"But our very Life came down to earth and bore
our death, and slew it with the very abundance of his own life. And,
thundering, he called us to return to him into that secret place from which he
came forth to us—coming first into the virginal womb, where the human creature,
our mortal flesh, was joined to him that it might not be forever mortal—and
came ‘as a bridegroom coming out his chamber, rejoicing as a strong man to run
a race.’ For he did not delay, but ran through the world, crying out by words,
deeds, death, life, descent, ascension—crying aloud to us to return to
him. And he departed from our sight that
we might return to our hearts and find him there. For he left us, and behold,
he is here. He could not be with us
long, yet he did not leave us.” —St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), The Confessions of St. Augustine (401 AD), translated by Albert C. Outler
(1955)
The image accompanying this post, The Ascension,
was created in 1801 by the British-American painter Benjamin West (1738-1820).
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