Speaking Of The Ascension

Hujus etenim ascensionis Dominicae nobilitatem et gloriam, Veteris Instrumenti multo ante multipliciter praenuntiavit auctoritas, et ipso ascendente exsultans angelica declaravit sublimitas, evangelicae etiam descriptionis atque apostoliciae praedicationis per totum orbem narravit satis aperte majestas. Apostolica vero praedicto, ut dictum est, mysteria supradicta vehementer enarrat, cum beatus Petrus apostolus, omnium de quibus loquitur, idoneum testem se esse declarat, et apostolica libertate subnixus, ut propositum est, liberalissimo sermone pronuntiat, dicens: Obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus. Statim subintulit. Et his cum quibus tunc res ipsa gerebatur dixit: Deus patrum nostrorum suscitavit Jesum, quem vos interemistis suspendentes in ligno. Hunc Deus, Principem ac Salvatorem, exaltavit dextera sua, ad dandam poenitentiam Israel et remissionem peccatorum. Et nos sumus testes horum verborum et Spiritus sanctus, quem dedit Deus hominibus obedientibus sibi. Et in alio loco idem pastor Ecclesiae, Davidico fruitus vaticinio, David igitur, inquit: Propheta cum esset et sciret quia jurejurando jurasset illi Deus de fructu lumbi ejus sedere super sedem ejus, providens locutus est de resurrectione Christi, quia neque derelictus est in inferno, neque caro ejus vidit corruptionem. Hunc Jesum suscitavit Deus, cui omnes nos testes sumus. Dextera igitur Dei exaltatus, et promissione Spiritus sancti accepta a Patre, effudit hoc donum quod vos videtis et auditis. Non enim David ascendit in coelos. Dicit autem ipse: Dicit Dominus Domino meo: Sede a dextris meis. Paulus denique praedicator egregius, cum hoc nostrae salutis mysterium auditoribus suis commendare vellet, affectu optantis et voto orantis prudentissima et spirituali circumlocutione aggressus est eos, dicens: Deus Domini nostri Jesu Christi, Pater gloriae, det vobis spiritum sapientiae et revelationis in agnitione ejus, illuminas oculos cordis vestri, ut sciatis quae sit spes vocationis ejus, et quae divitiae gloriae hereditatis ejus in sanctis, et quae sit supereminens magnitudo virtutis ejus in nos, qui credidimus secundum operationem potentiae virtutis ejus quam operatus est in Christo, suscitans illum a mortuis, et constituens ad dexteram suam in caelestibus, supra omnem principatum, et potestatem, et virtutem, et dominationem, et omne nomen quod nominatur non solum in hoc saeculo, sed et in futuro. Et: Omnia subjecit sub pedibus ejus, et ipsum dedit caput supra omnem Ecclesiam quae est corpus ipsius. Et ut idem Apostolus ad Timotheum scribit: Columna et firmamentum veritatis. Et manifeste: Magnum est pietatis sacramentum, quod manifestatum in carne, justificatum est in spiritu, apparuit angelis, praedicatum est in gentibus, creditum est in hoc mundo, assumptum est in gloria, sicut per Marcum et lucam descriptio intonat evangelica. Lucas vero cum ad Theophilum scriberet, dicit se sermonem fecisse: de omnibus quae caepit Jesus facere et docere, usque in diem qua praecipiens apostolis per Spiritum sanctum quos elegit, assumptus est. Et Marcus in hodierna lectione: Dominus, inquit, Jesus, postquam locutus est discipulis suis, assumptus est in caelum, et sedet a dextris Dei. Odilo Cluniacensis Abbas, Sermo VIII, De Ascensione Domini Salvatoris Source: Migne PL 142.1012c-1013c

Indeed the nobility and glory of this ascension of the Lord, the authority of the Old Testament often before many times foretells, and His ascension the angelic heights exultant declared, and indeed the Gospels and the Apostolic preaching through the whole earth openly proclaimed its majesty. But with the Apostolic preaching, as it has been said, the mystery aforementioned is overtly declared, when the blessed Apostle Peter, concerning the things he spoke to all, declaring himself an able witness, elated with Apostolic liberty, as it has been recorded, with free speech spoke, saying, 'One must obey God rather than men.' 1 Immediately going on to those deeds then done and saying: 'The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed, hanging Him from a tree. God exalted Him at his right hand, Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witness of these words and the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to men obedient to Him.' 2 And in another place the shepherd of the Church, making use of the Davidic prophecy, says: 'David, then, when he was a Prophet , knowing that God had sworn an oath to him, that one from the fruit of his loins would sit upon his throne, foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of Christ, because neither was He forsaken in hell, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised, and we are all witnesses to Him. Therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured out this gift which you see and hear. For David did not ascend into heaven. He himself says: My Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand.' 3 Then Paul, that wondrous preacher, when he wished to commend the mystery of our salvation to hearers, impressing on them the emotion of choosing and the most prudent and spiritual vow of prayer, says: 'The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may he give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in His knowledge, illuminating the eyes of your heart, that you may know the hope of our calling, and what inheritance of Divine glory is with his holy ones, and what is the supereminent greatness of His virtue in us, we who believe according to the work of the power of his virtue which worked in Christ, taking Him up from the dead and establishing Him at His right hand in the heavens, over all principalities and powers and virtues and dominion and every name which is named, not only in this age but even in the future.' 4 And: 'Everything He has made subject beneath His feet and He sets his head over every Church which is His body.' 5 And the same Apostle writes to Timothy: 'A column and firmament of truth.' 6 And openly: 'Great is the mystery of holiness, which has been manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, appeared to angels, is preached among the Gentiles, is believed in this world, and has been taken up in glory,' 7 as Mark and Luke pronounce in the telling of their Gospels. Luke when he wrote to Theophilus, and said in that passage: 'concerning everything which Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when having given commands to the Apostles He had chosen He was taken up.' 8 And Mark in today's reading: 'The Lord Jesus,' he says, 'after he had spoken to His Apostles, was taken up to heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father.' 9 Saint Odo of Cluny, from Sermon 8, On The Ascension Of The Lord 1 Acts 5.29 2 Acts 5.30-32 3 Acts 2.30-34 4 Ephes 1.17-21 5 Ephes 1.22 6 1 Tim 3.15 7 1 Tim 3.16 8 Acts 1.1-2 9 Mark 16.19