Sermon 265F

Sermon 265/F 1. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord had promised, came, a great multitude came to see the marvel. They saw unlearned men speaking in the tongues of all nations the wonderful works of God. The Apostle Peter, to satisfy the curiosity of the astonished crowd, addressed them with a speech: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Behold how he has sought witnesses among those who had but recently been his enemies, and fled from the crucifiers so that now hunting the same ones, he asks for a testimony from the guilty men, saying the truth. 2. But those, pricked in heart at his words, said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” And there were added that day about three thousand souls. 3. In this multitude that believed through the ministry of the apostles and was baptized, there were diverse nations. Therefore, the unity of the Church began to be among all people. The mystery of unity is the reason for the diverse tongues. If one person speaks many languages, he must be filled with the Holy Spirit, but when all people come and hear their language, they must be filled with the same Spirit. 4. Therefore, beloved, let's understand and contemplate the wonderful works of God. He who was to come is announced by the prophets, and having come, filled the apostles with the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to all nations. He made them speak the languages of all, so they might build the unity of the Church, whose sacrifice is announced by the multitude of languages and nations which now begins to exist in the world. Thus it pleases God to make himself known to all who are called by his name, let us strive to keep this unity which makes God greater known, "in the bond of peace."

ON THE DAY OF THE FORTIETH ASCENSION

He who was Lord deigned to be a brother.

On this day, beloved, we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord as you know. For He ascended, as you have heard, to His Father and to our Father, to His God and to our God. From where did we deserve the brotherhood of Christ? We would in no way ponder His brotherhood if He had not taken on our infirmity. For thus He is our brother because He was human. Therefore, He who was Lord, deigned to be a brother; always Lord, brother from a particular time; Lord by the form of God, brother by the form of a servant. For when He was in the form of God, He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God: there Lord. From where then brother? He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. If He were only a brother, that would be much. And He took the form of a servant, He deigned to be a servant. Is He ours or not? And ours. For He Himself said of Himself: I came not to be served, but to serve. Concerning Him the Prophet foretold that the righteous one would justify many by serving well. But let us not be exalted. Often a master serves sick servants, so that he may have healthy servants to serve him: he serves the sick so that they may be healed. Our Lord serves the sick. Did He not make remedies from His own infirmity for the sick? He shed His blood for the sick, anointed the eyes of the blind with the collyrium of His blood.

Another is Christ without sin and another is man with sin.

He consequently became our brother by grace who is the Lord by nature. He said: "I ascend to my God and your God, to my Father and your Father." To whom did he command this to be said? "Go," he said, "tell my brothers, and because I am their brother, I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God." He did not say: "I ascend to our Father"; nor did he say: "I ascend to our God." It is not for nothing that he says, "my Father and your Father, my God and your God." This distinction indicates something I must not be silent about. "My Father," because I am the only one; "your Father," because you were adopted through me. "My God," from where? Not as a creature is Christ. But as the Only Begotten. From where then: "My God"? The Psalm indicates it. Thus, "My God," because I took the form of a servant: "From my mother's womb you are my God." If you remove the mother’s womb where he was made man, he is not God to him, but his Father. Therefore, he is always his Father, the eternal Father of the eternal Son. But in order that he might be his God, the mother’s womb was added, and it is said in the Prophet: "You are my God." But not in the same way as ours. For our God, because he made sinners saved! But his God because he was made man without sin. Therefore, when he came to God, he distinguished, "my God and your God." "My God," how? Because I am man. Why not then together ours, because you are man, and we are men? But different is the man without sin, who came to erase sins; and different is the man with sin, to whom he came to be freed from sin. Thus, this distinction is not separation. We have a Father in heaven, but Christ otherwise, because he, the sinless only one, adopted us. We have a God in heaven, but Christ otherwise, because he is sinless, and we are sinners.

We belong to a great family.

However, that dignity is what the Apostle says: Heirs indeed of God, but coheirs with Christ. We find the Father in heaven, we belong to a great family. The Son came from there to us to become a brother. He did not leave the Father when he approached us, nor did he leave us when he returned to the Father. Let us believe that Christ is in heaven, let us believe that He is with us. How is He in heaven if He is with us? How is He God? My word is both with me and with you; it is with me in my heart, and with you in your ears. If my word can do this, could not the Word of God? He did indeed descend when He was here. What then is descending? Christ Jesus appearing. How did Jesus appear? Because He became human. What then is ascending? The body of Christ being lifted to heaven, not His majesty migrating. To where He ascended, from there He will descend; and as He ascended, so He will descend. The voice of angels, not ours, indeed said so. The disciples stood there and, seeing Him ascend, were led. And it was said to them: Men of Galilee, why do you stand? This Jesus will come in the same way as you saw Him going into heaven. What is: He will come in the same way? He will be judged in the same form in which He was judged. Visible not only to the righteous, but visible to the unrighteous as well, He will come to be seen by the righteous and the unrighteous. The unrighteous will be able to see Him, but they will not be able to reign with Him.

Conclusion.

Let us therefore celebrate the holy day of Lent; for the whole world celebrates this day with us. And the Church spread throughout the whole world celebrates the fiftieth day with us; therefore the celebration of the twentieth and thirtieth days is a custom of Africa, not a sacrament of the Church.