De Ascensione Domini nosiri Jesu ChristL
The Lord's Final Departure
The Lord prepares His disciples for His departure, rebuking their unbelief and calling them to a deeper, more charitable faith.
A feast for the one about to ascend. You need to be watchful regarding the Lord's Ascension; for this is a very solemn feast, as will become clear below. At the very least, let this stir you to greater attention: the Lord, having finished the course of his pilgrimage, is about to depart in his bodily presence; therefore, his words and deeds must be considered with greater care. The Life of Jesus Christ, Volume IV. Every faithful soul ought to observe her Spouse, the Lord her God, most diligently and watchfully at the time of his departure; she should embrace in her heart, with deep feeling, what he says and does, commend herself to him more devoutly and humbly, and withdraw her mind entirely from other things. On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, the Lord willed that those who had fulfilled the ten commandments of the Law through the four Gospels might be able to ascend to heaven. Then the Lord Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved his own, loved them to the very end.✦ Taking, therefore, the holy Fathers from the earthly paradise, and all those souls blessed by him, and blessing Elijah and Enoch who remained there and were still living, he came to his eleven disciples who were on the mountain. Sion, with His Mother and the others. In fact, all the Apostles, along with the other disciples and the women, were living there. At that time, Mary and the eleven disciples were staying there, though they were spread out among various lodgings. While the eleven Apostles were reclining or eating in that place. In that upper room, with the blessed Virgin and perhaps others present, the Lord appeared to them; and the kind Master ate with them before His departure as a sign and memorial of His special love and joy. The Lord didn't eat with the Apostles before He departed simply because they were expected to eat and drink together, as friends do when they are about to be separated. Therefore, while everyone was eating at the third hour, and they saw and heard Him with great joy in that final meeting, the Lord Jesus—knowing it was time to return to Him who sent Him—rebuked them for their earlier unbelief so that faith might follow. He also rebuked the hardness of their stony hearts so that a heart of flesh, full of charity, might follow; for those who had seen Him were hesitant, unless they themselves, having seen Him after His Resurrection, were to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles who would believe in Him whom they had not seen. Vs.
The Commission to Preach
Jesus commands the Apostles to preach the Gospel to all, promising the Holy Spirit and instructing them to wait in Jerusalem.
You have no excuse if you refuse to believe the testimony of someone who speaks of what he has witnessed. This was a rebuke, because it was a disgrace that they didn't believe the evidence of the Resurrection, even after seeing it and hearing it from those who were sent as witnesses. For even though Peter, Mary Magdalene, and those two disciples to whom the Lord appeared on the road told them clearly and firmly that the Lord had risen, they still didn't believe. The Lord gave this rebuke especially when the disciples were about to go out to preach to the whole world, as if he were letting them understand: 'You should have believed those who reported my Resurrection much more readily before you saw me, than the Gentiles will, who will believe you when you preach the Gospel without having seen me.' For after that, they were sent into the world to preach. He rebuked them even then, as he left them bodily, so that by recognizing their own failure they might remain more humble; he showed them in his departure how much he loves humility, as if he were entrusting it to them in a special way, so that the words he spoke as he departed might remain more deeply impressed upon their hearts. The Apostles were sent to preach; therefore, he admonished them, saying: 'Go,' and continue to make progress in your preaching. Preach the Gospel, which excels as the head excels the body, because, according to Innocent, the Gospel is the Word of the Word, who was in the beginning with God; the speech of the Speech, who came from royal courts; the wisdom of Wisdom, which reaches from end to end mightily and disposes all things sweetly. 'Preach the Gospel,' he said, 'to every creature'—that is, to the human race, or indifferently and without partiality to every person for whom every creature was made; or perhaps because man has a share in, and a likeness to, or something in common with, every creature. Hence man is called a microcosm, that is, a little world, as if he contained every creature within himself. For by his existence, he shares with inanimate things; by his life, with plants and vegetation; by his senses, with animals; and by his intellect, with the angels; and so he is designated by the name of 'every creature.' Furthermore, man is called 'all creation' because it seems that all the creation of the world was brought into being for his sake; we are, in a way, the end of all things. Or rather, it refers to every creature to whom the Gospel must be preached. Many things are found in the Scriptures where this one determination is sufficient, such as: 'And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself'—that is, all things that are to be drawn. And that saying: 'Charity believes all things'—that is, all things that must be believed. It is said in this way: 'That God may be all in all,' meaning sufficient for everyone. And that saying: 'All things whatsoever I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you,' meaning all things pertaining to salvation and beatitude. You can understand it in other cases in their own way. However, what is said about preaching the Gospel had to be done after the reception and confirmation of the Holy Spirit, because before that, according to Christ's command, they were not to depart from Jerusalem. In this command to preach the Gospel to everyone, the rejection of the Jews and the election of the Gentiles is also most clearly shown. He who had previously said, 'Do not go into the way of the Gentiles,' now says, 'Preach the Gospel to every creature,' that is, to every nation: first to the Jew, second to the Gentile, because He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Then, He promises salvation to those who believe. And by threatening damnation to the unbelieving, He added: 'He who believes,' with faith formed and working through love—that is, through himself, as in adults, or through another, as in infants—and is baptized with the Baptism of water if it can be done, will be saved, with eternal salvation from sins and punishment. For faith alone isn't sufficient without Baptism, through which someone is incorporated into Christ, if the opportunity to receive Baptism from someone is present. If, however, the opportunity isn't present, the baptism of blood is sufficient, as in the Martyrs who are killed for Christ before they are baptized; or the baptism of the Spirit, as in those who have the faith of Christ and desire to be baptized, but are prevented by death before it can be fulfilled. Therefore, infants believe through others in the Church, just as they draw sin from others, which is remitted for them in Baptism through the confession of another. It is fitting, indeed, that what they lost through another's sin, they can recover through another's help—that is, the help of the Church and their godparents, in whom they are said to believe. Whoever does not believe, whether by himself or through another, will be condemned to eternal damnation by the merit of the justice of his own unbelief. He does not say, 'whoever has not been baptized,' because a person is saved by faith without Baptism when the article of necessity excludes him, provided there is no contempt for religion. Hence, what was said to Nicodemus—'Unless one is born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'—must be understood this way: he who has despised being reborn. Don't, however, presume about faith unless you show it in your actions, because without this, it won't be able to save you. For faith without works is dead, just as works are dead without faith. Hence Gregory says: 'Perhaps everyone might say to themselves, "I have already believed, I shall be saved."' He speaks the truth, if he holds to faith through his works. For true faith is that which does not contradict in its conduct what it says with its words; and that person believes soundly who practices by acting what they believe. And James says: 'What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but doesn't have works?' Can faith save him? . For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Furthermore, by promising signs for the increase and confirmation of faith, He adds: 'Signs will follow those who believe, in their own time, and when it is necessary.' 'In my name, when it is invoked and honored—that is, in the power of my name—they will cast out demons,' which we read happened in many cases where unclean spirits obeyed; 'they will speak in new tongues,' which happened on the day of Pentecost among the Apostles and other believers; 'they will pick up serpents,' that is, they will remove or disperse them, which is clear in the case of the Apostle Paul; 'and if they drink any deadly thing, it won't harm them,' which happened in the case of John the Evangelist; 'they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well,' which many believers have also done. For all these things happened in the early Church. We read that not only the Apostles and other leaders, but often other simple believers as well, did these things for the conversion of unbelievers, and so that the faith of believers might grow, be nourished, and be confirmed by miracles. Now that it is rooted and increased, it isn't as necessary for these things to happen as they did everywhere back then, because it is enough to read and hear what has been done, and to place faith in them. If, then, it's asked why modern preachers and the faithful don't perform such signs, the answer, according to Gregory, is that since the Catholic faith has been sufficiently proven by the miracles of Christ and His Apostles, there's no need to repeat this proof any further; just as saplings, when first planted, are frequently watered until they seem to have taken hold, but once they've fixed their roots in the earth, such watering is withdrawn. Nevertheless, God has still performed many miracles in later times for the consolation of the faithful, as is evident from the time of the Martyrs and Confessors. Yet, according to that same Gregory, what was once done physically in the Church is now done spiritually within her. Priests cast out demons by exorcising, baptizing, and calling people to repentance; and by abandoning worldly words to proclaim the mysteries of the faith and the new law, they speak in new tongues. When they use their good exhortations to drive vices and malice from the hearts of others... ...they take up serpents. And when they read the books of heretics, or hear deadly things in confessions or poisonous persuasions, yet don't consent and aren't drawn toward evil, what they drink is deadly, but it won't harm them. Whenever they see their neighbor faltering in faith or good works, they rush to them with all their strength and strengthen their lives by the example of their own good deeds, or heal weak souls with their prayers and reconcile them to God, laying hands upon the sick so that they may be well. These are surely greater miracles, in that they are more spiritual, and in that through them it is not bodies but souls that are raised up; in this we are also instructed that what we preach in words, we should confirm with good works. Furthermore, they cast out demons who repel the temptations of the devil through faith and the sign of the cross; they speak in new tongues who set aside what is frivolous and idle to speak of God’s praises and sacred words; they take up serpents who effectively rebuke those who slander; they drink something deadly without harm when they hear poisonous persuasions or bitter insults but let them pass by like a deaf breeze, counting them as nothing; they lay hands on the sick and they will get well, those who by good words and deeds draw others away from sins and confirm them in what is good. These spiritual signs are as much better than physical ones as the soul is preferred over the body, as in the promise of the Holy Spirit made to the Apostles. The Lord said to them: 'You are specifically—that is, you will be—witnesses of these things, namely what you have seen and heard, and what I have spoken and done in your midst,' or of those things described above regarding Christ’s Incarnation, preaching, Passion, and Resurrection. And so that they wouldn't be troubled and wonder, 'How will we, uneducated men, bear witness to the Gentiles and the Jews who killed you?' he adds: 'And I am sending'—that is, I will send soon, and from nearby, using the present for the future both for the sake of certainty and because of the nearness of the time—'the promise of my Father upon you,' that is, the Holy Spirit in a visible sign, so that you may be sufficient to testify and to preach the truth of the Gospel constantly everywhere. The Father promised him when he said, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,' and because the Son promised it, saying, 'When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father,' the Father also promised it, since the works of the Trinity are undivided. Though he proceeds from both, he is nonetheless from the Father by the authority of the spiration. And so that they would not presume to preach while imperfect, he added: 'But you, who ought to be my witnesses, sit and stay here in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed'—that is, on all sides, as if with spiritual armor—'with power, not human but heavenly,' that is, the grace of the Holy Spirit, 'from on high,' that is, from heaven. This same thing is treated in the Acts, when it is said: 'And while eating together'—that is, eating with the disciples—'he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father.' It is as if he were saying: 'Here and there you are not sufficient to preach the truth of the Gospel constantly until you have been confirmed by the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that you may stand before kings and governors intrepidly.' Chrysostom says: Just as no one sends soldiers out to face many enemies until they are armed, so too, before the Holy Spirit descended, He didn't permit the disciples to go out to the conflict. But why didn't the Spirit come while Christ was present, or immediately after He left? It was fitting that they should become eager for the gift before receiving grace; for we are raised up more toward God when necessity presses upon us. He says, 'Until you are clothed with power from on high,' but He didn't specify when, so that they would remain constantly vigilant. Why, then, are you surprised that He doesn't reveal the final day, when He didn't even want to reveal this coming day? Chrysostom continues: Although Christ had given the disciples an understanding of the Scriptures and had entrusted them with the office of preaching, He still delayed the start of that preaching until they received the Holy Spirit in a visible sign. By this, He implies that anyone who is to preach must first possess a sufficient knowledge of Holy Scripture and the grace of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by the fact that he is not conscious of any mortal sin. Preachers must indeed 'sit in the city'—that is, in the cloister—where there should be unity of heart, devoting themselves there to study and contemplation, so that they may draw from it what they will later pour out to others in their preaching. Hence Jerome says: 'Let nothing seem right to us unless we learn it, so that after much silence we may become masters from being disciples; yet we teach men in the churches what we do not know. We do not learn all other arts without a teacher, yet this one is so cheap and so easy that it requires no instructor or teacher.' And so, as Gregory says: "It should be noted that there are some whom either imperfection or youth keeps from the office of preaching, yet whom impulsiveness drives; these must be warned not to arrogantly seize such a heavy burden of office through haste, lest they cut off the path to a better life for themselves later." They should also be warned that the Truth himself, who could have strengthened those he wished to instantly, chose to set an example for those who would follow, so that the imperfect would not presume to preach. After he had fully instructed his disciples on the power of preaching, he immediately added: 'Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.' We sit in the city, indeed, if we keep ourselves within the walls of our own minds, so that we don't wander off by speaking outwardly; then, when we are perfectly clothed with divine power, we may go out from ourselves to instruct others as well.
The Ascent to the Mount of Olives
Jesus leads His disciples to the Mount of Olives, where He prepares them for His ascension and addresses their questions about the kingdom.
The disciples ate and rejoiced in the presence of their Lord, yet they were troubled by his departure. They loved him with such tenderness of heart that they could not even bear the words of his departure with a calm mind. When he had finished eating, he led them all out—by word, that is, not by hand—outside the city into Bethany, or rather toward Bethany, because the Mount of Olives, to which they went, is on the road toward Bethany, and Bethany is on the side of the Mount of Olives. . He led them out so that they might see him ascending, thereby implying that a tumultuous city is not a suitable place for the contemplation of divine things. First, he led them outside the city to signify that we have no lasting city here; then into Bethany, which means 'house of obedience,' so that he who descended through obedience and was humbled even to death might be shown to have ascended through the merit of obedience and been exalted into heaven, as it is written: 'He humbled himself, becoming obedient even to death, because of which God also exalted him.' He did this to show that through the works of obedience they would pass over to heavenly things, and that there is no ascent into heaven except through the merit of obedience; just as disobedience cast man out of paradise, obedience brings him in. Likewise, according to Bede, he led them into Bethany because of its location on the side of the Mount of Olives, for the house of the obedient Church is founded on the side of that highest mountain—Christ—in faith, hope, and love. After leading them out, he told them to cross to the Mount of Olives and watch him ascend into heaven from there, so that, instructed by this, they would know that this restoration would not happen until the end—around the time of judgment—and they would seek the restoration of the kingdom of Israel spiritually, that is, the liberation and expansion of the Church. It is as if they were saying: "Will you do what you promised the Church at this time?" Hence Augustine says: "The disciples of Christ, about to watch Him ascend, questioned Him and said, 'Lord, will You reveal Yourself at this time? And when will the kingdom of Israel come?'" What kingdom? The one we speak of when we say, 'Thy kingdom come'; the one those placed on the right will hear about: 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom,' and so on. But when will this kingdom come? When will the kingdom of Your people, the kingdom of the humble, arrive? How long will the pride of the arrogant last? As for when it is to come—what is that to you? Live as if He were to come today, and you won't be afraid when He arrives—so says Augustine. The Lord did not give them certainty about this, yet from something He included in His response, they could understand that this restoration was to be delayed for a long time. "It is not for you," He says, "to know the times or moments which the Father has set by His own authority"—that is, the number of times and moments until the end of the age, which are known only to the wisdom of My Father. It isn't for anyone to know the times beyond what is revealed or handed down through the Scriptures, as that is a matter of presumption; but to know according to the Scriptures is a matter of learning. It is as if He were saying: It isn't for you to know the future, which is placed solely in God's hands; the restoration of the Jewish kingdom is among those things. For it is not to be restored in a carnal way, but in a spiritual one, when toward the end of the age the Jews will believe in Christ, who was their King; and when He will reign in the house of Jacob, because He wanted to ascend from there into heaven. And then He disappeared and vanished from their sight. By the mountain, the eminence of the Spirit in contemplation is understood; by the olives, the devotion of a very rich spirit: and truly, after these things, nothing remains but the soul's leap into heaven. The eleven Apostles, therefore, together with the Mother of the Lord and the other disciples and women, came unanimously and immediately to the Mount of Olives, and there the Lord appeared to them again. See how you have two appearances today. Look closely now at them and at everything that is happening. Consider, too, the holy Fathers who are invisibly present there, and how gladly and reverently they look upon our Lady, blessing her with deep affection, for through her they have received such a great benefit; consider also how they look upon those noble champions and leaders of the divine army, whom the Lord chose from among all others to storm and conquer the whole world.
The Ascension and the Promise
Christ ascends into heaven, leaving the disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit and the assurance of His future return.
Then some of those who had gathered began to ask him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time that you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" Some who were inexperienced and wise only in a worldly way, seeing a foreigner reigning and the Jews under a governor, desired that the kingdom itself be returned to the Jewish nation; they were asking about the restoration of a temporal kingdom of Israel, and that a King might be given to the Jews at that time, thinking that the kingdom was then to be restored by the Lord and that they were to be freed from the rule of foreigners—namely, the Gentiles who were dominating the Jews—just as the two disciples also thought, saying, "But we were hoping that he was the one who would redeem Israel." It was as if those questioning him were saying, "Will you reign at this time, just as David and Solomon did, and will you rule over the nations?" Others, however, thought of a kingdom that would truly last forever, without end, into eternity. I say that it isn't for you to ask about secrets of this kind, nor are you currently ready to grasp them. Instead, focus on what pertains to you, because in truth, you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you. By that power, you will be purified and strengthened so you can speak my words and carry my teaching. You will be my witnesses of my life and teaching, my death and Resurrection: first in Jerusalem, then in all Judea, then in Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth. It was as if he were saying in silence: Before the restoration of that kingdom, the fame of the Gospel will run its course not only through Jerusalem, but through all the borders of Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the world. The Gospel was indeed first preached in Jerusalem; but because of the stoning of Stephen and the death of James, who was killed by the sword, they went out from Jerusalem, preaching in the borders of Judea. Later they crossed over to the Samaritans, and from there they proceeded through the world to others. On this, Augustine says: "By what agreement was this preaching completed by the Apostles, when even now there are nations in which it has only just begun, and in which it has not yet begun to be fulfilled?" This was not, of course, commanded by the Lord to the Apostles in such a way as if they alone, to whom he was speaking at that time, were to fulfill such a great task; rather, it is as if he were saying to them alone: 'Behold, I am with you until the end of the age.' Who would not understand that he promised this to the whole Church, which is to exist here until the end of the age, as some die and others are born? So says Augustine. And because the Gospel was first preached in Jerusalem, it is for this reason that, when we hear the Gospel read, we turn toward the East—as if toward Jerusalem—giving thanks and saying: "Glory to you, Lord, because the Gospel came to us from there." That is why it is written: "The law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Regarding this, Augustine says: "The Church began from this earthly Jerusalem so that it might rejoice in God in that heavenly Jerusalem; for it begins from the one and ends at the other." "It will exist in that whole Church; from this one it took the beginning of faith," says Augustine. But the deacon, about to announce the words of the Gospel, turns his face toward the North to show that the word of God is directed against the one signified by the North—that is, against the devil, who said in his heart: "I will sit on the sides of the North, and I will be like the Most High." After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them about things concerning their instruction and comfort, He kissed each one of them with the deepest love of His heart, for, according to Ambrose, He left the Apostles the kiss of peace. Then, saying goodbye to them with hands raised to offer them to the Father, He blessed them—that is, by wishing them good, promising it, and conferring it, so as to fortify them against the enemy and increase them in heavenly goods. And perhaps, as Theophilus says, in this blessing He infused into them a preserving power that lasted until the coming of the Holy Spirit. From this, the Church has adopted the custom of bishops giving a blessing at the end of Mass. As Origen says: "The fact that He blessed them with hands raised signifies that it is fitting for one who blesses to be adorned with various and arduous works for the sake of others; for this is how hands are lifted on high." So says Origen. In His departure, Christ blessed the disciples just as a father blesses his children when leaving them. He did this, first, because of their greater need, according to the saying: "While I was with them, I kept them in your name," where He asks that they be kept from evil after His departure; second, to show His final and persevering love for His own, according to the saying: "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." He also instructed Church superiors through this that when they depart from those under their care, they should commend them to God with blessings. How Christ ascended to heaven, and why. The Virgin Mary was not assumed at the same time. After these things were finished, with her face turned toward the East, as Damascene says, she began to be raised by them—not by her own power, but by another's—and to ascend while they watched, those whom she deigned to favor with such a vision, and who followed her with their eyes so that the desire to come to Him might be stirred up in them; and she was carried triumphantly by her own motion, through the gift of agility, into the highest heaven from which she had come. Then the Mother and all the others, watching Him be raised into heaven, fell to the ground in adoration. Because of His departure, they could not hold back their tears, yet they rejoiced greatly that they saw Him seeking heaven so gloriously. Oh, how willingly the Mother would have left this world with her Son; but the Lord wanted her to remain here for a time, because it was useful and fitting to strengthen the believers. It was also necessary for our faith, because after the Lord's Ascension, she lived among the Apostles and revealed many things to them that she had learned about his mysteries. Hence Anselm says: "But, O good Jesus, Son of this most sweet and holy Mother of yours, how could you bear to leave her behind, as if orphaned in the miseries of the world, while you returned to the kingdom of your glory, and not take her up immediately to reign?" It seems to me it was necessary for our faith that she live among his Apostles after the Lord's Ascension, because although they had been taught every truth through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, she understood the depth of that same truth incomparably more clearly and eminently through that same Spirit. Because of this, many things were revealed to them through her that she had learned about the mysteries of our same Lord Jesus Christ, not only through simple knowledge, but through the very effect and experience of them. Nor could the delay of her assumption cause any loss to the immensity of her love and joy; for the very perfection of love and joy so filled her with its fullness that this very thing served greatly to increase her love and joy, because she saw herself to be there where she knew she could most please the God whom she loved above all else. Therefore, wherever she was, she rejoiced in God and God in her; and happy in that very joy, she desired above all else that what she understood would most please the wisdom of God should be done everywhere: so says Anselm. It is notable that the Lord first led his own out of the city; second, he led them into Bethany; third, he blessed them; fourth, he ascended. In this it is understood that he first leads the sinner out of sin; second, he leads him into Bethany—that is, into the house of obedience—by changing his state; third, he blesses him by filling him with grace; fourth, he ascends—that is, he makes him ascend—by transferring him to higher things, so that he may go from strength to strength. The company of the Fathers and the meeting of the heavenly spirits. And the ascending Lord Jesus led with him that noble multitude, namely, the captive captivity—that is, the captives from captivity. Those whom he had won as victor, he led with him, opening the way before them as he brought the exiles into the kingdom of his Father, making them fellow citizens of the angels and members of God's household, so that he might restore the angelic ruins, honor the Eternal Father, show himself as the conqueror, and prove himself Lord of hosts; and so the Lord, glorious, bright, and ruddy, splendid and joyful, went before them, showing them the way, while they followed him singing and rejoicing; meanwhile, Michael, the steward of paradise, hurrying to the heavenly homeland, announced that the Lord was ascending to it. And look, all the orders of the blessed spirits ran to meet him, in ranks and orderly array. Not one of them stayed behind; instead, with all the reverence they could muster, they led him along with hymns and ineffable songs. For who could explain the songs and the jubilation they made, and who could describe such joy? But as for that joy which the blessed Fathers had when they invited him and sang, 'God has ascended with a shout'—which refers primarily to the voice of the joy of the redeemed ascending with him, who previously had lamented in sorrowful voices in the lower parts—yet after the reception of the Holy Spirit, when both angels and the blessed sang, the Lord ascended with hands joined devoutly and raised before his chest, and a cloud beneath his feet, and all the blessed followed in the same way with hands joined with the Lord. As the Lord ascended, certain choirs of angels went before him, others moved alongside, some on the right and others on the left; they accompanied him together, along with the blessed souls. The Lord ascended clearly and slowly for the consolation of his Mother and the disciples, as long as they could see him; and you, bright and shining and white, were hidden from their eyes by the cloud, so that he was no longer seen; beyond that, they could not know him. He ascended to the clouds in the same form he had before the Passion; but once received by the clouds, he appeared in the form he had on the mountain. He ascended as if carried by a cloud, not by a vehicle, and as if the cloud acted as a minister for his ascent, because he was not being moved by his own power, but by way of an obstacle, so that he would not be seen by mortal eyes and so that it might be shown through this that every creature is ready to obey its Creator: for the cloud was what withdrew him from the eyes of those watching, and the angels were showing that both corporal and spiritual creation is subject to the obedience of Christ. And he was there in the heavenly homeland with all the angels and holy patriarchs in blessed joy. Christ ascended, then, passing through the cloud into the heavens, and was assumed into the ethereal or empyrean heaven—not by an outside power, but by his own. This was due to his divinity, which can do all things, and also to his glorified humanity, as far as local motion is concerned, through the gift of agility inherent in such a body. Thus, it isn't written that he was lifted up by a chariot or by angels, because he who had made all things was carried above all things by his own power. Enoch, however, was translated by angels, and Elijah was carried up into the airy heaven by a chariot—not by their own power, because they were merely human and needed an outside power, and because their bodies were not yet glorified. The Mother, the disciples, Magdalene, and others stood there, looking into heaven at him as he went, for as long as he remained visible to their eyes. Hence Ambrose says: 'The blessed Apostles stood there, their whole bodies suspended in attention, and they followed with their eyes the Lord ascending into heaven, because they could not follow him in his movement.' And although human vision failed to follow the Savior, the devotion of faith does not fail. They follow Christ with their eyes only as far as the cloud, but they accompany Him all the way to the heavens with the devotion of faith. That is why the Apostle says, knowing that our faith is in the heavens with the Lord: 'Our citizenship is in heaven.' Ambrose says the same. Oh, what it must have been like to see the Lord ascending in such glory! If anyone could have heard and seen those most blessed spirits and holy souls walking along with Him, perhaps their soul would have been separated from their body by the sheer joy of it, and they would have ascended right along with them.
The Apostles' Return and Prayer
The disciples return to Jerusalem to wait in prayer and fasting for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
And when the Lord had already been taken from their sight and presence, they still stood there with their faces turned upward, gazing into heaven; then, two angels in human form stood beside them in white robes—to show their joy through their very clothing—and said to them, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into heaven?" Galilee was the Apostles' homeland, which is why they are called men of Galilee. It was as if they were saying: "You are standing here looking into heaven as if you've forgotten what you're supposed to be doing." Return to the city and wait for the Father's promise, just as you were told. Go, and don't expect Jesus to return right now. But at the end of time, He will come just as you saw Him going into heaven—that is, just as you saw Him ascending into heaven carried by clouds, so you will see Him descending through the air to judgment, carried by clouds. He will come to judgment in that same human form and substance of flesh, which is suited to be seen by physical eyes and to move from place to place. Just as He was judged in human form, so He will come to judge the world. However, while He was judged in a passible human form, He ascended into heaven and will return for judgment in a glorious, impassible human form. Hence Augustine says: "He will come just as you saw Him going into heaven—that is, He will judge in the same human form in which He was judged—so that the prophetic word may also be fulfilled: 'They will look on Him whom they have pierced.'" And again: "Therefore, if we believe He will return, we must be waiting, so that His coming doesn't catch us off guard and unsuspecting, just as the chastisement of the wicked catches them now; for the discipline of the present holds within itself an image of the future." We must be careful, then, that if we aren't corrected by the lash in this life, we aren't condemned by the severity of the next—so says Augustine. i3 Qao uoTio K. ^o^To\A -ks. ^-ws^'»^ suNT iN Jerusalem. Consider how concerned the Lord Jesus was for his own. For as soon as he vanished from their sight, he sent his angels: first, to comfort and strengthen those saddened by the Lord's absence; second, to show that he had truly ascended into heaven—that is, into the region of the angels—not like Enoch and Elijah, who were translated into the earthly paradise, which, though high, only reaches the sublunary region; and third, so that they wouldn't linger there too long and grow weary from standing, but rather leave and wait for the promise of the Father. So, when the angels disappeared, the disciples returned from the mount called Olivet—named for its abundance of olives—to the place where his feet had last stood. They were worshipping Christ, truly God and man, as one personally united to God. The mount is a 'sabbath day's journey' from Jerusalem, meaning it is a distance of one mile, for that was the limit allowed to the Jews. It is allowed to travel on the Sabbath from the village or city where one is; they could walk about a thousand paces. The old edition says 'from the mount of the three lights.' The Mount of Olives is so named because at night it was illuminated from the west by the fire of the Temple, where a perpetual fire burned on the altar; in the morning, it was the first to catch the sun's rays from the east before they lit up the city; it also had an abundance of oil, which is the fuel of light. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy, because all the mysteries had been fulfilled in Christ. They rejoiced in the glorification of God and their Lord, whom they knew had penetrated the heavens after the triumph of the Resurrection, and they rejoiced in the completed redemption of the human race; in the restoration of the fallen angels and the casting down of the demons; in the confusion of the unbelieving Jews and the promise of the Holy Spirit; in the exaltation of human nature and the certain hope of the general resurrection and future ascension. Since the Head had risen and ascended, the members could also hope for the same with certainty. The Church represents this final procession of the disciples after Jesus—who went out together and later returned together—by going out of the church on Sundays and returning to it, as if returning from Jerusalem to Jerusalem. Therefore, by going out of the church carrying the Lord's cross, we represent how they went out with the Crucified One leading the way. By returning with the Lord's cross, even though they returned without the Crucified One, we represent what He said: 'Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' This is because, although the Crucified One did not return with them in bodily presence, He did return with them in spiritual presence. In the early Church, this kind of representation took place on Thursday, which was then a solemn day for the veneration of the Ascension, just as Sunday was for the reverence of the Resurrection. But because the feasts of the Saints supervened, and celebrating so many feasts was burdensome, the solemnity of Thursday was abolished, and the procession was moved to Sunday. Regarding the place of the Ascension, Sulpitius, the Bishop of Jerusalem, says that when a church was later built there, the spot where the footprints of the ascending Christ had stood could never be paved; in fact, the marble slabs would keep popping out at those trying to lay them. He says this is proof that the dust was trodden by the Lord, because the impressions of his footprints are still seen there, and the earth still looks as if the footprints were still pressed into it. And, as Bede says, although the same earth is diminished daily by believers, the footprints still immediately return to their original state. Nor could the highest peak of the church be covered over because of the passage of the Lord’s body, but the path of Christ from the earth up to heaven remains open. There is still a church there, where black monks used to live with an Abbot, and there is also the tomb of Saint Mary of Egypt, along with the place where the Apostles composed the Creed. The fasting and prayers of the disciples. Then the Apostles, along with the Mother of the Lord and other women and disciples, went down to the upper room on Mount Zion, where they stayed waiting for the promise, just as the Lord had commanded them; this is the place where blessed Matthias was chosen for the Apostolate in place of Judas between the Ascension and Pentecost. They were all persevering unanimously in prayer, praying diligently at the appointed hours without ceasing, and preparing themselves daily through prayer for the reception of the Holy Spirit, so that they might be worthy to receive the promise. Although it's said they were persevering in prayer and it isn't explicitly added that they were fasting, some people still fast from the feast of the Ascension until Pentecost, following the example of the Apostles, who are said to have fasted during that time because it's written in the Gospel: 'The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.' They prayed, therefore, and they fasted, because Christ the bridegroom had been taken away from them and had departed in the flesh. They were always—that is, commonly or frequently—in the temple, which is a place of prayer, praising God for His benefits and blessing Him (that is, magnifying Him for His divine promises) and praying devoutly to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit; or they were praising God for His own goodness in Himself and for the glorification and Ascension of their Lord, and blessing Him (that is, giving thanks for the sharing of His goods) and for the promise of the Holy Spirit and the consolation given to them through the angels. They weren't distracted by anything worldly; instead, having scorned all things, they constantly insisted on divine praises so that, in the place of prayer and amidst the devotions of praise, they might await the promised coming of the Holy Spirit with hearts ready and prepared in every way. They lived alternately, now in the temple for prayer, now in the upper room for rest. Hence, this adverb 'always' signifies frequency and opportunity there, not, in its usual sense, continuous duration. Imitating them, let's spend our lives in holiness, always praising and blessing God. For in this way we too shall deserve to be lifted up by His daily blessing, if we are mindful every day of His triumphant Ascension into heaven, praising and blessing God, resting in Jerusalem (that is, in the hoped-for and desired vision of heavenly peace), and praying that we may be able to receive His gifts, as soldiers awaiting their Lord when He returns from the wedding feast. Bede says: "And always, especially here, dearest brothers, it's fitting for us to remember the Lord's words where, glorifying his disciples, he says: 'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.'" For who could say, or even worthily imagine, with what blessed compunction their eyes must have flowed to the earth when they saw the very King of heaven—whom they adored—having overcome the mortality he had taken on, now returning to the throne of his eternal glory? What sweet tears they shed, burning with such hope and joy for the entry into their heavenly homeland as they saw God. They saw their Lord, the equal of his nature, now returning! Rightly, then, were they refreshed by such a spectacle, after they had adored the place where his feet had stood and the footprints he had most recently left. Having watered the ground with profuse tears, they immediately returned to Jerusalem, where they were commanded to await the coming of the Holy Spirit. And so that they might be worthy of the heavenly promises, they were always in the temple, praising and blessing God, knowing most certainly that the Holy Spirit deigns to visit and inhabit only those hearts that he sees are dedicated to the frequency of prayer and to divine praise and blessing. Hence it is also read in the Acts concerning them: 'They were persevering in prayer'; this is something we must diligently imitate, as we who have received heavenly promises are commanded to pray earnestly for their fulfillment.✦
The Faith of the Church
The chapter concludes with a theological reflection on the Ascension, the nature of faith, and the articles of the Creed.
The Lord. We shouldn't doubt as we pray, and while we are here, that our kind Helper deigns to give His grace and pour it into our hearts as well—that He will make our own eyes blessed, even if they aren't the eyes of the Apostles who saw the Lord living in the world, who saw Him teaching and working miracles, and who saw Him returning to heaven after His passion, as He said to Thomas the Apostle: 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.' For His most holy promise is common to all believers—whether to those born before His Incarnation, those who saw Him in the flesh, or us who believe after His ascension—the promise that says: 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' Bede. The Lord therefore ascended, opening the gates of paradise to that happy multitude, and He drew the human race to Himself in triumph, bringing them joy. He ascended into the empyrean heaven above all other heavens. Indeed, above every blessed spirit, above every creature, and above everything that is named in this age or in the age to come. And so on. The Apostle suggests that there is a threefold heaven, where he confesses that he was caught up to the third heaven. According to Augustine, the first of these is the corporeal heaven, adorned with the sun, moon, and stars; the second is the spiritual, assigned to the angelic spirits; and the third is the super-intellectual, reserved for the Divine Essence. Paul was caught up to this third heaven, not to see corporeal things or to gain knowledge of celestial spirits, but for the pure contemplation of the Divine Essence. And according to that same Augustine, Christ ascended into this heaven. He sits at the right hand of God, so that God's "sitting" may be understood corporally, just as Christ the man sits. He is said to sit at the right hand of the Father because of his judicial power. He sits at the right hand, if this is referred to Christ by reason of his divinity, because this sitting implies equality with the Father, since he is equal to the Father in the majesty of his divinity, according to which the Son is equal to the Father. If it is referred to Christ by reason of his humanity. This can be understood in two ways: first, in that it actually belongs to God himself, and in this sense, 'sitting' implies a kind of association of honor, because the humanity of Christ is venerated with the same veneration as the Godhead itself, just as a royal robe is honored along with the king when he is actually wearing it, and in this way, Christ sitting at the right hand of God the Father means his humanity rests in the glory of the Godhead; in another way, it is understood in itself, and thus 'sitting at the right hand of the Father' signifies being in his highest goods, just as the right hand is the nobler and more powerful part of the body. Christ is rightly said to sit at the right hand of God: he sits because he has finished his labor; he sits at the right hand because he was long on the left hand of adversity; and he is said to sit at the right hand of God because, after his rejection, glory rightly follows. He is therefore said to sit because he is equal to the Father in the power of judging. He is also said to stand, as one who helps his own in their present struggle. We believe Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father because we believe he is reigning and resting, which 'sitting' signifies; but Stephen saw him standing at the right hand of God because, while in tribulation, he had Christ as his defender and helper, which 'standing' signifies. For just as sitting belongs to one who is resting and judging, so standing belongs to one who is fighting and helping. Sitting, therefore, at the right hand of the Father, he constantly appears before the face of the most kind Father and shows the scars of the wounds he endured for us, to intercede on our behalf. 17 £. All the holy Fathers and the most blessed spirits sang praises before God. If Moses and the children of Israel sang a song to the Lord after crossing the Red Sea, and if Miriam the prophetess, his sister, and the other women following her sang to the Lord with tambourines and dancing, how much more do all people do this now? They sing out over every adversity; they all chant, they all exult, they all rejoice, they all are glad, they all shout for joy, they all clap their hands, they all dance, they all are delighted. Truly, a song of gladness is now heard in the heavenly Jerusalem, and 'Alleluia' is spoken by everyone through all its streets. Never since the beginning of the world has such a feast and such a solemn Passover been celebrated in the homeland; nor will there ever be, unless perhaps after the Day of Judgment, when all the elect will be there, rejoicing with their glorified bodies. The Greatness of the Solemnity of the Ascension. Therefore, this feast is great and solemn. For whatever God has done up to this point, He did so that it might reach this day. Heaven and earth, and everything in them, were made for the sake of man; but man was made to possess heavenly glory, which, after the fall, he could not reach until now, no matter how righteous he might have been. Because, therefore, all things were completed in the Ascension, this day is truly magnificent. This day is, in fact, the most solemn feast of our Lord Jesus, because today He began to sit at the right hand of the Father and to rest from the labor of His pilgrimage. It is also, in a special way, the feast of all the heavenly spirits, because they receive a new joy from their Lord, whom they had not seen there before in the form of humanity; and because today they begin to see their own ranks restored in such a great multitude of the blessed, and they recognize that the number of their own, diminished by sin, is being restored through the Lord Jesus. If, therefore, there is joy in heaven before the angels of God over one sinner who repents, what joy must we think was theirs when they saw so many thousands of holy souls joined to their own? All of them, therefore, established there... And now it is, in a special way, the feast of the patriarchs, prophets, and other holy souls, because today they entered the heavenly homeland for the first time. If, therefore, we celebrate a feast for any saint migrating to the heavens, how much more so for so many thousands, and how much more for the Saint of saints? It is also the feast of our Lady, who saw her only-begotten Son in that flesh which she knew He had taken from her, and saw Him so gloriously with her own eyes as He ascended above the heights as the true God, penetrating all the heavens by right of His dominion, and reaching the seat of God the Father as He ascended. It is also, nonetheless, our own feast in a special way, because human nature has been exalted today above the heavens, and man, who was lost, has been called back to the heavenly kingdoms and to the fellowship of the angels through the Lord Jesus. For the Son of God Himself, who went forth from the Father—not by a change of place, but by eternal generation and personal distinction—left the world today as far as His bodily presence is concerned, and went to the Father, making our mortal nature a sharer in the Father's glory. This is a truly solemn day, and any soul that loves the Lord Jesus well would rightly rejoice today. "If you loved me," He says, "you would rejoice, because I am going to the Father." Pope Leo says of this: "The Lord Jesus indeed says to His disciples: 'If you loved me, you would surely rejoice, because I am going to the Father.' For this Ascension is granted to you, and your humility is raised up in me to be placed at the right hand of the Father above all the heavens." For I have united you to myself, and I have become the Son of Man, so that you might be children of God. Because, therefore, Christ’s Ascension is our advancement, and where the glory of the Head has gone, there the hope of the body is also called, let us rejoice with worthy joys, beloved, and let us exult with pious thanksgiving. Today we have been confirmed not only as possessors of paradise, but we have also penetrated the heights of the heavens in Christ, having attained greater things through the ineffable grace of Christ than we had lost through the envy of the devil. For those whom the poisonous enemy cast down from the happiness of their first dwelling, the Son of God has united to Himself and placed at the right hand of the Father. With Christ. Let us also hear Augustine speaking about this feast: "Today, as you have heard, brothers, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our heart also ascend with Him." Just as He ascended and yet didn't leave us, so we too are already with Him, even though what is promised to us hasn't yet been fulfilled in our own bodies. When He ascended into heaven, we weren't separated from Him. Heaven does not begrudge us; rather, it cries out in a way: "Be my members, if you wish to ascend into heaven." Therefore, let us all be strengthened in this for now, let us burn with all our desires for this, and let us meditate on this while on earth: that one day we will be counted among those in heaven. We who are to cast off the flesh of mortality then, let us cast off the old ways of the soul now. The body will easily be lifted to the heights of heaven if it isn't weighed down by the heavy burden of sin. And again: "Since we have been widowed of the temporal presence of Christ, let us hasten with all our intention toward the eternal vision of Him, and let us say to Him: 'My heart has spoken to You, my face has sought You; I will seek Your face, O Lord.'" For the whole dispensation... ...of Christ's humanity did nothing other than to direct our intention toward heavenly things, to lead us from the time of our mortality to the manifest vision of Himself, and, once led there, to satisfy us with the eternal glory of His face. And again: "The reason for this feast is our belief that Christ is already reigning at the right hand of the Father, and that in the meantime we should follow him with two virtues—namely, charity and hope—so that when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, we may reign with him forever." Let us ascend with Christ in our hearts for now, so that when the promised day arrives, we may follow him in body: so says Augustine. Hence Gregory also says: "Therefore, dearest brothers, we must follow him in our hearts to the place where we believe he has ascended in body. Let us flee earthly desires; let nothing in these lower things delight us anymore, since we have a Father in heaven. And even if we are still held here by the weakness of the body, let us follow him with the steps of love." He who gave this, Jesus Christ our Lord, does not abandon our desire: so says Gregory. Christ ascended so that, with his bodily presence withdrawn, he might stir up our worldly affection, and that we might desire him with our whole heart. And therefore, let us seek what is above with our intellect; let us savor what is above with our affection. A certain soldier ascended in his heart in this way. While in overseas lands, he diligently visited with tears all the places where our Savior had been. And when he had devoutly searched through all the holy places, he finally came to the Mount of Olives, where the Lord ascended. There, after a long prayer, he said with tears: "Look, Lord, I have searched for you diligently everywhere, until I came to the place where you ascended into the heavens." I don't know where else I can seek you; command, therefore, that my spirit be taken up, so that I may see you sitting in glory at the right hand of the Father. And having said this, he gave up his spirit without pain. So let us also seek the Lord through each of his works and through the practice of the virtues, so that we may eventually be able to ascend to him.1 The Lord's Ascension was long ago prefigured by Jacob's ladder, which touched the earth with one end and heaven with the other, and upon which angels descended and ascended; just so, Christ descended from heaven and reascended when He willed to restore both heavenly and earthly things. It was necessary that the mediator between God and humanity be both God and man, because otherwise He couldn't have restored peace between God and man; for God is the Most High, and man was at the lowest point, and therefore Christ made a ladder between heaven and earth. Angels descend by that ladder, bringing us grace, and they reascend, carrying our souls back into heaven. Christ also foreshadowed this ascension when He preached the parable of the one sheep out of a hundred that was lost and then found. The one lost sheep is the human race when it transgressed God's command; God left the ninety-nine—that is, the nine choirs of angels—in heaven, and coming into this world, He sought the lost human for thirty-three years, and He exhausted Himself to such a degree that a sweat of blood poured from His entire body. Once found, He placed the sheep upon His shoulders and carried it when He bore the cross for our sins upon His own shoulders; He invited His friends to rejoice with Him when He ascended with man, and He gladdened the entire court of heaven. This ascension of the Lord was also prefigured long ago in the translation of Elijah. Elijah preached the Law of God in Judea and boldly rebuked those who broke the Law, for which he endured great persecution from the Jews, but he merited translation into paradise before God; likewise, Christ taught the way of truth in Judea, and because of this, He suffered many persecutions from the Jews, though the Evangelists didn't record everything, but... Which, it's clear that human reason isn't enough to lead to faith, for whoever... doesn't believe what... are said, nor... pays attention to many things; but whoever accepts these things, won't need anything else in the faith of reason. Why are these things written? To build up. They wrote down only what was necessary. For the sake of faith. They knew this was enough for believers, so they chose a few things out of many, making them easier to understand, more diligently sought after, and more firmly believed and committed to memory. As Augustine says: He did many things. Although the Lord Jesus did many things, not all of them were written down. But the things chosen to be written down were those that seemed sufficient for the salvation of believers. Jesus is the only one. Indeed, the Evangelist and all the Evangelists... namely, the holy mystery of the Trinity, Christ according to... his divine and human nature, the things said. His deeds, along with the words and deeds of others directed toward him, all point to these things, for they are the subject matter of these accounts. The intent and the goal. It belongs to everyone, through the deeds and teaching of Christ. To build up faith in Him, which is weighed in the books of John. Where it is said: These things, however, are written so that you may believe—that is, faith formed by charity. By charity. Jesus is. Christ, the Son of God, by nature. By nature. In power. To Himself, and consequently, the same. In the Godhead, because His nature is indivisible. Believe, I say, with your heart. Confess with your mouth for salvation, showing by your works the fruit of life, because faith without works is dead. Behold, useful Scripture. That is, the effect of faith; to this end. For the whole Scripture of the New and Old Testament is ordered toward this. However, how we might gain the benefit from this belief is made clear when it is added: “And that those who believe may have life.” — namely, eternal life, in which you'll see what is now believed, and you'll possess what is now hoped for. in hope, and in the future. in reality; or, that those who believe may have life. may have life: the life of righteousness. Which... is held through... faith—the just person lives by faith—and in the firm truth of hope, which holds the promise of glory; and this in his name, so that... —and through... faith in the name of Christ, because there is no other name given under heaven. It is necessary for those who are to be saved to live by this; life is held by the power of the name of Christ and the Savior. Therefore, John says: This is eternal life. So that they may know of the truth. God allows it. The one you sent, Christ. You sent Christ. The end of this—that is, the final purpose of the Gospel—is to believe firmly, to love perfectly, and to be marked by the Sacraments. And the final goal of these three is this. The cause is eternal life. — For this purpose. For it was his intention to write and preach. The Gospels. The Way. The intent of the Testament is clear. It is to demonstrate the New Covenant and its truths. But the Gospel leads to the glory of eternal beatitude. Amen. The faith must be held. The Catholic faith, therefore—that is, the universal faith— is necessary for everyone for life, and for eternal salvation. It comes from God. Faith gives way to hope, and hope gives way to beatitude; but love remains even when faith and hope have passed away. When faith and hope have departed, love remains and will increase, and for that reason it is the greatest of these. What must be believed, however, can be gathered from the Creed. It can be derived from the Creed. It's a brief summary of everything pertaining to salvation. It's a brief summary of everything pertaining to salvation. There are three creeds: the first is the Apostles'; the second, the Nicene; and the third, the Athanasian. The first was made for the knowledge of God. The first was made for the knowledge of God. The second was for the explanation of the faith, and the third for the defense of the faith. Let's look first at the foundation of the faith, since that's more to the point. It's worth noting that this refers to those who have believed this creed. In that case, there are twelve articles, corresponding to the number of the twelve Apostles. But if we consider what must be believed at a fundamental level, there are fourteen articles: seven of which pertain to the divinity. And seven pertain to the humanity; and these are signified by the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands.✦ In the midst of which the Son of Man walked.✦ These, then, are the complete articles of faith. which pertain to the divine. First, that God exists. as noted there: 'I believe in God.' To believe in God is to believe that God exists, specifically because He is; it is to believe in God. It is to believe His words and the sacred Scriptures; to believe in God is, by believing in God with faith and affection—or rather, by faith working through love—to move toward Him, to go to Him, and to be incorporated into His members. The second is that the Father is God, which is noted there: 'the Father,' which is understood here personally; but 'Father' is understood essentially where it deals with the fatherhood of adoption, by which fatherhood the Trinity itself is the Father of the good, or of creation, by which fatherhood He is the Father of both the good and the evil; 'Almighty,' appropriately, although the Son is also almighty, and the Holy Spirit. This is because power is appropriately attributed to the Father, and goodness to the Holy Spirit; as for 'Creator of heaven and earth,' by 'heaven and earth' we understand both spiritual and physical creation. Creating, indeed, flows from power, and the Father creates all things through the Son, with the Holy Spirit working; for the works of the Trinity are inseparable. And the three Persons are one Creator. The third article is that the Son is God, which is noted in the phrase 'And in Jesus Christ.' These two names are frequently joined in the New Testament because one of them, 'Jesus'—which means 'Savior'—expresses His divinity (for insofar as He is God, He is Savior), while the other is 'Christ.' 'Christ,' which means 'Anointed,' expresses His humanity, because insofar as He is man... ...He is anointed with the grace of the Holy Spirit. He calls Him 'His Son.' He is one Christ in two natures—namely, divinity and humanity—and in three substances, namely the divinity in which He is the Son. As for the title 'Lord,' just as the Father is Lord of all and omnipotent, so is the Son, which is to be understood according to His divinity; for although all knowledge was granted to the humanity of Christ, omnipotence was not. Regarding the Holy Spirit as God, as noted in the phrase 'I believe in the Holy Spirit,' the term 'Holy Spirit' is understood one way when taken as a dictionary entry referring to a person of the Trinity, but another way when it appears in the context of prayer, where it refers to the entire Trinity. Therefore, the four articles mentioned above concern the divine communion—or the society of the Church still militant—and the phrase 'I believe in the communion of saints,' which refers to the association in heaven, that is, the Church triumphant. It is as if to say, 'I believe in both Churches.' The holy Church is divided into three: one is in the world, still in fear and expectation; another is in heaven, without fear or expectation; the third is in purgatory, which is in a middle state—it is in expectation, since they do not yet possess the glory, yet it is without fear, because their free will is confirmed in the good. 'Catholic' in Greek sounds like 'universal' in Latin; it is called universal for two reasons: because it is preached universally throughout the four corners of the earth, and because it holds articles that are universally true, under which no falsehood can lie. 'The forgiveness of sins' means that the forgiveness of sins is brought about by God in a threefold baptism: of water, of the Spirit, and of blood, or after baptism, through penance. The sixth article is to believe in the resurrection of the dead, which is noted there as 'the resurrection of the body.' In this resurrection, it must be believed that the same body that fell through death will return to the same spirit—that is, to the same soul. The seventh is the reward of the good, which also includes the punishment of the wicked; this is noted in the phrase: 'Life everlasting.' It is as if to say: 'I believe in life everlasting, the reward of the good, and in everlasting death, the punishment of the wicked.'2 And these last three articles pertain to the divinity, because through...3
Read the original Latin
ASCENsuRi coNviviuM. — Circa Ascensionem Domini te vigilem esse oportet; nam haec solemnitas vaide solemnis est, ut infra patebit. Et saltem hoc ad attentionem te animet amplius, quod nunc Dominus compieto suae peregrinationis cursu, est praesentia corporali recessurus^ unde ipsius verba et facta sunt attentius consideranda. ViTA Jesi; Christi, tomus IV. Quaelibet enim anima fidelis debet sponsum suum, Dominum Deum suum, in ejus discessu diligentissime et vigilantissime observare; et quae per eum dicuntur et fiunt, viscerosius mente amplecti; ac eidem se devotius et humilius recommendare; et totaliter animum suum ab aliis abstrahere. Quadragesimo autem die a Resurrectione voluit Dominus «Lscsti^et^, \xx ^^s qui decalogum Legis, per quatuor Evangelia inipleverint , posse ccclum scandere. Tunc itaqiie sciem Dowinus Jesus, quia venit kora ejus, ut transeat ax hoc mundo ad Patrem, cum dilexissei suos, uunc vero usquc in finem dilexit eos. Accipiens igitur de paradiso terrestri sanctos Patres , et omnes illas sauclBS ei benedictas animas, ac benedicens Eli^ et Henoct ibi remancntibus, et adliuc viventibus ; venit ad undecim discipulos suos, qui erant in monte .
Sion, cum Matre ipsius et Bliis. Omnes siquidem tam Apostoli quam alii discipuli, nec non et mulierea , habilaba. sed : habitabant tunc Maria et undecim discipuli, ciTCUniquaque per diversa hospitia erant divisi. Dum ergo recumberent seu CDmedercnt undecim Apostoli in. illo cosnaculo cum beata Virgine, et forte alii, pressi , apparuit tis Dominus; et comedit cum eis benignus Magister antc diacessum suum, in signum et memoriale specialis dilcctionis et gaudii. QuiB enim Apostoti non ideo antequam recederet, mandiicavit cum eis, quemadmodum ainici cum ad invicem separari debenl , simul maaducant et bibunt. Omnlbus igitur hora tertia comedentibus, cum magna Itelitia in hoc ultimo muniter viderunt et audierunt , Kiens Dominus Jesus tempus esse ut reverterclur ad eum qui misit ipsum, exprobravit illis incredulitatem eorum, quam prius habuerunt, ut succedcret ereduliias ; et duriliam eordis lapidei, ut succederel cor carneum , caritate ple; quia liis qui viderant t derunt, nisi et ipsi cum videra cum uiique pOEt Resurrection* suam Evangelium prEedicautib) Gentcs crediturEc erant eum ttssa rexisse quem non viderant. Vs.
ineicusabilis es, si testimomo i dcntis rem de qua testatur , b credideris. Eiprobratio, i ex probro : quia probrum fid quod lantis visis argumenlii Rj surrectionis, ct lanlis auditii, dgi per testes proposiiis, non credid runt. Q.uaravis enim Petrus el tf ria Magdalena, et duo illi disdp quibus in via Dominus apparnH ccrlissime firmissimeque nuntian Dominum resurrexisse. acquei credebant. Hanc autem Bxprob tionem maiime tunc DominuaC cum ad przdicandum pv \ai\x sum mundum discipuli ire d£ bant, quasi daret eis intetligere diccret ; Multo magis debebatis to»i nuntianlibus Resurrcclioncm, emt credcre anlequam me videreti* , quam Gentcs, qux credent vobii pra^dicandibus Evangelium, et me non videbunt. Post illam quippe in mundum ad preedicandum. Idcirco etiam tunc eos increpavil, cum corporalitcr reliquit, ut defectum suum cognoscentes raroanerent humiliores, osiendens ds in suo dicessu quantum ci humilins placel, quasi eam peculiariier djdem rccommendarct, ut verba quc recedcns disccbal, ia curde audientiura arclius Impressa remanerenl. £ ApoSTOLI UITTUNTUR PKADICI- Post igitur admonendo dixil eis : Euntss, et coniinuis profectibus in prtedicando proficieDics, i> da^am tanlum, preedicate Euangt' iium, quod " ■ "" nam praecellit , sicut caput corpori praeeminet , quia, secundum Inno^ centium, Evangelium est verbum Verbi, quod erat in principio apud Deum; sermo sermonis, qui a regalibus sedibus venit ; sapientia sapientiae quse attingit a fine usque ad finem fortiter, ef disponit om-^ nia suaviter, Prcedicate, inquit, Evangelium, nihil aliud, omni creaiurcB, id est humano generi : seu indifferenter et $ine acceptione omni homini , pro quo facta est omnis creaturaj vel ideo quod habet participium, et convenientiam, «eu aliquid commune, cum omni creatura, unde et homo microcosmus, id est minor mundus dicitur, quasi omnem creaturam continens, Per esse enim, convenit cum inanimatis ; per vivere, cum vegetabilibus 6t plantis ; per sentire, cum animalibus ; per intelligere , cum Angelis, ideo designatur nomine omnis creaturae.
Item, homo dicitur omnis creatura, quia propter eum omnis creatura mundi videtur esse producta, sumus enim quo dammodo finisomnium. Vcl, omni creaturcs, cui praedicandum est; et multa in Scripturis inveniuntur, quibus haec una determinatio fufficere potcst : quale est illud : Et ego si exaltatus fuero a terra , omnia traham ad meipsum , scilicet trahenda ; et illud : Caritas omnia credit, scilicet, credenda; ita dicitur : Ut sit Deus omnia in omnibus, id est unicuique sufficientLa ; et illud : Omnia qucecumque audivi a Patre meo, nota feci vobis, omnia scilicet ad salutem et beatitudinem pertinentia ; et sic in aliis suo modo accipere poteris, Hoc autero quod de Evangelio praedicaodo dicitur, fiendum erat post receptionem et confirmationem ^piritus Sancti, quia ante non erant, secundum mandatum Christi, ab Jerusalem discessuri. In hoc etlam quod de Evangelio omnibus praedicando mandatur, Judaeorum abjectio , et Gentium electio apertissime monstratur. Qui ergo prius dixerat : In viam Centium ne abieriiis, nunc dicit : Prcedicate Evangelium omni creaturce, id est omni nationi : primo Judaeo, secundo Gentili : quia vult omnes homines salvos fieri, et ad agnitionem veritatis venire, 3 NuLtA 6 , ^ Deinde salutem promittendo credentibus,. et damnationem comminando incredulis , subjunxit ; Qtii crediderit , fide formata et ' per dilectionem operante, sciljcet per se, ut in adultis, vel pcr alium, ut in parvuUs; et baptij(atus fuerit, Baptismo aquae si fieri poterit, salvuf erit, «eterna salute a peccatis et poeni» Uberante. No» enim sufficit fides absque Baptisrao per (^uem aliquis incorporatur Christo, si adsit facultas recipiendi Baptismum ab aliquo. Si • autem non adsit facultas, sufficit baptismus sanguinis, ut in Martyribus, qui pro Christo interficiuntur antequam sint baptizati ; vel flamini*, ut in habentibus fidem Christi* de^ siderantibus baptizari, sed praeveniuntur morte antequam possit impleri. Per alios ergo parvuU credunt in Ecclesia, sicut ex aliis trahunt peccata, quae illis in Baptismo remittuntu rconfessione aliena, Pium est enim, ut id quod per alienum peccatum amiserunt, per alienum auxilium, ut Ecclesiae et patrinorum, in quibus credere di->cuntur, recuperare et recipera possint.
Qui vero non crediderit, per se, vel per alium, condemnabitur, aeterna damnatione, per mcritum justitiae infidelitatis suae. Non ait : qui baptizatus non fuerit, quia per fidem sineBaptismo, salvatur homp, cum eum excludit articulus nece^sitaiis, non contemptus religionis. Unde quod dictum est Nicodemo : Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spirihi, non potest introire in regnum Dei, sic debet intelligi : qui contempserit renasci. Noli autem praesumere de fide , nisi ostendas eam in opere, quia sine hoc non poterit te salvare. Fides eiMm sine operibus mortua est, sicut et opfera sine fide. Unde Gregorius : Fortasse autem unusquisque , apud semetipsum dicat : ego jam credidi salvus ero. Verum dicit , si fidem operibus teneat. Vera etcnim fides est, quffi in hoc quod verbis dicit, moribus non contradicit ; et ille salubriter credit, qui exercet operando quod credit.
» Unde et Jacobus : Quid proderit, fratres mei^ si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat? Numquid poterit fides salvare eiim? ,. , Sicut enim corpus sine spiritu mortuum est, ita fides sine operibus mortua e^t, 4 SlGNA TiBus PROMissA. — Deindc etiam signa pro fidei augmentatione et confirmatione promittendo adjungit :,Signa autem eos qui crediderent, hcec sequentur, propter meritum fidei, suo tempore, et cum fuerit necesse. In nomine meo, invocato et honorato, id est in virtute nominis mei , dcemonia ejicient , quod de multis legimus , quibus immundi spiritus obediebant ; linguis loquentur novis, hoc factum est in die Pentecostes in Apostolis, et aliis credentibus ; serpentes tollenty id est auferent vei dispergent, quod de Apostolo Paulo patet ; et si mortiferum quid biberint, non eis nocebit, quod de Joanne Evangelista factum fuit ; super cegros manus imponent, et bene habebunt, quod etiam multi fideles fecerunt. Omnia enim haec in primitiva Ec. clesia , non solum Apostolos et alios majores, sed etiam frequenter alios simplices credentes fecisse legimus , pro infidelibus convertendis, et ut fides credentium cresceret, ac nutriretur et firmaretur miraculis , qua nunc radicata et aucta, non sic necessarium est ea fieri, sicut passim tunc fiebant quia sufficit ea quae facta sunt solummodo legere et audire, ac eis fidem adhibere.
Si ergo quaeratur , quare praedicatores et fideles moderni talia signa non faciunt i Respondetur ; secundum Gregorium , quia cum fides catholica sit sufficienter probata per miracula Christi et Apostolorum ejus, non oportet ultra hanc probationeni reiterare amplius; sicut etiam arbusta cum primo plantantur, frequenter irrigantur quousque convaluisse videantur, cum autem in terra radicem fixerint, talia subtrahuntur. Verumtamen Deus in posteris temporibus etiam multa miracula fecit ad consolationem fidelium, ut patet de tempore Martyrum et Confesso-' rum. Fiunt tamen, secundum eumdem Gregorium, spirituaiiter nunc in Ecclesia, quae olim corporaliter fiebanl in ea. Nam sacerdotes populum esorcizando, baptizando, et ad poenitentiam vocando dcemonia ejiciunt) dumque secularia verba reiinquentes , fidei et novae legis mysteria insonant, linguis novis loquuntur. Qm dum bonis suis exhortationibus vitia et malitiam alienas cordibus 2M^QT\xn\. j serpentes tollunt. Et dum haerelicorum iibros legunt, vei mortifera in confessionibus seu pestiferas suasiones audiunt, sed tamen non consentiunt, et ad prava non pertrahuntur, mortiferum est quod bibunt , sed eis non nocebit. Qui quoties proximus in fide vel bono opere infirmari conspiciunt, dum eis tota virtute concurrunt et exemplo sue bonae operationis iilorum vitam roborant, vel animas infirmas suis orationibus sanant, et Deo reconciliant, super cegvos manus imponunt, ut bene habeant, Quae nimirum miracula tanto majora sunt quanto spiritualiora , et quanto per haec non corpora, sed animae suscitantur ; in hoc etiam instruimur, ut quod verbis praedicamus, bonis operibus confirmemus.
Item, dcemonia ejiciunt, qui daemonum tentationes hde et signo crucis repeliunt; linguis loquuntur novis, qui Dei laudes et verba sacra narrant, dimissis frivolis et otiosis ; serpentes tollunty qui detractores eflicaciter reprchendunt; mortiferiim bibunt, sed eis non nocet, qui persuasioneg pestiferas seu amara convitia audiunt , sed surda aura transeunt, et pro nihilo ducunt ; super cegros manus imponunt et bene habebunt, qui per bona verba et opera alios a peccatis retrahunt, et in bonis confirmant. Et haec similitcr signa spiritualia tanto sunt corporaiibus meliora, quantum quae sunt animae corporalibus praeferuntur, 5 Promissio Spiritus Sancti apoSTOLis FACTA. — Deiudc dixit eis : Vos autem speciaUter estis, id est eritis, testes horum, scilicet quae vidistis et audistis, et quae locutua et operatus sum in medio vestri, vel horum superius descriptorum , quantum ad Christi Incarnationem, praedicationem, Passionem et Resurrectionem. Et ne turbati cogitarent : quomodo nos liomines idiotae testimonium perhibebimus Gentibus et Judaeis, qui te occiderunt, subjungit : Et egq mitto, id est mittam cito et de propinquo ponendo praesens pro futuro, et ratione certitudinis, et ratione proximi tcmporis promissum vobis auxilium Patris mei in vos, id est Spiritum Sanctum in signo visibiJi, ut sufficiatis ad testandum et ad praedicandum constanter ubique veritatem Evangelii. Pater enim eum promisit , cum dixit : Effundam de Spiritu meo super omnem carnem ; et quia Filius promisit, dicens : Cum venerit Paraclitus quem ego mittam vobis a Patre ideo et Pater promisit, cum opera Trinitatis sint indivisa. Qui licet procedit ab utroque, est tamen PatriSj auctoritate spirationis. Et ne imperfecti praedicare praesumerent, adjunxit : Vos autem, qui debetis esse testes mei, sedete et manete hic in civitate Jerusalem , quoadusque induamini , scilicet undique tanquam armatura spirituali, virtute, non humana, sed coelesti, id est Spiritus Sancti gt-atia , ex alto, id est de coelo. Hoc idem trangitur in Actibus, cum dicitur : Et con~ vescens, id est simul cum discipupulis comedens , prcecepit eis ab Jerosolymis ne discederent , s,ed exspectarent promissionem Patris, Quasi diceret : Hic et ibi non estis sufficientes ad praedicandum constanter veritatem Evangelii, donec contirmati fueritis per donum Spiritus Sancti, ut stetis ante reges et praesides intrepidi.
Unde Chry^ sostomus : a Sicut milites invasuros multos, nemo sinit exire donec armati sint; sic et discipulos ante Spiritus Sancti descensum, ad confiictum egredi non permittit. Cur autem non Christo praesente, vel statim eo disccdente, Spiritus venit? Decebat enim eos fieri cupidos rei, et deinde recipere gratiam ; tunc enim magis ad Deum erigimur , cum incumbit necessitas. Dicit autem : Donec induamini virtuie ex alio, nec expressit quando, ut sint jugiter vigiies. Quid igitur miraris, si diem novissimum non pandit, ubi diem hunc proximum nec pandere voluit ? » haec Chrysostomus, Licet ergo Christus dedisset discipulis Scripturarum intellectum, et commisisset praedicationis officium, tamen distulit exsecutionem prsdicandi, usque ad Spiritus Sancti feceptionem in signo visibili, per hOc insinuans, quod prasdicans actu prius debet habere sufficientem sacrse Scripturae notitiam, et gratiam Spiritus Sancti per conjecturam, SCilicet quod non sit conscius sibi de peccato mortali. Debent quippe praedicatores sedere in civitate, id est in daustro, ubi debet esse citium unitas, vacando ibi studio et contemplationi , ut ibi hauriant, quod postmodum in pr^edicatione tliis efFundant. Unde Hieronymus : Nihil nobis rectum videatur nisi quod discimus, ut post multum silentium de discipulis magistri efficiamur; docemus autem homines in ecclesiis, quod nescimus : omnes alias artes absque doctore iion discimus ; sola haec tam vilis et tam facilis est, ut praeceptore vel doctore non egeat.
» Unde etiam, Ut ait Gregorius : « Notandum est, qula sunt quos a praedicationis officio vel imperfectio vel aetas prohibet, et tamen praecipitatio impellit; qui admonendi sunt , ne dum sibi tanii onus officii praecipitatione arrogant, viam sibi subsequentis vitae melioris abscindant. Admonendi sunt etiam quod ipsa Veritas, quae repente quos vellet roborare potuisset, ut exemplum sequentibus daret, ne imperfecti praedicare praesumerent , postquam plene discipulos de virtute praedicationis instruxit, illico adjungit : Vos autem sedete in civitate, quoadusque induamini virtute ex alto, In civitate quippe sedemus, si intra mentium nostrarum nos claustra cotistringimus, ne loquendo exterius evagemur, ut cum virtute divina perfecte induimur , tunc quasi a nobismetipsis foras etiam alios instruentes exeamus : » haec Gregorius.
Comedunt igitur ct gaudent discipuli, propter prassen-» tiam Domini sui, sed nihilominui^ propter discessum turbati sunt. Tanta enim amoris teneritudine eum diligebant, quod etiam verba discessionis suae aequo animo sustinere non poterant. Cumque come>* dissent, eduxit eos omnes, verbo scilicet, non manu, foras, id est extra civitatem, in Bethaniam, id est versus Bethaniam, quia mons Oliveti, ad quem exierunt, est in via versus Bethaniam ; et Bethania in latere montis Oliveti est siia. . Eduxit eos forasy ut viderent eum ascendentem, per hoc insinuans, quod civitas tumultuosa non est locus aptus ad divinorum contemplationem. Prius eduxit eos foras extra civitatem, ut significaret non habere nos hic manentem civitatem ; deinde in Bethaniam, qufle interpretatur domus obedientiof : ut qui ex obedientia descendil, et humiliatus est, usque ad mortem, ostendatur ex merito obedientis ascendisse, et exaltari in cc^um, secundum illud : Humiliavit semetipsum, factub obediens usque ad mortem , propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum ; et ut signet per obedientiae opdra eos transituros ad coelestia, et quod non est ascensus in coelum, nisi per obedientiae ineritum; sicut ergo inobedientia hominem de paradiso ejecit, sic obedientia introducit. Item, secundum Bedam, eduxit eos in Bethaniam propter situm ejusdem villie, qua in latere montis Olivarum posita est, quia videlicet obedientis Ecclesise domus, in ipsius summi montis, id est Christi latere, fidei, spei^ dilectionisque, ^ua fundamenta locavit. Postquam ergo eos foras duxisset, tunc dixit eis, quod in montem Oliveti transirent, et inde eum in coelum ascendentem videDE 749 gis instnicti^ scientes restitutionem illam non nisi finaliter fiituram, scilicet circa tempora judicii, quserebant de restitutione regni Israel spiritualiter, scilicet de liberatione et dilatadone Elcclesiae.
Ac si dicerent : Numquid hoc tempore facies quod promisisti Ecclesiae ? Unde Augustinus : a Ergo discipuli Christi deducturi aspectu ascensurum Christum, interrogaverunt eum, et dixerunt ei : Domine, si in hoc tempore praesentaberis; et quando regnum Israel? Quod regnum? De quo dicimus : Adveniat regnum tuum; de quo audituri sunt ad dexteram positi : Venite, benedicti Patris mei, percipite regnum, etc. Sed quando hoc regnum, quando regnum tuorum, quando regnum humilium, quamdiu typhus superborum \ Quando venturum sit , quid ad te? Sic vive quasi hodie venturum sit, et non timebis cum venerit : » haeo Augustinus. Dominus autem super hoc non certificavit eos, ex quodam tamen, in responsione ejus posito , possent intelligere restitutionem illam multis temporibus difTerendam. Non est, inquit, vesirum nosse tempora, vel momenia, quce Pater posuii m sua poiesiate, id est numerum tem> porum et momentorum usque ad finem seculi, quae tantum patent scientiae Patris mei.
Non est quippe aliquorum nosse tempora, ultra quod revelatur vel traditur per Scripturas, quia hoc est praesumptionis; sed secundum Scripturas nosse, est eruditionis. Ac si diceret ; Ad vos non pertinet scire futura, quae in sola Dei dispositione sunt posita ; de quorum' numero est regni Judaici restitutio. Nam ipsum restituendum non est carnaliter, sed spiritualiter, quando circa finem seculi Judaei credent in Christum, qui fuit Rex eorum; et quando regnabit in, domo Jacob, rent, quia inde ascendere volebat in coelum. £c tunc disparuit, et evanuit ab oculis eorum. Per montem, intelligitur eminentia Spiritus ia contemplatione ; per olivas autem, pinguissimi spiritus devotio : ulterius vero post ista non restat nisi saltus animae in coelum. Apostoli igitur undecim, cum Matre Domini ac aliis discipulis et mulieribus unanimiter statim venerunt in^montem Oliveti, ei ibidem ite^ rum Dominus eis apparuit. Ecce quomodo habes hodie duas apparitiones. Conspice nunc bene eos et cuncta quae fiunt.
Considera nihilominus sanctos Patres ibidem invisibiliter existentes , quomodo libenter et reverenter intuentur Dominam et affectuose benedicunt, per quam tantum assecuti sunt beneficium; quomodo etiam intuentur illos excelsos pugiles et duces divini exercitus, quos inter omnes ad expugnandum et vincendum universum mundum elegit Dominus.
Tunc quidam ex his qui convenerant, cosperuni eum interrogare, dicentes : Domine, si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel? Quidam imperiti et carnaliter sapientes, videntes alienigenam regnare, et Judaeos sub Praeside esse , desiderabant quod regnum ipsum nationi Judaicae redderetur, et quaerebant de restitutione regni Israel temporalis ; et sic Rex Judaeis daretur hoc tempore, putantes tunc a Domino regnum restituendum^ et a dominio alienigenarum scilicet Gentilium, qui Judaeis dominabantur liberandum ; sicut et duo discipuli putabant, dicentes : Nos autem sperabamus quia ipse ess^ redempiurus Israel. Ac si isti interrogantes eum, dicerent : Numquid hoc tempore regnabis , sicut David, et Salomon, et dominaberis nationibus? Alii vero majbo vere sine fine seculi in ceiernum. Nihil, inquam , ad vos quaerere de secretis hujuscemodi, nec modo ad ea percipienda estis idonei ; sed de his quae ad vos spectant estote solliciti, quia revera, accipietis virtutem Spiritus Sancti supervenientis in voSj cujus virtute purificati et roborati, ut possitis mea verba loqui, et doctrinam meam ferre, eritis mihi testes, conversationis et doctrinae, mortis et Resurrectionis meae : primo, in Jerusalem ; secundo, in omni Judcea, postea in Samaria, tandem usque ad ultimum terras, Ac si tacite diceret : Ante regni illius restitutionem non solum Jerosolymam, sed et omnes fines Judaeae et Samariae, ac etiam mundi terminos per circuitum Evangelii fama percurret. Primo siquidem prae^icatum est Evangelium in Jerusalem; sed propter lapidationem Stephani, et mortem Jacobi gladio occisi , egressi sunt de Jerusaiem, praedicantes in finibus Judaeae; postea transierunt ad Samaritanos; et inde processerunt per mundum ad alios. Ubi Augustinus : a Quo autem pacto ab Apostolis est praedicatio ista completa , quando adhuc usque sunt gentes in quibus modo coeperit, et in quibus nondum inceperit impleri ? Non utique hoc sic a Domino mandatum est Apostolis, tanquam ipsi soii quibus tunc loquebatur tantum munus fuerint impleturi ; sed sicut eis solis videtur dixisse : Ecce ego vobiscum sum usque ad consummationem seculi, quod tamen eum universae Ecclesiae promisisse , quae aliis morientibus , aliis nascentibus hic usque in seculi consummatione futura est, quis non intelligati' » haec Augustinus.
Et quia Evangelium, primo praedicatum est in Jerusalem; inde est quod audita pronuntiatione Evangelii, vertimur ad Oriente quasi, ad Jerusalem , gratias agentes et dicentes : Gloria tibi, Domine, quia inde venit ad nos Evangelium. Unde scriptum est : De Sion exibit lex, et verbum Domini de Jerusalem. Unde et Augustinus : « Ccepit enim Ecclesia ab Jerusalem ista terrena , ut gaudeat in Deo in illa Jerusalem coelesii; ab hac enim incipit, ad illam terminat. In illa tota Ecclesia erit, ab ista exordium fidei sumpsit : » haec Augustinus. Sed verba Evangelii Levita praenunciaturus, vertit faciem contra Aquilonem , ut ostendat verbum Dei dirigi contra eum , qui per Aquilonem, designatur, scilicet contra diabolum, qui dicebat in corde suo : Sedebo in lateribus Aquilonis, et ero similis Altissimo.
Et Dominus Jesus post" quam locutus est eis, quae ad eruditionem suae pertinebant consolationis, unumquemque osculatus est in intimo amore cordis, quia, secundum Ambrosium, Apostolis reliquit oscula pacis; deinde valedicens eis, elevatis manibus, ut suos Patri ofterret, benedixit eis, scilicet bona optando , promittendo , conferendo, ut eos contra hostem muniret, et bonis coelestibusaugeret. Et forte, ut dicit Theophilus, in hac benedictione vim conservativam eis influxit, usque ad Spiritus Sancti advcntum. Ex loco isto duxit Ecclesia in consuetudinem , \ quod Episcopi in fine missae dent benedictionem. Ubi Origenes : « Quod autem elevatis manibui benedixit eis, significat quod deceat benedicentem cuiquam ornatum esse variis operibus et arduis, respectu aliorum ; sic enim manus tolluntur in altum : » haec Origenes, In recessu suo benedixit Christus discipulis , sicut pater recedens a filiis benedicit eis; et hoc fecit : primo propter majorem eoDE ybi rum necessitatem, secundum illud : Cum essem citm eis, ego servabam eos in nomine tuo, ubi petit eos post recessum suum servari a malo; secundo, ad ostendendum finalem et perseverantem erga suos suam dileciionem, secundum illud : Cum dilexisset suos qui erant in mundo, infincm dilexit eos. Instruxit etiam per hoc superiores in Ecclesia, ut recedentes a subditis, benedictionibus eos Deo commendent. g QUOMODO AD CffiLUM ASCENDIT Christus, et cur B. Maria Virgo non simul assumpta est i — His finitis, ad Orientem versa facie , ut dicit Damascenus , coepit sua propria virtute non aliena elevari ab eis, et ascendere videntibus illis quos sciiicet tanta visione dignabaiur, et videndo deducentibus, ut sciiicet desiderium veniendi ad ipsum in eis excitaretur; et triumphaliter proprio motu per dotem agilitatis, in coelum supremum unde venerat ferebatur. Tunc Mater et omnes alii aspicientes eum in ccelum elevari, prociderunt in terram adorantes; et propter discessum lacrymas continere non poterant, muitum tamen gaudebant, quod ipsum sic gloriose coelum petere cernebant.
O quam libenter Mater cum Fiiio de hoc mundo recessisset; sed eam ad tempus hic manere Dominus voluit, quia propter confirmandos credentes utile et expediens fuit; nostrae etiam fidei hoc erat necessarium quia ipsa post Ascensionem Domini inter Apostolos conversando , multa eis revelavit, quae de mysteriis illius cognoverat. Unde sic habet Anselmus : tt Sed, o bone Jesu, istius tuae dulcissimae Matris piissime Fili, quomodo pati potuisti ut te in regnum gloriae tuae remeante, illam quasi orbatam in miseriis mundi relinqueres, et non eam statim regnaturam assumeres'r Erat, ut mihi videtur , necessaria nostrae fidei conversatio sua post Ascensionem Domini inter Apostolos ejus^ quia licet ipsi per revQ^ationem Spiritus Sancti edocti fuerint omnem veritatem, incomparabiliter tamen manifestius ac eminentius ipsa per eumdem Spiritum ipsius veritatis intelligebat profunditatem; ac per hoc mu Ita eis per iilam revelabantur, quae in se non solum simplici scientia, sed et ipso efFectu, et ipso experimento cognoverat de mysteriis ejusdem Domini nostri Jesu Christi. Nec dilatio suae assumptionis quoquomodo jacturam inferre valebat immensitati amoris et gaudii sui; quoniam ipsa perfectio amoris et gaudii ita iliam reficiebat plenitudine sui , ut hoc ipsum ei *ad augmentum amoris et gaudii magnopere fieret , quod iilic se esse videbat ubi Deum , quem prae cunctis amabat, velle magis sciebat. Igitur ubicunque erat, et ipsa in Peo, et Deus in ea jucundabatur, qua ipsa jucunditate felix, hoc prae ceteris ubique fieri cupiebat, quod sapientiae Dei potissimum placere intelligebat : » haec Anselmus. Et est notabile, quod Dominus : primo suos- de civitate eduxit; secundo, eos in Bethaniam duxit; tertio, eis benedixit; quarto, ascendit. In quo datur intelligi , quod peccatorem primo educit de peccato ; secundo ipsum in Bethaniam, id est in do^ mum obedientice ducit, statum ejus mutando ; tertio ei benedicit, gratia illum replendo ; quarto ascendit, id est ascendere facit, ad superiora transferendo, ut eat de virtute in virtutem. lo Patrum comitatus et spiriTUUM CCELKSTIUM OCCURSUS. — Et ascendens Dpminus Jesus duxit secum illam multitudinem nobilem, scilicet captivam captivitatem , id est captivos a captivvtax& ywSs.
^^^^^» qoos secum viclor cduaerat, et cceli flpem jum porta, pandcns iier ante eos, sc scquentes, ut Michicas Proptteta Uiierst, exsules introduxit in regnum Patris sui, concives il\o% laciens Angelorum, et domeslicos Dei : quaienus ct ruinas angclicas resMuraret, et EBlerni Patris honureni ciiinuiliret, et se triumphatoreni ostenderet, el Dominuin exerciluum comprobaret, Dominus itaque glorioaua candidua et rubicufidus, splendidus et gaudiosus, przcedebat eos , viam els oslendens; et ipsi sequebantur eum cantanies et jubilantes, Interim autem Micbael pripositus paradiai, pei^ens ad patriam ccriicam, nuntiavii quod Dominus ascenderet ad eam. Et ecee omnes beatorum spirituum ordines accurrerunt eidem decemer et scriatim par acics auns. Unus ei cis non remansit, qui DoindinantcE se cum omni reverentia, qua poierant, eum cum hymnia et cBniida inefebilibos deducebant. Qui» enim posset cantus et jubiloB, qui ab ipsia fiebant expiicare, et qois posset hoc gaudium enarrarc? Sed ei iUud gaudium quia dicere possel quod tam beatiaPatres habuerunt, cum sibi ad invibant et psallebanC; nem juila Prophetam : Ascendit Deus iii juiilo quod maxime refermr ad vocem jucunditatisredemptorum cum ipso aacendentium , qui prius vocc laciymabili dnmaverunt in partibus et Domimis in voce (uiiE quod reiertur ad aonum prasdi stolorum, qui lu ctlis, T)omino dj n lerrm eorum, tamen post Spiritus Sancti receptionem, Cumquc psallercDt tam Angeli quam beafj: , Dominus junctis manibus devote et aursum ante pectus ctis, et nubL'cula sub pedibus Oi dtt, ei omncs beati simili moda )unctia manibus cum Domino derunt. Domino aufem ascendenley quidam chori Angelorum ipsum poecedebanl, quidam aequebantur, alii a dextris, et alii a sinistris; cum ipso comilabantur simul, fll cum beatis animabus. II AscENnrr Dohihus pbopiiiavibAscendebat vero Dominus plane et morose, propter consolntionem Mv tris et disdpulorun quousque po^ teranl videre eom, Et tu luibea lucida el candida, 0IIMI ab oculis eornm camslil quia daritate nubis circumdstua, ulterius non est visus; ultra [am sic non noscerent. Ascav' dit usque ad nubes ea forma quaitf ante Passionem habuit; susceptoa autem a nubibus, ea qua in monti apparuit.
Qyasi in ^obo bajultt nubis ascendii, non vehicuii, et quasi ad ascesdendiitB egerct ministerio Angeli nubia, quia sua propria v rebatur; sed per modum obstacult, ut ob oculis mortalium non videv rttur, et ut per hoc oalenderetur, quia omnis crcaiura parata eat obsequi auo Crealori : nubes eDim quic subtraiii eum ab oculis ina}^ cientium, et Angeli a; ' ostendebant, quod creatura corporalis ei spiritualis subjecia est ot»-> sequio Ciirisli. Et lunl to cum omnibos Angelis et PatritnHJ sanciis erat in pairia ccclestis beati'ludinis. Ascendit ergo ChristB» et per nubem coelos penetrans assumptus est in coelum aethereum, seu empyreum non virtute aliena, sed propria : tunc ratione deitatis, quae omnia potest ; tum ratione humanitatis gloriosae, quantum ad motum localem per* dotem agilitatis, quae est in taii corpore. Unde non curru, non Angelis sublevatus legitur, quia qui fecerat omnia, super omnia sua virtute ferebatur. Henoch vero ab Angelis translatus est, et Elias curru subvectas est in coelum aereum, non virtute propria, quia homines puri erant, et virtute indigebant aliena, et quia eorum corpora nondum sunt gloriiicata. Stabant autem Mater et discipuli, et Ma^dalena, et alii intuentes in coelum euntem illum, quandiu apparebat oculis eorum. Unde Ambrosius : « Stabant beati Apostoli toto suspensi corpore, et ascendentem ad coelum Dominum, quia incessu non poterant, oculis sequebantur. Et licet ad deducendum Salvatorem visio humana defecerit, fidei tamen devotio non deficit.
Usque ad nubem enim deducunt Christum oculis, usque ad coelos autem cum Christo fidei devotione comitantur. Unde ait Apostolus , sciens fidem nostram in coelis esse cum Domino : Nostra autem conversatio in coelis est : » hsc Ambrosius. O quid erat videre Dominum sic gloriose ascendentem? Et si quis potuisset audire et videre iilos beatissimos spiritus, et animas sanctas cum eo pariter incedentes, forte prae gaudio anima illius a corpore separata fuisset, et cum cis etiam pariter ascendisset.
Cumque jam Dominus subtractus esset ab ocuiis et conspectu eorum, adhuc tajnen suspensis vultibus, intuerentur in coelum, ecce propterea duo Angell in forma vivorum steterunt juxta illos in vestibus albis, ut gratulatio monstraretur ex ipsis indumentis; qui et dixerunt eis : Viri Galilcei, quid statis hic aspicientes in coelum? Galilaea Apostolorum patria fuit, unde et viri Galilcei dicuntur. Ac si dicerent : Statis hic et in coelum aspicitis, quasi obliti quid facere debeatis. Redite in Civitatem, et exspectate promissionem Patris, sicut dictum est vobis. Recedite, nec exspectate Jesum, ut modo redeat ; sed in fine temporum, sic veniet quemadmodum vidistis eum euntem in coelum, id est sicut bajulis nubibus vidistis eum in coelum ascendentem, sic bajulis nubibus videbitis eum in aere ad judicium descendentem ; et, quemadmodum vidistis eum euntem in caelum, . in forma humana, cui competit videri oculis corporalibus, et moveri de loco ad locum, sic veniet, in eadem forma et carnis substantia ad judicium : quia sicut fuit judicatus in forma humana, sic veniet ad judicandum mundum; verumtamen judicatus fuit in forma humana passibili, ascendit autem in coelum, et veniet ad judicium, in fbrma humana gloriosa, et impassibili. Unde Augustinus : « Sic veniet, quemadmodum vidisti eum euntem in coelum^ id est in forma humana in qua judicatus est, judicabit, ut etiam illud propheticum impleatur, videbunt in quem pupugerunt. » Et iterum : « Itaque si rediturum eum credimus, nos exspectare debemus, ne sic nos comprehendat adventus illius, non suspicantes, sicut comprehendit nunc castigatio delinquentes ; coertia namque praesentium imaginem habet in se futurorum.
Cavendum est ergo, ne si in praesenti verbere non corrigimur, futura severitate damnemur : » haec Augustinus. i3 Qao uoTio K. ^o^To\A -ks. ^-ws^'»^ suNT iN Jerusalem. — Considera hic, quomodo Dominus Jesus de suis soUicitus fuit. Nam statim cum evanuit ab oculis eorum, misit Angelos suos : tum ut moestos de absentia Domini consolarentur et confortarent ; tum ut eum vere ascendisse in coelum, scilicet in regionem Angelorum, demonstrarent, non sicut Henoch et Elias, qui translati sunt in paradisum terrestrera, qui licet eminens sit, tantum pertingit sublunarem regionem; tum ne diutius ibi morarentur et nimium ibi stantes fatigarentur, sed potius recedentes, promissionem Patris exspectarent, Angelis itaque disparentibus, ipsi in loco ubi steterunt novissime pedes ejus , adorantes Christum, scilicet Deum ct hominem, ut Deo personaliter unitum, reversi sunt a monte qui vocatur Oliveti, propter copiam olivarum, sabbati habens iter, id est itinere sabbati, scilicet spatio milliarii distans ab Jerusalem : quia non ampliori spatio licebat Juda. is progredi in sabbato de villa vei civitate in qua erant; scd circa per mille passus deambuiare poterant. Vetus editio habet a monte trium luminum.
Sic autem dictus est mons Oliveti : quia de nocte ex parte Occidentis illuminabatur igne tempii, ubi erat ignis jugis in altari; mane a parte Orientis primo excipiebat radios solis, antequam illustrarent civitatem ; habebat etiam copiam olei, quod est luminis fomentum. Et regressi sunt in Jerusalem cum gaudio magno, quia omnia mysteria erant impleta in Christo. Laetabantur autem de Dei et Domini sui glorificatione, quem post triumphum Resurrectionis etiam coelos cognoverant penetrasse, et de humani generis completa redemptione; de restauratione ruinae Angelorum, ct de dejectione dxmonum ; de confusione Judaeorum infidelium, et de Spiritus Sancti promissione, de humanae naturae exaltatiope, et de certa spe generalis resurrectionis et ascensionis futurae. Ex quo enim caput resurrexerat et ascenderat, idem et de membris pro certo sperare poterant. Hanc autem ultimam processionem discipulorum post Jesum, qui unanimiter sunt egressi et postea unanimiter sunt regressi, repraesentat Ecclesia Dominicis diebus egrediendo de ecclesia, et redeundo ad eam, quasi de,Jerusalem, rediens in Jerusalem. Unde in eo quod de ecclesia egredimur crucem Domini praeferendo, repraesentamus quod illi egressi sunt, praeeunte Crucifixo; in eo autem quod cum cruce Domini redimus, licet ille sine Crucifixo redierint, repraesentamus, quod ait : Ecce vobiscum sum usque ad consummationem seculi, quia iicet non redierit Crucifixus cum eis prasentia corporali, rediit tamen cum eis praesentia spirituali. In primitiva autem Ecclesia Iiujusmodi repraesentatio fiebat quinta feria, quae tunc solemnis erat pro veneratione Ascensionis sicut prima feria, scilicet dies Dominica pro reverentia Resurrectionis. Sed quia supervenerunt festa Sanctorum, et celebrare tot festa erat quasi onerosum, ideo solemnitas quintae feriae est sublata, et processio ad Dominicaxn translata.
De loco autem ascensionis dicit Sulpitius Episcopus Jerosolymitanus, quod cum ibi postea aedificata esset ecclesia, locus ille in quo steterunt Christi ascendentis vestigia , nunquam potuit sterni pavimento postmodum, imo resiliebant marmora in ora collocantium. Calcati etiam a Domino pulveris hoc dicit esse documentum, quod vestigia impressa cerDE nuntur ibidem, et eamdem adhuc speciem velut impressis vestigiis tcrra custodit. Et, ut ait Beda,cum terra eadem a credentibus quotidie minuatur , tamen eadem vestigia pristinum statum continuo recipiunt. Nec summum ecclesiae cacumen propter Dominici corporis meatum contegi potuit, sed a terra transitus Christi usque ad coelum patet. Adhuc est ibi ecclesia, in quo solebant esse nigri monachi cum Abbate, et est ibi sanctae ^gyptiacae sepulchfum, et locus ubi Apostoli composuerunt symbolum. i5 Jejunium et orationes disciPULORUM. — Tunc descenderunt Apostoli cum Matre Domini, et aliis mulieribus ac discipulis in coenacuium montis Sion , et ibi morabantur exspectantes promissionem, prout a Domino erat eis mandatum ; ibi est locus ubi beatus Matthias inter Ascensionem etPentecosten fuit loco Judae in Apostolatum electus. Et erant omnes unanimiter in oratione perseverantes, et assidue dcbitis horis sine intermissione orantes, et per orationem ad receptionem Spiritus Sancti se praeparantes quotidie, ut promissum mererentur accipere.
Et quamvis dictum sit quod erant perseverantes in oratione et non sit additum, in jejunio, quidam tamen a festo Ascensionis usque ad Pentecosten jejunant exemplo Apostolorum , quos aiunt jejunasse in spatio illo , quia dictum est in Evangelio : Venient dies cum ablatus fuerit ab illis sponsus, et tunc jejunabunt. Orabant ergo et jejunabant; quia Christus sponsus ab eis ablatus carne recessit. Et erant semper, id est communiter vel frequenter, in templo, quod est locus orationis, laudantes Deum de beneficiis suis, et benedicentes, id est magnificantes de promissis c^ivinis, et orantes devote pro recipiendis Spiritus Sancti donis; vel laudantes Deum, de propria sua bonitate in se, ac pro Domini sui glorificatione et Ascensione, et benedicentes, id est gratias agentes de bonorum suorum communicatione, ac pro Spiritus Sancti promissione, et eorum per Angelos facta consolatione. Non aliquo mundano distrahuntur; sed omnibus comtemptis, jugiter divinis laudibus insistunt , ut in loco orationis, et inter laudum devotiones promissum Sancti Spiritus adventum promp^is et paratis per omnia cordibus exspectent. Vicissim quidcm habitabant modo in templo ad orationcm , modo in cccnaculo ad quietem. Unde hoc adverbium, semper, dicit ibi frequentiam et opportunitatem, non more suo durationem continuam. Quos nos imitantes, in sacra vita semper degamus laudantes Deum et benedicentes. Sic enim et nos quotidiana illius merebimur benedictione sublimari , si quotidie triumphalis illius in coelum ascensionis memores, laudantes et benedicentes Deum, in Jerusalem, id est supernae pacis sperata ac desiderata visione quiescimus^ et orantes ut dona ipsius recipere possimus, 51miles hominibus exspectantibus Dominum suum quando revertatur a nuptiis.
Unde Beda : « Et semper et in loco hoc maxime, fratres carissimi, meminisse nos decet sermonis Domini quo discipulos glorificans : Beati, inquit, oculi, qui vident quce vos videtis. Quis etenim dicere, quis digne valeat cogitare, quam beata compunctione oculos ad terram defluxerunt, quibus ipsum quem adorabant coeli Regem, devicta mortalitate, quam assumpserat, ad paiernae claritatis solium jam redire conspexerant ? Quam dulces lacrymas, quanta spe et laetitia ferventes pro ingressu coelestis patriae fuderunt, c^uo Deum. ae Dominum suum paricm eus nalurr jam ferve cernebant ! Merito ergo tali speclaculo refecii, poslquam adoraverunt ubi sUCerunl pedes ejus; posiquam vestigia qua: novissime fixit. lacrymis rigaverc profusLi, confestim rediere Jerosoiymam, ubi adventum Sancli Spirilus cxspeclarc sunt iussi. El ul digni ccclestibua promissis eiisterent, erant semper irt tetnplo tau~ dantes et benedicentes Deum, scientes certissime quia illa solummodo corda Spirilus Sftnctus inTisere et inhabitare dignaiur , qua: locum oraiionifi frequenlantia, quie laudi et benediciioni divins: videril esse dedita. Unde et in Actibi legitur de ipsis : Hi manimiter perseverm liane ; quod nobis est opervB Apostolici solerter imitilndum, videlicet ut qui ccelestia protnlsaa habemus , qui pro hi£ accipiendis sedulo suppllcare prss cipimur; et omnes ad adorBndunr .
Dominum de). Nec dubitannobis oranlibus stamus, et unai dum esi, quod pius Coaditor dare, ei Spiriius sui graliam nostris quoque cordibus iniundere dignabilur, quod nostros quoque beatos fcciei oculoB, etii non ui oculi Apoitolorum , qui commoranEem in mundo Dorainum, qui doceniem et uiracula facientem, qui post phum cwlos redeuntem videre certe ui eorum de quibus Thomte Apostolo diitit ,- QKffl vidisti me , credidilti; bcali qui non videruHt et crediderunt. Cunctis etenim credentibus, sive illis qui IncarnBtionis ejus lempora nascendo pra:ces•erunt, sive his qui in carne eum riderunt, sive nobis qui post ejus ascensionem credimug, comraunis cGt ejus hilBTissima promissio, qua > htec dicic : Beati mundo corde, niam ipsi Deum videbun! : Beda. iG AsCENniT AD c - Domikus ergo : versa prtedicta felici muliitiuliiie aperiens januas paradisi , uaquc tunc humano genei ' ' travit iriumphaliter ei gauduim in eas. Ascendii auicm in coelum empyreumsuper omnesalioscislAa,. imo auperomnem spirllum beatuin, ci omnem creaturam, ei aupra omnf quod nominatur in hoc seculo, nl in futuro. Et noia.
quod triplex csse ciclum insinuat Aposlolus, ubt faietur se raplum usque ad terliuni ciElum. Inler quoa co^los, secuDdum Augustinum, primutn est coi porale, sole, luna, et stellis o^ natum; secundum est spiritwile spiriiibuB angelicis depuiatum; teptium est auperintellectuale soU iStvinali appropriamm. Ad hoc """ tium rapms fuit Paulus, quia ad vi&ionem corporum cffileitiiisii nec ad cogriitioncm ccelestium spi rituum, sed ad cDntemplationsnl nudam divinEe esscntia: raptui fuit>. Et in hoc ccelum, secundum aumdem Augustimm, ascendit Chftstua. Et sedel a dexlris Dei, quoil sessio Dei intelligatur colp»raliter, ul Chrisius homo sedeUJ. dexlris ct Pater i dicilur sedere, propter judiciarieiBI. poiestatem quam a Patre a pit , quia Eedi;re judicantie Sedere autem a dexlris, si re&Kft-tur ad Chrisium raiione deintie, sic ista sessio imporm eequaliK* lem cum Palre , quia canngM Patri in xqualitale majcataCil cundum dcitatem, secundum qv Filius e^l Patri tequalis. Si aitl referatur ad Chrisium laiione 1 manitutis.
hoc potest ease dupL ter : uno modo, in quantum iwila actualiter ipsi Deo, et «c i sessio importat quamdam associationem honoris, quia eadem veneratione veneratur humanitas, ih quantum unita Verbo cum ipsa deitate, sicut vestis regia cum ipso rege, quando est ea actualiter indutus, et sic Christum in dextera Dei Patrissedereyest humanitatem m gloria divinitatis requiescere; alio modo secundum se, et sic sedere a dextris Patris, designat esse in potioribus ejus bonis , sicut dextera est pars nobilior, et potior corporis. Merito Christus dicitur sedere ad dexteram Dei : sedere quidem, quia laboravit; ad dexteram autem, quia in sinistra adversitatis diu fuit; Dei vero dicitur, quia post ab}ectionem merito gloria sequitur. Dicitur ergo sedere, quia aequalis est Patri in potestate judicandi. Dicitur et stare qui suos juvat in militia praesenti. Nos credimus Christum a dextris Patris sedentem , quia credimus eum regnantem , et quiescentem, quae notantur per sessionem; Stephanus autem vidit eum a dextris Dei stantem, quia in tribulatione positus habuit eum propugnatorem et susceptorem, quae notantur per stationem. Sicut enim sedere quiescentis est et judicantis, ita stare pugnantis et adjuvantis. Sedens ergo ad dexteram Patris jugiter vultui benignissimi Patris apparet, et vulnerum quae pro nobis pertulit cicatrices ostendit, ad interpellandum pro nobis. 17 £.
— Omnes vero Sancti Patres, et beatissimi spiritus jubilabant coram Deo laudes. Si enim Moyses et filii Israel post transitum maris rubri cecinerunt carnem Domino, et Maria prophetissa soror ejus, et reliquae mulieres eam sequentes caaebant Domino in tympanis et choris; quanto magis modo omnes hoc faciunt,omnibu6 adversitatibus supsallunt, omnes catftant, omnes exsultant , omnes laetantur , omnes gaudent, omnes jubilant, omnes mar nibus plaudunt, omnes tripudiant, pmnes jucundantur. Vere nunc in superna Jesusalem auditur canticum laetitise, et per omnes vicos e)us ab universis dicitur alleluia, Nunquam ab origine mundi tale festum, et tam solemne Pascha celebratum est in patria ; nec unquam erit , nisi forte post diem judicii, cum omnes ibicum corporibusglQriosisprae8e&tabimur electi. X8 SOLEUNITATIS AsCENsioNIS XAGNrruDO. ^ Magnum Itaque et solemne est hoc festum. Nam quidquid Deus usque modo fecit, fecit ut ad hunc diem perveniret. Ccelum et terra, et omnia quae in his sunt, facta sunt propter hominem ; homo autem propter gloriam coelestem habendam, ad quam usque nunc pertingere post peccatum non poterat , * quantumcunque justus esset. Quia ergo omnia completa sunt in Ascensione, magnificus valde est dies iste.
Hodiernus quippe dies proprie est festum «olemnissimum Domini nostri Jesu, quia hodie incepit sedere ad dexteram Patris, et requiei^ capere a labore suae peregrinationis. Est etiam proprie festum omnium supernorum spirituum , quia de Domino suo quem ante ibi in humanitatis forma nx>n viderant, novum suscipiunt gaudium ; et quia hodie primo incipiunt restaurari ruins ipsorum, in tanta multitudinei>eatorum ; et cognoscunt numerum suum per peccatum diminutum, per Dominum Jesum reintegrandum. Si ergo gaudium est in coelo coram Angelis Dei super uno peecatore poenitentiam agente, quale putamus gaudium eorum fuisse, quando tot millia animarum sanctarum ad suum viderunt consorperatis } Omnes igitur ibi constituti I tium transire ? Et jam proprie est festum Patriarcharum , Prophctarum, ct aliarum animarum sanctarum, quia ad supernam patriam hodie primitus intraverunt. Si ergo festum facimus de aliquo Sancto ad ccelos migrante, quanto magis de tot millibus, et quanto magis de Sancto Sanctorum? Est etiam festum Dominae nostrae, quae Filium suum unigenitum in ea carne qujim de se assumptam noverat, totam oculis suis gloriose sic vidit tanquam Deum verum super excelsa conscendere, et omnes coelos dominandi jure penetrare ; ac in Dei Patris consessum ascendendo pertingere. Est etiam nihilominus proprie festum nostrum, quia humana natura hodie super coslos est exaltaia, et homo perditus, ad regna coelestia, et ad societatem Angelorum per Dominum Jesum est revocatus. Ipse enim Dei Filius, qui exivit a Patre, non per loci mutationem, sed per aeternam generationem, et personalem distinctionem ; hodie reliquit mundum , quantum ad praesentiam corporalem, et ivit ad Patrem, faciendo naturam mortalem paternae gloriae consortem.
Igitur valde solemnis est dies iste; et anima quse Domir num Jesum bene diligeret, merito hodie exsultaret. Si diligeritis me, inquit , gauderitis iiiique , quia vado ad Patrem, Unde Leo Papa : « Dicit quidem Dominus Jesus discipulis suis : Si diligeretis me, gauderetis uiique , quia vado ad Patrem, Vobis enim haec praestatur ascensio : et super omnes coelos ad Patris dexteram collocanda, vestra in me humilitas elevatur. Univi enim vos mihi , et factus sum Filius hominis, ut vos filii Dei esse possitis. Quia igitur Christi ascensio nostra provectio est , et quo processit gloria capitis, eo spes vocatur et corporis, dignis, dilectissimi , exsultcmus gaudiis, et pia gratiarum actione Izitemur. Hodie enim non solum paradisi possessores firmati sumus; sed etiam coelorum in Christo superna penetravimus,ampliora adepti per inefiFabilem Christi gratiam , quam per diaboli amiseramus invidiam. Nam quos virulentus inimicus primi habitaculi felicitate dejecit, eos sibi concorporatos Dei Filius ad Patris dexteram collocavit. 19 cuM Christo. — Audiamus et Augustinum de hac festivitate sic loquentem : « Hodie, sicut audistis, fratres , Dominus Jesus Christus ascendit in coelum; ascendat cum illo et cor nostrum.
Sicut enim ille ascendit , nec recessit a nobis ; sic et nos cum illo jam simus, quamvis nondum in corpore nostro jam factum sit quod promittitur nobis. Cum ascendit in coelum, nos ab illo non separamur. Non nobis invidet coelum ; sed quodammodo clamat : mea membra estote, si ascerdere vultis in coelum. In hoc ergo omnes interim roboremur, in hoc votis omnibus aestuemus , in hoc meditemur in terris ; quod aliquando computemur in coelis. Qui tunc exuturi carnem mortalitatis, nunc exuamur animae vetustate. Facile corpus levabitur in alta coelorum , si non premat spiritura sarcina peccatorum. » Et iterum : a Quia vero temporali Christi prcesentia viduati sumus , ad aeternam ejus visionem tota intentione festinemus eique dicamus : Tibi dixit cor meum , exquisivit te facies mea ; faciem tuam, Domine, requiram, Tota namque dispensatio hu- . manitatis Christi nihil aliud fecit, nisi ut intentionem nostram ad superna dirigeret; et ex tempore nostrac mortalitatis ad manifestam visionem sui perduceret; ac perductos aeterna vultus sui gloria saDE tiaret.
» Et iterum : «c Haec quippe solemnitatis hujus est ratio,ut Christum ad dexteram Patris jam regnare credamus; et interim eum quasi geminis virtutum alia , caritatis scilicet et spei subsequamur : ut cum tradiderit regnum Deo Patri, sine fine cum eo regnemus. Ascendamus cum Christo interim corde, ut cum dies promissus advenerit, sequamur et corpore : » haec Augustinus. Unde etiam Gregorius : « Unde , fratres carissimi , oportet ut illuc sequamur corde, ubi eum corpore ascendisse credimus : desideria terrena fugiamus, nihil jam nos delectet in infimis, qui Patrem habemus in coelis; et si adhuc hic tenemur in infirmitate corporis , sequamur tamen eum passibus amoris. Non autem deserit desiderium nostrum, ipse qui dedit Jesus Christus Dominus noster : » haec Gregorius. Ascendit ergo Christus, ut corporali praesentia subtracta, provocet aftectum mundi, et toto corde eum desideremus. Et ideo quae sursum sunt quaeramus, quoad vim intellectivam ; quae sursum sunt sapiamus, quoad vim aftectivam. Sic ascendit corde miles quidam, qui in partibus ultramarinis omnia loca in quibus Salvator noster fuerat^sollicite cum lacrymis visitavit; et dum omnia sancta loca devote perquisivisset, ultimo venit in montem Oliveti unde Dominus ascendit, ubi post longam orationem cum lacrymis dixit : Ecce, Domine, ubique quaesivi te diligenter, usquedum venerim ad locum ubi coelos ascendisti. Nescio ubi amplius te rcquiram, jube ergo spiritum meum suscipi, ut ad dexteram Patris videam te residentem in gloria.
Et his dictis, spiritum suum sine dolore reddidit. Sic et nos Dominum per singula sua opera ct virtutum exercitia quaeramus, ut tandem ad eum ascendere valeamus.
Ascensio Domini olim in scala Jacob praefigurata fuit, quae una extremitate terram , et alia coelum tangebat, et Angeli per eam descendebant y et ascendebant ; sic Christus de coelo descendit, et reasccndit, quando coelestia, et terrestria revenire voluit. Oportebat enim quod mediator Dei et hominum Deus et homo esset , quia aliter pacem inter Deum et hominemreformare non posset; Deus enim altissimus est, et homo infimus erat, et ideo Christus inter coelum et terram scalam faciebat. Descendunt autem Angeli per illam, nobis gratiam apportando ; et reascendunt, animas nostras in coelum reportando. Hanc etiam ascensionem Christus praenotavit , quando parabolam de una ove ex centum perdita et inventa praedicavit. Ovis una perdita est quando mandatum Dei transgressus est ; Deus autem nonaginta novem, id est novem choros Angelorum in coelo dimisit, et veniens in hunc mundum, hominem perditum per triginta tres annos quaesivit, et in tantum se fatigavit quod de toto corpore suo sudor sanguinis emanavit. Inventam autem ovem super humeros posuit, et portavit , quando ' crucem pro peccatis nostris propriis humeris bajulavit; amicos ad congratulandum sibi invitavit, quando cum homine asccAdit, et omnem coeli curiam laetificavit. Haec etiam ascensio Domini olim fuit in translatione Eliae praefigurata. Elias Legem Dei in Judaea praedicavit, et transgressores Legis audacter increpavit, propter quod magnam sustinuit a Judaeis persecutionem, sed apud Deum meruit in paradisum translationem; ita Christus in Judaea viam veritatis docuit , et propter hoc a^Judaeis multas persecutiones ne^ nec alii Evaiigftliste omnia dixeruat, ; ^sed .
quae . eraiinsufficieatia latttrahdre ad fidem <aiidientffs : guoniam qui. non credidkt tiis <qua . dicta 5unt, njeque. pluri bus: attendet ; qui vero iiaec suscipit, . nuUa inditgebit ^alia In fide xatioae. 2 «Qu^tiLU-BEM SCmiPTA SONTi4&FIJ>I! M ASTRUEffDAM.
ETvSAJLUTEMfiONSEQVES^jtM TBNDUNT« — Tantum enim ccmscripserunt,, quantum ^ . fidem . credentlum suffieere posse cognoverunt ; et ideo pauca xie pluribus elegerunt, ut iaciUus tntelUgantar, dil^gentiufi queeranturv ^^ credantur et memoriae tradantur. »Un)de Angustrnus : la Cum. multa. fecisaet Dominus JeBus, non omnia «cripta sunit,. ; electa sunt autem quee scrtberentur, quie isaluti credentium sui&cere videlsantur : •» heec Au. giisUnus^MaLtQvio.
quidem Evan^Ui et omnium:Evangeli8tarum iefiteaden),! scili££! t aanctee . TFinttatis m^^s&eriuni, Chrtstus ^secundum . divinam -et humanam naturaDq, . dicta . et £acta ejus, aliorumque idicta et facta ad ip&um ; . omnes ;eium aigunt xle istis, ':St^«st materia istomm.
Jnten^cvsro et iinis. omnium est, per Ghristi ^gesta et doctxinam, . fidem de £o «istruere, quod ex ifineilibri Joannis <perpenditur, . ubi disitur : Mdsc autem scripta stmt, ut cnsdati^, scilicet fide formdta . cBritate, ^a . Jesus esi . Ckristus rFilius Dei, &oiIicet . naturali^, .
in ^otentia . -sibi fisquaii^ et per cDnsequens^idem. in deitate ; ^quia natura illvii3A'«Bt indiviiibilis. Credatis, inquam, corde ad. justitiam, et ore ^onhteamini ad salutem, qpere ostendentes ad fructam vitee : quia fides sine operibus mortua est. Ecce Scripturs utili. tas, scilicet effectus fidei ; ad hoc . enim ordinatur tota Scriptura Nayi et Veteris Testamcnti.
Quam iautem . utilitatem ex hac credulitate conse- | quamur, maniCestatur cumrsubjungitur : Et ut credentes vitam. . ;saitoet. aQt3ernam>in qiia claiseividebis qusti jnunc cseditur, ihaifeatis nunc . iin Bpe, et in ifuttiro. in ire ; vel, uticredentes mtam. habeati^^pic vitam : justitiae^ .
qjis . habetur 'iper . fidem, justus {finim «jr Jide viuft, stx in:fustmo rritftm ispei, qus>hafaetui: ^psr gliBitflia ; sthoc in nomim ejus, id . -e&tjper . fidem nominis Xhristi : quia noti aliud nomen jest tsubnaopio datum 'kmninrbtus in . quo oporteat ftoft salvos Jierd:; virtute ergoinominis Chmsti ^et Salvatoris, haioetur vita;«lsnia. Unde Joannes^ait. : Hcec est jvita tBtema, -.
ui cognoscant de venum. Beum^ let. quem . misistiJksum Christum. Finis :iteiqT3e, id ^est finftli&caxLsa Evangelii, «strEane^cnedere,,perfecte dilige£e,-flacramentis ' insigniti; . et horom tcium finalis . x:ausa rest vlta ntema. -.
Ad 'luec . quippe ladipiseenda /fuit :intendo scrihere^ praediQare. EvAngelia. Vie. teris quidem Testamenti iutentio . est, Novum ^B^ris et «eni^atibus demoBbstrare. ; £«angelii autem,, ad ietemae beatitudinis . gloriam aaen.
tesihumansES ^ceendere. Fides ergo catholica) id est imiveirsalis, . omnibus estneixssaria ad vitam, . etaalutem sternam. :&dei. ftU€cedttspe6; jex spei succedit i^eatituio ; caritas ^tem etiam fide et. spe decedentibufi, . permanet iet augebitnr^ jet ideo major his esae.
QU8e vero credenda ^unt, . ex symbolo haberi possunt. Est . linim ■symbolum, compendiosa coUectio omnium ad salutem spectantium. Sunt autem tria symbola : primum, Apostolorum ; secundum, l^icseni comcilii; tertium Athanasii. Primum factum jest, ad . &dei in&tnictionem. ; secundum, ad fidei explanationem; »teptium , ad fidei defensionem.
De primo ergo, in quo est iidei fundamentum, hlc videamus soium ; quia ^hoc magis est od propositum. Uhi sciendum est , quod ei rcspeclus habearur ad eos qui cdiderunl hoc aymbolum. tunc arliculi sunl duodecim, secundum nUTncrum duodecim Apostolorum. Si autem considercmus qus radicaliter suni credenda, tunc aniculi sunl qualuordccim : quorutn septem speclant ad divinitatem. et seplem ad huminiiatcm ; et liasc signata sunt in seplem stHlIis, et io sepiein candelabris aureis. in quorum medio ambulabat Filius hominis.
Sunt igiiur aepleiti articuli fidei. qui penineiit ad divim. Prii I Deui esse. qui nolaluribi : Ci-edo Deum. Crcdcre Deum. est credcre Deum esse, scilicet quia est; credere Dco. est credere verbis ejus, et sacds Scripturis; credero in Deum , est credendo Deum fide et alfectione, seu lide per dilectionem operante, in ipsum tendere et ire, ac membris ejus incorporari. — Sccundus est Palrem esse Dcura, qui notaiur ibi : Patrem, quod bic pcrsonaliter tenelur ; Pater vero essentialiter tcuetur, ubi agiiur de paternilale adoplionis, qua paterniiaie ipsaTriniias pacer est bonorum, vel crcationis, qua paternitate rum quam malorum ; Omnipotenlem, appropriate, quamvis el Filius sit omnipotens, et Spinlus San.
: quia potentia appropriate rribuiti Patri Filio et bonitas Spiritui Sancto; Creatorem cceli et lerra, ubi per co:lum el lerram , intelligilur tam spirituolisquam corporalis creatura. Creare quippe, seu pientii 3 egreditur a poteniia, c lencreet omnia Pater per Filium, loperante Spiriiu Sancio, indivit aunt enim opera Trinilatis et lot! £ tres personie unus sunl Cret10 r. — Tertius est , Filium essc Deum, qui notalur ibi : Et in Jtsum iZhristum, qute duo noiDina frequenter conjungunlur in Novo Testemenio : quia unum , scilicet JesuE, quod inierpretatur 5iiIvafor, eiprimit ejus divinilatem, nam int quanlam Deus, Salvalor est ; relt^ quum, Bcilicet Christus. quod pretatur unctus, exprimit ejus humanitaiem, quia in quanium faomo,. unctua est pn consorilbua stiis,. Filium ejus dicit. lopllV, quanium Deus, et alius in quantum homo, sed unus ChriaiuB in dua-t bus naturis, scilicet deitate et humanitale, et in Iribul substlntiis, scilicet deitale, i cus est Filius; Domintim wttrwm, sicul enim Pater Dominus est oiH'nium el omnipotens, iia ei Filiiuj quod inlelligatur secundum driutem, quia quamvis humanttatii Christi collata eit omnium scientia^ non tamen omnipateiitia.
— Qj tus esi, Spiritum Sanclum i Deum qui nolatur ibi : Credo iW Spiritum Saitctum , et circumlo* quiiur ha:c vox Spirilus Sanctiu I' quando tenetur dictionalite venic certiiE persona; Trinitatit j quando autem in vi oralionis ti venit tota: Trinitati. Sic ergo p quod prsedicti qualuor articuli 8 de div immunionein, 1 vel societ»-' Eccicsiam «dhuc i , 763 militantem , et credo Sanctorum communionem, id cst associationem in coelo scilicet esse Ecclesiam triumphantem. Q.uasi diceret : Credo utramque Ecclesiam. Est autem sancta Ecciesia in tres dirisa : una est in mundo, quae est adhuc in timore et exspectatione ; alia est in coelo, quae est sine timore et exspectatione; tertia est in purgatorio, quae medio modo se habet, quia est in exspectatione, cum adhuc gloriam praesentem non habeant, et tamen slne timore, quia habent liberum arbitrium in bono confirmatum. KaOoXixbv Graece, Latine sonat universale ; et dicitur universalis duabus de causis, scilicet : quia universaliter praedicata per quatuor partes terrae, et quia articulos habet veros universaliter, quibus nullum falsum potest subesse. Remissionem peccatorum, id cst remissionem peccatorum fieri, scilicet per Deum in Baptismo triplici, scilicet : fluminis, et flaminis, et sanguinis , sive post Baptismum in Poenitentia. — Sextus est, credere Resurrectionem mortuorum, qui notatur ibi : Carnis resurrectionem. In qua resurrectione credendum est idem corpus quod per mortem cecidit, ad eumdem spiritum, id est ad eamdem animam rediturum.
— Septimus est bonorum remuneratio, sub quo comprehenditur et malorum punitio, qui notatur ibi : Vitam aiternam, Quasi diceret : Credo vitam aeternam,praerium bonorum : ct mortem aeternam, suppHcium malorum. Et isti tres ultimi articuli ad divinitatem pertinent, quia per
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.13.1 — Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
- ↩Acts.1.14 — All these were devoting themselves with one accord to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
- ↩Rev.1.12-Rev.1.20 — And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. Rev.1.13 — and in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed in a long robe and girded across the chest with a golden sash Rev.1.14 — His head and his hairs were white, white as wool, white as snow; and his eyes were like a flame of fire. Rev.1.15 — and his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters Rev.1.16 — And he had in his right hand seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in its strength. Rev.1.17 — And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. And he placed his right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,' Rev.1.18 — And the Living One—I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of Death and of Hades. Rev.1.19 — Write, therefore, the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that are to take place after these things. Rev.1.20 — The mystery of the seven stars that you saw upon my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
- ↩Rev.1.13 — and in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed in a long robe and girded across the chest with a golden sash
Notes
The Life of Christ (Vita Christi) companion
A prayer for every moment, already on your phone
Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.
Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
- One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
- Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
- Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere