(no subject)
In my continual effort to avoid studying today, I offer this quote:
"We must journey on then...Run with the heart's affection, journey on with love, ascend by charity. Why do you seek for the way? Cleave to Christ, who by descending and ascending has made Himself the Way. Do you wish to ascend? Hold fast to Him that ascends. For by your own self you cannot rise. 'For no man hath ascended up to heaven, but that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven.' If no one ascends byt He that descended, that is, the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus, do you wish to ascend also? De then a menber of Him who Only has ascended. For He the Head, with all the members, is but One Man. And...no one can ascend, but he who in His Body is made a member of Him...If then the Body of Christ and His members belong to One, do not make two of them. For He left 'father and mother, and clave to his wife, that wo might be one flesh.' He left His Father, in that here He did not show Himself as equal with the Father; but 'emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.' He left His mother also, the synagogue of which He was born after the flesh. He cleaved to His Wife, that is, to His Church...
You may know that the Bridegroom and the Bride are One according to the Flesh of Christ, not according to His Divinity (for according to His Divinity we cannot be what He is; seeing that He is the Creator, we the creature; He the Maker, we His work; He the Framer, we framed by Him; but in order that we might be one with Him in Him, He vouchsafed to be our Head, by taking of us flesh wherein to die for us); that you may know then that this whole is One Christ, He said by Isaiah, 'He hath bound a mitre on me as a bridegroom, and clothed me with ornaments as a bride.' He is then at once the Bridegroom and the Bride. That is, the Bridegroom in Himself as the Head, the Bride in the body. 'For they twain,' saith He, "shall be in one flesh; so now they are no more twain, by one flesh.'
Augustine. Text quoted from Jesus Ascended by Gerrit Dawson, pp104-105.
I thought this was apt to read since it is what I am answering questions about(not just this one piece of the text, but the whole book). I cannot quit praising this book! It is an amazing reminder of the importance of the Ascension which we so often overlook in our lives. I hope that Augustine speaks something to you of simply one aspect of the importance of Christ's Ascension to be enthroned as Lord of Lords and King of Kings beside our Father in Heaven!
Peace and grace!
J
"We must journey on then...Run with the heart's affection, journey on with love, ascend by charity. Why do you seek for the way? Cleave to Christ, who by descending and ascending has made Himself the Way. Do you wish to ascend? Hold fast to Him that ascends. For by your own self you cannot rise. 'For no man hath ascended up to heaven, but that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven.' If no one ascends byt He that descended, that is, the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus, do you wish to ascend also? De then a menber of Him who Only has ascended. For He the Head, with all the members, is but One Man. And...no one can ascend, but he who in His Body is made a member of Him...If then the Body of Christ and His members belong to One, do not make two of them. For He left 'father and mother, and clave to his wife, that wo might be one flesh.' He left His Father, in that here He did not show Himself as equal with the Father; but 'emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.' He left His mother also, the synagogue of which He was born after the flesh. He cleaved to His Wife, that is, to His Church...
You may know that the Bridegroom and the Bride are One according to the Flesh of Christ, not according to His Divinity (for according to His Divinity we cannot be what He is; seeing that He is the Creator, we the creature; He the Maker, we His work; He the Framer, we framed by Him; but in order that we might be one with Him in Him, He vouchsafed to be our Head, by taking of us flesh wherein to die for us); that you may know then that this whole is One Christ, He said by Isaiah, 'He hath bound a mitre on me as a bridegroom, and clothed me with ornaments as a bride.' He is then at once the Bridegroom and the Bride. That is, the Bridegroom in Himself as the Head, the Bride in the body. 'For they twain,' saith He, "shall be in one flesh; so now they are no more twain, by one flesh.'
Augustine. Text quoted from Jesus Ascended by Gerrit Dawson, pp104-105.
I thought this was apt to read since it is what I am answering questions about(not just this one piece of the text, but the whole book). I cannot quit praising this book! It is an amazing reminder of the importance of the Ascension which we so often overlook in our lives. I hope that Augustine speaks something to you of simply one aspect of the importance of Christ's Ascension to be enthroned as Lord of Lords and King of Kings beside our Father in Heaven!
Peace and grace!
J