Sermon on Ascension of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ

In the name of the Father and Son and of the Holy Spirit!

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Ascension of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. Cathedral. Kherson. Contemporary painting. 2010

Today ascended to His Heavenly Father The One Whom implicated Heaven within Himself. In reality, only those who have Heaven within themselves can ascend into Heaven. That which is of one kind/stock is always attracted to the same kind/stock and is joined to it; and that which is foreign is rejected. When cold weather arrives and there is a shortage of food, then birds head towards a warmer climate where there is sunlight and food. Leading the pack, and showing the way is the strongest and most experienced bird which the others follow.

Christ ascended as a person (in body), like our bodies; not for His sake but for us, in order to open to us the path towards full unification with God. He said to His apostles: «I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself» (John 14:23). And also prior to His suffering Christ told them: «When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all peoples to Myself» (John 12.32 ). This, which He said 40 days after His Ressurection, had begun to materialize, continues to materialize today and will be materializing to the ‘end of days’.

Through His Ascension our Lord physically lifts His body to the Heavenly Table of God, in order for us to strive to easily and quickly rise there also. When departing, He does not close the doors behind Him, but rather leaves them open for us. The Lord leaves, so that we would aspire to be with Him, so that we may become saints. For this to happen we must release our spiritual wings, which are often tied down by our sins.

Christ brings us, His children, like parents do, to the first grade school of spiritual life. He leaves us, so that we may learn from the Holy Spirit to grow and live according to His Scriptures. Christ ascends to His Father in order to beg Him to send us the ‘Comforter’ the ‘Spirit of Truth’. The Spirit of Life consols those who are persecuted for ‘justice’ and ‘truth’. May the Spirit Comforter descend upon us, the One Whom is distancing Himself from us on account of our sins.

The apostles bowed to Christ and with great joy returned to Jerusalem. They bowed to Him as a sign of respect and obedience. Their bow signifies «Thy will be done, Almighty Lord!» They would have been sad had the Lord left them in some other way. Instead, His parting with them became, for them, a new and great ‘revelation’. Christ did not hide nor dissapear somewhere, but in Glory and Power entered into Heaven!! This way His prophetic words about this event were realized just as His prophetic words about His suffering and Ressurection.

The relatives whom we love and whom love us, and kind people ‘of one spirit’, are difficult to tell apart. It is very difficult for a youn child, when his parents leave him for some reason… It is sad for us when our Lord leaves us. It was also difficult for Christ to leave His deciples and all of us —those for whom He shed His blood and made them family… He say: «I am not leaving you orphans» ( John 14:18 ). We always have our Heavenly Father!!! The Church is our real, full and happy family! God-Man Christ, as He was ascending into Heaven, confirms, that He is not absent: «And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age» (Mat. 28: 20). He is with us in His Church. All the ‘righteous’, whom strongly beleived in Christ during their lifetimes, see Him in Heaven. All those whom on earth were baptized in His name with water and Holy Spirit, will gather near Him in God’s Kingdom.

The meaning of today’s feast can be found in the words of the Ancient Church greeting of His disciples: «Christ is in our midst!» and the answer «He is and shall be!». Christ is with us and among us, when we live with love, truth, humility and patience! We only have to sincerely make an effort towards unity with Christ and each other. May we also receive, today as did the apostles, the spiritual joy and blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ whom Ascended in Glory! Amen.

Skaro, 2018.