Sermon 264
SERMO 264
ON THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
Something must be said about the ascension of Christ.
There are many hidden mysteries in the divine Scriptures, whether those which we ourselves still have to search for or those which the Lord has already deigned to reveal to our humility. But there is not enough time to explain these to Your Holiness. I know that especially in these days, the church is filled with such people who would rather leave quickly than come; and they find us burdensome if we speak for a long time: yet in their feasts, to which they hasten, if they are held until evening, they neither toil nor refuse, nor do they depart even with any shame. However, lest we defraud those who come hungering, we will not be silent, albeit briefly, about this mystery, that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended with that body in which He rose.
Why Christ conversed with the disciples after the resurrection.
Certainly due to the weakness of his disciples—there were even some among that number whom the devil would tempt with unbelief—so that a certain disciple of his, in that very guise in which he knew him, nevertheless had no more faith in the living members than in the fresh scars. Therefore, for their confirmation, he deigned to live with them for a full forty days after the resurrection, from the very day of his passion until that day, entering and exiting, eating and drinking, as Scripture says; confirming that what had been taken away by the cross was restored to their eyes after the resurrection. However, he did not want them to remain in the flesh nor to be held longer by carnal affection. For they desired him to be always bodily with them with the same mind by which Peter also feared that he would suffer. For they saw their master, who was with them, as a comforter and protector in human form, just as they saw themselves. If they did not see something like this, they believed him absent, although he is present everywhere by majesty. He truly protected them just as he deigned to say, like a hen her chicks. For just as the hen weakens due to the weakness of her chicks—not like so many birds before our eyes that make chicks; we do not see any bird weaken with chicks except the hen. Therefore the Lord took a likeness from her because he deigned to weaken by taking flesh due to our weakness. Yet it was necessary for them to be somewhat uplifted and to begin to think of him spiritually, as the Word of the Father, God with God, through whom all things were made. The flesh they saw did not allow this. Therefore it was beneficial for them to be confirmed in faith by his conversation with them for forty days. But it was more beneficial for them that he withdrew from their sight so that he who had conversed with them on earth as a brother might help from heaven as Lord, and they might learn to think of him according to God. This is indeed what the evangelist John declared, if anyone notices, if anyone understands. For the Lord said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” “If you loved me," he said, "you would rejoice, because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” And in another place, he says, “I and the Father are one.” He claims equality with the Father, not by robbery, but by nature, so that he might say this to a certain disciple who said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us.” And he: “Philip, have I been with you so long, and you do not know the Father? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." What does it mean, "Whoever has seen me?" If according to the eyes of the flesh, those who crucified him also saw him. What does it mean, therefore, "Whoever has seen me," if not "whoever has understood, has seen with the eye of the heart?" Just as there are inner ears which the Lord sought when he said, “He who has ears, let him hear,” when there was no deaf person standing before him. So there is also an inner sight of the heart by which if anyone has seen the Lord, he has seen the Father because he is equal to the Father.
The Son of God was weakened by mercy unto death.
Listen to the Apostle wishing to commend His mercy to us, for He was made weak for our sake, so that He might gather the chicks under His wings, teaching the other disciples as well, that they too might sympathize with the weaknesses of the weak, who might rise from common infirmity to some firmness; while He descended from heavenly firmness to our infirmity. He said to them: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus." He said: Deign to imitate the Son of God by compassion with the little ones. Though He was in the form of God. Already by saying, He was in the form of God, He showed Him equal to God. For the form is not less than He whose form it is. If it is less, it is not form. Nevertheless, lest anyone should doubt, He added, and placed that very Word, that He might shut the mouths of the sacrilegious: "Though He was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped." What is it, dearest brothers, that the Apostle says: "Did not count it a thing to be grasped"? Because He was naturally equal. To whom, then, would the equality of God have been a robbery? To the first man, to whom it was said: "Taste, and you will be like gods." He wished to stretch himself towards equality by robbery, and by punishment lost immortality. For He, to whom it was not robbery, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. If therefore it was not robbery; nature, intact society and highest comparison itself. But what did He do? He says, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant; being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form: He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross. It was not enough to say death, and He showed the kind of death. Why the kind of death? Because many are ready to die: many indeed say: I do not fear to die, but I would like to die in my bed, surrounded by my children, grandchildren, and the tears of my wife. These indeed do not seem to refuse death, but by choosing the kind of death, they are punished by fear. He, however, chose the kind of death, but the worst of all. As men choose for themselves the better kind of death, so He chose the worst, which was abhorrent to all Jews. For He did not fear to die through false witnesses, through the sentence of a judge, who will come to judge the living and the dead: He did not fear to die by the ignominy of the cross, so that He might free all believers from all ignominy. Therefore, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross: yet naturally equal to God; strong in the power of majesty, weak in the compassion of humanity: strong, to do all things; weak, to restore all things.
Why does Christ want to depart in the flesh?
Therefore, when John says, "If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I." How can he be equal, as the Apostle says? As the Lord himself says: "I and the Father are one." And in another place: "He who has seen me has seen the Father." How here: "Because the Father is greater than I?" This voice, brothers, as the Lord inspires us to notice, was in a way both reproachful and consoling. For they were fixed on the man, and could not think of God. For then they would think of God, if the man was taken away from them and from their eyes, so that, with the familiarity made with the flesh being severed, they could learn to think of the divinity even in the absence of the flesh. Therefore, he said to them: "If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I am going to the Father." Why? So that when I go to the Father, you can think of me as equal to the Father. Therefore, the Father is greater than I: while you still see me in the flesh, the Father is still greater than I. See whether you understand: for they did not know how to think of anything but a man. I say this somewhat more plainly, for the sake of our slower brothers: but those who have understood should bear with the slowness of the others and imitate the Lord himself, who, although he was in the form of God, humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death. "If you loved me," what does this mean? "If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I am going to the Father." "If you loved me," what else does it mean but "you do not love me"? What then do you love? The flesh which you see. For you do not want it to depart from your eyes. But if you loved me; what is me? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," as John himself says. Therefore, if you loved me in this way, as through me all things were made, you would rejoice, because I am going to the Father. Why? Because the Father is greater than I. While you still see me on earth, the Father is greater than I. I will depart from your eyes; the mortal flesh, which was assumed for your mortality, will be taken away from sight; this garment, which I assumed in humility, will cease to be seen: yet it will be lifted up to heaven, so that you may learn what to hope for. For he did not leave behind here that very tunic which he wanted to put on here. For if he had left it here, all would despair of the resurrection of the flesh. But now he has lifted it up to heaven, and there are those who still doubt about the resurrection of the flesh. If God has shown it in himself, is he going to deny it to man? For God took it on in mercy, but man has it by nature. And yet he showed it, confirmed them, and lifted it up. With the physical sight of the flesh taken away from their eyes, they no longer saw the man. If something was drawn from their hearts concerning carnal desire, it was, as it were, saddened in them. They nevertheless gathered together and began to pray. But he was to send the Holy Spirit ten days later, so that the Holy Spirit might fill them with spiritual love, taking away from them carnal desires. He made them understand Christ as he was the Word of God, God with God, through whom all things were made. But they could not be filled with such understanding unless carnal love had departed from their eyes. And therefore he said: "If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I." According to man, the Father is greater than I, equal according to God: equal according to nature, greater according to the mercy of the Son. For he humbled him not only below himself, but below the angels, as the Scripture says. He is not lesser; and even if you see the Son having somewhat departed from the equality of the Father by taking on flesh, he never departs from that equality: but by taking on flesh (for he took on man), he was not changed. Just as one who takes on a garment does not turn into the garment but remains a whole man within it: and if a senator takes on a servile garment, if perhaps he cannot enter to console someone imprisoned with his senatorial robe, he takes on the habit of the prison, he seems to have a sordid habit through humanity; but within remains his senatorial dignity all the more intact, as he has willed to put on what humble clothing more out of compassion. So the Lord, remaining God, remaining the Word, remaining wisdom, remaining divine power, remaining in the governance of the heavens, remaining in the administration of the earth, filling the angels, wholly present everywhere, wholly in the world, wholly in the Patriarchs, wholly in the Prophets, wholly in all the saints, wholly in the womb of the Virgin, took on flesh, to join it to himself as a bride, so that the bridegroom would come from his chamber, to betroth the church as a chaste virgin. Therefore, he is lesser than the Father because he is man; but equal to the Father because he is God. Therefore, take away carnal desires. As if he were saying this to his apostles: You do not want to let me go (just as each one does not want to let go of his friend, as if saying: Stay with us a while longer, our soul is refreshed when we see you); but it is better for you not to see this flesh and to think of the divinity. I take myself away from you outwardly, and I fill you with myself inwardly. Does Christ enter the heart according to the flesh and with the flesh? According to divinity, he possesses the heart: according to the flesh, he speaks to the heart through the eyes and admonishes it outwardly; dwelling within, so that we may turn inwardly and be quickened by him, and be formed by him; because he is the form of all things unformed.
Why Christ spent forty days with the disciples after the resurrection.
Therefore, if He spent forty days with His disciples, He did not do so without reason. Forty days were done for a purpose. Twenty would be sufficient, thirty would be enough: forty days represent the dispensation of this entire age. Sometimes we discussed this on account of the number ten multiplied four times. I recall to you who heard that the number ten signifies all wisdom. This wisdom is dispensed through the four parts of the world, throughout the entire globe: and times are divided in a fourfold arrangement. For the year has four seasons: and the world has four corners. Therefore, ten multiplied four times makes the number forty. So the Lord fasted for forty days, showing us that believers must abstain from all corruption as long as they are in this world. Elijah fasted for forty days, bearing the person of Prophecy, showing that this is also taught in Prophecy. Moses fasted for forty days, who bore the person of the Law, showing that this is also taught in the Law. The people of Israel were led in the desert for forty years. The Ark floated on the flood for forty days, which is the Church, made of incorruptible wood; the incorruptible wood are the souls of the saints and the righteous: yet it had clean and unclean animals; because as long as life continues in this world and through Baptism as through a flood the Church is purified, it is inevitable that it has both good and bad: hence that Ark had both clean and unclean. But after Noah came out of it, he made a sacrifice to God only with clean animals. From which we ought to understand that in this Ark there are both clean and unclean animals, but after this flood, God receives only those who have cleansed themselves. Therefore, this entire period that is observed, brothers, consider it as forty days. This entire period, as long as we are here, the ark is in the flood: as long as Christians are baptized and are cleansed through water, the ark seems to float on the waves, which turned in the water for forty days. But the Lord, remaining with the disciples for forty days, deigned to signify that during this time, the faith in the Incarnation of Christ is necessary for all: which is necessary for the weak. If there were already an eye that could see: In the beginning was the Word, which would see, which would hold, which would embrace, which would enjoy, it would not be necessary for the Word to become flesh and dwell among us: but because the inner eye was blinded by the dust of sins in holding and enjoying it, there was no way to understand the Word; which deigned to become flesh, so that it might be seen later, what cannot presently be seen. Therefore, because the dispensation of the flesh of Christ is necessary for the faithful in this life, through which they may aim to the Lord: when it comes to that vision of the Word, all carnal dispensation will not be necessary: hence His conversation in the flesh after the resurrection for forty days was necessary, to show that the faith in the Incarnation of Christ is necessary as long as the ark is seen to float in the flood in this life. Behold what I say, brothers: believe in Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary, crucified and resurrected. It is not necessary to inquire about it after this age, because we have already accepted it in faith: we hold it; it is necessary for our weakness. Consider therefore the charity of that hen, which protects our weakness; consider to be the beast of that merciful passerby, onto which he lifted the sick man who was wounded. For he lifted him, where? Onto his beast. The beast of the Lord is the flesh. Therefore, when this age has passed, what will be said to you? Because you rightly believed in the flesh of Christ, now enjoy the majesty and divinity of Christ. The weak was necessary to the weak, the strong will be necessary to the strong.
The resurrection of the flesh to come.
Because you too must lay down that very weakness, as you have heard in the Apostle: "This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." For he says, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." Why cannot they inherit? Is it because the flesh will not rise? By no means: the flesh will rise, but what becomes of it? It is changed, and it becomes itself a celestial and angelic body. Do angels have flesh? But there is this difference, that this very flesh will rise, this very flesh which is buried, which dies; this flesh which is seen, which is touched, which needs to eat and drink to endure; which falls ill, which suffers pain, this very flesh is to rise, for the wicked to eternal punishment, but for the good to be transformed. When it is transformed, what will it become? Already it will be called a celestial body, not mortal flesh: because "This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." They marvel if God makes a celestial body out of flesh, who made all things out of nothing. The Lord, constituted in flesh, made wine out of water, and is it a wonder if he can make a celestial body out of flesh? Therefore do not doubt God because he is able to do this. The angels were nothing, yet by his majesty they are what they are. He who could make you when you were not, cannot he restore what you were, and can he not give the honor of glory to your faith because of his incarnation? Therefore, when these things have passed, that will come to us which John says: "Beloved, we are children of God now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." Prepare yourselves for this vision, meanwhile, as long as you are in the flesh, believe in the incarnate Christ; and believe so that you do not think you are deceived by any falsehood. For truth never lies: if it lies, where shall we go for counsel? What shall we do? Whom shall we believe? Therefore truth, true Word, true wisdom, true might of God: "The Word was made flesh," true flesh. "Touch and see," he says, "because a spirit does not have bones and nerves, as you see that I have." For there were true bones, true nerves, true scars: everything that was touched was true, everything that was understood was true. A man was touched, God was understood: flesh was touched, wisdom was understood: weakness was touched, might was understood. All true. Yet finally the flesh preceded into heaven, that is the head. The remaining members will follow. Why? Because it is necessary that these members also rest for a while and rise again at their own time. Even if the Lord had wanted to rise then, there would have been no one in whom we could believe. Therefore he wished to render the firstfruits of the sleeping to God in himself, so that when you saw in him what was restored, you might hope what will be given to you. The whole people of God will be made equal and associated with the angels. Therefore, let no one say to you, brothers: "The foolish Christians believe that the flesh will rise: who rises? or who has risen? or who came from the dead and told you?" Christ came from there. Oh wretched one! Oh perverse and reversed human heart! If his grandfather were to rise, he would believe him: the Lord of the world rose, and he does not want to believe.
The universal faith concerning the Trinity.
Therefore, hold fast, my brothers, to the true, genuine, Catholic faith. The Son is equal to the Father, the gift of God the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father, and hence the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, not three gods: not added to each other by degrees, but united by majesty, and one God. But the Son, nevertheless for us: the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. He did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and being found in human likeness. And so you may know, brothers, that this Trinity is truly equal, and it was not said that the Father is greater than I, except because of the flesh the Lord took on; therefore it is never said of the Holy Spirit, He is lesser, except because he did not take on flesh? See what I have said: search through all the Scriptures, examine all the pages, read all the verses; you will never find that the Holy Spirit is lesser than God. Therefore, He is said to be lesser, who for our sake was made lesser, so that through Him we might be made greater.