The Ascension
A Roman Breviary Image
I have another image scanned from my 1894 Roman Breviary to share with you.
Central Panel: The Ascension
The large middle section shows Jesus rising toward Heaven. His hands reach upward to meet the hands of God the Father emerging from a celestial cloud. Below him are the eleven Apostles and the Virgin Mary. Their expressions are interesting - some look confused, sad and some serene.
The upper panels focus on figures from the Hebrew Bible who were “taken up” or who prophesied the event:
Center Top: Enoch. The Latin text “Ambulavit cum Deo et non apparuit: quia tulit... Gen. 5” refers to Genesis 5:24: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Top Left: The Prophet Micah. He holds a scroll reading “Ascendet. Mich. 2”, referring to Micah 2:13: The one who breaks out will go before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the Lord at their head.
Top Right: King David. He holds a scroll reading “Ascendit. Ps. 46”, referring to Psalm 46: “God has ascended amid shouts of joy.”
The lower panels link the Ascension to the power of God and future glory:
Center Bottom: Elijah’s Chariot. This depicts Elijah being taken to heaven in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire, while his successor Elisha looks on. The text “Ecce currus igneus et equi ignei diviserunt.. IV Reg. 2” (2 Kings 2:11) explicitly names this famous prefiguration of the Ascension.
Bottom Left: The Prophet Isaiah. The scroll “Elevabitur. Is. 2” refers to Isaiah 2:2, prophesying that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be “raised above the hills.”
Bottom Right: The Prophet Jeremiah. The scroll “Quasi nubes. Jer. 4” refers to Jeremiah 4:13: “Look! He advances like the clouds,” which is linked to Christ returning or ascending in the cloud.
In the medieval period, the Ascension was usually depicted as a pair of feet disappearing into the clouds. Here is the Ascension in medieval glass from St Mary Magdalen, Newark.
Finally, with the help of AI, here is a colourised version. As always, it does sometimes mess up a bit so beware! But its nice to get a colour impression of the picture.
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