Easter 7 (Ascension Sunday)
Let us pray [that we know God is with us even when God feels absent]
pause
Eternal God, the king of glory,
you have exalted your only Son
with great triumph to be Lord of all;
leave us not comfortless
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
that we may labour for the coming of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen
NZPB p. 603a
Alternative collect appointed for this Sunday in NZPB
Ascension speaks of leaving, of absence. But the historical Jesus, limited by space and time, needs to leave in order that the Spirit of the Risen Christ might be in all places at all times. Jesus leaves - yet states in his leaving, "I am with you always" (Matt 28:20). Jesus says, "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you" (John 16:7). Holding together presence and absence is at the heart of the collect.
Roman Catholics on this Sunday hold together this same paradox in the collect originating in the Gelasian Sacramentary for one of the eucharists for the Ascension:
Supplicationibus nostris, Domine, adesto
propitius,
ut, sicut humani generis Salvatorem
tecum in tua credimus maiestate,
ita eum usque ad consummationem saeculi
manere nobiscum,
sicut ipse promisit, sentiamus.
Father,
help us keep in mind that Christ our Saviour
lives with you in glory
and promised to remain with us until the end
of time.
The Anglican collect was composed by Cranmer for the 1549 Prayer Book:
O GOD, the kyng of glory, which hast exalted thine only sonne Jesus Christe, with great triumphe unto thy kingdom in heaven; we beseche thee, leave us not comfortles; but sende to us thine holy ghost to comfort us, and exalte us unto the same place whither our saviour Christe is gone before; who lyveth and reigneth &c.
In 735, the Venerable Bede died on Ascension Day at Vespers having sung the antiphon addressed to Christ "O Lord, King of glory, Lord of hosts, who today did ascend in triumph above the heavens, leave us not orphans, but send upon us the promise of the Father, even the Spirit of Truth." Possibly looking towards Pentecost, and the coming of the Spirit, the Comforter, (John 14:26 KJV) Cranmer translates orphanos as "comfortless".
Common Worship CofE:
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
BCP USA:
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son
Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to
strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior
Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Adapted by the Order of St Helena as:
O God, the Mighty One of glory, you have exalted
Jesus Christ with great triumph to your dominion in heaven:
Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to
strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior
Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.