The fullness of the feast of the Ascension
Blessed be God. As a head is to the body, so a feast is to the order of feasts; and today is that feast. For we celebrate the Ascension of Christ in the flesh, as the fullness shown of the Lordly feasts. Just as a head is beautiful, so today's feast of divine grace radiates beauty; but many, not knowing its greatness, think it is less.
If you wish to learn, do not strain my mind needlessly. Cooperate with me only through prayers, I entreat you; and silence the leaden winds, and calm the waves of chatter, and grant me leisure for hearing. For according to wise Solomon, the words of the wise are heard in rest.
First, then, is the terrible and wonderful feast: the birth of Christ according to the flesh. For how is the descent of God from heaven to us not wonderful, but rather a co-descent? Because the Master of all condescended to unite himself to the form of a servant, and the one encompassing all has a poor mother.
Second is the feast of the Theophanies, having a much greater contemplation than the first. For in the first feast, a star showed the God-Logos having been born; but in the second feast, John cried, 'Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.' And the Father, crying from heaven, confirmed the testimony of the one being baptized: 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' But even then, the full enjoyment of sobriety was not reached, since the mortal body had not yet received immortality through the resurrection.
Third is the feast of the saving passion: the resurrection, which gives life to those who, through his blood, are being struck like sparks, and are being reborn through water and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he raised a fallen world, and enabled the formerly fallen Adam to reach eternal life. Through a tree Adam tasted death; through the tree of the cross, life is granted to the world. And this feast was shown more glorious than the preceding feasts, because in it, death, through death, having killed death, brought immortal life to those dying. But even this did not have the fullness of joy, holding the risen one upon the earth.
But the great and surpassing joy of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles, is today, in the day of the Ascension, filled with joy through all things. Having opened the moon-bearing heavens, and having ascended the most fine air, and having rounded from the earth to the heavenly grips, and having incited all the natures of the angels to unutterable joy, he showed us a strange sight: our flesh having been placed upon a royal throne. Where are those busy with the chariot races, and the drivers loving sharpness? Come, see a paradoxical chariot race: the Creator of creation in human...
Greek
Homilia in assumptionem Christi Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἐπιφανίου ἐπισκόπου Κύπρου εἰς τὴν ἀνάληψιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεός. Κόσμος σώματος ἡ ἐπιτεθεῖσα τῷ σώματι κεφαλή· κόσμος δὲ τῶν ἑορτῶν ἡ σήμερον ἑορτή. Τί γάρ; φησί. Χριστοῦ ἀνάληψιν μετὰ σαρκὸς ἑορτάζομεν, ὡς τῶν ∆εσποτικῶν ἑορτῶν δεικνυμένην πλήρωμα. Καθάπερ γὰρ κεφαλὴ φαιδρόμορφος, οὕτω καὶ ἡ σήμερον ἑορτὴ τῆς θεϊκῆς χάριτος ἀπαυγάζει τὸ κάλλος· ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ ἀγνοοῦντες τὸ ταύτης μέγεθος, ἧττον αὐτὴν νομίζουσι. Καὶ εἰ βούλεσθε μαθεῖν, ἀνεξικάκως συντείνατέ μοι τὸν νοῦν. Μόνον μοι δι' εὐχῶν συνεργήσατε, παρακαλῶ· καὶ τὰς μολιβδώδεις αὔρας καταστείλατε· καὶ τὰ κύματα τῆς φλυαρίας γαληνιάσατε· καὶ σχολάζουσάν μοι τὴν ἀκοὴν παράσχητε. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν σοφὸν Σολομῶντα, λόγοι σοφῶν ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἀκούονται. Πρώτη τοίνυν 43.480 ἑορτὴ ἡ φρικτὴ καὶ θαυμαστὴ κατὰ σάρκα τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέννησις. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ θαυμαστὴ ἡ ἐξ οὐρανῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς κατάβασις, μᾶλλον δὲ συγκατάβασις; ὅτι ὁ πάντων ∆εσπότης τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν ἑνῶσαι ἑαυτῷ κατηξίωσε, καὶ πτωχὴν μητέρα ἔχειν ὁ πάντα περιέχων. ∆ευτέρα ἑορτὴ ἡ τῶν Θεοφανίων πολλῷ τῆς πρώτης τὴν θεωρίαν μείζω ἔχουσα. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ πρώτῃ ἑορτῇ ὑπεδείκνυε τὸν τεχθέντα Θεὸν Λόγον ἀστήρ· ἐν δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἑορτῇ Ἰωάννης ἐβόα, Ἴδε ὁ Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁαἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Ἐβεβαίου δὲ τὴν μαρτυρίαν τοῦ βαπτιζομένου οὐρανόθεν βοῶν ὁ Πατήρ· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν ᾧ ηὐδόκησα. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τότε ὁλόκληρος ἡ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἀπόλαυσις, ἐπειδὴ μηδέπω τὸ θνητὸν σῶμα διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὴν ἀθανασίαν ἐδέξατο. Τρίτη ἑορτὴ τοῦ σωτηριώδους πάθους ἡ ἀνάστασις ζωοποιεῖ τοὺς διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ μαρμαρυγὰς ἀπαστράπτοντας, καὶ ἀναγεννωμένους δι' ὕδατος καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου. ∆ιὸ καὶ πεσόντα κόσμον ἀνέστησε, καὶ τὸν πάλαι ἐκπεσόντα Ἀδὰμ ζωῆς αἰωνίου ἠξίωσε. ∆ιὰ ξύλου ὁ Ἀδὰμ θάνατον ἐτρύγησε· διὰ ξύλου σταυροῦ ζωὴν τῷ κόσμῳ χαρίζεται. Καὶ αὕτη μὲν τῶν προλαβουσῶν ἑορτῶν ἐνδοξοτέρα ἀνεδείκνυτο, ἐπειδὴ ἐν αὐτῇ ὁ θάνατος διὰ θανάτου τὸν θάνατον θανατώσας, καὶ ζωὴν ἀθάνατον τοῖς θανοῦσιν ἐπήγαγεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ οὐκ εἶχε τῆς χαρᾶς τὴν πληρότητα ἐπὶ γῆς τὸν ἀναστάντα κατέχουσα. Καὶ ἡ τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς δὲ χαρὰν μεγάλην καὶ ὑπὲρ λόγον, ἐν ᾗ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἐδίδοτο Πνεῦμα ἅγιον· σήμερον δὲ ἐν τῇ τῆς Ἀναλήψεως ἡμέρᾳ πάντα διὰ πάντων εὐφροσύνης πεπλήρωται. Οὐρανοὺς τοὺς φεγγοτόκους ἀνοίξας, καὶ τὸν λεπτομερέστατον ἀέρα βαθμώσας, καὶ τὸν ἐκ γῆς εἰς τὰς οὐρανίους ἁψίδας ἀνασφαιρώσας, καὶ πάσας τὰς τῶν ἀγγέλων φύσεις εἰς χαρὰν ἄληκτον παρορμήσας, ξένην ἡμῖν θέαν ἐπέδειξε, τὴν ἡμετέραν σάρκα ἐπὶ θρόνου βασιλικοῦ ἐπηρμένην. Ποῦ εἰσὶν οἱ περὶ τὰ ἱπποδρόμια ἀσχολούμενοι, καὶ ἡνιόχων ἀγαπῶντες ὀξύτητα; ∆εῦτε, ἴδετε παράδοξον ἱπποδρόμιον· τὸν τῆς κτίσεως ∆ημιουργὸν ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῳ
About this text
A passionate sermon on Christ's ascension, defending its glory against Jewish objections.
Original English Translation of Epiphanius of Salamis’s Homilia in assumptionem Christi — new OET from PG 41–43 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 41–43 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.