To mark the ascension of Our Lord we held a Eucharist at 7:30 in the evening, the Eucharist was celebrated by Father Stephen and in his sermon he reminded us that, as heard in the Gospel, after Jesus had Ascended to the Father, the Disciples returned home joyfully. We remember that Jesus will return, but as we await Pentecost we remember that the Spirit remains with us until that day comes.
Music at the Eucharist for the feast included an English versification (by J M Neale) of the Latin office hymn for first vespers of the feast Æterne Rex altissime – Eternal Monarch, King most high -  and Charles Wesley’s Hail the day that sees him rise (sung to Llanfair). The motet at Communion was J S Bach’s Lift your heads, ye gates eternal, and the voluntary at the end of the service was Heut’ triumphieret Gottes Sohn (Today God’s Son rises in triumph), BWV 630, again by J S Bach.
We came home in the dusk of a May evening with the joy of the disciples in our minds and hearts.