every sort of feast is fitting, for to Him belongs all glory, honor, and adoration, together with the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
ON THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. SERMON IV.
A Every feast of Christ’s economy is bright, inasmuch as it gladdens the hearts of the faithful; and today’s celebration is also bright. But why it is bright, we shall demonstrate in what follows. In six days, then, God made all His works, as it is written, and on the seventh day He rested (Gen. i, ii). For this reason, also in the last days, it pleased the divine Word of God to seek and to save that which was lost, and, assuming human flesh, He exhibited to us the same pattern for the celebration of the feasts of His economy, according to the number of the days of the creation of the world. The first root, then, of Christ’s feasts is His birth in the flesh after the wondrous conception from the holy Virgin and Theotokos Mary, whereby Christ God, bowing the heavens, came down to us on earth so that He might save a perishing world—where the angels, appearing to the shepherds and revealing the wondrous mystery of this miracle, cried out: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men" (Luc. ii, 14). Wherefore this is deservedly called the first feast. The second celebration is the Epiphany or apparition of Christ our God, when, coming into the Jordan, He showed to all men the indulgence of His ineffable mercy, when the voice of the Father was heard from heaven, testifying concerning Him: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matth. iii, 17). B Nay, even the Holy Spirit, appearing in the form of a dove, remained upon Him, the whole consubstantial Trinity manifesting Itself at one single moment of time, of which the Lord’s forerunner, John, was a worthy spectator. Concerning which Epiphany, or apparition, the blessed Apostle Paul also said: "The grace of our Savior God hath appeared to all men" (Tit. ii, 11). Since, therefore, the salvation of all men had its origin here, it is deservedly termed by the pious the greatest feast. The third solemnity of the feasts is the day of the salutary Passion of Christ our true God, which is to be adored and venerated in every way, in which, having been nailed in the flesh to the cross, He blotted out the handwriting of sin that was against us; in which also He brought into Paradise, by a word alone, the man who had been cast out through disobedience. For He says to the thief: "Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luc. xxiii, 43). Hence this feast is also held to be preeminent; for Paul says: "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (I Cor. v, 7). The fourth festival day is the most glorious and peaceful and triumphal day of the most holy Resurrection of Christ our God, when, having broken in pieces the eternal bars among the dead and shattered the shackles, He rose from the dead, and, triumphing over hell, He raised up and led forth with Himself the just who were held fast there (Luc. xxiv), when also, having entered to His disciples, He gave them peace as a reward (Joan. xx). Whence, without any controversy, this has always been held by the faithful to be the mother of feasts and the most celebrated day. The fifth of the feast days, however, is the most holy Ascension of the Lord to the heavens, C which we are now celebrating; and this is the fifth of the festivals, because it also falls on the fifth day of the week. Therefore, it is fitting that we celebrate this solemnity, since today Christ hath taken up to the heavens the first fruits of our mass, that is, our flesh. Wherefore the Apostle also said: "He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus" (Eph. ii, 6). Whence the author of all evil and the inventor of sin, the devil, fell on account of the tumor of elation and the smoke of pride, whereas Christ restored man, who had been cast out of Paradise by that one’s wicked counsel, there by the magnitude of His own benignity. Therefore, the present feast is worthy of every honor and spiritual dance. But since we recalled to your memory at the beginning of the sermon the number of seven feasts, according to the ratio of the days of the creation of the world, and we have hitherto shown only five feasts, we must needs also bring two others into the middle, and thus the discourse may be led to the instituted narrative. The sixth celebration of the feasts, then, is the blessed day of the Coming of the Holy Spirit, when the promised gift of the Holy Spirit was sent down from the Lord Christ from the heavens to the holy apostles in the form of fiery tongues, which is also called Pentecost because of the completion of the seven weeks. Without controversy, therefore, this too is established as the greatest solemnity for all the pious. The seventh feast, which is expected, is the day of the Resurrection of the dead, by the hope and desire of which all the faithful are held, when the Lord shall come, and He who has no respect of persons, the Judge, Christ our God, will render to everyone according to his works. This is the true rest, and so the blessed Apostle Paul said: "Let us hasten therefore to enter into that rest" (Heb. iv, 11). Then, therefore, the celebration will be fulfilled to the greatest degree with all joy, gladness, and exultation for those who shall possess as an inheritance those things which "the eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (I Cor. ii, 9), so that we may be able to celebrate the feast day with the just and the holy in the nuptial chamber of the heavenly kingdom, not merely for one, two, or three days, but for everlasting ages. Seven feast celebrations having thus been set forth by us, let us return to that which is under discussion. D Our instituted narrative, however, is about the present feast of the Ascension of Christ into the heavens, of which David said: "And He bowed the heavens, and came down, and darkness was under His feet" (Ps. xvii, 10—11), intending to signify the coming of the divine Word from the heavens down upon the earth. He said, indeed, that darkness was under His feet, signifying the covering of divinity through the flesh; for His coming was unknown to the common people, on account of His humility and meekness. Again, for the same prophet says: "O Lord, Thy way is in the sea, and Thy paths in many waters, and Thy footsteps shall not be known" (Ps. lxxvi, 20). If they had known, says the Apostle, they never would have crucified the Lord of glory (I Cor. ii, 8). And He said again: "He flew upon the wings of the winds" (Ps. xvii, 11). Upon the Cherubim, he says, because the same One who is in the heavens with the Father was also being carried upon the Cherubim, and while He was living with men on earth, He was by no means separated from the Cherubic and heavenly throne; but by the "wings of the winds" He hints at the clouds, into which He was also taken up, as it is also written in the Acts of the Apostles: "And a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Act. i, 9). After this he adds: "And while they were looking on Him going into heaven" (Ib. v, 10), astonishment and fear invaded the apostles; for when they were mortals by nature, and not accustomed to contemplating such things, they were driven into an astonishment of mind. But someone will say that Peter and James and John had seen the transfiguration before. They had indeed seen the Lord transfigured before, and the cloud overshadowing Him: but they did not behold the cloud which was being snatched up into the air, and receiving the Lord into the heavens (Matth. xvii, 3). That was a miracle, and this is a miracle: but a miracle more formidable than a miracle, this one more sublime than that: yet both were accomplished by the power and mystery of one God. Then Moses and Elias appeared to those who were with Peter, speaking with Him: but now the Cherubic throne, that is, the invisible power, hidden by a cloud,
[GREEK COLUMN] 801 SPURIA. A ...and he answered, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias." But now not one of the disciples was able even to speak, nor to open his mouth, but, struck with great fear, they were beside themselves. And the Scripture adds immediately, saying: "And behold, two men stood by them in white garments," who also spoke. Nor is this idle; for the men being in white garments is significant of a great feast. And what did they say? "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?" The exceeding great miracle has astonished you; have you forgotten Him who said: "I am going to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God"? Or was it not on account of this that He said to you, "I will not leave you orphans"; and again, "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you"? Did He not promise you the fulfillment of the Paraclete, that is, the Holy Spirit? "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him going into heaven." Thus He will come with the clouds of heaven, with glory and great power; thus He will come in the time when He is about to judge the world in righteousness. For the Father has given all judgment to Him. Do you not remember that when He was with you, He said: "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth"? B Then the apostles, coming to themselves, returned, praising and blessing the Lord, and awaiting the divine gift, that is, the descent of the all-holy Spirit. And indeed, what was said in the Psalms was fulfilled: "God has ascended with a shout, the Lord with the voice of a trumpet." "The Lord with the voice of a trumpet"—the prophet clearly signified here the duality of natures in the economy of Christ; in the same way, Thomas also, after the resurrection of the Lord, feeling His side, cried out, saying: "My Lord and my God." "God has ascended with a shout, the Lord with the voice of a trumpet." With a shout, indeed, because they send up the thrice-holy hymn to God with an unceasing voice; C and how He was taken up upon the Cherubic throne, we have previously shown. With the voice of a trumpet, namely, the archangelic [voice], foreshadowing His ascent into the heavens. But also the Holy Spirit, with a commanding voice, proclaimed to the powers above: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter." And the powers said: "Who is this King of glory?" Then the Spirit: "The Lord is strong and mighty, the Lord is mighty in battle." For He conquered the Enemy; He armed Himself against the tyranny of the devil in the human body; He quenched his fiery darts; and, being nailed to the cross and tasting death, while yet immortal, He plundered Hades; and, having been shown to be the victor, He rose from the dead and, having turned back the straying sheep, behold, He ascends, carrying it upon [His] shoulders toward the ninety and nine that are not lost, those that are grazing in the mountains, that is, in the heavens. D "The Lord is strong and mighty, the Lord is mighty in battle." And again He says: "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." Therefore, when the powers heard, "The Lord of hosts," they unanimously cried out the customary doxology, received the Lord with joy, and escorted Him to the high and lifted-up throne. And the word spoken by David was fulfilled: "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." O heretic, [certainly] regarding the flesh taken from us, ensouled by the holy Virgin. Let those, therefore, be ashamed who confess one nature in Christ. For it is evident that the divine nature was co-eternally with the throne of majesty. But let the Catholic Church be glorified. May Christ our God render us all worthy of His eternal kingdom; to Him be glory and power with the immaculate Father, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.