Today, June 9, is the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The Ascension of the Lord is one of the 12 major church feasts and is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter - the Resurrection of Christ, therefore it always falls on a Thursday.
According to the Gospel accounts, during the forty days after the Resurrection, Christ appeared to the apostles many times, teaching them the foundations of establishing the Church and spreading the Christian faith. On the fortieth day, he promised them the imminent descent of the Holy Spirit into the world - the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and then led the disciples out of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives and, blessing them, began to ascend to heaven until he disappeared in a cloud.
The Church teaches that the Ascension completed the earthly ministry of the Son of God. "Having redeemed the sins of humanity," He in His person raised human nature to the throne of God the Father and "prepared human nature to receive the Holy Spirit."
The Ascension concludes the broad celebration of Easter, therefore this day is also called the "leave-taking of Easter."