Of remarks made by the Angels to the Disciples and Apostles
And when He had said these things, He was lifted up as they were looking at him; and a cloud removed him from before their eyes.
And as they were looking at him going to heaven, two men in white garments presented themselves before them, and said to them.
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand still, looking into heaven? This same Jesus, who is raised from among you into heaven, will come just as you have seen him go.” <440109>ACTS 1:9-11
WE ARE going to expound what St. Luke here tells: namely, that the Apostles saw our Lord go up into heaven. Now it is not enough that we know the account, but we must note that he cites it as one of the principal articles of our faith. And it is certain that the articles of our faith are not useless, but necessary to our salvation. However, we shall never profit well from the Ascension of our Lord unless we know that it really happened. And for this reason St. Luke says that the Apostles saw Him ascend. And he adds that they stayed there until they were advised that it was no longer necessary to remain there, and that they must return to Jerusalem to take up their duty as He commanded them, and to do it until He shall return on the last day. That is why He tells us ,of the Ascension of our Lord so as not to leave it in doubt. True it is that it is said, “Those will be blessed who believe and have not seen.” For this reason it is more necessary that we believe in this Ascension than if we had seen it. For since the Apostles have seen it and recite it to us, we ought not to doubt it.
We come now to where St. Luke says, “A cloud removed Him from before their eyes.” One might here ask a question as to why the heaven did not open so that the Apostles might see the condition of our Lord and His glory. But it is not without cause that they lost sight of Him by a cloud.
For our Lord knows the range of our mind, and is kind enough to correct the haughtiness of our spirit, that we may be restrained. For even if the
sight of the Apostles had extended into the heavens we might have taken that as an occasion to exalt ourselves, as we see we are too prone to it. We are very much inclined to that, even to let our imaginations wander and to observe no modesty, to wish to know the secrets of God, even those which He wishes to be hidden from us. It was expedient, then, that this cloud intervened. For by that it is shown to us that we ought to humble ourselves and not have in us this arrogance to wish to transcend the heavens to inquire into the facts of God. That is the instruction which we must take from this passage.
Now it is said that “two angels appeared,” but St. Luke calls them “men,”
according to the common practice of Scripture. For, since angels are by nature spiritual, we cannot see them unless they show themselves to us in some visible form. That is why our Lord has willed that from the very beginning that they should appear in the form of men, but so has He willed that always there might be in them some sign to recognize that they were angels. For if we recognized them only as mortal men, we would not give them the honor which belongs to them, and that would take away from the understanding which we ought to have to give faith to their message. Thus God has always marked them so that they might be recognized. That is why it is here said that they were clothed in white robes, as also when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead they appeared in white garments. In that our Lord wished to show that it was necessary that men receive them in reverence, listening to what they would announce, without having any doubt about it. That is why St. Luke says here that they were clad with white robes. But we must note the circumstances. For there is not one circumstance lost that God wishes to have omitted, since we know that His wisdom extends everywhere and that it is infinite. Besides, if the angels are majestic when they appear to men, what will God be when He appears in His glory? For the brightness of the majesty of the glory of God is not only as the brightness of the sun, but more than a hundred thousand suns if they were in the world. Thus, then, when we see that the angels ought to be so precious to us, and that we ought to hold them in such great reverence, we must consider that, if we are told of the majesty of God, if we think of it, we must hold it in great reverence, and we must recognize that we are nothing, but all majesty is in Him. That is what is indicated to us when we are told of the majesty of angels, even though they are shown to us only in human form.
Now as to what they say: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand still, looking into heaven?” It is commonly thought that the Apostles were here called Galileans as a reproach, since we see that the Galileans were not of high reputation among men. According to their opinion, then, it is as if the angels said, “Poor, blockheaded people as you are, do you not recognize that just as He has gone up to heaven, so He is coming back again?” But we see no probability that this was said in this sense. However, let us recognize that the angels called the Apostles Galileans because they were so reputed, even as Jesus Christ bore this name. When they wished to accuse the Disciples of belonging to Jesus Christ, they asked them, “And you, are you not Galileans?” Again, after the death of Jesus Christ the wicked used this word, as we see that a wicked man whom they called Julian the Apostate said, being at the point of death, “You have conquered me, O Galilean,” cursing there Jesus Christ and defying Him, even while he felt himself to be conquered by Him. Thus the Apostles are here called Galileans, because they were considered to be people from that country.
Besides, not without cause they are here reprimanded by the angels. For they well knew that Jesus Christ was to go up to heaven, for many times He had told them, and He even said to them, “It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I do not go away, I shall not send Him to you.” Then must have forgotten, then, even though they remained thus looking on high to see what would happen. For, as I have said, He had indicated to them that it was expedient that He go away, and He had told them that He must reign and that they should serve Him here meanwhile. He had also told them that He had to be seated before God His Father to intercede for His faithful ones. But they show that they have scarcely remembered what had been so often shown to them. However, their ignorance ought to serve as a warning. For it is not only for them that this is said, but it is for us also.
Let us note, then, what is said to them by the angels so as to recognize the benefit we receive from the Ascension of Jesus Christ.
When it is said that He will come just as they have seen Him go up, that is to show us that we need not look for Jesus Christ here below until He comes to judge the whole world. And now when we look for Him it must be by faith which surpasses all human intelligence. That is the first point in this passage, which is well worthy to be observed. For since by nature we are always inclined to lower things, it is very difficult for us not to be inclined to some superstition when one speaks of the Ascension of our
Lord Jesus Christ. In truth, we see what has happened here. Although He has gone up to heaven, and it is written that when He returns to earth it will be just as He was seen to go up, still those who call themselves
Christians have never ceased looking for Him here below. Thus it has come to pass that they look for Jesus Christ in bread and wine, and they wish to hide Him in a box, and they wish to carry Him here and there, and to play with Him as with a doll. How come such superstitions, unless our nature is as ready to lower things as a stone? And when I say that we are inclined to lower things, we want to drag down God all the time, with all that we know of Him, and we would like Him to be like us. We see, then, by experience that men have always wished to have Jesus Christ with them in the flesh, but we see, on the other hand, that the angels, wishing to rid us from such speculations, said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand still, looking into heaven?” True it its that in looking for our Lord it is very necessary that we raise our spirits to heaven, but we must not look for Him according to our senses and our understanding; thus faith must now control. Do we not know that faith surpasses all human sensibility? For it is not a faculty which men have inherited, but it is a grace which God gives them in correcting their nature. We must, then, seek our Lord, but not with the eyes, nor with the ears, nor with the feet, nor with the hands, but faith must supply all that is lacking in us. Thus, when we have heard this
passage, we shall be sufficiently armed against these whims with which the whole papacy is shot through, where they say of a piece of bread “This is God,” and they think they can lock Him up as a doll. We shall be, I say, sufficiently armed for the encounter with them when we know that it is said that we must not seek for Him according to the natural senses of man, but only by faith. Further, we are admonished not to give rein to our superstitions, and not to think that we can have God with us bodily. Since this vice has always been with man, it is all the more necessary to be wise in this case. We know that the Jews said to Aaron, “Make us gods.” That is how men want to have God with them to handle Him and do with Him as they like. Let us always remember, then, this passage to arm us for the encounter with this vice. For although Jesus Christ be declared to us, and He be our Brother, we cannot comprehend Him except by faith, and we must not imagine Him according to our fancy when He presents Himself.
Besides, since we know that Jesus Christ has gone up into this heavenly glory, let us note why He is there: In the first place, that He may remind