But these are torches that show us the true path to eternal life, the path to the perfection of our souls. The Lord has done everything for our salvation. By His Ascension to heaven, the Son of God opened the way for us to the heavenly abodes. But whether we follow the indicated path or stop somewhere halfway depends on us. As has already been said, after the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, the Son of Man is now at the right hand of God the Father, clothed with our human flesh.

And He clothed Himself in it not for a short time, but forever, thereby revealing the wondrous power and wondrous properties of the world created by Him. Namely, everything created by Him is capable of being spiritual and God-bearing. And here both the greatness of man and the high purpose that God has prepared for man become obvious. It is difficult for us, ordinary people, to comprehend this. It is difficult to rise to the height of theology. But we believe!

And faith is higher than knowledge, because it is omnipotent, and precisely where knowledge is powerless. We believe that it is on this day, the day of the Ascension of the Lord, that man has the opportunity to always be with God. And the path to this has been shown to us by Christ the Savior. The path by which we can reach the height of holy glory is the same path by which our Lord ascended to glory, that is, the path of the cross, the path of purification, self-denial, the path of external and internal suffering.

Let us check, my beloved friends, ourselves, whether we are going to heaven by the path of Christ. The way of the Lord should be the way of each and every one. Our Lord suffered equally for all of us. The sky is equally open for everyone.. A true Christian in all circumstances of life, in all cases, remembers that he is an heir of heaven, a co-heir with Christ, and acts in accordance with his predestination.

But let each of us honestly say whether there is much that is unearthly, heavenly, Christish in him? Remember, when the Lord ascended, the apostles, out of love for their Teacher, stood for a long time, looking up to heaven, which had received their Lord and Teacher. And therefore the angels appeared and said to them: "Why do you stand looking at heaven?" But since most of us are inclined to earthly and temporal things, we must hear a rebuke from the angels: "Sons of men, why do you stand looking not at heaven, but at earth?"

Turn your eyes to heaven, look at your Saviour, Who has been looking at you for a long time. Embark on the path to heaven that has long been lying before you... When Christ says to us: "Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow me," He is not only saying that during our temporary sojourn we must renounce earthly attachments and take upon ourselves the entire burden of earthly life in following Him.

He tells us more – that we are called to follow Him and, according to His own word, to be where He is, in the glory of the eternal life of God (John 12:26; 17:24). But one must prepare oneself with a worthy life in order to be partakers of this glory. The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Thessalonians says that on the last day of the Lord's coming, those who believe in Him will be caught up in the clouds, to meet Him in the air.

This means that something similar to the Ascension of Christ the Savior Himself must happen to the true followers of Christ. This is what the Lord has done for us! Comforting His apostles, the Savior promised them to send the Holy Spirit, Who would instruct them without Him. And, as we know, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. But not only on the apostles, but on all believers.

And from that time on, it has been unceasingly abiding and will remain until the end of time in the Church of Christ, preparing people for the abodes of the Heavenly Father. Rejoicing in what the Lord has done for us, let us also make an edification for ourselves. Let us direct our spirit to heaven for the ascended Lord. In our spiritual perfection, let us rise above our passions and vices, let us ascend to the heights of virtue and purity.

Let us not be frightened by the narrow and thorny path to the Heavenly Fatherland. This path is no longer new! Our Lord and Saviour Himself passed through it. Thus, my beloved friends, in the light of the Ascension of Christ, our earthly path and our destiny are clear to us – to be partakers of the glory of God. Let us turn our gaze to heaven, to where Christ ascended. The Holy Church always calls us, and especially on this day reminds us that where the Lord has entered, there are eternal abodes of the righteous.

There is the joy of constantly seeing God! There is eternal life! As it was said at the beginning, on the day of the Ascension, the Lord parted from His disciples for a long time - until His second coming. But, having ascended to heaven, the Lord left His Church a precious spiritual inheritance – His blessing. The Lord, ascending, blessed the disciples and did not cease to bless until a cloud hid Him.

This all-affirming and all-sanctifying blessing of God was forever imprinted in the memory of the disciples. It was carried throughout the world by the holy apostles and preachers of Christianity. You and I feel it too. And we, dear ones, must know and remember that it is always alive and active, always filled with grace-filled power, always carries with it God's gift, and lifts our souls and hearts to God.

In this blessing is our joy and source of strength. Amen.   Homily on the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! O many-sung Tree of the Cross! O life-giving Tree of the Cross! O Three-Blessed Tree of the Cross! O honorable Cross, the all-joyous sign of our redemption! Show us, sinners, the path of salvation. Our friends! "...

the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). And yesterday we visibly touched this power, having become participants in the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. The Life-Giving Tree floated past each of you, brought out of the Holy of Holies, from the earthly sky, from the altar of the Lord. It sailed, and rose to the heights, and descended to the earth, to rise again, overshadowing all the cardinal directions, so that everyone would see, understand, and feel the power and authority of this great sign of victory.