Homily on the Ascension of the Lord
By Metropolitan Nicholas of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki
(Delivered in 2024)
By Metropolitan Nicholas of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki
(Delivered in 2024)
“You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world”
(from the Apolytikion of the feast)
The event of the Ascension, although it constituted the end of the Lord’s presence on earth, in essence constitutes the beginning of the reality of the Church and of the grace of God within the souls of the faithful. Let us carry our minds a little beyond the historical event, to that place where the soul is truly refreshed, where reality truly endures, where it never ends and always leaves its deep imprint within our soul, becoming the true celebration and the genuine feast.
After the Resurrection, the Lord takes the disciples and begins to initiate them into the mystery of the Resurrection, to reveal Himself to them and gradually to draw them into dialogue with Himself as the Risen One. And while only a few days earlier their senses had perceived the Cross and the confirmed death, He begins to open their minds and to appear to them, as the Evangelist says, “in another form” (Mark 16:12). After thoroughly assuring them through proofs of the truth of His Resurrection, He gradually leads them outside Jerusalem, to the Mount of Olives. There He begins to ascend into heaven, giving them His blessing, separating Himself from them, while they, astonished, behold the now final visible separation from the Lord. Two angels say to them: “Do not be amazed; He who now blesses you and ascends into heaven is not merely the risen teacher, but the true Christ, God Himself.”
This, in brief, is the event of the Ascension, which has two aspects. One is the visible aspect, what we see here on earth and what the Evangelists present to us. The other is the mystical, theological aspect that takes place in heaven and has great significance for the deification of human nature. Let us consider the first aspect.
The Evangelist Mark says that the Lord, “after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19). The Evangelist Luke repeats the Lord’s words to the disciples: “But remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). I shall sit at the right hand of the Father; you remain here in Jerusalem until the promise of the Holy Spirit is given to you, until My promise to send you the Holy Spirit is fulfilled. Thus we see the Lord seated, but also the disciples seated, waiting for something great. The Lord is seated in glory as the conqueror, having completed and fulfilled His mission, the divine economy; while the disciples wait in expectation to receive this awesome divine power.
My beloved brethren, for this power, for this promise of the Holy Spirit, there is one great prerequisite: the certainty of faith, the assurance that Christ truly is the true God. This is why the Lord initiated them into the mystery. How does this certainty of faith come?
“He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days” (Acts 1:3). He continually revealed Himself to the disciples alive after the Passion through many proofs and by appearing to them risen for forty days before His Ascension. The first thing He granted them was the certainty of the Resurrection, from which springs the assurance of faith.
The second element is shown by the signs which they themselves performed. The Gospel according to Mark says: “And these signs shall follow those who believe” (Mark 16:17). Proofs, signs, indications, manifestations to those who believe are these: First, they shall cast out demons in My name. Second, they shall speak new tongues. Third, they shall take up serpents with their hands. Fourth, even if they drink poison, it shall not harm them. And fifth, they shall lay their hands upon the sick and they shall recover. These are the things the Apostles did. It is as if the Lord were saying: “My true disciples, the people who possess living faith, are those who perform signs without even realizing it themselves.” We too must see signs and participate in signs. This proves the truth of our faith and confirms within us the divinity of Christ. Imagine someone having a prayer that resolves problems. Imagine being able to turn to God and receive answers. Why not? Either God is real and proves Himself, or He is not, and then our faith is empty. And He is real! It is simply we who are false, people who do not partake of this confirmed power which He gives to each person.
Thus the second element, after the certainty of the Resurrection, is the proof of God through the power which He gives to every believer.
The third is the certainty of faith through the blessing of the Ascension. The Apolytikion says: “You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, gladdening the disciples, who were assured through the blessing that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.” Until then You might have been the teacher, the wonderworker, the charismatic one, the powerful one, the holy one. You proved Yourself to be God at the very moment when You supernaturally ascended before the eyes of the Apostles, through the blessing which, as an eternal inheritance, You granted to Your disciples and through them bestowed upon Your Church.
The fourth and fifth elements are witness and martyrdom respectively.
“And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). After all this, you who once had fear within you will become so strong that you will be able to bear witness to My Resurrection and divinity in Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem, and even to the ends of the earth. The message of divine truth, the living power which I shall give you through the Holy Spirit, said the Lord to the disciples, will transform you from fearful men of limited gifts into mighty witnesses of the faith who will bear witness through their preaching.
And finally, you will become martyrs of the faith and will shed your blood in martyrdom. How awesome this is! He said it to the eleven Apostles; and of the eleven, with the exception of John, the other ten gave even their blood. This was the proof of their faith. It is inconceivable for a Christian not to experience the energy of God working within him and not to express it as a living experience of power, but instead to be like a weak little candle extinguished by the slightest breath of wind. This faith “unto death” is yet another basic prerequisite for receiving the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Our Church, through feasts such as this one, desires to fill the hearts of the faithful — empty of power, as we are — with divine strength. We possess, as I said earlier, a faith weak like a little candle that is extinguished and disappears at the slightest breeze. God calls us to become unquenchable lamps. At Pascha we said, “Come receive light from the unwaning Light”; receive illumination and strength that will never be extinguished, that will be eternal, unending, real, and true. But how dreadful it is that these truths surround us in the feasts and churches, yet our soul understands nothing. So weak is human nature — yet so great is grace.
I give you the blessing of the Church: may the power of God become an unshakable personal experience for each of you this year, so that when we leave the church we may be like the Apostles: the few transformed into many, the weak becoming lions of strength, the false struggling against their fallen state and ultimately becoming true and receiving the grace of God. What better blessing could there be — and what greater thing than for this blessing to become reality and experience?
May God grant that next year we may all celebrate together with a true spirit and with personal experience the coming of the grace of God, both on the day of the Ascension and, of course, on the approaching great feast of Pentecost. God be with us!
Source: Excerpt from the book of homilies on the Ascension titled You Ascended in Glory by Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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