De adscensione domini
The Setting and Timing of the Ascension
The chapter introduces the sevenfold meditation on the Ascension, focusing on the location of the event and the mystical significance of the forty-day delay after the Resurrection.
The Lord's Ascension took place forty days after the Resurrection; there are seven points to consider in order regarding this Ascension: first, from where He ascended; second, why He did not ascend immediately after the Resurrection, but waited for so many days; third, how He ascended; fourth, with whom He ascended; fifth, by what merit He ascended; sixth, to where He ascended; and seventh, why He ascended. Regarding the first, it should be noted that He ascended to the heavens from the Mount of Olives toward Bethany—a mountain which, according to another translation, is called the Mount of Three Lights. For at night, it was illuminated from the west by the fire of the Temple, because there was a perpetual fire on the altar; in the morning, from the east, it was the first to receive the sun's rays before the city was lit; furthermore, it possessed a store of oil, which is the fuel of light, and therefore it is called the Mount of Three Lights. Christ commanded the disciples to go to this mountain, for on the very day of the Ascension, He appeared to them twice: once to the eleven apostles while they were eating in the Upper Room. All of them—the apostles, the other disciples, and the women—were living in that part of Jerusalem called Millo, or Mount Zion, where David had built his palace. The large, furnished Upper Room where the Lord had commanded the Passover to be prepared for Him was there; at that time, the eleven apostles were staying in that Upper Room, while the other disciples and the women were living in various lodgings nearby. While they were eating in that Upper Room, the Lord appeared to them and rebuked their unbelief. After He had eaten with them and commanded them to go to the Mount of Olives near Bethany, He appeared to them there again, answered those who were asking questions without discernment, blessed them with hands raised, and then ascended into heaven in their presence. Regarding the place of the Ascension, Sulpitius, the Bishop of Jerusalem, says—and it is held in the Gloss—that because a church was later built there, the place where the footprints of Christ stood... ...as He ascended could never be paved over; rather, the marble slabs would spring back at the edges of those trying to set them. He says that the fact that the dust trodden by the Lord can still be seen, and that the earth still preserves the same appearance as if the footprints were freshly pressed, is proof of this. Regarding the second point—why He didn't ascend immediately after He rose, but chose to wait for forty days—it should be noted that He did this for three reasons. First, for the sake of confirming the Resurrection: it was more difficult to prove the truth of the Resurrection than the Passion, because the Passion could be truly proven from the first day until the third. But to prove the true Resurrection, more was required, and therefore a longer time was needed between the Resurrection and the Ascension than between the Passion and the Resurrection. Regarding this, Pope Leo says in a sermon on the Ascension: 'The forty-day period is fulfilled today, arranged by a most sacred ordinance and devoted to our instruction, so that while the Lord extends the delay of His bodily presence during this interval, the faith of the Resurrection might be fortified by necessary proofs.' We give thanks to the divine dispensation and to the necessary delay of the holy fathers. It was doubted by them, so that it might not be doubted by us. Secondly, it was for the consolation of the apostles; since divine consolations superabound over tribulations, and the time of the Passion was a time of tribulation for the apostles, those days had to be more numerous than the others. Thirdly, it was for a mystical significance, so that we might understand that divine consolations are compared to tribulations as a year is to a day, a day to an hour, and an hour to a moment. That they are indeed compared as a year to a day is clear from Isaiah 61: 'I would proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God.' See, for the day of tribulation, He returns a year of consolation. That they are compared as a day to an hour is clear from the fact that the Lord lay dead for 40 hours, which was a time of tribulation, and for 40 days He appeared to the disciples after rising, which was a time of consolation. Hence the gloss: 'He had been dead for 40 hours; for this reason, He confirmed that He was alive for 40 days.' That they are compared as an hour to a moment is hinted at in Isaiah 52: 'In a moment of my indignation I hid my face,' etc.
The Manner of Christ's Ascent
This section details the nature of Christ's ascent, emphasizing His divine power, the openness of the event, and the cosmological scale of His journey.
Regarding the third point: specifically, how he ascended. First, he ascended powerfully, because he did so by his own strength; as Isaiah 63 says: 'Who is this who comes from Edom?' and so on. 'Marching in the greatness of his strength.' Also, John. No one has ascended into heaven by their own power except the Son of Man, who descended from heaven and is in heaven. Although he ascended as if in a cloud, he didn't do this because he needed the ministry of a cloud, but to show that every creature is ready to obey its Creator. For he ascended by the power of his own divinity, and in this his power or lordship is noted, according to what is said in the scholastic histories. For Enoch was translated and Elijah was carried up, but Jesus ascended by his own power. The first, according to Gregory, is generated through intercourse and is generating; the second is generated but not generating; the third is neither generated nor generating. Secondly, he ascended openly, because the disciples were watching; hence it is said: 'As they were watching, he was lifted up.' Also, John. 16: "I’m going to the one who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'" Gloss: Therefore, it was done openly, so that no one would ask what they could see happening with their own eyes. He chose to ascend while they were watching so that they might be witnesses of his ascension, rejoice that human nature was being carried into heaven, and long to follow him. Third, joyfully, because the angels were rejoicing; hence the Psalm: 'God has gone up with a shout.' Augustine: 'As Christ ascends, all of heaven stands in awe, the stars marvel, the hosts applaud, trumpets sound, and sweet melodies mingle with the joyful choirs.' Fourth, swiftly, Psalm. 'He rejoiced like a giant to run his course,' for he ascended very swiftly, since he traversed such a great distance as if in a moment. Rabbi Moses, that great philosopher, reports that every circle or heaven of any planet has a thickness of a five-hundred-year journey—that is, a distance equal to what someone could travel on a flat road in five hundred years—and the distance between one heaven and the next is likewise, as he says, a five-hundred-year journey; and so, since there are seven heavens, according to him, the distance from the center of the earth to the concave part of the heaven of Saturn, which is the seventh heaven, will be a journey of seven. ... ... ... ... years, which is a distance equal to what someone could travel on a flat road in 7,700 years, if they lived that long—assuming that each year is made up of 365 days, that a day's journey is 40 miles, and that each mile is 2,000 paces or cubits. That is what Rabbi Moses says. Whether this is true, however, God knows.
The Celestial Procession and Merit
The text explores the company of angels accompanying Christ, the dialogue between celestial beings, and the merits by which Christ ascended.
The One who created all things by number, weight, and measure knows this measurement. This, then, was the great leap Christ made from earth—into heaven. Regarding this and other leaps of Christ, Ambrose says: By a certain leap, Christ came into this world. He was with the Father, came into the Virgin, and from the Virgin He leaped into the manger, descended into the Jordan, ascended onto the cross, descended into the tomb, rose from the tomb, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Regarding the fourth point—specifically with whom He ascended—it should be noted that He ascended with a great spoil of humanity and a vast multitude of angels. That He ascended with a spoil of humanity is clear from the Psalm: 'You ascended on high, You led captivity captive,' and so on. That He ascended with a multitude of angels is clear from those questions which the lesser angels asked the greater ones as Christ was ascending, as is found in Isaiah 63: 'Who is this who comes from Edom, with stained garments from Bosra?' The Gloss says there that certain angels, not fully knowing the mystery of the Incarnation, the Passion, and the Resurrection, seeing the Lord ascending to the heavens with a multitude of angels and holy souls by His own power, marvel at the mystery of the Incarnation and Passion itself, and as the angels accompany the Lord, they say: 'Who is this who comes,' etc. And in the Psalm: 'Who is the King of glory?' Dionysius, however, in the book of the Celestial Hierarchy, chapter... VII. It seems to suggest that while Christ was ascending, three questions were raised by the angels. The higher angels asked the first among themselves; they asked the second of Christ as He ascended; and the lower angels asked the third of the higher ones. The higher angels therefore ask among themselves, saying: "Who is this who comes from Edom with stained garments?" and so on. Edom is interpreted as 'bloody,' and Bosra as 'fortified,' as if they were saying: "Who is this who comes from a world made bloody by sin and fortified by malice against God, or who comes from a world made bloody and fortified by hell?" The Lord answers, "It is I who speak justice," and so on. Dionysius provides the text this way: "For I," he says, "dispute justice and the judgment of salvation." In the redemption of the human race, there was justice, in that the Creator brought back His creature that had become a stranger to its Lord; and there was judgment, in that He powerfully cast out the devil, the invader of another's right, from the man he had possessed. But Dionysius raises this second question: since the higher angels themselves are closest to God and are illuminated immediately by Him, why do they ask one another, as if desiring to learn from each other? But as the commentator explains, the fact that they ask shows they are seeking knowledge. However, by conferring among themselves first, they demonstrate that they don't dare to anticipate the divine impact within them. Therefore, they deliberate about asking among themselves, so that they might not, by too hasty a question, anticipate the illumination that comes to them from God. The second question is the one the highest angels themselves asked of Christ, saying: 'Why then is your clothing red, and your footprints like those of people treading in a winepress?' The Lord is said to have had clothing—that is, his body—that was red, meaning stained with blood, because even as he ascended, he still bore the scars in his body. According to Bede, he wanted to keep the scars in his body for five reasons. He puts it this way: the Lord kept the scars and will keep them in the judgment to confirm the faith of the resurrection, to present them to the Father while interceding for humanity, so that the good may see how mercifully they have been redeemed, so that the wicked may recognize how justly they have been condemned, and so that he may bring forth the certain triumph of his eternal victory. To this question, therefore, the Lord answered thus: 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the nations there is no man with me,' and the cross can be called a winepress, in which he was pressed as if in a press, so that even his blood was poured out in this way. Alternatively, the winepress refers to the devil, who so entangled and bound the human race with the ropes of sin that he squeezed out whatever was spiritual in them, leaving only the dregs. But our warrior trod the winepress, broke the chains of sin, and after ascending into heaven, opened its storehouse and poured out the wine of the Holy Spirit. The third question is the one the lesser angels asked the greater ones: "Who is this King of glory?" To them, the others replied: "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." Regarding this question of the angels and the fitting response of the others, Augustine says: "The vast air is sanctified by the divine company, and all that crowd of demons flying through the air fled as Christ ascended." The angels who came to meet Him asked who He was, saying: "Who is this King of glory?" To them, others replied: "This is He who is very bright and rosy; this is He who has no form or beauty; weak on the wood, strong in the spoils, lowly in His small body, armed in battle, disfigured in death, beautiful in resurrection, bright from the Virgin, red on the cross, dark in reproach, glorious in heaven." Regarding the fifth point—by what merit He ascended—it should be noted that He ascended by a triple merit. As Jerome says: "Because of truth, because you fulfilled what you had promised through the prophets; because of meekness, because like a sheep you were sacrificed for the life of the people; and because of justice, because not by power, but by justice."
The Destination and Fruits of the Ascension
The final section examines the heavens Christ entered, the theological meaning of His session at the right hand of the Father, and the nine spiritual fruits of His departure.
You have rescued man, and your right hand—your power or virtue—will lead you miraculously; it will lead you, that is, into heaven. Regarding the sixth point—how he ascended—it should be noted that he ascended above all the heavens, as stated in Ephesians. He who descended is the same one who ascended above all the heavens, so that he might fulfill all things. It says 'above all the heavens' because there are many heavens above which he ascended. For there is a material heaven, a rational heaven, an intellectual heaven, and a supersubstantial heaven. The material heaven is manifold: the aerial, the ethereal, the Olympian, the igneous, the sidereal, the crystalline, and the empyrean heavens. The rational heaven, however, is the just person, who is called a heaven because of the divine indwelling; for just as heaven is the seat and dwelling place of God—as it says in Isaiah 66: 'Heaven is my throne'—so is the just soul, according to the Book of Wisdom: 'The soul of the just is the seat of wisdom.' It is so by reason of a holy way of life, because the saints always dwell in heaven through their way of life and their longing. As the apostle said: our citizenship is in heaven. This is because of their constant activity; just as the heavens are always in motion, the saints are constantly moved by their good works. The intellectual heaven is the angel. Angels are called heaven because they resemble the highest heaven in their dignity and excellence. Dionysius discusses their dignity and excellence in his book, On the Divine Names. Divine minds are above all other existing things; they live above all other living things; they understand and know beyond sense and reason; and more than all other existing things, they desire and participate in the Beautiful and the Good. Secondly, they are most beautiful because of their nature and glory. Regarding their beauty, Dionysius says in the same book: 'An angel is a manifestation of hidden light, a pure, most clear, uncontaminated, unblemished, and immaculate mirror, receiving—if it is right to say so—the beauty of the God who is Good-form and Deiform.' Thirdly, they are most strong because of their virtue and power. Regarding their strength, Damascene speaks in his second book. Chapter. 18. They are strong and ready to fulfill God’s will, and they are instantly moved everywhere, wherever the divine nod commands. For heaven possesses height, beauty, and strength. Regarding the first two, see Ecclesiastes. 41. The firmament of height, and so on. And regarding the third, see Job. XXVII: Perhaps you were created along with him, and so on. The supersubstantial heaven is the equality of divine excellence, from which Christ came and to which he later ascended. Regarding this, the Psalm says: 'His going forth is from the highest heaven, and his circuit even to the end of it.' Christ therefore ascended above all these heavens, even to the supersubstantial heaven itself. That he ascended above all material heavens is held by what is said in the Psalm: 'Your magnificence is elevated above the heavens.' For he ascended above all material heavens even into the empyrean heaven itself, not like Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire as far as the sublunary region and did not transcend it, but was translated into the earthly paradise, which is so elevated that it reaches the sublunary region, yet does not transcend it; in this empyrean heaven, therefore, Christ resides, and it is his special and proper dwelling, as well as that of the angels and other saints, and this habitation fittingly suits its inhabitants. That heaven excels all others in dignity, priority, position, and scope; it is therefore a fitting dwelling for Christ, who transcends all rational and intellectual heavens in dignity, eternity, the position of immutability, and the scope of his power. Similarly, it is a fitting dwelling for the saints, for that heaven is uniform, immobile, of perfect luminosity, and immense capacity. It rightly suits the angels and saints who were uniform in action, immobile in love, luminous in faith or knowledge, and capable in the reception of the Holy Spirit. That he ascended above all rational heavens—that is, above all the saints—is evident from what is said in the Canticle. II. “Look, he comes leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.” The mountains are called the angels, and the hills are the holy men. It’s clear from the Psalm that he ascended above all intellectual heavens—that is, above the angels—where it says: “You make the clouds your chariot, you walk upon the wings of the wind.” ! He ascended above the cherubim and flew upon the wings of the wind. That he ascended even to the supersubstantial heaven—that is, to the equality of God—is clear from what is said in Mark. Lastly. “And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sits at the right hand of God.” The right hand of God is God’s co-equality. Bernard says: It was uniquely given and spoken to my Lord by the Lord that He should sit at the right hand of His glory, as one who is in equal glory, in consubstantial essence, by a like generation, with majesty not different, and in eternity not subsequent. Alternatively, it can be said that Christ was exalted in His ascension by a fourfold sublimity: local, by the reward of the prize, cognitive, and virtual. Regarding the first of these, see Ephesians. IV. He who descended is the same as He who ascended above all the heavens. Regarding the second, see Philippians. H. He became obedient, even to the point of death. Augustine says: humility is the merit of glory, and glory is the reward of humility. Regarding the third point, see the Psalm. He ascended above the cherubim—that is, above the entire fullness of knowledge. The fourth point is clear, because he ascended even above the seraphim. Ephesians. He knows even the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Regarding the seventh point—why, specifically, he ascended—it should be noted that there are nine fruits or benefits of his ascension. The first benefit is the humbling of divine love. John. 16: Unless I go away, the Advocate won't come.✦ Where Augustine says: If you cling to me in a worldly way, you will not be capable of the Spirit. The second is a greater knowledge of God, John. 14: If you loved me, you would certainly rejoice, because I am going to the Father, and so on.✦ As Augustine says: That is why I withdraw this form of a servant, in which the Father is greater than I, so that you may be able to see God as Spirit in a different way. The third is the merit of faith. Regarding this, Leo says in his sermon on the Ascension: 'Then, a more educated faith began to approach the Son, who is equal to the Father, through the movement of the mind; it no longer needed the physical touch of that substance in Christ by which He is lesser than the Father.' For it is the strength of great minds to believe without hesitation what is not seen by physical sight, and to fix their longing there, where they cannot bring their gaze. Augustine, in his Confessions. Confessions. 'He rejoiced like a giant to run his course.' He didn't delay, but ran, crying out through His words, His deeds, His death, His life, His descent, and His ascension—crying out so that we might return. He went to Him, and He departed from our sight, so that we might return to our heart and find Him. The fourth is our security. For He ascended so that He might be our advocate before the Father. We can feel very secure knowing we have such an advocate before the Father. 1 John. “We have an advocate before the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.” Regarding this security, Bernard says: “You have a secure access to God, O man, where the Mother is before the Son, and the Son before the Father; the Mother shows the Son her breast and her milk, and the Son shows the Father his side and his wounds. Therefore, there can be no rejection where there are so many tokens of love.” The fifth is our dignity. Indeed, our greatest dignity is that our nature has been exalted to the right hand of God; and because of this, the angels, seeing this dignity in human beings, subsequently refused to be worshipped by them, as is said in the Apocalypse. “XIX: I fell,” he says, “before his feet to worship him, and he said to me: ‘See that you don't do this; I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers.’” The Gloss says on this: “In the Old Law, he didn't forbid himself from being worshipped, but after the Lord’s Ascension, seeing human nature exalted above him, he was afraid to be worshipped.” Pope Leo says in his sermon on the Ascension of the Lord: “Today the nature of our humanity has been raised above the height of all powers to God the Father!” He withdrew from the sight of men so that the grace of God might become more wonderful, and so that faith might not waver, hope might not fluctuate, and love might not grow cold, even though they rightly felt they should show him reverence. The sixth is the solidity of our hope; Hebrews 4: having, therefore... a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to the confession of our hope. Also, Hebrews. 6: who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil, where Jesus the forerunner has entered for us. Regarding this, Leo says again: The ascension of Christ is our advancement, and where the glory of the Head has gone before, there our hope and our body tend. The seventh is the showing of the way, Micah. 2: He has gone up, opening the way before them. Augustine: The Savior himself has become the way for you: rise and walk, you have a destination, do not grow sluggish. The eighth point is the opening of the gates of heaven: for just as the first Adam opened the gates of hell, so the second opened the gates of paradise. That is why the Church sings: 'You, having overcome the sting of death, opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.' The ninth point is the preparation of a place. John 14. “I go to prepare a place for you.” Augustine says: “Lord, prepare what you are preparing; for you prepare us for yourself, and you prepare yourself for us, when you prepare a place both for yourself in us and for us in yourself.”
Read the original Latin
Adscensio domini XL die a resurrectione faeta est, circa quam adsCensionem septem per ordinem consideranda sunt, primo, unde adscendit, secundo, quare non statim post resurrectionem adscendit, sed tot dies exspeetavit, tertio qualiter adscendit, quarto cum quibus adscendit, quinto quo merito adscendit, sexto quo adscendit, séptimo quare adscendit, Circa' primum notandum, quoniam de monte oliveti versus Bethaniam coelos adscendit, qui mons secundum aliam translationem dicitur mons trium luminum, nam de nocte ex parte occidentis illuminabatur igne templi, quia erat ignis jugis in altari, mane ex parte orientis primo excipiebat radios solis, antequam illuminaret civitatem, habebat insuper in se copiam olei, quod est fomentum luminis, et ideo dicitur mons trium luminum. In hunc igitur montenr Christus discipulos ire praecepit, nam in ipsa die adscensionis bis apparuit: semel XI apostolis comedentibus in coenaculo. Omnes quidem tam apostoli, quam alii discipuli necnon et mulieres hàbitabant in illa parte Jerusalem, quae dicebatur Mello, sive in monte Syon, ubi David construxerat sibi palatium , et erat ibi illud coenaculum grande stratum, ín quo dominus praecepit sibi parari pascha, et in illo coenaculo tunc undecim apostoli habitabant, caeteri autem discipuli et mulieres habitabant circumquaque per diversa hospitia. Dum igitur in illo coenaculo comederent, dominus iis apparuit et incredulitatem eorum exprobravit, et cum comedisset cum iis et praecepisset, ut in montem oliveti versus Bethaniam irent, ibidem iis iterum apparuit ac indiscrete quaerentibus respondit et elevatis manibus iis benedixit et inde coram iis in coelum adscendit. De loco autem adseensionis dicit Sulpitius episcopus Hierosolymitanus et habetur in glossa, quia, cum ibi postea aedificata esset ecclesia, locus ille, in quo steterunt vestigia "Christi. adscendentis, nunquam potuit sterni pavimento, imo resiliebant marmora in ora collocantium, Calcati etiam pulveris a domino etiam hoc dicit esse documentum, quod vestigia impressa cernuntur et eandem adhuc speciem velut pressis vestigiis terra custodit. Circa secundum, quare scilicet non statim adscendit, ut resurrexit, sed per XL dies exspectare voluit, notandum, quod hoo fecit propter tres rationes. Primo propter resurrectionis certificationem: difficilius enim erat probare veritatem resurrectionis quam passionis, quia a prima die usque ad tertiam vere poterat probari passio, sed ad veram resurrectionem probandam plures requirebantur et ideo majus tempus requirebatur inter resurrectionem et adscensionem, quam inter passienem et resurrectionem.
De hoc sic dicit Leo papa in sermone de adscensione: quadragenarius hodie dierum repletus est numerus sacratissima ordinatione dispositus et ad utilitatem nostrae eruditionis impensus, ut, dum à domino in hoc spatio mora praesentiae corporalis extenditur, fides resurrectionis documentis necessariis muniretur: gratias agimus divinae dispensationi et sanctorum patrum necessariae tarditati. Dubitatum est ab illis, ne dubitaretur a nobis. Secundo propter apostolorum consolationem , quia enim consolationes divinae superabundant tribulationibus et tempus passionis fuit tempus tribulationis apostolorum, ideo plures debuerunt esse dies isti, quam illi. Tertio propter mysticam significationem, ut pro hoc daretur intelligi, quod consolationes divinae comparantur ad tribulationes, sicut annus ad diem, dies ad horam, hora ad momentum. Quod enim comparentur, sicut annus ad diem, patet per illud, quod legit Ysaias LXI: praedicarem annum placabilem domino et diem ultionis Deo nostro. Ecce pro die tribulationis reddit annum consolationis. Quod autem comparentur sicut dies ad horam, patet per hoc, quod dominus XL horis mortuus jacuit, quod fuit tribulationis, et per XL dies resurgens discipulis apparuit, quod fuit consolationis, Unde glossa: XL horis mortuus fuerat propter hoc XL diebus se vivere confirmabat. Quod vero comparentur sicut hora ad momentum, insinuatur Ysaias LII: in momento indignationis meae abscondi faciem meam etc.
Circa tertium qualiter scilicet adscendit. Primo potenter, quia propriis viribus, Ysaias XLIII: quis est iste, qui venit de Edom etc. gradiens in multitudine virtutis suae. Item Johann. : nemo adscendit in coelum, scilicet propria virtute, nisi qui descendit de coelo filius hominis, qui est in coelo, Licet enim quasi in quodam globo nubis adscenderit, hoc tamen non fecit, quod nubis ministerio indigeret, sed ut per hoc ostenderetur, quod omnis creatura parata est obsequi creatori suo. Ipse enim potentia deitatis suae adscendit et in hoc notatur potentia sive dominium, secundum quod dicitur in hystoriis scholasticis. Nam Enoch translatus est, Helias subvectus est, sed Jesus propria virtute adscendit. Primus secundum Gregorium per coitum generatus et generans, secundus generatus, sed non generans, tertius non generatus nec generans, Secundo adscendit patenter, quia discipulis videntibus, unde dicitur: videntibus illis elevatus est.
Item Johann. XVI: vado ad eum, qui misit me et nemo ex vobis interrogat me, quo vadis. Glossa: itaque palam, ut nemo interroget, quod visu corporali fieri cernat. Ideo enim illis videntibus adscendere voluit, ut ipsi testes adscensionis exsisterent et naturam humanam in coelum ferri gauderent et ipsum sequi desiderarent. Tertio laetanter, quia jubilantibus angelis, unde psalmus: adscendit Deus in jubilatione. Augustinus : adscendente Christo pavet omne coelum, astra mirantur, plaudent agmina, tubae sonant et laetis se admiscent blanda modulamina choris. Quarto velociter, Psalm. : exsultavit ut gigas ad currendam viam, valde enim velociter adscendit, qnoniam tantum spatium quasi in momento percurrit.
Refert enim rabbi Moyses maximus philosophus, quod quilibet circulus sive quodlibet coelum cujuslibet planetae habet in spissitudine viam quingentorum annorum, id est spatium tantum, quantum posset aliquis ire via plana in quingentis annis, et distantia inter coelum et coelum est similiter, ut dicit, via quingentorum annorum, et ideo cum sint septem coeli, erit secundum ipsum a centro terrae usque ad concavum coeli Saturni, et quod est coelum septimum, via VII. M. annorum, et usque ad concavum coeli VII. M. DCC. annorum, id est tantum spatium, quantum de via plana aliquis iret in VII millibus DCC annis, si tantum viveret: ita quod quilibet annus componatur ex CCCLXV diebas et iter cujuslibet diei sit XL milliarium et quodlibet milliare sit duorum millium passuum sive cubitorum. Hoc Rabbi Moyses. Utrum autem hoc verum sit, Deus scit.
Hanc enim mensurationem ille novit, qui omnia fecit in nnmero, pondere et mensura. Iste igitur fuit magnus saltus, quem fecit Christus de terra, scilicet in coelum et de hoc saltu et quibusdam aliis saltibus Christi sic dicit Ambrosius: saltw quodam Christus venit in hunc mundum, apud patrem erat et in virginem venit et ex virgine in praesepe transsiliit, descendit in Jordanem, adscendit in crucem, descendit in tumulum, surrexit e tumulo et sedet ad patris dextram. Circa quartum, cum quibus scilicet adscendit, notandum, quod adscendit um magna praeda hominum et magna multitudine angelorum. Quod enim cum praeda hominum adscendit, patet per illud, quod dicitur in psalmo: adscendisti in altum, cepisti captivitatem etc. Quod autem adscendit cum multitudine angelorum, patet per illas interrogationes, quas Christo adscendente minores angeli fecerunt majoribus, ut habetur Ysaias LXIII: quis est iste, qui venit de Edom tinctis vestibus de Bosra, ubi dicit Glossa, quod quidam angeli non plene cognoscentes mysterium incarnationis, passionis et resurrectionis videntes adscendere ad coelos dominum cum multitudine angelorum et sanctorum hominum propria virtute, ipsum incarnationis et passionis mysterium admirantur et angelis comitantibus dominum dicunt: quis est iste, qui venit elc. et in psalmo: quis est rex gloriae? Dionysius autem in libro angelicae hierarchiae cap. VII.
insinnare videtur, quod dum Christus adscenderet, tres quaestiones ab angelis factae sunt. Primam fecerunt majores angeli ad invicem sibi ipsis, secundam fecerunt ipsi majores Christo adscendenti, tertiam fecerunt minores majoribus. Quaerunt igitur inter se majores dicentes: quis est iste, qui venit de Edom tinctis vestibus etc. Edom sanguinea interpretatur, Bosra munita, quasi dicant: quis est iste, qui venit de mundo sanguineo per peccatum et munito per malitiam contra Deum, vel qui venit de mundo sanguineo et inferno munito? Respondet dominus: ego qui loquor justitiam etc. Dionysius ponit talem literam: ego enim, dicit, disputo -justitiam et judicium salutaris. In redemtione humani generis fuit justitia, in quantum scilicet factor creaturam suam a domino alienam reduxit, et fuit judicium, in quantum dyabolum invasorem alieni juris ab eo, quem possidebat hominem, potenter ejecit. Sed secundam hoc facit Dionysius quaestionem hanc: cum ipsi superiores angeli sint Deo proximi et immediate a Deo illuminentur, quare ab invicem quaerunt, quasi ab invicem discere cupientes.
Sed sicut sol- f vit ipse et commentator exponit, in eo quod interrogant, significant se scientiam appetere. In eo autem, quod primo inter se conferunt, demonstrant, quod divinam in se percussionem non audent praevenire. Apud se ergo primo interrogare deliberant, ne forte illuminationem, quae ipsis a Deo fit, nimis festina interrogatione praeveniant. Secunda quaestio est, quam fecerunt ipsi supremi angeli ad Christum dicentes: quare ergo rubrum est indumentum tuum et vestigia tua sicut calcantium in torculari? Dominus dicitur habuisse indumentum, id est corpus suum rubrum, id est sanguine cruentatum, ex eo quod adhuc, dum adscenderet, in corpore suo cicatrices habebat. Voluit enim cicatrices in corpore suo servare, secundum quod dicit Beda, quinque de cansis. Ait enim sic: cicatrices dominus servavit et in judicio servaturus est, ut fidem resurrectionis adstruat, ut pro hominibus supplicando eas patri repraesentet, ut boni, quam misericorditer sint redemti, videant, ut reprobi, quam juste sint damnati, recognoscant, ut perpetuae victoriae suae certum triumphum deferat. Huic ergo quaestioni dominus sic respondit: torcular calcavi solus et de gentibus non est vir mecum et potest vocari torcular crux, in qua tamquam in prelo sic pressus est, ut etiam sanguis sic effunderetur.
Vel torcular vocat dyabolum, quod humanum genus sic funibus peccatorum involvit et strinxit, ut quidquid in iis spirituale erat, exprimeret et solum vinaria remanerent. Sed noster bellator torcular calcavit, vincula peccatorum dirupit et in coelum adscendens postmodum tabernam coeli aperuit et vinum sancti spiritus effudit. Tertia quaestio est, quam fecerunt minores angeli majoribus dicentes: quis est iste rex gloriae? Quibus illi responderunt: dominus virtutum ipse est rex gloriae. De hac angelorum quaestione et aliorum convenienti responsione sic dicit Augustinus: sanctificatur divino comitatu immensus aér et omnis illa volitans per aéra daemonum turba Christo adscendente transfugit. Quibus accurrentes angeli, quis esset, sciscitantur dicentes: quis iste rex gloriae? quibus alii respondentes dixerunt: hic est ille valde candidus: et roseus, hic est ille, qui non habet speciem neque decorem, infirmus in ligno, fortis in spolio, vilis in corpusculo, armatus in proelio, foedus in morte, pulcher in resurrectione, candidus ex virgine, rubicundus in cruce, fuscus in opprobrio, clarus in coelo. Circa quintum, quo scilicet merito adscendit, notandum quod triplici merito adscendit, de quo sic dicit Hieronymus: propter veritdtem, quia illa, quae per prophetas promiseras, adimplesti, et mansuetudinem, quia sicut ovis pro vita populi immolaris, et justitiam, quia non potestate sed justitia.
eripuisti hominem et deducet te mirabiliter dextera tua potentia sive virtus deducet te, hoc est in coelum. Circa sextum, quo scilicet adscendit, notandum quod super omnes coelos adscendit, secundum quod dicitur Ephes. IV: qui descendit, ipse est, et qui adscendit super omnes coclos ut adimpleret omnia. Super omnes coelos dicit, quia plures sunt coeli, super quos ipse adscendit. Est enim coelum materiale, rationale, intellectnale et supersubStantiale. Coelum materiale multiplex est, scilicet coelum aérium et aethereum, Olympium, igneum, sydereum, christallinum et empyreum. Coelum autem rationale est homo justus, qui dicitur coelum ratione inhabitationis divinae, quia sicnt coelum est sedes et habitatio Dei, secundum quod dicitur in Ysai, LXVI: coelum mihi sedes est, sic anima justa secundum quod dicitur in Sapientia: anima justi sedes est sapientiae. Ratione conversationis sanctae, quia sancti per conversationem et desiderium semper habitant in coelo.
Sicut dicebat apostolus: nostra conversatio in coelis est. Ratione operationis continuae, quia sicut coelum continue movetur, sic et sancti per bona opera continue moventur. Coelum intellectuale est 21 angelus. Angeli enim dicuntur coelum, quía instar sunt coeli altissimi ratione dignitatis et excellentiae. De quorum dignitate et excellentia dicit Dionysius in libro de divinis nominibus capit. IV : divinae mentes sunt super reliqua exsistentia et vivunt super reliqua viventia et intelligunt et cognoscunt super sensum et rationem et plus quam omnia exsistentia pulchrum et bonum desiderant et eo participant. Secundo sunt pulcherrimi ratione naturae et gloriae, de quorum pulchritudine dicit Dionysius in eodem libro: angelus est manifestatio occulti luminis, speculum purum, clarissimum, incontaminatum, incoinquinatum, immaculatum, suscipiens, si fas est dicere, pulchritudinem Dei boniformis -Deiformitatis. Tertio sunt fortissimi ratione virtutis et potentiae, de quorum fortitudine dicit Damascenus libro Il.
cap. IH. : fortes sunt et parati ad Dei voluntatis expletionem et ubique confestim inverfiuntar, ubicunque divinus jusserit nutus. Coelum enim habet altitudinem, pulchritudinem, fortitudinem. De duobus primis Ecclesiast. XLI. : altitudinis firmamentum etc. , de tertio Job.
XXVII: tu forsitan cum illo fabricatus es etc. Coelum autem supersubstantiale est aequalitas divinae excellentiae, de quo Chri tus venit, et usque ad illud postmodum adscendit. De quo dicitur in psalmo: a summo coelo egressio ejus et occursus ejus usque ad summum ejus. Super omnes igitur hos coelos usque ad ipsum coelum supersubstantiale Christus adscendit. Quod enim adscendit saper omnes coelos materiales, habetur per illad, quod dicitur in psalmo: elevata est magnificentia tua super coelos, Super omnes enim coelos materiales usque in ipsum coelum empyreum adscendit non sicut Helias, qui in curru igneo adscendit usque ad sublunarem regionem nec eam transscendit, sed in paradisum terrestrem translatus est, qui adeo eminet, ut pertingat ad sublunarem regionem, nec eam transscendit, In hoc ergo coelo empyreo Christus residet et est specialis et propria ejus mansio et angelorum et aliorum sanctorum et congrue convenit haec habitatio habitatoribus. llind enim coelum caeteros coelos excellit dignitate, prioritate, situ et ambitu et ideo est conveniens habitatio Christi, qui omnes coelos rationales et intellectuales transscendit dignitate, aeternitate, situ immutabilitatis ac ambitu potestatis. Similiter est congrua habitatio sanctorum, illud enim coelum est uniforme, immobile, luminositatis perfectae et capacitatis immensae, et recte congruit angelis et sanctis, qui fuerunt nniformes in operatione, immobiles in dilectione, luminosi in fide sive cognitione, capaces in sancti spiritus receptione. Quod autem super coelos omnes rationales, id est omnes sanctos, adscenderit, patet per illud, quod dicitur Cant.
II. : ecce iste venit saliens in montibus, transiens colles et vocantur montes angeli, colles vero viri sancti. Quod vero super omnes coelos intellectuales, id est angelos, adscenderit, patet per illud, quod dicitur in psalmo: qui ponis nubem adscensum tuum, qui ambulas super pennas ventorum. !) tem adscendit super cherubim et volavit super pennas ventorum. Quod autem usque ad coelum supersubstantiale, id est, Dei aequalitatem adscenderit, patet per illud, quod dicitur Marc. ult. : et dominus quidem Jesus postquam locutus est eis, assumtus est in coelum et sedet a dextris Dei.
Dextra enim Dei est coaequalitas Dei. Bernardus: domino meo singulariter a domino et dictum et datum est sedere a dextris gloriae ipsius, utpote in gloria aequali, in essentia consubstantiali, pro generatione consimili, majestate non dispari, aeternitate non posteriori. Vel potest dici, quod Christus in adscensione sublimis fuit quadruplici sublimitate , scilicet locali, remuneratione praemii cognitionali et virtuali. De primo illo Ephes. IV. : qui descendit ipse est et qui adseendit super omnes coelos. De secundo Phil. H.
: factus obediens ete. Ubi dicit Augustinus: humilitas claritatis est meritum, claritas humilitatis est praemimn. De tertio psalm. : adscendit super cherubim, id est, super omnem scientiae plenitudinem. De quarto patet, quia adscendit etiam super seraphim. Ephes. HI: scit etiam supereminentem caritatem Christi. Circa septimum, quare scilicet adscendit, notandum, quod adscensionis suae novem sunt fructus sive utilitates.
Prima utilitas esthumiliatio amoris divini. Johann. XVI: nisi ego abiero, paracletus non veniet. Ubi dicit Augustinus: si carnaliter mihi adhaeseritis, capaces spiritus non eritis. Secunda est major cognitio Dei, Joh. XIV: si diligeretis me, gauderetis utique, quia vado ad patrem etc. Ubi dicit Augustinus: ideo subtraho formam istam servi, in qua pater major me est, ut Deum spiritum aliter videre possitis. Tertia est meritum fidei.
De hac sic dicit Leo in sermone de adscensione: tune ad aequalem patri filium eruditior fides gressu mentis coepit accedere et contrectatione corporeae in Christo substantiae, e qua patre minor est, non egere ). Magnarum enim hic vigor est mentium incunctanter credere, quae corporeo mon videntur intuitu, et Ibl figere desiderium, quo nequeas inferre conspectum. Augustinus lib. confession. : exsultavit ut gigas ad eurrendum viam suam, Non enim tardavit, sed cucurrit clamans dictis, factis, morte; vita, descensu, adscensu, clamans, ut redeamus. ad eum, et discessit ab oculis, ut redeamus ad cor et inveniamus eum. Quarta est nostra securitas. ldeo enim adscendit, ut noster advocatus sit apud patrem.
Valde autem securi esse possumus, quando talem advocatum apud patrem habere consideramus. Joh. H: advocatum habemus apud patrem Jesum Christum justum, et ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris. De hac securitate dicit Bernardus: securum accessum habes, o homo, apud Deum, ubi mater ante filium et filius ante patrem, mater ostendit filio pectus et ubera, filius ostendit patri latus et vulnera: nulla ergo poterit esse repulsa, ubi tot sunt caritatis insignia, Quinta est nostra dignitas. Maxima quidem nostra dignitas est, quando natura nostra usque ad dexteram Dei exaltata est, unde et angeli hane dignitatem in hominibus considerantes deinceps prohibuerunt se adorari ab hominibus, sicut dicitur Apocal. XIX: cecidi, inquit, ante pedes ejus, ut adorarem eum, et dixit inihi: vide ne feceris, conservus tuus sum et fratrum tuorum, ubi dicit Glossa: in veteri lege non prohibuit se adorari, sed post adscensionem domini videns super se exaltari hominem timuit adorari. Leo papa in sermone de adscensione domini: hodie natara nostrae humanitatis ultra eunctarum altitudinem potestatum ad Dei patris est provecta !) consessum, ut mirabilior fieret gratia Dei cum remotis à conspectu hominum, qui merito reverentiam sui sentiebantur indicere, fides non diffideret, spes non fluctuaret, caritas non teperet.
Sexta est spei nostrae soliditas; Hebr, IV : habentes ergo . pontificem magnum, qui penetravit coelos, Jesum filium Dei teneamus spei nostrae confessionem. ltem Hebr. VI: qui confugimus ad tenendam propositam spem, quam sicut ancoram habemus animaram tutam ac firmam et incedentem usque ad interiora velaminis, ubi praecursor pro nobis introivit Jesus. De hac iterum Leo: Christi adscensio nostra est provectio et quo praecessit gloria capitis, eo spes tendit et corporis. Septima est viae ostensio, Mich. III: adscendit pandens iter ante eos. Augustinus: via tibi factus est ipse salvator: surge et ambula, habes quo, noli pigrescere.
Octava januae coelestis aperitio: sicut enim primus Adam aperuit Januas inferni, sic secundus paradisi. Inde ecclesia cantat: tu devicto mortis aculeo ete. Nona loci praeparatio. Joh. XIV:-vado parare vobis locum. Augustinus: domine, para, quod paras: nos enim tibi paras et te nobis paras, quando locum paras et tibi in nobis et in te nobis.
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.16.7 — Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
- ↩John.14.28 — You heard that I said to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.
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