The Ascension of the Lord: The complete victory – Fr. Theologos

The Ascension of the Lord is a very special holiday – it is actually the event that crowns our desire for victory. Why is it not good to consider other achievements in life as enough? Watch this material to find out.

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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us! Amen. Christ is Risen!

You know that the Lord is almighty and nothing happens without His will, without His permission. Of course, this applies from the smallest things to the greatest and most important. Everything is in God’s care, including the fact that Heroes’ Day is celebrated on the Feast of the Ascension.

Now, our Lord Jesus Christ was the Hero par excellence because He conquered even death, brethren. We must know that our greatest enemy is death – and in fact, this is what Orthodoxy offers us: healing from death, victory over death, and therefore victory over all other related diseases. In fact, you should know that nothing satisfies man’s thirst for victory, humanity’s thirst for triumph except victory over death. Now, when I say victory over death, I do not mean it in a transhumanist sense, that is, an endless prolongation of existential crawling here on earth, but I mean overcoming any limitations. This is the overcoming of death.

Now, we all know that people who, here on earth, try to prevail through material means and not through the Orthodox spirit can become filthy rich or hold very important positions, very influential politically, socially, or/and artistically. Brethren, as I hope you realize, at this point artists— especially singers and actors—are much more influential than politicians. However, we should all know that these people are usually unfulfilled, sad, empty inside, anxious, depressed, with neurological disorders—some of them even experiencing great dramas. Brethren, the political or artistic scene is like a drug, and if there is no asceticism—no corresponding pain to maintain balance—that pain will eventually come. And if a person lacks the spiritual strength to handle it and stay on the right path, then this imbalance will be destructive for him.

Now, so you don’t judge people, you should know that there’s another side to the story: people who have been traumatized, children with various disabilities or who were more vulnerable and were abused as children, children and young people who have endured great tragedies but who have nevertheless tried to succeed in life, to overcome their traumas, and have created works seen by millions of people—yet who have led lives full of excess because they couldn’t manage their traumas. And the only thing in their lives was that sliver of light called Christianity, however distorted it may have been in the world they knew. I’m thinking of a famous case right now— a famous singer whom almost everyone claims is a satanist, yet he goes to church and prays before every concert, even though on stage he tries, through his exuberant behavior, to forget the traumas of his childhood. Why? Because he was assaulted and sexually abused at school when he was 11, one of the reasons being that he was dyslexic. For this reason, the young man attempted suicide several times.

Brethren, I am not giving him as an example of a holy man, because he is not! I said that he had a life of many excesses, I am not mentioning his name because he is still alive and if I were to say his name, people might be scandalized, saying that I am promoting such people whom the world generally considers satanists, as I was saying. But I am telling you this, brethren, so that we do not judge anyone and so that you know that no one, absolutely no one, finds fulfillment except only in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Only there is victory, only there do we escape from dramas and turmoil. Yes, okay, the singer I mentioned is at least sincere in his drama—and maybe that’s why some love him very much, while others blame him very much. And only Christ helps him through his ordeal, even though he is very rich and famous, believe me. Christ helps him directly, in the way that such a man can be helped in his heresy—that is, through pangs of conscience and, at times, a measure of repentance in his struggle against the great passions he has publicly expressed. He has also publicly expressed his repentance through his songs, through whatever good thoughts he may have, and through the patience and love of his wife, to whom he has been married for over 40 years—in a very difficult relationship, of course.

Brethren, it’s either Christ or chaos! And there are many like him—in fact, some are even worse off, even though at first glance they seem enviable. Behind great artists there are usually great dramas, and this is to maintain a balance between pleasure and pain; only Christ can grant them this balance— of course, in their case to a very small extent or—I hope!—to a greater extent, depending on how much these people love Christ. The true victory is only in Christ. Do you understand?

Brethren, Orthodoxy ensures the knowledge of truth and asceticism as a form of cutting off one’s will, that is, avoiding sinful pleasure. Asceticism is also a form of natural, bearable pain that leads a person to resurrection. You see, brethren, the crucial importance of Christ’s resurrection, as I’ve said before, does not lie in the fact that Christ was the first Man raised. As we know, there were other raised people during the Old Testament period, and the Lord Himself raised at least three people. The paramount importance of the Resurrection lies in the fact that Christ was the first to raise Himself from the dead, that He overcame death, and that we too can do so, with His help. All the others were resurrected by someone else and died afterward— their graves exist. They did not overcome death, brethren, they did not overcome limitation. Christ was the Hero par excellence, Who ascended to Heaven, overcame everything, and united human nature with God, bringing man to perfection, making him god by grace. Do you understand?

And what is phenomenal, brethren, is that we too can do this! The Lord was an example for us; He was not a magician, a trickster putting on a show like those on contest shows on television or at the circus. The Lord said that whoever believes in Him, the works He does, they will do as well, and even greater than these they will do, because the Lord will go to the Father, as He Himself said, meaning He will deify human nature through His Ascension. Unfortunately, none of us, except for the Mother of God, have made full use of this total gift that the Lord has given us through His Ascension to the Father with His human nature. Brethren, no one can make full use of this complete victory, yet still, the way to victory is open to us and with God’s help, we can conquer. We must do our best to fight, with God’s help, even though we will not be able to win on our own. However, if we do fight, this unsuccessful struggle of ours will be taken by God as sure proof that we desire it, and then God will grant us victory. God does this intentionally, both to show our powerlessness and to reveal God’s omnipotence, and thus, to increase the love and desire for unity within us.

In fact, brethren, the whole earth is a cosmic arena watched by all the angels, both good and evil, and we are in the middle with our minds, like gladiators in this pan-cosmic battle of love. At the moment when one of us achieves a victory, that is, manages to increase the amount of love in the universe, then all the good angels in the universe— who are very, very many, countless, brethren—rejoice more than all the people in a stadium when the Olympic champion wins the gold medal—it is a complete joy, brethren. Yes. Imagine that. You see that the only True Victor is Christ, who has overcome everything, including death and the laws of physics. Of course, the laws of physics are not that important. Much more important is the global omnipotence of the soul, but for us, who are physical beings, it is more impressive, so to speak, to see someone passing through locked doors, transcending the limitations of location and the materiality imposed by the tightly bound macroscopic structures of the atoms in the human body. That is the solid state of matter. In essence, Christ overcomes any energetic barrier, any opacity. Beyond that, we see at the Ascension of the Lord that He also overcomes gravity and the space-time continuum, ascending to heaven with a final gesture of love. That is, you see, brethren, it is not a gesture of power, but a gesture of love. Why? Because while He was ascending to heaven, the Lord was blessing the apostles and, along with them, all humanity who had crucified and rejected Him. You see, before ascending to heaven, the Lord did not make plans for revenge, brethren, for a coup, or to go before those who had crucified Him to show them that He had risen and that He was now invincible. Why didn’t He do that? So as not to torment those who hated Him even more—to minimize the hatred of those who hated Him and to maximize the love in the universe. Do you understand?

He showed himself full of love to those who loved Him and received Him as a teacher, because that is what it is all about. You see, Christ was very caring with them and appeared to them many times over the course of 40 days, as the Scripture says—and He proved to them through many signs that He is alive, real, and resurrected, and spoke to them at length about the Kingdom of God. But you see, Scripture only reminds us that He told them to stay in Jerusalem, that is, in their hearts, of course beyond the literal city, and not to depart from there, but to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. That is, the immersion, the submersion, the baptism in the Holy Spirit—that is what baptism means. Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Why? Because it is Him we need; it is the Holy Spirit we need in order to come to the knowledge of the Kingdom of God. Brethren, we need the immersion, the baptism in the Holy Spirit to reach perfection. We do not need technology so much, brethren! You see that Christ and the saints could teleport in a second – something that far surpasses any current technical and technological achievement, any airplane, rocket, or other means of transport. Speaking of this, I remember that in Greece, during the civil war and for a while afterwards, everyone was silent and no one said anything – neither against the Americans nor against the Russians, because you never knew who you were talking to and you could end up with an extra bullet hitting you. In these conditions, Saint Paisios would stroll casually through Karyes and speak out loud: “Ha, ha, ha! These Americans! They used so much fuel to get to the Moon… So much money! So much effort! So much time! When you can get to the Moon very easily: with a bit of rusk and a little prayer!” Do you understand? Saint Paisios also wanted to find out what it was like on the Moon. He prayed to God and reached the moon, brethren. It is something else, another level.

You see, the problem of our society is not a matter of quantity, but one of quality, of direction. It is generally believed that we are unhappy because we have a problem of quantity—that is, we haven’t acquired enough. Brethren, that’s not it: it’s a problem of quality, that is, of direction or, more precisely, of correct faith, because we said that true faith is the true GPS. As I said, true faith is the one that leads to the true God, Who is love, Who is Spirit, Who is spiritual. Do you see how Christ behaves? Christ told them that they must be baptized in the Holy Spirit, yet the great apostles who had been with the Lord throughout His entire missionary ministry remained carnal, for they were not interested in the Holy Spirit; instead, they asked Christ that if this Spirit— whoever He might be—were to come, would the Lord restore the kingdom of Israel—that is, would He stage a coup and rid them of the Romans. They were actually interested in politics. Brethren, I have nothing against politicians, nor am I interested in politics—of course, if a politician comes here, we welcome him warmly and try to talk about spiritual matters with him—but sometimes it’s exasperating to see that people are interested only in politics and become aggressive when the topic comes up. Please forgive me for saying this. Brethren, let us be spiritual! Yes, okay, I can understand the apostles to some extent, but you should know that spiritual progress and freedom cannot be achieved unless each of us makes personal spiritual progress. God is not mocking us; He allows us to have what we deserve— you should know this. If we purify ourselves spiritually, we will know what to vote for. I don’t follow politics—and even if I did—I would give the same advice that the Lord gave: be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and then you will win not only Romania, but the whole world. Do you understand?

In fact, Christ told them the same thing: it’s not your concern when liberation from the Romans will come—that’s something the Father in heaven is in charge of. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be witnesses of My Resurrection and Divinity here in Jerusalem, and in fact, in all Judea, and—even more—in Samaria and—in fact— throughout the world. He told them gradually, so they wouldn’t be shocked, you know—because before the coming of the Spirit, the apostles were very carnal and therefore very limited. For them, who were just simple fishermen, being witnesses for Christ in Jerusalem was a huge challenge because they were nobodies—let alone on a global scale. Do you understand? Notice that the apostles do not go out to preach haphazardly, but with God’s blessing and the Holy Spirit. Brethren, we do not need so much intellect and intellectual knowledge for preaching, but rather the Holy Spirit who comes through the Church—through obedience to the Church. Not everyone can interpret Scripture as they please. Do you understand? We, too, must focus on our spiritual growth, and then, with God’s grace, we will do whatever is necessary. Do you understand? And when I say “whatever is necessary,” I mean absolutely everything, including family life.

Notice that Christ did not lose His temper, as we might have done, and say: “Well, come on, after all these years of teaching you, after all the time you’ve spent with Me, nothing has stuck with you?” Are you interested in politics? Did it just jump out of you like it was hiding under the table?” The Lord did not say that. He did not attack people, but He united with them through love and compassion, and he addressed and resolved the problem. He offered the solution. Brethren, we must never turn against our loved ones because of their problems, nor should we let our own problems cause us to turn against them. On the contrary, let us, together with our loved ones, stand against the problem and seek a solution through prayer and cooperation in God’s grace. Brethren, unity is always greater. Do you understand? Let’s not focus so much on the bad, on the mistakes, because then the bad, adversity, and separation only grow. The evil grows. Let’s focus on the good, on the solution, and then the good—unity— will grow. Do you understand? You see that Christ parted from the apostles in this way, with these pieces of advice by which He encouraged them towards courage, but also towards obedience and unity—that is, to be obedient and to remain in Jerusalem and to wait with vigilance and prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit. You see that God, through His angels, prophesies to the apostles that He will return just as He left—that is, they should not worry, for He will never leave them orphans, just as He had told them before. Even though the Lord ascended to heaven. He ascended as a true Conqueror, as a Hero bringing human nature to perfection in the heavens, into the Bosom of the Father.

Do you see how much love the Lord has? God’s perfection is something of which we—who crucified Him—are utterly unworthy; for it is of ourselves that we speak, and we must not forget who we are. In fact, as I was saying, beyond placing the human being in the highest honor—that is, “at the right hand of the Father,” as Scripture says—one of the reasons why the Lord ascended to heaven is precisely His tenderness and His love for those who could not bear Him, for those who crucified Him. You know how it is, the Lord says: “Look, folks, if you don’t want Me, I’m out of here.” In fact, you should know that hell is exactly this: the most tangible manifestation of Christ’s loving presence, from which you cannot escape—yet without being prepared for it. St. Isaac the Syrian said that the greatest scourge of hell is the scourge of God’s love. Do you understand? A love that burns you, to which you can no longer return. You are misguided, and that is exactly what happened to the Pharisees and the others who rejected Christ; and then Christ, as a final proof of His tenderness and love, withdraws. Do you understand? So as not to make people suffer the torments of hell while still here on earth, the Lord ascended to heaven and reveals Himself only to those who are able to receive Him. You see, the apostles before Pentecost weren’t any smarter than others; I’ve actually proven it—just look at what they were thinking. But they were the only ones who could receive the Lord. Why? Because they were willing to obey and to love. They had the flexibility of humility. Do you understand?

And in fact, God is now granting us this time until His second coming, which the angels prophesied at the very moment He ascended. Why does He give this time? That is exactly why: for us to learn to listen to God the gentle, to learn to love God and others, and to cultivate the flexibility that comes with humility, to prepare ourselves for eternity. Do you understand? Brethren, this is how we prove that we love Christ—when He is not present. When He performs a miracle or covers us with His grace, it’s easy. When grace is absent, then—somewhat paradoxically— the crowns come, because that is when our struggle becomes visible—even if it is in vain, as I was saying. The struggle will be unsuccessful. Why? Because no one can truly love Christ unless it is the Spirit within us who cries out, “Abba, Father!” This unsuccessful struggle, however, is essential because Christ limits His omnipotence to the bounds of our freedom and, therefore, requires our practical effort as proof that we desire His love; and thus, He will grant it to us. Any virtue, brethren, comes from the will of man and from the blessing of the Lord.

Brethren, focusing on the date of the end of the world and on all sorts of calculations, signs, and convoluted theories in an attempt to figure it out is doing us harm. I know a lot of prophecies and so-called prophets who are involved in this who don’t have God’s blessing, and that’s not right. It distances us from the grace of Christ if we focus on such things, it hardens us, makes us believe that we know something and others do not, we become somewhat extremist, anxious, and above all, we waste the time given to us for salvation—and—the irony!—we even hasten the coming of the end of the world because if we do not try to save ourselves, do not try to become better, then God has no reason to keep the world— because—as I was saying—time is given to us for salvation. Do you understand? This logical, rational, secular spirit is, in fact, the greatest enemy of the Church. We do not need exact calculations of various dates and marketing and preaching strategies; what we need is holiness. It is holiness that converts people, not intellectual ability. This is especially true today, when people are being led by the most insidious form of leadership: leadership through confusion.

Brethren, we must focus on Christ Who is present here among us— He Who is the Almighty Truth—because Christ is here with us through His grace, revealing Himself to those who need Him and to those who receive Him. Brethren, the heaven to which Christ ascended is not a sphere—or, for those who believe the earth is flat—it is not a ceiling with a hatch that opens at an altitude of several thousand kilometers, a hatch through which Christ entered, locked it behind Him, and then forgot about us. Brethren, it’s not like that! From a material perspective, heaven will be this entire universe, spanning more than 93 billion light-years— a universe that will, however, be transformed and delivered from the corruption in which it now exists. Beyond that, as I was saying, since Christ is true God and Risen Man, He has transcended everything— including the space-time continuum. Do you understand? To put it simply, He can be anywhere, anytime. Also here, right next to me. Helping me to speak to you. Do you understand? Brethren, let us not give up our victory, let us not give up on loving, no matter what happens, let us not give up being heroes. Take heart! Let’s be a little more heroic! May Good God help us!

Thank you for staying with me so far in my attempt to ascend a little with the help of God.

Christ is Risen! Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us! Amen.

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