The Ascension of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus = Christ

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Home / Library / Orthodox= =20 Christianity & Theology / The Ascension of Our Lord = and God=20 and Saviour Jesus Christ

The Ascension of Our = Lord and God=20 and Saviour Jesus Christ=20

By Archpriest P. Veletsky=20

What an exalted sight was presented by the ascent of our = Lord=20 Jesus Christ. There had been no such triumph since the = beginning of=20 the world. It started on earth and came to a completion in = the=20 heavens.=20

The description of this triumph on earth is written in = the Gospel=20 of St. Luke, who speaks of how our Lord, raising up his = hands,=20 blessed the apostles and other believers. Then, he stepped = away from=20 them and by His almighty power ascended to the heavens, to a = cloud=20 as if to a chariot of triumph, which lifted Him and hid Him = from the=20 eyes of the Apostles. This spectacle was so astonishing, in = spite of=20 the fact that the Apostles were accustomed to all the = miracles of=20 our Lord, and was so amazing that it is not known how long = they=20 would have remained standing and gazing after our ascended = Lord, had=20 not the angels instructed them and brought them back to = themselves:=20 =93Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? = This same=20 Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come = in like=20 manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.=94 (Acts 1:11)=20

But this was only the beginning of the triumph, and the = complete=20 and perfect one awaited Him in the heavens. And this is how = the holy=20 Prophet David describes it in Psalm 23:=20

Multitudes of angels accompanied Him and multitudes met = him. The=20 accompanying angels called to the awaiting ones, =93lift up = your=20 gates, you princes, and the King of glory will enter=85 The = others=20 inquired, =93Who is this King of Glory?=94 =93The Lord = strong and mighty,=20 the Lord mighty in battle,=94 was the answer. It is the One = Who=20 defeated the world, sin and the devil. It is the new Adam = who has=20 destroyed the wall between heaven and earth erected by the = old Adam.=20 =93Lift up your gates, you princes,=94 and =93be lifted up, = you eternal=20 doors,=94 for they are no longer needed. From now on, the = heavens=20 shall be open that the King of Glory can enter along with = those=20 believing in Him. =93Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of = Hosts, He=20 is the King of Glory.=94=20

When the Son of God reached above the heavens to the = Throne of=20 God of Sabbaoth, then, this is how our Heavenly Father = welcomed His=20 Beloved Only-Begotten Son:=20

=93Sit Thou at My Right hand=85=94 (Psalm 101), and enter = into the=20 glory that You had of Me before the formation of the world, = and of=20 which You had to conceal for a time in the form of man. I = give You=20 all authority in heaven and on earth. Henceforth, I do not = judge=20 anyone, but give the whole judgment over to You. I subjugate = all to=20 be as the footstool of thy feet.=20

Great was the degradation, heavy was the Cross, cruel = were the=20 sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ; but this is why God the = Father=20 elevated Him and gave him a name that is above all names: = =93That at=20 the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven, = and=20 things in earth, and things under the earth.=94 (Phil.2:10)=20

We have no greater honor than to carry the name of a = Christian=20 and to be disciples of the ascended Lord, because in the = Ascension=20 of our Lord is bounded all of our hope of receiving eternal=20 salvation.=20

Christ our Saviour, in His God state had always been and = is equal=20 to God the Father and He, speaking in human terms, sat on = the Throne=20 of Glory even when He was bodily in the tomb, and His Spirit = in hell=20 as God. For whom then, is this magnificent reception = arranged? Who=20 is being escorted with such triumph by all the heavenly = Hosts? Who=20 is Pre-Eternal Son o f God who is ascending from the earth = to the=20 heavens, our flesh which was assumed in the womb of t he = Ever-Virgin=20 Mary. Our humanness is being seated on the throne of the = Divinity.=20

What an honour and glory for us! The nature of man in = Jesus=20 Christ is elevated above the heavens, glorified above the = cherubims=20 and the seraphims, and since we =93have been baptized unto = Christ,=20 have put on Christ.=94 Subsequently, we are elevated and = glorified=20 with Christ.=20

If people pride themselves in their ancestry with famous=20 heritage, then they should pride themselves even more so in = knowing=20 that our origin and heritage are from Him, Who sits at the = right=20 hand of our Heavenly Father. If the merits of forefathers = give=20 honour and respect to their descendants, then what honour = and=20 respect will we receive before the angels and mankind = through Christ=20 our Saviour? If famous names are flattering to us, then, how = much=20 more should the name of Christian be, which gives us the = right of=20 entry into the abode of the King of Heaven? Aside from this = fact, we=20 will be honoured by eventually inheriting eternal bliss.=20

He is our Firstborn, our King, our Head; and where the = Firstborn=20 is, there are His subjects; where the Head, there the = members. As by=20 his death on the Cross, Christ the Saviour abolished death; = as by=20 His Ressurection from the tomb our future resurrection; so, = by his=20 Ascension to the Heavens, he confirms that we with our = bodies will=20 pass from earth to heaven.=20

Great was the mercy of the Son of God =96 that He left = the heavens=20 and descended to earth for a short time to accomplish the = great deed=20 of the Redemption of mankind. It would have been sufficient = for us=20 if He returned to us our lost paradise and sufficient if He=20 established an earthly kingdom for our well-being. Let us = wonder at=20 the abyss of God=92s mercy: He, instead of earthly paradise, = establishes a Kingdom in the heavenly realm. =93I go,=94 He = said to the=20 Apostles, =93to prepare a place for you and when I prepare a = place for=20 you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that = where I=20 am, there ye may be also.=94 (St. John 14:3)=20

But Christ the Saviour said that in the home of His = Father, there=20 are many abodes. Not only for the Apostles is a place = prepared in=20 the heavenly Kingdom, but also for us: =93If I will ascend = from earth,=20 I will draw all to Me.=94=20

The abodes of the Heavenly Father are so immense that = they can=20 accommodate all who believe. If we were not direct = recipients of=20 God=92s teaching of the heavenly Teacher and were not = witnesses to the=20 miracles of Christ, to His Resurrection from the tomb and = Ascension=20 from earth to heaven, the more beneficial it is to our = faith,=20 because =93blessed are they that have not seen but = believed.=94 (St.=20 John 20:29)=20

All we need is to show our faith through our deeds, = =93because=20 faith without deeds is dead.=94 And the pre-eminent children = of the=20 Church, similarly to the Apostles, sacrificed all to prove = the=20 sanctity of their faith, to retain purity and chastity and = to=20 acquire salvation for themselves. They, as good soldiers of = Christ,=20 had to fight with the impurity of the idolaters, with the = total=20 depravity of their age, with the force and might of the = powers and=20 masters of the earth. Their good deeds were punished as = criminal=20 actions and a host of martyrs and confessors of Christ = proved that=20 from such an unequal struggle they always emerged = victorious. We, on=20 the contrary received =93the yoke of Christ as easy and the = burden=20 light.=94=20

Triumphantly, we can confess our holy Faith, because the = masters=20 and powers of the earth have bent their knees before the = Crucified=20 Lord and exhibi t a high example of honouring God and of=20 righteousness. We do not need to hide in the deserts a nd = caves to=20 worship the Triune God. The holy churches are open for us = all.=20 Everywhere, the holy sacraments are being offered for the=20 strengthening of our faith and the doctoring of our = spiritual=20 maladies. Everywhere, we meet spiritual pastors who are = ready to=20 direct us to the Truth and show us the path to the Kingdom = of=20 Heaven. IN other words, the Holy Church, like an all-caring = mother,=20 gives us all means for salvation. It only remains for us to = utilize=20 these means and it remains to show that we are Christians = not only=20 in name, but in actuality.=20

Let us prove that we are Disciples of Christ by keeping = love=20 amongst us, loving our fellow man, and chasing away all = animosity=20 and all disagreement. =93In this, all shall understand that = you are My=20 disciples, if you have love amongst yourselves.=94 Let us = prove that=20 we belong to Christ. Let us crucify our flesh with our = passions and=20 lusts. Let us not give way to sensual wishes, but save the = purity of=20 our soul and make our bodies temples of the living God. Let = us cease=20 from rage, anger jealousy and other passions, =93because if = you are=20 Christ=92s, you will crucify your flesh with its passions = and lusts.=94=20 Finally, as followers of Christ, we must take up our Cross = and carry=20 it through, not for some short segment of time, but = throughout our=20 whole life to our grave. Regardless of what = unpleasantness=92 befall=20 us, we must endure them with full Christian patience for the = sake of=20 Christ. We must in all things submit our will to God=92s = will. We must=20 kiss God=92s hand, be it punishing or rewarding. If we = co-suffer here=20 with Christ, we will ascend and be glorified with Him.=20

And so, in celebrating the glorious Ascension of our = Lord, let us=20 remember now that our fatherland is not on earth, but in = heaven and=20 that life given to us here is for a short time. Let us = utilize this=20 short time to find eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven = where=20 Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Amen.=20

Archpriest P. Veletsky St. = Petersburg,=20 1874=20

St. Vladimir's Russian = Orthodox=20 Cathedral
6824 128 Ave. NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.=20
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