At the top of this icon our Lord Jesus is depicted ascending to His heavenly throne as ruler of all things, as it is written in Ephesians, "God the Father put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

    As the disciples look upward at the ascending Christ, two angels stand by them and say, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."  Indeed, the Scriptures tell us that Jesus will return in the clouds with great power and glory.

    Finally, the blessed Virgin Mary is depicted at the bottom center.  Like Christ, she is facing the viewer of the icon.  For Mary is a picture for us of the holy Church, through whom Christians are given birth by water and the Spirit and made to be members of the Body of Christ.  In this way we see that Christ's ascension does not mean that He is absent from us.  Rather, He who fills all in all comes to us through our mother, the Church, in His Gospel preaching and the supper of His body and blood.  In this age Christ is not visible to our eyes, but He is truly and literally present with us and among us by His words and sacraments for faith to behold.  It is written, "We walk by faith, not by sight."