Sermon 265E

Sermon 265/E

On the Fortieth Day of the Ascension of the Lord

Fragment

You hold me as a debtor only for the day of judgment.

He poured out. I have given. The price for you came from His side. The pouch of your price hung on the wood. Therefore, I have given you the blood of Christ. I have given the resurrection. I have given the Holy Spirit sent by Him. I have given the Church spread throughout the entire world. I promised idols to be broken, the temples of demons overthrown. It has been done. It is given. I promised that through heresies the Church would have its exercise without perishing, and with some useless branches cut off, the vine would be pruned, not cut down. And this I have given. It has been done. I promised the blood and crowns of martyrs. I have given. Only on the day of judgment do you still hold me as a debtor. Why do you hasten? Even that will be returned. And would that, as He comes, so He finds you prepared!

See Christ humbled and see Him exalted.

Therefore, we sang of Christ: You are the Most High Lord over all the earth. You are exceedingly exalted above all gods. For who is exalted but he who has been humbled? See the humbled one and the exalted one. The Apostle tells you both. Indeed, he was exalted from the beginning because in the beginning was the Word. This height lacks a beginning, lacks time because all things were made through him. What does the Apostle say about him? Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, because it was by nature that it was not by grasping. For he did not claim equality with God for himself, but he was always equal, because he was born equal. Therefore, though he was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. You have heard of his ineffable height. Hear also of his humility. He emptied himself, he says. How? Did he therefore lose what he was? No. And how did he empty himself? Not by losing what he was, but by taking on what he was not. Listen to the Apostle explaining this. When he said: He emptied himself, as if we were to ask how, he added: Taking the form of a servant, not losing what he was, but taking on what he was not, existing in the form of God, afterward taking the form of a servant. Therefore, the emptying was in taking on humble things, not in losing sublime things. By taking the form of a servant he emptied himself. Within the man, God was hidden. If what was inside had been seen, that man would not have been crucified. If that man had not been crucified, that blood would not have been shed. If that blood had not been shed, the world would not have been redeemed. Therefore, he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men - for he was not made in the form of God because all things were made through him, so that it would not be said: The Word was made. Therefore, he who made all was made so that what he made would not perish. Made in the likeness of men and found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Behold how far he was humbled. And what follows? Therefore God exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. Exceedingly exalted above all gods and you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

There is much difference between Christ and other men.

Exalted exceedingly above all gods. Above which gods? For there are gods. The Psalm shows us: God stood in the assembly of gods, calling men born of man gods. But they are adopted sons. One is by nature, others by grace. One Son is by nature, the rest by grace. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son by nature according to that which is the Word. Who are adopted? The others who believed in him. Those men, that man but exceedingly exalted above all gods. Much difference is there between you and them. You were born, they were born; but the condition is different, the mercy is different. You died, they die; but the necessity is different, the kindness is different. We all die by necessity, he alone died by kindness. We are all born by condition, he was born by mercy. Therefore exceedingly exalted above all gods, because you are a man and men are compared to you as if, but one is a virginal birth, the other a conception by concupiscence. You have risen, they shall rise, but it is different what is said: His flesh did not see corruption and another: He was gathered to his fathers and saw corruption. The flesh of all who die is given over to corruption; on the third day you rose, corruption could not work in you. In heaven you have preceded; you have sat at the right hand of the Father; all confess you, angels, men, heavens, earth, underworld.

Christ and the Church.

You are exceedingly exalted above all gods, it was well said to him and best through prophecy, because what we see being fulfilled - because it is also fulfilled here: Hear, daughter, and see - be exalted above the heavens, O God, it was said about this: You are exceedingly exalted above all gods. To whom was this said: You are exceedingly exalted above all gods? To Christ. And what about the Church? And your glory above all the earth. Be exalted above the heavens, O God. We have not seen Christ. The Apostles saw him. They were there. He brought them to the Mount of Olives and they asked him about the end of the age and he said to them: It is not for you to know the times which the Father has placed in his own power, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and to the ends of the earth. After he said these things, a cloud received him. After these words, he did not want to say anything. He wanted the last things to be those which he would more vehemently recommend to our heart about the future Church through the whole world, because many were going to make for themselves their own flocks, to gather disciples after themselves and to make for themselves heresies and schisms in various places. There the vine itself holds everywhere from which the branches were cut off. Where a branch is cut off, it remains there. The vine grows and occupies everything, holds everything. Thus the Church has done.

Whence He granted the Church, as He promised, the bridegroom to the bride. Be exalted above the heavens, O God. Who is God? Except Christ, of whom we spoke today: Exalted above all gods and His glory above the earth? What is your glory? Your Church, your spouse. Hence the Apostle says: A man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. The wife is the glory of the man. Who is the wife of that great King? The whole Church. Where is He? Be exalted above the heavens, O God. Where is He? Exceedingly exalted above all gods. Where is she? And your glory above all the earth. Great mystery! We are invited to the nuptials and we ourselves are the nuptials. In human weddings, one is the bride, others are the invited. We both are invited and we ourselves are the bride. For we are the Church and in the Church invited. And to what are we invited? If it has been accomplished now, beloved, if we see now, if we observe that it has been fulfilled now, if what we say cannot be denied: Above all the earth is your glory, when He shall come, what shall we be? But if we keep what we have received.