My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Lord, God and Savior JESUS CHRIST,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
ON THE DIVINE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD AND GOD
AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.
By Saint Gregory Palamas
"Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched,
He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said,
‘Men of Galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This
same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come
in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’ [Acts 1:9-11]
TODAY the Lord not only stood with HIs disciples after His Resurrection, but was also parted from them and was taken up into heaven as they watched (Acts 1:9-11), ASCENDED AND ENTERED INTO THE TRUE HOLY OF HOLIES AND SAT DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER AND EERY NAME AND HONOR THAT IS KNOWN AND NAMED, EITHER IN THIS WORLD, OR IN THAT WHICH IS TO COME (Ephesians 1:29-21). There were many resurrections before Christ’s Resurrection, and similarly, there many ascensions before His Ascension. The Spirit lifted up Jeremiah the Prophet, and an Angel took up Habakkuk . In particular it is written that Elijah went up with a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). But even he did not go beyond the realms of earth, and the ascension of each of those mentioned was just a sort of movement lifting them up from the ground without taking them out of the area surrounding the earth. Similarly, the others who wer resurrected all died and returned to the earth. By contrast, CHRIST HAS RISEN AND DEATH NO LONGER HAS DOMINION OVER HIM (cf. Romans 6:9), and NOW HE HAS ASCENDED AND SAT DOWN ON HIGH, EVERY HEIGHT IS BELOW HIM AND BEARS WITNESS THAT HE IS GOD OVER ALL (Romans 9:5)…
"…Although many resurrections and ascensions have taken place, WE CELEBRATE NONE OF THEM AS WE DO THE LORD’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION, BECAUSE WE NEITHER HAVE NOR EVER SHALL HAVE ANY SHARE IN THOSE OTHERS. All we gained from them was to be led towards faith in our Saviour’s Resurrection and Ascension, IN WHICH WE ALL SHARE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. His Resurrection and Ascension ARE THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF OUR HUMAN NATURE; AND NONE JUST OF OUR HUMAN NATURE, BUT OF EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN CHRIST AND SHOWS HIS FAITH IN WORKS (cf. James 2:18). Christ was unbegotten and uncreated according to His Divinity, and it was for our sake that He became man. He lived as He did because of us, teaching us the path that leads back TO TRUE LIFE. EVERYTHING HE SUFFERED IN THE FLESH HE SUFFERED FOR US TO HEAL OUR PASSIONS. ON ACCOUNT OF OUR SINS HE WAS LED TO DEATH, AND FOR US HE ROSE AND ASCENDED, PREPARING OUR OWN RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION FOR UNENDING ETERNITY. For all the heirs of everlasting life follow as far as possible the pattern of His saving work on earth. [Resources: The Homilies)
(To be continued)
_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in Christ’s Divine and Glorious Ascension,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn, Mode 4.
YOU ascended in glory, O Christ our God,
after You filled the Disciples with hoy, by
promising to send them the Holy Spirit,
and You blessed them and established their
faith, that You are the Son of God, the
Redeemer of the world.
Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.
GOD ascended with a shout, the Lord
with a shout, the Lord with the sound
of the trumpet. Save us, O Son of God,
Who were taken up in glory to heaven
from us.
We sing to You,
Alleluia.
Kontakion Hymn of the Feast. Mode pl. 2.
WHEN You had fulfilled the dispensation for
our sake, and united things on earth with the
things in heaven, You were take up thither in
glory, O Christ our God, going not away from
any place, but continuing inseparable, and to
them that love You crying out: "I am with
you, and there is, therefore, none against you."
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 