His Holiness Pope Tawadros II prayed this morning the Liturgy for the Feast of the Ascension in the Church of the Victorious Virgin in the Austrian capital, Vienna. H.G. Bishop Gabriel, the Bishop of Austria, participated in the Liturgy prayers along with H.G. Bishop Abakir, Bishop of Scandinavia, H.G. Bishop Makar, Bishop of Sharkia and the Tenth of Ramadan and H.G. Bishop Anianos, Bishop of Bani Mazar, and a number of priests, monks and the church’s congregation.

H.H. delivered the sermon during which His Holiness indicated that the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension of Christ to heaven forty days after the Feast of Resurrection, and that the Lord Christ, during those forty days, kept talking to His disciples about matters in relation to the kingdom of heaven, and explaining to them what their life would be like after He ascended to heaven. Also, that we have received these things from the Holy Tradition since the days of the Apostle Fathers, as it was made clear that on the feast of the Ascension we raise our eyes and long for heaven, and we remember that:

1- Our Christianity is heavenly: because in human life, philosophies, morals, religions, and sects appeared to ascend from earth to heaven, but man lived in sin since the fall of Adam, so his life turned to dust and he could not reach heaven until God came incarnate and became human from our mother, the Virgin Mary, and gave man the power and possibility to ascend to heaven, so our Christianity began from heaven,
“For God so loved the world (Incarnation) that He gave His only begotten Son (Crucifixion) , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
‭‭(John‬ ‭3‬:‭16)‬ ‭
Heaven became open to man, so our Christianity has a heavenly origin and a heavenly purpose (goal).

2- Our worship is heavenly: as we pray “Our Father who art in the heavens…
“On earth as it is in heaven”
(Matthew 6:9-10), and also in the Liturgy we pray:

“Greet one another with a holy kiss”, which we call “the kiss of peace”, as if we reconcile with everyone, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”
‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬)
We must express this through actions and faithfulness in the spiritual strive.

“You who are seated stand”, and it is a call to stand up from sin. “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;”(Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬), so we must pay attention to the call of repentance.

“Look towards the East” , Because the East is the home of light and the place from which Christ will come. “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬)‭, as prayers and praises attracts us to Heaven.

His Holiness recommended that every family should raise its children so that they have a place in heaven.

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