The Ascension of our Lord<\/p>\n
I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God, and Your God<\/em> (John 20:17). In these words the Risen Christ described to Mary Magdalene the mystery of His Resurrection. She had to carry this mysterious message to His disciples, \u201cas they mourned and wept\u201d (Mark 16:10).<\/p>\n The disciples listened to these glad tidings with fear and amazement, with doubt and mistrust. It was not Thomas alone who doubted among the Eleven. On the contrary, it appears that only one of the Eleven did not doubt\u2014Saint John, the disciple \u201cwhom Jesus loved.\u201d<\/p>\n He alone grasped the mystery of the empty tomb at once: \u201cand he saw, and believed\u201d (John 20:8). Even Peter left the sepulcher in amazement, \u201cwondering at that which was come to pass\u201d (Luke 24:12).<\/p>\n The disciples did not expect the Resurrection. The women did not, either. They were quite certain that Jesus was dead and rested in the grave, and they went to the place \u201cwhere He was laid,\u201d with the spices they had prepared, \u201cthat they might come and anoint Him.\u201d They had but one thought: \u201cWho shall roll away the stone from the door of the sepulcher for us?\u201d (Mark 16:1-3; Luke 24:1).<\/p>\n And therefore, on not finding the body, Mary Magdalene was sorrowful and complained: \u201cThey have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him\u201d (John 20:13). On hearing the good news from the angel, the women fled from the sepulchre in fear and trembling: \u201cNeither said they anything to any man, for they were afraid\u201d (Mark 16:8).<\/p>\n And when they spoke no one believed them, in the same way as no one had believed Mary, who saw the Lord, or the disciples as they walked on their way into the country, (Mark 16:13), and who recognized Him in the breaking of bread. \u201cAnd afterward He appeared unto the Eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen Him after He was risen\u201d (Mark 16:10-14).<\/p>\n From whence comes this \u201chardness of heart\u201d and hesitation? Why were their eyes so \u201cholden,\u201d why were the disciples so much afraid of the news, and why did the Easter joy so slowly, and with such difficulty, enter the Apostles\u2019 hearts? Did not they, who were with Him from the beginning, \u201cfrom the baptism of John,\u201d see all the signs of power which He performed before the face of the whole people?<\/p>\n The lame walked, the blind saw, the dead were raised, and all infirmities were healed. Did they not behold, only a week earlier, how He raised by His word Lazarus from the dead, who had already been in the grave for four days? Why then was it so strange to them that the Master had arisen Himself? How was it that they came to forget that which the Lord used to tell them on many occasions, that after suffering and death He would arise on the third day?<\/p>\n The mystery of the Apostles\u2019 \u201cunbelief\u201d is partly disclosed in the narrative of the Gospel: \u201cBut we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel,\u201d with disillusionment and complaint said the two disciples to their mysterious Companion on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:21).<\/p>\n They meant: He was betrayed, condemned to death and crucified. The news of the Resurrection brought by the women only \u201castonished\u201d them. They still wait for an earthly triumph, for an exernal victory. The same temptation possesses their hearts, which first prevented them from accepting \u201cthe preaching of the Cross\u201d and made them argue every time the Saviour tried to reveal His mystery to them. \u201cOught not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?\u201d (Luke 24:26). It was still difficult to understand this.<\/p>\n He had the power to arise, why did He allow what that had happened to take place at all? Why did He take upon Himself disgrace, blasphemy and wounds? In the eyes of all Jerusalem, amidst the vast crowds assembled for the Great Feast, He was condemned and suffered a shameful death.<\/p>\n And now He enters not into the Holy City, neither to the people which beheld His shame and death, nor to the High Priests and elders, nor to Pilate\u2014so that He might make their crime obvious and smite their pride. Instead, He sends His disciples away to remote Galilee and appears to them there.<\/p>\n Even much earlier the disciples wondered, \u201cHow is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?\u201d (John 14:22). Their wonder continues, and even on the day of His glorious Ascension the Apostles question the Lord, \u201cLord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?\u201d (Acts 1:6).<\/p>\n They still did not comprehend the meaning of His Resurrection, they did not understand what it meant that He was \u201cascending\u201d to the Father. Their eyes were opened but later, when \u201cthe promise of the Father\u201d had been fulfilled.<\/p>\n In the Ascension resides the meaning and the fullness of Christ\u2019s Resurrection. The Lord did not rise in order to return again to the fleshly order of life, so as to live again and commune with the disciples and the multitudes by means of preaching and miracles.<\/p>\n Now he does not even stay with them, but only \u201cappears\u201d to them during the forty days, from time to time, and always in a miraculous and mysterious manner. \u201cHe was not always with them now, as He was before the Resurrection,\u201d comments Saint John Chrysostom. \u201cHe came and again disappeared, thus leading them on to higher conceptions.<\/p>\n He no longer permitted them to continue in their former relationship toward Him, but took effectual measures to secure these two objects: That the fact of His Resurrection should be believed, and that He Himself should be ever after apprehended to be greater than man.\u201d There was something new and unusual in His person (cf. John 21:1-14).<\/p>\n As Saint John Chrysostom says, \u201cIt was not an open presence, but a certain testimony of the fact that He was present.\u201d That is why the disciples were confused and frightened. Christ arose not in the same way as those who were restored to life before Him.<\/p>\n Theirs was a resurrection for a time, and they returned to life in the same body, which was subject to death and corruption\u2014returned to the previous mode of life. But Christ arose for ever, unto eternity. He arose in a body of glory, immortal and incorruptible.<\/p>\n He arose, never to die, for \u201cHe clothed the mortal in the splendor of incorruption.\u201d His glorified Body was already exempt from the fleshly order of existence. \u201cIt is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.<\/p>\n It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body\u201d (I Cor. 15:42-44). This mysterious transformation of human bodies, of which Saint Paul was speaking in the case of our Lord, had been accomplished in three days. Christ\u2019s work on earth was accomplished.<\/p>\n He had suffered, was dead and buried, and now rose to a higher mode of existence. By His Resurrection He abolished and destroyed death, abolished the law of corruption, \u201cand raised with Himself the whole race of Adam.\u201d Christ has risen, and now \u201cno dead are left in the grave\u201d (cf. The Easter Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom).<\/p>\n And now He ascends to the Father, yet He does not \u201cgo away,\u201d but abides with the faithful for ever (cf. The Kontakion of Ascension). For He raises the very earth with Him to heaven, and even higher than any heaven. God\u2019s power, in the phrase of Saint John Chrysostom, \u201cmanifests itself not only in the Resurrection, but in something much stronger.\u201d For \u201cHe was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God\u201d (Mark 16:19).<\/p>\n And with Christ, man\u2019s nature ascends also. \u201cWe who seemed unworthy of the earth, are now raised to heaven,\u201d says Saint John Chrysostom. \u201cWe who were unworthy of earthly dominion have been raised to the Kingdom on high, have ascended higher than heaven, have came to occupy the King\u2019s throne, and the same nature from which the angels guarded Paradise, stopped not until it ascended to the throne of the Lord.<\/p>\n \u201d By His Ascension the Lord not only opened to man the entrance to heaven, not only appeared before the face of God on our behalf and for our sake, but likewise \u201ctransferred man\u201d to the high places. \u201cHe honored them He loved by putting them close to the Father.\u201d<\/p>\n God quickened and raised us together with Christ, as Saint Paul says, \u201cand made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus\u201d (Ephes. 2:6). Heaven received the inhabitants of the earth. \u201cThe First fruits of them that slept\u201d sits now on high, and in Him all creation is summed up and bound together. \u201cThe earth rejoices in mystery, and the heavens are filled with joy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe terrible ascent….\u201d Terror-stricken and trembling stand the angelic hosts, contemplating the Ascension of Christ. And trembling they ask each other, \u201cWhat is this vision? One who is man in appearance ascends in His body higher than the heavens, as God.\u201d<\/p>\n Thus the Office for the Feast of the Ascension depicts the mystery in a poetical language. As on the day of Christ\u2019s Nativity the earth was astonished on beholding God in the flesh, so now the Heavens do tremble and cry out. \u201cThe Lord of Hosts, Who reigns over all, Who is Himself the head of all, Who is preeminent in all things, Who has reinstated creation in its former order\u2014He is the King of Glory.\u201d<\/p>\n And the heavenly doors are opened: \u201cOpen, Oh heavenly gates, and receive God in the flesh.\u201d It is an open allusion to Psalms 24:7-10, now prophetically interpreted. \u201cLift up your heads, Oh ye gates, and be lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty….\u201d Saint Chrysostom says, \u201cNow the angels have received that for which they have long waited, the archangels see that for which they have long thirsted.<\/p>\n They have seen our nature shining on the King\u2019s throne, glistening with glory and eternal beauty…. Therefore they descend in order to see the unusual and marvelous vision: Man appearing in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ascension is the token of Pentecost, the sign of its coming, \u201cThe Lord has ascended to heaven and will send the Comforter to the world\u201d<\/p>\n For the Holy Spirit was not yet in the world, until Jesus was glorified. And the Lord Himself told the disciples, \u201cIf I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you\u201d (John 16:7). The gifts of the Spirit are \u201cgifts of reconciliation,\u201d a seal of an accomplished salvation and of the ultimate reunion of the world with God. And this was accomplished only in the Ascension.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd one saw miracles follow miracles,\u201d says Saint John Chrysostom, \u201cten days prior to this our nature ascended to the King\u2019s throne, while today the Holy Ghost has descended on to our nature.\u201d The joy of the Ascension lies in the promise of the Spirit. \u201cThou didst give joy to Thy disciples by a promise of the Holy Spirit.\u201d The victory of Christ is wrought in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n \u201cOn high is His body, here below with us is His Spirit. And so we have His token on high, that is His body, which He received from us, and here below we have His Spirit with us. Heaven received the Holy Body, and the earth accepted the Holy Spirit. Christ came and sent the Spirit. He ascended, and with Him our body ascended also\u201d Saint John Chrysostom).<\/p>\n The revelation of the Holy Trinity was completed. Now the Spirit Comforter is poured forth on all flesh. \u201cHence comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of all, the being made God!\u201d (Saint Basil, On the Holy Spirit, IX).<\/p>\n Beginning with the Apostles, and through communion with them\u2014by an unbroken succession\u2014Grace is spread to all believers. Through renewal and glorification in the Ascended Christ, man\u2019s nature became receptive of the spirit. \u201cAnd unto the world He gives quickening forces through His human body,\u201d says Bishop Theophanes. \u201cHe holds it completely in Himself and penetrates it with His strength, out of Himself; and He likewise draws the angels to Himself through the spirit of man, giving them space for action and thus making them blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n All this is done through the Church, which is \u201cthe Body of Christ;\u201d that is, His \u201cfullness\u201d (Ephesians 1:23). \u201cThe Church is the fulfillment of Christ,\u201d continues Bishop Theophanes, \u201cperhaps in the same way as the tree is the fulfillment of the seed. That which is contained in the seed in a contracted form receives its development in the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n The very existence of the Church is the fruit of the Ascension. It is in the Church that man\u2019s nature is truly ascended to the Divine heights. \u201cAnd gave Him to be Head over all things\u201d (Ephesians 1:22). Saint John Chrysostom comments: \u201cAmazing! Look again, whither He has raised the Church. As though He were lifting it up by some engine, He has raised it up to a vast height, and set it on yonder throne; for where the Head is, there is the body also.<\/p>\n There is no interval of separation between the Head and the body; for were there a separation, then would the one no longer be a body, nor would the other any longer be a Head.\u201d The whole race of men is to follow Christ, even in His ultimate exaltation, \u201cto follow in His train.\u201d<\/p>\n Within the Church, through an acquisition of the Spirit in the fellowship of Sacraments, the Ascension continues still, and will continue until the measure is full. \u201cOnly then shall the Head be filled up, when the body is rendered perfect, when we are knit together and united,\u201d concludes Saint John Chrysostom.<\/p>\n The Ascension is a sign and token of the Second Coming. \u201cThis same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven\u201d (Acts 1:11).<\/p>\n The mystery of God\u2019s Providence will be accomplished in the Return of the Risen Lord. In the fulfillment of time, Christ\u2019s kingly power will be revealed and spread over the whole of faithful mankind.<\/p>\n Christ bequeathes the Kingdom to the whole of the faithful. \u201cAnd I appoint unto you a Kingdom as My Father has appointed unto me. That ye may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel\u201d (Luke 22:29-30).<\/p>\n Those who followed Him faithfully will sit with Him on their thrones on the day of His coming. \u201cTo him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne\u201d (Rev. 3:21).<\/p>\n Salvation will be consummated in the Glory. \u201cConceive to yourself the throne, the royal throne, conceive the immensity of the privilege. This, at least if we chose, might more avail to startle us, yea, even than hell itself\u201d (Saint John Chrysostom).<\/p>\n We should tremble more at the thought of that abundant Glory which is appointed unto the redeemed, than at the thought of the eternal darkness. \u201cThink near Whom Thy Head is seated….\u201d Or rather, Who is the Head. In very truth, \u201cwondrous and terrible is Thy divine ascension from the mountain, O Giver of Life.\u201d<\/p>\n A terrible and wondrous height is the King\u2019s throne. In face of this height all flesh stands silent, in awe and trembling. \u201cHe has Himself descended to the lowest depths of humiliation, and raised up man to the height of exaltation.\u201d<\/p>\n What then should we do? \u201cIf thou art the body of Christ, bear the Cross, for He bore it\u201d (Saint John Chrysostom).<\/p>\n \u201cWith the power of Thy Cross, Oh Christ, establish my thoughts, so that I may sing and glorify Thy saving Ascension.\u201d<\/p>\n Third Finding of the Honorable Head of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John<\/p>\n The Third Discovery of the Venerable Head of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John occurred in about the year 850 (see the account of the First and Second Discoveries on February 24). The head of Saint John the Forerunner was found in the city of Emesia during a time of unrest at Constantinople connected with the exile of Saint John Chrysostom (November 13).<\/p>\n It was transferred to Komana during the Saracen raids (about 820-820) and it was hidden in the ground during a period of iconoclastic persecution. When the veneration of icons was restored, Patriarch Ignatius (847-857) saw in a vision the place where the head of Saint John the Forerunner was hidden. The patriarch communicated this to the emperor, who sent a delegation to Komana. There the head was found a third time around the year 850.<\/p>\n Afterwards the head was again transferred to Constantinople, and here on May 25 it was placed in a church at the court. Part of the head is on Mt. Athos. The Third Discovery of the Head of John the Baptist is commemorated on May 25.<\/p>\n Translated into English by oca.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Ascension of our Lord I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God, and Your God (John 20:17). In these words the Risen Christ described to Mary Magdalene the mystery of His Resurrection. She had to carry this mysterious message to His disciples, \u201cas they mourned and wept\u201d (Mark 16:10). The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":166115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6567,8374,5588,6569,6570,6568,8375],"class_list":["post-166114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feasts-and-saints","tag-feasts-and-saints","tag-heroes-day","tag-john-the-baptist","tag-lives-of-the-saints","tag-orthodox-calendar","tag-saints-of-the-day","tag-the-ascension-of-our-lord"],"better_featured_image":{"id":166115,"alt_text":"","caption":"","description":"","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":643,"height":890,"file":"2017\/05\/\u00cen\u0103l\u021barea-Domnului.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"\u00cen\u0103l\u021barea-Domnului-360x360.jpg","width":360,"height":360,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/\u00cen\u0103l\u021barea-Domnului-360x360.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1495566045","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1","keywords":[]}},"post":166114,"source_url":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/\u00cen\u0103l\u021barea-Domnului.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166114\/"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post\/"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9\/"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments\/?post=166114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166114\/revisions\/"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166115\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/?parent=166114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/?post=166114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/?post=166114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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