Слово на Вознесение Господне. Блаженного Августина

The Lord Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father, co-eternal with the Parent, equally invisible, equally unchangeable, equally omnipotent, equally God, for us (as you know, as you accepted and support) became man, taking on human form, without leaving the Divine - the mighty was hidden, the weak was revealed. He was born, as you know, so that we may be reborn, and he died, but we do not die forever, but soon, that is, on the third day, he rose again, and he promised us in the end the resurrection of the flesh. He presented Himself to the eyes of the disciples, that they might see, and to their hands, that they might touch, assuring them of what He had become, without taking away from what He had always been. He spoke with them (the apostles) (as you heard) for fourty days, going in and out, taking food (but not out of need, but out of power alone) and showing the truth of His flesh, known to them - the signs of His illness on the cross and the immortal life that shone from the grave. Finally, on this day, the fortieth day after His resurrection, the Lord ascended into heaven. We have not seen this, but let us believe. Those who saw preached and filled the universe with their preaching. You know those who saw and told us: these are those about whom it was predicted: they are not of speech, below words, and their voices are not heard. Their messages went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world (Ps. 18:4, 5). Thus, they reached us and raised us from sleep. This is a real day celebrated throughout the entire universe. Remember the Psalm. To whom was it said: ascend into heaven, O God (Ps. 107:6)? Who is it told to? Is it really said to God the Father: exalt yourself, when He never humbled himself? “Ascend,” he says, “You, who was imprisoned in the womb of the Mother, - You, who were created in the One Whom you created, - You, who lay in a manger, and like a baby sucked the nipples, - You, who bear the world, but were carried by the Mother, - You, Whose elder Simeon saw the smallness, but praised the greatness, - Whom the widow Anna saw sucking, but knew Almighty, - You, who hungered for our sake, thirsted for our sake, toiled on the way for our sake (is the Bread hungry, the Source thirsty, the Way toil?), - You who endured all this for our sake, - Who slept, but did not sleep, keeping Israel, - You, finally, Whom Judas betrayed, Whom the Jews bought, but did not take for themselves, - You are taken, bound, scourged, crowned with thorns, hanged on a tree, pierced with a spear, dead, buried—thou art ascended into heaven, O God! Ascend, he says, ascend into heaven: for You are God. Sit in heaven, You who hung on the tree. We await You, Whom we have been waiting for and condemned, as the Judge of the future.” How do we believe this, if not according to the action of Him who raises up the poor from the earth, and lifts up the needy from the pit (Ps. 112:7)? He Himself raises up His wretched flesh and places it with the princes of His people—with the princes with whom He will judge the living and the dead. With those He has seated His wretched flesh, to whom He says: You will sit on the double throne, judging the deceived tenth tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). Ascend into heaven, O God. And it has already happened, it has come true. But we say: “as the future was foretold: ascend into heaven, O God”? We have not seen this, but we believe - we believe: for before our eyes is what follows: Ascend into heaven, O God, and Thy glory is upon all the earth. Let him not believe the first who does not see the last. Indeed, what does it mean: Thy glory is throughout all the earth? - That which is throughout the whole earth is Your Church; throughout the whole earth is Your spouse; throughout the whole earth - Your bride, Your beloved, Your dove, Your neighbor. She is Your glory. “The husband,” says the Apostle, “should not eat to cover the head, the image and glory of God: but the wife is the glory of the husband (1 Cor. 11:7). If a wife is the glory of her husband, then the Church is the glory of Christ. Amen 88. In short. There are 262 words in the collection. Bibliot. Patr. Concionator., vol. IV, p.p. 419–420; Wed Sunday Read IX (1845–46), pp. 42–44. You might be interested in: