On the Holy Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ

While I was still calculating in my mind the consequences flowing from the cross for the human race, and weighing the benefits of the resurrection (of the Lord) on the scales of reflection, the inexhaustible wealth of the Divine Ascension had already opened, and I see my Master and God ascending to where He was before, in order from corruption to make me co-throne with the incorruptible Father, in fact confirming the words of Paul that “he raised up with Him, and seated me on heavens" (Eph. 2:6). And so we, who have rejected both the clothing and the disposition of the first Adam and who have been worthy by grace to wear the second Adam, who is Christ, will sing on this occasion a song to the Conqueror, as in ancient times the prophet already exclaimed with animation: “O God, who can be like You” (Ps. 39:6)? After all, You alone, having humbled Yourself, as you knew, before taking on the flesh, preserved Your Divine nature as immutable, unchanging, impassive, which is why the prophet, without doubting, but wondering, not comparing, but testifying to incommensurability, said: “God, who can be like You?” Everything came from You and through You, and what happened - obviously - should always be lower than the author of its origin, just as the builder of a house is given greater honor than the house he created. So, who will be like You? The sun as a source of light? But every day I see it fading: its destiny is to alternate with night. Is it the moon in its splendor? But during each year she dies (several times) and is somehow reborn. Are there stars because they shine? But when the day shines, they lose all their shine. Is it a sea because of its immeasurable vastness? But it is cut by a small tree and obeys the blows of the oars, because You directed it to serve the needs of people. Is it earth in its immobility and stability? But when You want, she is shaken by Your gaze alone (Ps. 17:8, 103:32) - and she gave You the finger when creating man, when You burned the clay with the breath of life. Will heaven then become like You? How is this possible? After all, it, at Your command, brought You the cloud that served as Your ascent into heaven, just as it once (showed) to the Magi the star that announced Your divine birth in Bethlehem. Will an angel or archangel become like You? How or in what way, since they are ministering spirits, carrying out Your commands with fear. But having mentioned angels, I dwell mentally on that angel who sat on the stone of Your life-giving tomb. I know that he will not be indignant at me for this, being a servant of the One who convinced Thomas to piously touch, experience carefully and honor the great sacrament (of the resurrection) in a manner befitting God. So, tell me, angel, because although the Divine Gospels depict You sometimes alone, sometimes together with a co-servant, grace alone, service alone constitute the work, tell me: why, having left heaven, do you sit at the tomb, and, belonging to the face of the heavenly powers, are you here on earth an interlocutor with women? Have you left the cherubim and are sitting at the tomb? Have you stopped your terrible ministry in heaven and are you filling Mary with joy here on earth? With an earthquake you killed the soldiers standing guard at the tomb and with words of persuasion you moved women to apostolic service? Peter came, but as a disembodied person you remained invisible to him; John arrived in time, but he did not notice your presence. Although both of them examined the shrouds, which testified to the rise not of the stolen dead, but of the resurrected God, you appeared to only the wives and persuaded only them not to be afraid, although the benefit of the resurrection was common to all. In fact, was it only women, and not men, who were raised from the dead by the Lord? Did not God, the Word, become incarnate in order to save not only Eve, but also Adam? Why do you prefer the feet to the head and pervert the (natural) order by entrusting women with the apostolic ministry? (Will you say that) Peter denied (Christ)? But Peter’s renunciation is useful: having bitterly mourned (his renunciation), he taught everyone how forgiveness is achieved. Did all the apostles leave their Teacher? But to John the Theologian and the virgin (the Lord) entrusted His Mother according to the flesh. It was not just, of course, that you were ordered to do what we now see, but as a teaching to the pagan Church, which with the most zealous desire accepted what was told to it. Yes, he says, I warn Paul and anticipate his words: “For there is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:11); (for Him) there is neither Greek nor Jew, there is no slave or free, there is no male or female: you are all in Christ Jesus. Hence, here, believer, is a short answer to what you ask and what you seek to know. I honor the wife for the sake of Him who is from the woman, and I give preference to the weak (part of) nature for the sake of the One who came from her according to the dispensation of the one who was born. I am a slave and obey the laws of the Master. The Creator willed and chose a wife; I talk to her too. He did not have a father on earth, because He has Him in heaven. And just as He has no father on earth, He has no mother in heaven. He received his mother from people, because for our sake it was necessary to be born from a wife to the Creator of the (human) race. So, the One who makes His angels - spirits and His servants - the flame of fire, revealing the mystery of the incarnation, sent Gabriel not to Joseph, but to Mary, defending nature (female) as the Master, and blocking the mouths of blasphemers, as Knower of the future. He rightly desires to convert one who has been deceived through his wife. Eve gave birth to death; She has now given birth to life for us - through Mary. She once talked with the devil in the person of a serpent; Now angels are talking to This One. Christ cast down that tree with a tree and, instead of that tasting, He gave you this tasting, so that seeing Him, by His free will, humiliate Himself for your sake, Him who created you in His image, you would confess His condescension and glorify Him who so desired, repeating on this occasion, and in general on every occasion: “God, who can be like You?” You do good and do not repent; you get angry and repent; you remove yours to make way for ours. You said to Adam: “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread” (Gen. 3:19), and then you resolved Your prohibition by becoming animal bread for us, and we eat You without sweat. You said then: “You are dust and to dust you will return” (Gen. 3:19); but now, having taken upon Your shoulders the one created from the earth and returning to the earth, You raised him to heaven and set him on the throne, through Mary revealing to Your disciples the future: “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God” (John 20:17). You told Eve: “In pain you will bear children” (Gen. 3:16); but, having been born of a Woman, You abolished this temporary oath in good time. You said to the serpent: “He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15); but he washed our feet in baptism and made them inaccessible to the wounds of the devil, who feels the hand of the Master even in the feet of His servants. There is no way left for the devil to fight the gracious dispensation of the One who is in heaven, and on earth, and everywhere. He is our God - both in heaven and on earth he created everything he wanted. Isn’t this confirmed again by a real holiday, although it is not easy to convey both for language and for thought? When He was teaching His disciples and preparing them for the fight, suddenly, like some servant, a cloud, coming under the most pure feet of Christ, imitating the sea that once carried Him wetly, without fear or embarrassment, took upon itself the Master, and the One who once descended like rain on the fleece, solemnly carried to the throne of greatness. After all, if His condescension remained unknown to the angels, authorities, powers and dominions, then they glorified His ascension with the flesh, exclaiming: “The Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory” (Ps. 23:10). He is the second Adam, as Paul teaches. But he is born without a mother, and this one - according to the flesh - appears without a father. He is, as it were, the potter of our race, because, having taken our confusion, in Himself, as He pleased, He renewed what was damaged. He - through Mary - delivered Eve from the diseases of birth: virginity, thus, contributed to the Divinity and the womb served the birth of the incarnate Word, because the Holy Spirit was the One who overshadowed the Virgin, who gave birth in an unartificial manner, contrary to nature. He is the One who suffered as He was born, rose again as He was buried, and ascended into heaven not as He descended from there, leaving His burial clothes in eternal shame to the unbelieving Jews. He was mourned by the women as if he were dead, and he appeared to the women as God. He voluntarily became what we are and made us what He is. He is God, and again “will come in the same way as you saw Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11), because He never left the throne, although secretly from the cherubim He condescended for me, so that, having become a participant in mine equally with me, it would be convenient to bestow on my nature that which is above nature. He is the immortal dead, the inconceivable God, the Son, coeternal and co-throne with the Father, about whom the prophet so expressively proclaimed: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (Ps. 109:1). So, I beg, let us correct ourselves, so that, having been rewarded with assistance from the Spirit, we can lead our present life carefree, and achieve future blessings, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and classified in the Minya edition as Spuria. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith”