After the homilies delivered concerning the resurrection of Christ, the editors reckon that one to which they affixed the title 'On the litanies and fasts of the Ninevites.' Since St. Maximus delivered another discourse concerning the Ninevites, I thought good to join both together, and then to treat of the prayers which they call litanies. Nor do I follow them in the order and title of this homily; for I have observed that the author treats nothing of the mystery of Pentecost, but, having briefly recalled the commemoration of the glorious resurrection, celebrates the admirable ascension of Christ the Lord. Wherefore I have inscribed it 'On the ascension of the Lord,' and have set its place before the homilies on Pentecost, Latinius also supporting me herein.
To this I was also driven by its manifest connection with the preceding homily, so that this one seems to have been delivered after the one going before. And that I may claim it for St. Maximus, six most commendable codices lend me their support, namely two of Holy Cross in Jerusalem, 90 homily 54, and 99 homily 66; the Ambrosian C 98; that of St. Emmeram of Regensburg page 19; the Laurentian, Plut. XIV page 507; and the Turin codex, whose title is 'Likewise also concerning Pentecost, homily VIII.' The rest have for their title 'What follows,' since they number it among the homilies on Pentecost. From these dissent two codices, one of which is II, formerly of the library of Holy Cross of the Minor Convent page 57, now Laurentian, which inscribes it to St. Leo the Great; the Vatican 1270 page 79, which ascribes it to St. Ambrose.
But in both an error of the copyist was detected, both by the Ballerini and by the monks of St. Maurus. For the former did not receive this homily among the genuine works of the holy pontiff; while the Benedictines, in the preface to the sermons of St. Ambrose, and in the appendix to the sermons of St. Augustine, number 185, professed St. Maximus to be its author. The editions of St. Ambrose, therefore — the Paris edition of Gillot, in which it is sermon 62 with the title 'Likewise on Pentecost,' and the Sixtine, where it stands as sermon 61 with this other title, 'On the reason of the festival of Pentecost' — I judged not to be heeded: all the more because other editors more rightly, namely Gymnicus page 170, Galesinius page 139, Raynaudus page 222, and Margarinus in the Bibliotheca Maxima vol. VI page
27, reckon it among the Maximian homilies. In the Roman Breviary also a part of this homily is read under the name of St. Maximus on the Tuesday in the octave of the Ascension. — Not inconveniently, several days ago, as you retain, brethren, our preaching proceeded, in which we described how the flesh of the Lord, revived as it were in the brightness of a flower, sprang up from the tomb; which tomb the evangelist testified to be situated in a little garden (John XIX): whence we not incongruously pursued the theme. For it was fitting that a more precious flower should be brought forth in a little garden, and that the seed of good fruit, entrusted to the soil within the enclosure of a household — yet flourishing — should sprout forth the salvation of all. For the resurrection of Christ is the redemption of all peoples.
Therefore in the little garden the Saviour takes up his revived body, and among the flowering trees and the white lilies, though his flesh had already died, he blooms again, and so springs up from the tomb that he fills all things with springing and shining life. For thus, after the cold burial, as it were, of winter's chill, all the elements hastened to sprout, so that, as the Lord rose again, they too might rise together. For surely from the resurrection of Christ the air is more wholesome, the sun brighter, the earth more fruitful: from it the shoot grows into a bush, the herb grows into a crop, the vine ripens into a tendril. If, therefore, when the flesh of Christ flourishes again, all things are clothed with flowers, it is necessary that, when the same also bears fruit, all things likewise bear fruit, as the same Lord says:
'Unless a grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it remains alone; but if it die, it brings forth much fruit' (John XII). The Lord, therefore, flourished again when he rose from the tomb; he bears fruit when he ascends to heaven. He is a flower when he is brought forth from the lower parts of the earth; he is fruit when he is stored away in the highest seat. He is a grain, as he himself says, when he alone suffers the cross; he is fruit when he is surrounded by the abundant faith of the apostles. For, having conversed with the disciples for forty days after the resurrection, he taught them with all the ripeness of wisdom, and turned them to good fruit by every fecundity of instruction.
Then he ascended to heaven, that is, to the Father, bearing before him the fruit of his flesh, leaving behind among the disciples the seeds of righteousness. The Lord, therefore, ascended to the Father. Your holiness remembers that I compared the Saviour to that eagle of the psalter, whose renewed youth we read of; for the likeness is no small one: for just as the eagle forsakes lowly things, seeks the heights, and ascends near to the heavens, so also the Saviour forsook the lowly things of hell, sought the higher things of paradise, and penetrated the summits of the heavens; and just as the eagle, leaving the earthly filth, flying aloft, enjoys the wholesomeness of purer air, so also the Lord, forsaking the dregs of earthly sins, flying about in his saints, rejoices in the simplicity of a purer life.
In all things, therefore, the comparison of the eagle befits the Saviour. But what shall we do, seeing that the eagle frequently snatches its prey, frequently carries off what belongs to another? Yet not even in this is the Saviour unlike it: for in a certain way he carried off prey, when he bore to heaven the man whom he had taken on, snatched from the jaws of hell, so that he led captive to the heights the servant of an alien dominion — that is, of the diabolical power — rescued from captivity; as it is written in the prophet: 'Ascending on high, he led captivity captive, he gave good gifts to men' (Ps. LXVII; Eph. IV).
This saying is understood in this way: that the captivity of man, whom the devil had made captive to himself, the Lord, by rescuing it to himself, made captive to himself, and lifted up that very captivity, as he says, taken captive, to the heights of the heavens. Both captivities, therefore, are named by one word, but the two are not equal. For the captivity of the devil subjects to servitude, but the captivity of Christ restores to liberty. 'He ascended,' he says, 'on high; he led captivity captive.' How well the prophet describes the triumph of the Lord! It was the custom, as they say, that the pomp of captives should precede the chariot of the triumphant sovereignty;
behold, a glorious captivity does not precede the Lord going to the heavens, but accompanies him; it is not led before the vehicle, but itself bears the Saviour aloft. For by a certain mystery, while the Son of God lifted up the son of man to heaven, that very captivity is both carried and carries. And that he says: 'He gave gifts to men,' this is the mark of a victor; for after a triumph the victor always bestows gifts, and, seated upon his own kingdom, rewards the joys of his servants. Thus Christ the Lord, seated after his diabolical triumph at the right hand of the Father, on this present day bestowed gifts upon the disciples — not talents of gold, not masses of silver, but the heavenly gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that among the other graces the Apostles might also speak in various tongues;
that is, that a man of the Hebrew nation might thunder forth the glory of Christ with the eloquence of Roman fluency, and that foreign ears, which could not grasp the redemption of the human race while a Jewish tongue proclaimed it, might recognise it in their own speech. Every tongue is loosed in the preaching of Christ, so that every language may confess his majesty, as holy David says: 'There are no speeches nor languages, whose voices are not heard' (Ps. XVIII). But do not marvel that we said the Son sits at the right hand of the Father; for he sits at the right hand, not because he is greater than the Father, but lest he be believed to be less — as the heretics are wont to blaspheme; for just as the Godhead knows no degree of honorific rank, so holy Scripture knows how to meet blasphemies.