Ascension And Judgment

Tunc igitur, dilectissimi, filius hominis, Dei filius, excellentius sacratiusque innotuit, eum in paternae majestatis gloriam se recepit et ineffabili modo coepit esse Divinitate praesentior, qui factus est humanitate longinquior. Tunc ad aequalem Patri Filium eruditior fides gressu mentis coepit accedere, et contrectatione corporeae in Christo substantiae, qua Patre minor est, non egere: quoniam glorificati corporis manente natura, eo fides credentium vocabatur, ubi non carnali manu, sed spiritali intellectu, par Genitori Unigenitus tangeretur. Hinc illud est quod post resurrectionem suam Dominus cum Maria Magdalene personam Ecclesiae gerens, ad contactum ipsius properaret accedere, dicit ei: Noli me tangere, nondum enim ascendi ad Patrem meum: hoc est, nolo ut ad me corporaliter venias, nec ut me sensu carnis agnoscas; ad sublimiora te differo, majora tibi praeparo. Cum ad Patrem meum ascendero, tunc me perfectius veriusque palpabis, apprehensura quod non tangis, et creditura quod non cernis. Cum autem ascendentem ad coelos Dominum sequaces discipulorum oculi intenta admiratione suspicerent, astiterunt coram ipsis angeli duo mirabili vestium candore fulgentes, qui et dixerunt: Viri Galilaei, quid statis aspicientes in coelum? Hic Jesus qui assumptus est a vobis in coelum, sic veniet, quemadmodum vidistis eum euntem in coelum. Quibus verbis omnes Ecclesiae filii docebantur ut Jesus Christus in eadem qua ascenderat carne venturus visibilis crederetur; nec posset ambigi omnia illi esse subjecta, cui ab ipso corporeae nativitatis exordio famulatus servisset angelicus. Sicut enim concipiendum Christum de Spiritu Sancto beatae Virgini angelus nuntiavit, sic et editum de Virgine vox coelestium pastoribus cecinit: sicut resurrexisse a mortuis, supernorum nuntiorum prima testimonia docuerunt, sic ad judicandum mundum in ipsa carne venturum, angelorum officia praedicarunt: ut intelligeremus quantae potestates sint adfuturae cum judicaturo, cui tantae ministraverunt etiam judicando. Sanctus Leo Magnus, Sermo LXXIV Source: Migne PL 54.398-99

Therefore, dearly beloved, the Son of Man and Son of God, gained a more excellent and holier fame, when He took Himself back to the glory of the paternal majesty, and in an ineffable manner began to be more present in his Divinity, after having been made more distant in His humanity. Then a better instructed faith began to draw nearer with the advance of the mind to the equality of the Son with the Father, without the handling of the corporeal substance in Christ, by which He is less than the Father, 1 since, while the nature of the glorified Body remained the faith of believers was called to touch, not with carnal hand, but with spiritual understanding the Only-begotten, equal with the Father. Hence it was that after His resurrection, when Mary Magdalene, representing the Church, hastened to approach and touch, the Lord said: 'Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father' 2 that is, I would not have you come to me in corporeal way, nor recognise Me in carnal fashion, for I put you off for higher things, I prepare you for greater things. When I have ascended to My Father, then you shall grasp me more perfectly and truly, understanding what you do not touch and believing what you do not see. And when the eyes of the disciples followed the ascending Lord to heaven with intent wonder, two angels stood by them in vestments shining with wondrous brightness, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come as you saw Him going into heaven.' 3 By which words all the sons of the Church were taught to believe that Jesus Christ will come visibly in the same Flesh with which He ascended, and not to doubt that all things are subjected to Him on Whom from the first beginning of His birth the service of the angels had attended. For as an angel announced to the blessed Virgin that Christ should be conceived by the Holy Spirit, so the voice of celestial beings sang of His birth from the Virgin to the shepherds. As supernal heralds gave first witness to His resurrection from the dead, so it was for the angels to speak of His coming in same flesh for the judgement of the world, that we might understand what great powers will be with Him in the future judgement, when such ones ministered to Him even in His being judged. Pope Leo the Great, from Sermon 74 1 Jn 14.28 2 Jn 20.17  3 Act 1.11