In assumptionem domini nostri Jesu Christi

On the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The artifice of sin has been turned against sin. For the artifice of sin was the cross, and to envelop the sinless body in death; but the cross has become for the crucified flesh a device for the ascent into heaven, and what was said concerning sin has been transformed. For earlier Paul proclaimed, "Sin, taking occasion through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me"; but now the word of righteousness is fitting for a device: for righteousness, taking occasion through sin, deceived it and killed it. This amazed Paul and moved him to that utterance, "Great is the mystery of piety." For resurrection is hidden in the cross, and birth of immortal life; the king, born from Hades, blossoms with immortality for men. Truly a very great mystery. How then is the mystery known? It was manifested, he says, in flesh. And what is the manifestation? It was justified in spirit. What is the proof of righteousness? It was seen by angels. Angels, he says, recognized the worth of the one who appeared; they approached and served him. Paul, the heralds of righteousness are trustworthy and they exalt the power of Christ; but show men a sign of that power. It was proclaimed, he says, among the nations. A theological word about him ran, and this while being hindered by all; the proclamation was broadened while being obstructed. What then if what is proclaimed is only heard, and having been proclaimed to the nations it became nonsense to those who heard? It was proclaimed, he says, and was believed in the world.

Then, when this was believed, showing that it was unhindered, "He was taken up," it says, "in glory." The power of the Church was proclaimed, or rather the uprising of the whole inhabited world together. For the humanity taken up today is a common help for the nature of mankind; for the punishments after it are more moderate. And consider the ancient punishments of men from God, and you will find the benefit of the Ascension for the people. From one sin, Adam was cast out, having offended; Cain was condemned to a long trembling of the body; heaven rained fire, as a corruption of the earth, cauterizing Sodom; a woman was transformed into a pillar for transgressing the law of the race. And what differences there were among the peoples, listen to Scripture narrating as in a dirge: "They tempted," it says, "God, and were destroyed by serpents." "They murmured," it says, "and were destroyed by the destroyer." "They fornicated," it says, "and fell in one day twenty-three thousand." "The Lord," it says, "gave death upon Israel from morning until the hour of lunch, and seventy thousand men died." Why should I recount to you the proposals of God to a king at that time? "Thus says the Lord," it says: "Ask for yourself three years of famine upon the land, or three months of your enemies pursuing you, or three days of death in your land." Greek writers also dramatize and depict the misfortune of ancient times: the excess of floods, the extremity of conflagration, the long duration of famines, the universal destruction of earthquakes, civil outpourings of blood, waves of successive wars. There was then no peace from the arrays of heaven and earth, neither for Greeks, nor for barbarians, nor for Jews.

For it was necessary that the one who makes peace between the upper and lower realms be a mediator; concerning whom Paul says: He is our peace, who stopped the enmity in his flesh. How many now are more licentious than the Sodomites? And the air does not pour fire upon them as before. For it received the mediator of peace who was present and softened it toward the human race. How many are more depraved than the generation of Noah? And heaven does not wash them away with a flood. How many are more savage in disposition than Cain? And God does not punish them with the punishments of Cain. For when he is provoked by us, looking upon the co-throned firstfruit, he is reconciled; when he is angered by those below who rage, seeing the blameless humanity on the right, he is shamed; when the wicked race below stirs up his anger, the kinsman of the race who sits with him above soothes his wrath. Paul reveals this to you: Christ, he says, is on the right hand of God and intercedes for us, not as one using the voices of a defendant; for Christ ascended to a kingdom—not a private one, but Paul shaped the ascension of the firstfruit itself into an intercession that claims the reconciliations. Oh, the terrifying spectacle today for the demons! For they saw a terrifying sight: the nature of a man, in appearance, traveling through the air, ascending higher than themselves, becoming higher than heaven. But while they groaned, angels standing by the disciples cried out joyfully: This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw him journeying into heaven. The mystery of the ascension is confirmed.

The disciples remained gaping toward heaven, their gaze fixed in order; and as the flesh gradually rose higher than their eyes, they were shaken by thoughts of perplexity. "Nowhere," they said, "is the body that is seen; perhaps the assumption is merely a form; perhaps it is a vision of fantasy; perhaps we have suffered an error of sight; or perhaps we have not undergone an error, but the body has dissolved into the air, and no longer has a nature visible to those on earth." While they were looking toward heaven with such perplexity, they suddenly heard the angels: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing at the sky? What do you mean," they said, "by this curious sight? Why does your gaze gape at the heavens? Are you seeking something in the heavens? The cloud brings Jesus. Or again, someone will see him embodied; be confident about both as certainties. For even if he has now been taken up into heaven, he will come again, in the same way you saw him journeying into heaven." But let not the string of the tongue be stretched too far; let us slacken the weary citharody of words itself; let us give hearing also to the other citharas. Let a many-voiced acclamation applaud the assumption; let the whole race of men sing today in common: "Great is the mystery of piety; it was seen by angels, believed in the world, taken up in glory." Glory to him for ever and ever. Amen.