The Eagle And The Ascension

Ascendit ergo ad Patrem Dominus. Meminit sanctitas vestra quod aquilae illi de psalterio, cujus innovatam juventutem legimus, comparaverim Salvatorem; est enim similitudo non parva: sicut enim aquila humilia deserit, alta petit, coelos vicina conscendit: ita et Salvator humilia inferni deseruit, paradisi altiora petiit; coelorum fastigia penetravit: et sicut aquila, relictis terrenis sordibus, sublime volans, purioris aeris salubritate perfruitur; ita et Dominus terrenorum faecem deserens peccatorum, in sanctis suis volitans purioris vitae simplicitate laetatur. Per omnia igitur aquilae comparatio convenit Salvatori. Sed quid facimus, quod aquila praedam frequenter diripit, tollit frequenter alienum? Nec in hoc tamen dissimilis est Salvator: praedam enim quodammodo sustulit, cum hominem, quem suscepit, inferni raptum faucibus, portavit ad coelum, ut alienae dominationis, id est diabolicae potestatis servum de captivitate erutum, duxit ad altiora captivum, sicut scriptum est in propheta: Ascendens in altum captivam duxit captivitatem, dedit bona hominibus. Quae sententia utique sic intelligitur, eo quod captivitatem hominis, quem sibi diabolus captivaverat, illi eruendo sibi Dominus captivarit, et ipsam, sicut ait, captivitatem captam ad coelorum alta sustulerit. Utraque igitur captivitas uno vocabulo nuncupatur, sed non aequalis utraque est. Diaboli enim captivitas servituti subjicit, Christi autem captivitas restituit libertati. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia LX De Ascensione Domini  Source: Migne PL 57.369

The Lord thus ascends to the Father. Your holiness recalls to mind that eagle from the Psalter, which we read renews youth, 1 to which I may compare the Saviour, for the likeness is not slight, for as the eagle forsakes low things and seeks the heights, ascending to the heavenly places, so even our Saviour forsook the low things of hell and sought the high things of paradise, and entered into the heights of paradise; and like the eagle, which leaves all terrestrial dirt and with sublime flight enjoys the purer healthier air, so even the Lord forsaking the filth of terrestrial sinners rejoices with his holy ones in the simplicity of the purer life. Through everything, then, the comparison of the eagle to the Saviour befits. But what shall we say when the eagle frequently seizes prey and often lifts up a low thing? That not in this is the Saviour dissimilar, for He is one who, as it were, takes up prey, when a man, whom he takes up, He seizes from the jaws of hell, and bears him to heaven, that from alien domination, that is, the power of the devil, from that captivity, he saves a servant and leads the captive to the heights, as it is written by the Prophet, 'Ascending to the heights he leads the captured captive, He gives good things to men.' 2 Which sense is to be understood that the captivity of man with which the devil has captured him for himself, the Lord then seizing him captures Him for Himself, and the same, so to speak, captive captured he brings to the heights of the heavens. Both captivities, then, with one word we enunciate, but they are not equal. For the devil's captivity subjects one to slavery, the captivity of Christ restores one to liberty.  Saint Maximus of Turin, from Homily 60, On The Ascension of the Lord 1.Ps 102.5 2 Ps 67.19, Ephes 4.8