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In ascensionem Sermo 5

ON THE ASCENSION Sermon 5.

52.801 The day of the Lord's ascension is at hand; and since many have journeyed here, the father has urged our own littleness to speak. And it seemed right to us to take silence as a covering for our brevity of speech, and to hide the greatness of our ignorance; but since, with the father and the powers above, you urge the multitude to hear words, and command me to speak with them what David of old also cried out concerning the Lord's ascension: Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory will come in; come, today let us also sing what is fitting for the day. For today our Lord Christ ascends to the paternal throne; today he who was made flesh sits down with the Father, neither having been separated before, nor sitting with him now for the first time; for he always rests in the bosom of the Father; alone comprehending the Father, and alone comprehended by the Father; For I, he says, am in the Father, and the Father in me; and the Word is in the Father, and the Word is on the earth. Nor when he descended did he in any way empty the paternal bosom; nor when he ascended into the heavens did he leave the earth destitute of his presence; but even while associating with men, he sat with the Father, and while sitting with the Father, he is inseparable from men.

For behold, he says, I am with you all the days until the end of the age. Today the Lord Christ is borne up from men into the heavens, not being translated like Enoch, not ascending to hea 52.802 ven in a chariot of fire like Elijah; but he is taken up, that he might send to the disciples the power of the Holy Spirit. David, having seen the joy of this ascension many generations before, proclaimed it, saying: God has gone up with a shout, he who formed Adam from the dust, who justified Abel, and who translated Enoch. God has gone up with a shout, he who guided Noah, and who chose faithful Abraham. God has gone up with a shout, he who accepted the unslain sacrifice of Isaac, and who filled Jacob with blessings. God has gone up with a shout, he who guided the wandering Joseph, and who accepted the patience of Job, God has gone up with a shout, he who glorified Moses, and who bestowed the high priesthood on Aaron. God has gone up with a shout, he who strengthened Joshua the son of Nun, and who gave the prophet to Samuel. God has gone up with a shout, he who strengthened David, and who made Solomon wise. God has gone up with a shout, he who inspired the prophets, and who gave the gifts of healing to the apostles. God has gone up with a shout, he who is without mother above, and without father below. God has gone up with a shout, the pre-eternal offspring of the Father, and the unplanted shoot of the Virgin mother. God has gone up with a shout, the giver of life, and the dispenser of wonders. God has gone up with a shout, he who by death put death to death, and gave life to the race of men. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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In ascensionem Sermo 5

ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΛΗΨΙΝ Λόγος εʹ.

52.801 Ἐπέστη τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς ἀναλήψεως ἡ ἡμέρα· καὶ προσοδοιπορησάντων

πολλῶν ὃν καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν βραχύτητα πρὸς λόγους ὁ πατὴρ προετρέψατο. Καὶ δίκαιον ἡμῖν κατεφαίνετο, κάλυμμα τῆς βραχυλογίας τὴν σιωπὴν ἐπιφέρεσθαι, καὶ κρύπτειν τῆς ἀπαιδευσίας τὸ μέγεθος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων πρὸς λόγους τὸ πλῆθος προτρέπετε, καὶ λαλεῖν μετ' αὐτῶν ἐγκελεύετε ἅπερ πάλαι καὶ ∆αυῒδ περὶ τῆς ἀναλήψεως τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς ἀνεβόησεν· Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης· δεῦρο, σήμερον τὰ πρόσφορα τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ ἡμεῖς κελαδήσωμεν. Σήμερον γὰρ ὁ ∆εσπότης ἡμῶν Χριστὸς πρὸς τὸν πατρῷον θρόνον ἀνέρχεται· σήμερον ὁ σωματωθεὶς τῷ Πατρὶ συγκαθέζεται, οὔτε πρότερον χωρισθεὶς, οὔτε νῦν ἐν πρώτοις αὐτῷ συγκαθήμενος· ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀναπαύεται· μόνος τὸν Πατέρα χωρῶν, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς μόνος χωρούμενος· Ἐγὼ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἐν τῇ γῇ. Οὔτε δὲ κατελθὼν ὡς οὐδὲν τὸν πατρῷον κόλπον ἐκένωσεν· οὔτε εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνελθὼν, ἔρημον τὴν γῆν τῆς αὑτοῦ παρουσίας κατέλειπεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συναναστρεφόμενος, τῷ Πατρὶ συνεκάθητο, καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ συγκαθήμενος, ὑπάρχει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀχώριστος.

Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐγὼ, φησὶ, μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Σήμερον ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναφέρεται, οὐ κατὰ τὸν Ἐνὼχ μεθιστάμενος, οὐ κατὰ τὸν Ἠλίαν ἅρματι πυρὸς πρὸς οὐρα 52.802 νὸν ἀνερχόμενος· ἀλλ' ἀναλαμβάνεται, ἵνα πέμψῃ τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος δύναμιν. Ταύτης τῆς ἀναλήψεως τὴν χαρὰν πρὸ πολλῶν γενεῶν ∆αυῒδ θεασάμενος, προανεφώνησε λέγων· Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τὸν Ἀδὰμ διαπλάσας ἐκ κόνεως, ὁ τὸν Ἄβελ δικαιώσας, καὶ τὸν Ἐνὼχ μεταθέμενος. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τὸν Νῶε κυβερνήσας, καὶ πιστὸν τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐκλεξάμενος. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἄθυτον θυσίαν δεξάμενος, καὶ τὸν Ἰακὼβ πληρώσας εὐλογιῶν. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ὁδηγήσας πλανώμενον, καὶ τὴν ὑπομονὴν τοῦ Ἰὼβ προσδεξάμενος, Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ δοξάσας τὸν Μωϋσῆν, καὶ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην τῷ Ἀαρῶνι χαρισάμενος. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναυῆ ἐνισχύσας, καὶ τὸν προφήτην τῷ Σαμουὴλ δωρησάμενος. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τὸν ∆αυῒδ δυναμώσας, καὶ τὸν Σολομῶντα σοφίσας. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τοὺς προφήτας ἐμπνεύσας, καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τὰς τῶν ἰαμάτων δωρεὰς χαρισάμενος. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ ἄνω ἀμήτωρ, καὶ κάτω ἀπάτωρ. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, τὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς προαιώνιον γέννημα, καὶ τῆς Παρθένου μητρὸς τὸ ἀφύτευτον βλάστημα. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τῆς ζωῆς χορηγὸς, καὶ τῶν παραδόξων διανομεύς. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, ὁ τῷ θανάτῳ θανατώσας τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζωὴν χαρισάμενος. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, Κύριος ἐν φωνῇ σάλπιγγος. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.