of the Church).

Thus, in this one time of prayer, traditions from both lungs of the Church were used to lead me deeper into prayer.  I see a brilliant complementarity between the rosary in one hand and the komboskini in the other: with the one, we ask the intercession of the Theotokos as we meditate on the mysteries of the life of Our Lord, and, with the other, we unceasingly keep the name of Jesus Christ in our hearts, minds, and souls, as we continually ask Him for mercy.  With the one we beseech the Mother, and with the other we beseech the Son.  The use of komboskini also helps me see the Christocentrism present in the Rosary, for I often have a difficulty with Marian prayers being too about Mary with little connection to the Lord.  With the komboskini unceasingly reminding me of Jesus Christ, though, I am able to pray the Rosary with greater fervor and devotion.

This personal example just shows one more way how the use of both lungs of the Church can lead us deeper into devotion to the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Praise the Lord for His great gift of the two lungs of the Church!

St. Dominic, pray for us!