St. Sofian of Antim Monastery: Homily on the Ascension of the Lord
The one who has a humble spirit and lives this life in the humble spirit of Jesus Christ, such a one can ascend to heaven.
Fragment from a homily given by St. Sofian of Antim Monastery on May 23, 1990, during the evening service before the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The full text is available in the newly published book “Repentance and Resurrection: Homilies during the Triodion and Pentecostarion”.
Jesus ascends to heaven. The Apostles, and similarly the Mother of God, were around Jesus, Who was ascending to heaven. And when the Apostles saw Him ascending with His body to heaven, they experienced two feelings in their hearts and minds: on one hand, they were frightened and were saddened to be separated from this divine Pastor of theirs; on the other hand, they rejoiced because Jesus, in Whom they had lost their hope at one time—at the time of the Crucifixion—was nevertheless God and was now ascending to heaven. Jesus ascended blessing them from the height of the heavens, until a cloud settled between Him and the Apostles who were watching. The Mother of God was present there as well. And when a cloud covered Jesus, two angels appeared and said: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come, in like manner, at the Final Judgment. He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead.” And the Apostles departed and returned to Jerusalem, and they were continually in the Temple. Day and night praying in the Temple, awaiting the promise of the Holy Spirit; because Jesus promised them: “Behold, I am going to the Father and from there I will send you the Holy Spirit Who proceeds from the Father.” Thus, Jesus ascended to heaven and was placed at the right hand of the Father, in the Holy Trinity, our God.
Why did Jesus ascend to heaven? For two or three reasons. He ascended to heaven to ask the heavenly Father to send to the world the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. The sending of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles would reveal all that Jesus had taught them. Until then they were forgetful, as we sinners are too—we forget. However, when the Holy Spirit descended on their heads and opened their minds, this dark lid that often presses on our minds was lifted; a communion occurred between the disciples and divinity, through the work of the Holy Spirit that descended upon them. So, this is one of the reason Jesus ascended to heaven. These ten days, from now until the descent of the Holy Spirit, is a period in which Jesus prays to the heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit onto the world and unto His Apostles.
Another reason why Jesus ascended to heaven was to show us the way to heaven; so that through Him, Jesus Christ, we who dwell on earth can also follow the same path to the heavenly Kingdom. One night while keeping vigil, St. Anthony the Great went outside of his cell, of his cave, and he looked up at the luminous night sky in wonder. And he saw something sobering: the whole night sky, the whole heavenly horizon which he was looking at, was covered in snares, different kinds of traps, and a giant—the devil—holding these nets, arranging them in such a way that not a single soul that was ascending to heaven could pass through these nets, through these snares. Then St. Anthony asked himself by asking God: “Lord, it is difficult for us to ascend to heaven, to You. Who can ascend to heaven?” And he was told: “Humility.” The one who has a humble spirit and lives this life in the humble spirit of Jesus Christ, such a one can ascend to heaven. This is the path from earth to heaven, on this vertical line, just as Jesus Christ was lifted up from earth to heaven on the Mount of Olives.
