Sermon 262

SERMO 262

ON THE DAY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
Dressed in the Leontian Basilica.

Christ was not made man for a reason.

The Lord Jesus, the only-begotten of the Father and co-eternal with the begetter, equally invisible, equally immutable, equally omnipotent, equally God; for us, as you know, and have received, and hold, became man by assuming a human form, not by losing the divine: powerful when hidden, weak when manifest; as you know, he was born so that we might be reborn; he died so that we might not die eternally. He rose immediately, that is, on the third day: he promised us the resurrection of the flesh at the end. He showed himself to the eyes of the disciples to be seen, and to their hands to be touched; persuading them of what he had become, not taking away what he always was. He conversed with them for forty days, as you have heard, entering and leaving, eating and drinking; not out of need, but entirely out of power: and manifesting to them the truth of the flesh, its weakness on the cross, and its immortality from the tomb.

The burial of Saint Leontius.

Today, therefore, we celebrate the day of his ascension. However, another local feast occurs for this Church. Today is the deposition of Saint Leontius, the founder of this basilica. But let the star be obscured by the sun. Therefore, let us speak of the Lord, rather than what we had begun. The good servant rejoices when the Lord is praised.

Today's day is celebrated throughout the entire world.

On this present day, that is, the fortieth after His resurrection, the Lord ascended into heaven. We did not see it: but let us believe. Those who saw preached, and filled the world. You know who saw, and who declared it to us: of whom it was foretold: There are no languages nor speeches, where their voices are not heard. Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. Therefore, they have also come to us, and awakened us from sleep. Behold, today is celebrated throughout the whole world.

Sit in heaven, you who hung on the wood.

Recall the Psalm. To whom was it said: Be exalted above the heavens, God? To whom was it said? Could it be said to God the Father: Be exalted, who was never humbled? Be exalted you: you who were enclosed in your mother’s womb; you who were made in her whom you made; you who lay in a manger; you who sucked milk from the breast as an infant in human flesh; you who, carrying the world, were carried by your mother: you whom the old man Simeon recognized as a baby and praised as great; you whom the widow Anna saw nursing and recognized as all-powerful: you who hungered for us, thirsted for us, grew tired on the way for us: (does the bread hunger, or the fountain thirst, or the way grow weary?); you who suffered all these things for us: you who slept, and yet do not sleep, guarding Israel: finally, you whom Judas sold, whom the Jews bought and did not possess: you who were seized, bound, scourged, crowned with thorns, suspended on the wood, pierced with a spear, you who died, you who were buried: Be exalted above the heavens, God.

Be exalted, he says, be exalted above the heavens, because you are God. Sit in heaven, you who hung on the wood. You are expected to come as a judge, who awaited judgment. Who would believe these things, unless it was done by Him who raises the poor from the earth, and exalts the needy from the ash heap? He himself raises up his own needy flesh, and places it with the princes of his people, with whom he will judge the living and the dead. He has placed this needy flesh with them, to whom he says: You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Church is the glory of Christ.

Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God. It is already done, it is already fulfilled. But we say, how was it predicted to be: Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God; we did not see it, but we believed it: behold, before our eyes is what follows: Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, and your glory above all the earth. Let him not believe the former, who does not see the latter. For what is: And your glory above all the earth? but, above all the earth your Church, above all the earth your matrons, above all the earth your bride, your beloved, your dove, your spouse. She is your glory: For the man, says the Apostle, ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. If the woman is the glory of the man, the Church is the glory of Christ.