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

Today, dear brothers and sisters, we continue to celebrate the Holy Ascension of the Lord, and are waiting for another and final revelation, which is like the blessing (or consecration) of the building of our salvation, the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

«For as the Lord, putting on the body, became man, so we men are deified by the Word as being taken to Him through His flesh.»

It seems like this unanimous saying (this certain one belongs to Athanasius of Alexandria) tells us about the meaning of the Ascension: taken up to Him.

But actually, it describes the whole building of our salvation, as having been perceived from the apostles (remember Peter’s saying: “that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature”), and up to the holy fathers of all centuries.

That is why when some Christian pastors began to teach that Jesus Christ was a created being, the whole universal Church gathered and stood firmly against it and in the end condemned the heresy.

Naturally, some people could not withstand the temptation of separating the Lord Jesus either from God or from man (which came later than the first ecumenical council), because it was easy to understand, “was good…, that it is pleasant to the eyes, and… desirable to make one wise.”

But, again, “He/God came down into our condition solely in order to lead us to his own divine state,” – say Holy Fathers.

In the new creation this shows some resemblance to the moment of the tree of knowledge…

But the tree of knowledge (remember the sad mistake of the original sin), the true tree of knowledge, can be only God Himself, that should have been freely realized by the first people. Love is not imposing… And God is Love!

God is one but not lonely. (So say the fathers) This is hard to realize. But what is a human family, as not the unity of more that one person…

The created reflection of God Who is not lonely, and even more to it – Who is Love!

So, the Arian heresy, for the healing of which the Ecumenical Council was convened in Nicaea in 325, consisted in the denial of the Divinity of the Son of God. Arians recognized Him as the first creation, the highest of all angelic powers, they recognized His incarnation, but only they denied the Deity of the One who was embodied.

And the Fathers of the Council were able to recognize the whole depth of evil in this heresy. If God did not become Man, if the Son of God is not God by nature, then man has not returned to God, he is not justified and not saved.

But to share (and to understand) this faith, there’s no other way, than to live in it. And to seek knowledge and life only in the Giver of Life.

What does it mean for man, before and after the tragedy of sin?

These are the choices that we make. First of all, to choose believing in and trusting God, like ancient patriarchs, like apostles, like martyrs and righteous… For that, it is important not to pursue the pleasures of this life and all kinds of material gains and pleasures with all our heart and mind… Because when we submit ourselves to them, we can lose the gift of the Holy Spirit, while outwardly we shall be unaltered, quite the same. This can happen absolutely insensibly…

The tragedy of the heresies is that they mostly appeared when the Church was in peace and often in well-being… And after this, rather a tricky misconception, then followed entirely unwise denunciation of icons…

We should follow the fasts, keep the vigils, keep the day of Resurrection, the commandments, everyday prayers, seek out His will in everything we do, strive to help others, sacrifice ourselves for the sake of God, for the sake of goodness … to be on guard as soldiers do, to be fit as sportsmen do. For we have approached the true Tree of Wisdom and Life, with the Lord Jesus as the true Branch of that Tree, and the Holy Spirit as the Fruit on that tree. Amen