Augustine on Ascension

St. Augustine of Hippo strikes a familiar note to patristic commentators on the Feast of Ascension: Christ has ascended, and His followers must as well:

But what said the Lord Jesus? “Why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts ascend into your hearts?” If thoughts ascend into your heart, the thoughts come from the earth. But it is good for a man, not that a thought should ascend into his heart, but that his heart should itself ascend upwards, where the Apostle would have believers place their hearts, to whom he said, “If ye be risen with Christ, mind those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Seek those things which are above, not the things which are upon the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ your life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” In what glory? The glory of the resurrection. In what glory? Hear the Apostle saying of this body, “It is sown in dishonour, it shall rise in glory.”

— St. Augustine of Hippo, "Homilies on the Gospels," Sermon LXVI.

The Inherent Despair of Sola Scriptura

Sad, indeed, would the whole matter be, if the Bible had told us everything God meant us to believe. But herein is the Bible itself greatly wronged. It nowhere lays claim to be regarded as the Word, the Way, the Truth. The Bible leads us to Jesus, the inexhaustible, the ever unfolding Revelation of God. It is Christ "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," not the Bible, save as leading to him.

And why are we told that these treasures are hid in him who is the Revelation of God? Is it that we should despair of finding them and cease to seek them? Are they not hid in him that they may be revealed to us in due time-that is, when we are in need of them? Is not their hiding in him the mediatorial step towards their unfolding in us? Is he not the Truth?-the Truth to men? Is he not the High Priest of his brethren, to answer all the troubled questionings that arise in their dim humanity?

— George MacDonald. Unspoken Sermons, Volume 1. The Higher Faith.

(Hat Tip: As Iron Sharpens Iron)

Let Freedom Ring...

This note from St. Gregory the Great Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, Fr. Nicholas Alford:

Our Parish Life Conference this year will be hosted by St. George Cathedral in Charleston, WV, July 2-6. The conference will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in
Charleston, but all worship services will be held across the street in the Cathedral. Our bishops have again given their blessing for Western Rite Vespers to be offered at the conference; this year on July 4th. We should have as many people as possible present from our three Western Rite congregations to help lead Vespers. Please make plans now to be present.

How wonderful that the Western Rite will be celebrated at this event, for the entire diocese. It's an important step for Byzantine Orthodox to familiarize themselves with the existence and acceptance of the Western Rite, and it shows Bp. THOMAS's leadership in uniting all parts of his diocese. Thanks be to God.