Ascension (And Decension)

Christ descended to the lowest depths of humiliation, then raised up to the height of exaltation, Ephesians 4:8 says.

The ascension life. “We can ascend with him in our hearts,” Saint Augustine said, “set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, … not on the things that are on earth.”

e.g.

In his book, Juan Luis Segundo has Jesus tell his disciples, I must ascend. “If I stay, I can only calm one storm at a time, feed one group at a time, or heal one person at a time. But if I go, I can, through you, build better boats to ride out storms, feed many more people through better cultivation and distribution of crops, and through people learning better medical skills cure many more people. So, it is better that I go so that more of the work I have given you can be done in my name.”

I would like to talk about Ascending with Christ in our bodies by the Cross, which helps our minds and ideas. John Chrysostom said that the Cross establishes my thoughts, so that I may sing and glorify Thy saving Ascension.”

It begins in our minds, but includes our body, so we finally become an integrated personality—otherwise we will be divided and warrying within us (Romans 7:23). We can be restless, destructive beings unless we recollect our consciousness of Him and his purpose in every decision we make.

Avoid a Descent, and instead Ascend with Christ.

To explain the difference, St. Paul quotes Psalm 68: "He ascended on high and took prisoners captive."

St. Maximus of Turin, says that devil had held humanity captive, but that Christ came to bring a different kind of captivity. The devil's captivity, he explains, means enslavement, while Jesus’ captivity means restoration of freedom.

For me, its freedom from addiction and repetitive thought patterns like freedom from overindulging from such numbing actions like too much T.V. or social media.

We have the blessing of Christ to surrender all that. The blessing is powerful because He assuming the authority he won in his death and resurrection.

He his seated at the right hand of the power-- far above all rule and authority, power and domination, all is under his feet, and He is head over all in his body the church.

It means learning to rise above all things. “All things under his felt” includes “the last enemy, death” (1 Cor. 15:24-27; Romans 8:38).

All things describe the omnipotence exerted by Christ.

The word “ascension” in Greek means to rise, ascend up, so in the ascension life, we move into the next levels of living, seated with Christ, rising to a place of trust to take dominion over what troubles us in the body and mind.

Jesus is Lord who now in his humanity reigns in everlasting glory and constantly intercedes for us before the Father.

As he Ascends, Jesus raises his hands and blesses the disciples. He says that he his ascending to “my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Jesus left this world in the posture of raising his hands in blessing. Bishops, priests and deacons bless powerfully in the ordained ministry, however, in virtue of the universal priesthood of all the baptized and confirmed, the blessings given by laypersons are powerful.

The Church encourages parents to bless their children.

So, our life is not consumed by our present circumstances, but by our trust in God.

Amen.