HOMILY 74: On the Ascension of the Lord, preached by our Holy Father John Chrysostom on the Thursday of the Sixth Week after Pascha. #

Three exceedingly glorious wonders of the Lord took place from the beginning: the first was His descent to earth; the second, His resurrection from the dead; the third, His ascension into the heavens. For Elijah, though he too was taken up into heaven, was merely moved from one place to another; but Christ ascended to the very place whence He had come down. The prophet David speaks of the Lord’s Ascension, saying: “God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet” (Psalm 46:5), and again: “He rode upon the cherubim, and did fly: yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind” (Psalm 18:10). Concerning this, Habakkuk also says: “The sun went up, and the moon stood still in her course” (cf. Habakkuk 3:11). He names Christ as the sun and calls the Church the moon.

The wise Solomon, perceiving the height of these deeds, exclaims: “Behold, Christ comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills” (cf. Song of Songs 2:8). By “leaping,” he means His descent from heaven into the Virgin’s womb, then from the womb into the manger, from the manger to the Cross, from the Cross to the tomb, and from the tomb—rising as God—He ascended into heaven. All this Christ did for our sake.

For Enoch and Elijah were taken up into the heights, prefiguring the Lord’s Ascension. Today, the Lord ascended into the heavens. Blessed Job calls the Lord a birdling, for the earthen body rose from the earth; yet the Jews, seeing this mystery of the Ascension, understood it not.

Behold, the Ascension of our Lord and God and Savior is the most wondrous of all feasts: for today the heavenly hosts, rejoicing, bear up the Lord upon a cloud, as He ascends in the flesh to the inexpressible throne of the Father; and all the ranks of angels gather in joy and, with one accord, are commanded to sing the Thrice-Holy Hymn, saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men” (Luke 2:14).

Today, all the deceit of the invisible demons is cast down. Today, rejoicing and exulting, the prophet David cries out, saying: “Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Thy glory be over all the earth” (Psalm 56:5). Today the apostolic choir converses without fear with the angels, for Christ, having taken upon Himself human flesh and deified it by His Resurrection, placed it at the right hand of the Father in heaven, as the Evangelist Luke says: “Jesus led His disciples out as far as Bethany, and He said to them: Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And He was parted from them and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (cf. Luke 24:50–51, Acts 1:9).

Not only did the disciples see this, but also His Mother who bore Him, and many others of the people beheld with awe Christ ascending in the flesh. This miracle is more wondrous and awesome than all others: for when He was taken from the earth, He appeared as a man visible to the eyes, but when He began to ascend to heaven, He was more difficult to behold. And when He came to heaven and filled it entirely with the glory of the Godhead, His majesty was beyond all understanding: so that even heaven could not see through the radiance of His glory. Yet the angels, obedient in beholding His appearance, proclaimed His coming.

Two angels appeared in bright garments and said to the apostles: “Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, Who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). He shall come again to judge the living and the dead and to reward every man according to his works, for the Father has entrusted all judgment unto Him.

O how gracious is our Lord Christ, Who has accomplished our salvation! For He descended from heaven and again ascended into the heavens in glory—not like one sleeping on a ship, nor wearied by thirst at a well, nor seated on a colt of an ass—but gloriously, borne upon a cloud. He ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of God—not standing before judges in the marketplace, but Himself the Judge of the whole world. And He gave the apostles power to judge, saying to them: “When the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

And just as Christ was taken up in a cloud, so shall we, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, be caught up in the clouds (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17). And just as the Lord ascended with a shout and the sound of a trumpet, so also, brethren, let us lay aside the passionate cloud of wickedness and injustice, that we may ever be with Christ.

Today, faithful ones, let us reverently and spiritually keep the feast of the Lord’s Ascension, as befits Christians—not like unbelievers, with feasting and drunkenness, with idle games and demonic songs—but let us celebrate, O faithful, by running to the church without malice, showing mercy to the poor and orphans, and helping the needy. If you honor the servants of earthly princes, how much more ought honor and gifts be given to the servants of the Heavenly King? For they are leaders unto God.

Let there be peace and love among you, for this is the foundation of all virtue. And humility overcomes every sin. For our Lord Himself humbled Himself for our sake, becoming man in the flesh, willingly suffering, tasting of death, yet on the third day rising as God and ascending into heaven.

Let us also humble ourselves, O faithful, that we too may be exalted. For the Lord says: “He that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11). And let each of us give alms according to his strength: for just as “water quenches fire, so also does almsgiving blot out sins” (cf. Sirach 3:30).

To our God be glory, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.