John Chrysostom, Ascension Sermon 4

and the present feast has become a chorus. But since at the beginning of the discourse we mentioned the number of seven feasts according to the days of the world's creation, and have shown only five feasts up to the present 52.800, it is necessary to bring forward the other two feasts as well, and then thus let us guide our discourse to the history before us. The sixth feast, then, is the all-praised sixth day of the coming of the Holy Spirit, on which the expected gift of the Holy Spirit, according to the promise, was sent from heaven by Christ to the holy apostles in the form of tongues of fire, which was also named Pentecost because of the completion of the seven weeks.

Unquestionably, therefore, this too has become a very great feast for the pious. The seventh feast is the expected day of the resurrection of the dead (for we the faithful await this hope), on which the benevolent and impartial judge, Christ our God, is to render to each according to his works. This is the true rest, for which the apostle Paul also said: Let us strive to enter into that rest. Then, therefore, and most of all, there is a feast filled with joy and gladness and exultation for those who are to inherit, What eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him. So then, beloved, let us also pray to celebrate with the righteous in the bridal chamber of the kingdom of heaven, not only for one day, or two, or three, but for unending ages. Therefore, since the seven feasts have been demonstrated to us, let us return to the subject at hand. And our narrative is about the present feast in heaven, I mean that of Christ's ascension. For David has said: And he bowed the heavens, and came down, and darkness was under his feet; that is, he signified the presence of the Word from heaven upon earth. And he said darkness was under his feet, making known the garment of flesh for the divinity; so that his presence was also unknown to the many because of its humility and meekness. For again the same prophet says: Lord, your way is in the sea, and your paths in many waters, and your footsteps will not be known. For if they had known, he says, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. And again he said: He mounted upon the Cherubim, he flew upon the wings of the winds. He said upon Cherubim, since he himself, being also in heaven with the Father, was borne upon the Cherubim; for even while walking with men upon earth, he was in no way separated from the Cherubic and heavenly throne; and by wings of the winds he alludes to the clouds, in which he was also taken up, as it is also written in the Acts of the Apostles: And a cloud received him from their sight. Then it says in order: And as they were gazing into heaven as he was going, wonder and ecstasy and a murmur came upon the apostles; for being mortal by nature, and unaccustomed to such sights, they searched in their mind.

But someone will say that Peter and James and John had previously seen the transfiguration. They indeed had seen the Lord transfigured, and a cloud overshadowing him, but they did not see the cloud snatched up into the air, and taking the Master up into the heavens. That was a wonder, and this is a wonder; but this wonder is more awesome than that wonder, this one is higher than that. even though the power and mystery were of one God. Then Moses and Elijah appeared to those with Peter, speaking with him; but now a Cherubic throne, that is, an invisible power, suddenly coming upon the covering cloud, snatched away the Master as he was conversing with his servants. Then Peter with boldness 52.801 answered: Lord, it is good for us to be here; let us make three booths here, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But now none of the disciples was able even to utter a word, nor to open his mouth, but being struck with the greatest fear, they were astounded. And in order, the

χορείας καὶ ἡ παροῦσα ἑορτὴ καθέστηκεν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἑπτὰ ἑορτῶν ἀριθμὸν κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς κοσμοποιίας ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ λόγου ἐμνημονεύσαμεν, πέντε δὲ καὶ μόνον μέχρι τοῦ παρ 52.800 όντος ἑορτὰς ἐδείξαμεν, δέον ἐστὶ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας δύο ἑορτὰς εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν, εἶθ' οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν προκειμένην ἱστορίαν τὸν λόγον χειραγωγήσωμεν. Ἕκτη τοίνυν ἐστὶ τῶν ἑορτῶν ἡ ἕκτη πανεύφημος ἡμέρα τῆς ἐπιφοιτήσεως τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καθ' ἣν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ἡ κατ' ἐπαγγελίαν προσδοκωμένη δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐν εἴδει πυρίνων γλωσσῶν παρὰ Χριστοῦ ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἀπεστάλη, ἥτις καὶ Πεντηκοστὴ διὰ τὴν τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάδων συμπλήρωσιν ὠνομάσθη.

Ἀναντιῤῥήτως οὖν καὶ αὕτη ἑορτὴ τοῖς εὐσεβέσι μεγίστη καθέστηκεν. Ἑβδόμη ἑορτὴ ἡ προσδοκωμένη ἡμέρα τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν νεκρῶν (τὴν γὰρ ἐλπίδα ταύτην οἱ πιστοὶ ἀπεκδεχόμεθα), ἐν ᾗ μέλλει ὁ φιλάνθρωπος καὶ ἀπροσωπόληπτος δικαστὴς Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἀποδιδόναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀληθὴς κατάπαυσις, δι' ἣν καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Σπουδάσωμεν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κατάπαυσιν. Τότε τοίνυν καὶ μάλιστα ἑορτὴ χαρᾶς καὶ εὐφροσύνης καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεως πεπληρωμένη ὑπάρχει τοῖς μέλλουσι κληρονομεῖν, Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Ὥστε, ἀγαπητοὶ, εὐξώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς συνεορτάσαι τοῖς δικαίοις ἐν τῷ νυμφῶνι τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὐ μόνον πρὸς μίαν ἡμέραν, ἢ δύο, ἢ τρεῖς, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας. Τοιγαροῦν τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑορτῶν ἡμῖν ἀποδειχθεισῶν, ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν. Ἔστι δὲ ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς παρούσης ἑορτῆς τῆς ἐν οὐρανοῖς, λέγω δὲ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναλήψεως, τὸ διήγημα. ∆αυῒδ μὲν γὰρ εἴρηκε· Καὶ ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς, καὶ κατέβη, καὶ γνόφος ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· τὴν ἐξ οὐρανῶν δηλαδὴ τοῦ Λόγου παρουσίαν ἐπὶ γῆς ἐσήμανε. Γνόφον δὲ εἶπεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, τὸ διὰ σαρκὸς ἔνδυμα τῆς θεότητος γνωρίζων· ὥστε καὶ ἄγνωστος ἦν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡ αὐτοῦ παρουσία διὰ τὸ ταπεινὸν καὶ πρᾶον. Πάλιν γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης λέγει· Κύριε, ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἡ ὁδός σου, καὶ αἱ τρίβοι σου ἐν ὕδασι πολλοῖς, καὶ τὰ ἴχνη σου οὐ γνωσθήσονται. Εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, φησὶν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν. Καὶ πάλιν εἶπεν· Ἐπέβη ἐπὶ Χερουβὶμ, ἐπετάσθη ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων. Ἐπὶ Χερουβὶμ εἶπε, καθότι αὐτὸς καὶ ἐν οὐρανοῖς σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ ὢν ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ ἐπωχεῖτο· καὶ σὺν ἀνθρώποις γὰρ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀναστρεφόμενος, τοῦ Χερουβικοῦ καὶ ἐπουρανίου θρόνου οὐδαμῶς ἐχωρίζετο· πτέρυγας δὲ ἀνέμων τὰς νεφέλας αἰνίττεται, ἐν αἷς καὶ ἀνελήφθη καθὼς καὶ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων γέγραπται· Καὶ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν. Εἶτα καθεξῆς λέγει· Καὶ ὡς ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν πορευομένου αὐτοῦ, θαῦμα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ ἔκστασις καὶ θροῦς ἐπεγίνετο· θνητοὶ γὰρ τὴν φύσιν ὄντες, καὶ ἀσυνήθεις τοιούτων θεωριῶν, ἐζήτησαν τῇ διανοίᾳ.

Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις, ὅτι προειδότες ἦσαν καὶ τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν ὅ τε Πέτρος καὶ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης. Προεῖδον μὲν ἐκεῖνοι μεταμορφωθέντα τὸν Κύριον, καὶ νεφέλην σκιάσασαν αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶδον τὴν νεφέλην εἰς ἀέρα ἁρπασθεῖσαν, καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς τὸν ∆εσπότην ἀναλαμβάνουσαν. Θαῦμα ἐκεῖνο, θαῦμα καὶ τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ θαῦμα θαύματος φοβερώτερον, τοῦτο ἐκείνου ὑψηλότερον. κἂν ἑνὸς Θεοῦ ἡ δύναμις καὶ τὸ μυστήριον ὑπῆρχε. Τότε Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας ὤφθησαν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πέτρον, μετ' αὐτοῦ συλλαλοῦντες· νῦν δὲ θρόνος Χερουβικὸς, τουτέστιν, ἀόρατος δύναμις, τὴν νεφέλην καλυπτομένην ἀθρόον ἐπιστᾶσα, τὸν ∆εσπότην τοῖς δούλοις συνομιλοῦντα ἀφήρπασε. Τότε Πέτρος μετὰ παῤῥησίας 52.801 ἀπεκρίνατο· Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· ποιήσωμεν ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνὰς, σοὶ μίαν, καὶ Μωϋσῇ μίαν, καὶ μίαν Ἠλίᾳ. Νυνὶ δὲ οὐδὲ φθέγξασθαι ἠδυνήθη τις τῶν μαθητῶν, οὐδὲ τὸ στόμα διανοῖξαι, ἀλλὰ φόβῳ μεγίστῳ καταπλαγέντες ἐξέστησαν. Ἐπάγει δὲ καθεξῆς ἡ