Saint Augustine on the Ascension of the Lord

We believe in Jesus whom we have not seen. Those who have seen and touched him with their own hands, who have heard the word from his mouth, are the ones who have borne witness to him. It was to teach these things to the world that they were sent by him. They did not presume to go out on their own initiative. And where did he send them? You heard the answer to that in the gospel reading: "Go, proclaim the Good News to every creature under heaven." The disciples were sent to the ends of the earth, with signs and wonders accompanying them in confirmation of their testimony, because they spoke of what they had actually seen.

We believe in him though we have not seen him, and we await his return. Whoever waits for him in faith will rejoice when he comes, but those without faith will be put to shame at the appearance of what they cannot at present see. Then let us abide in his words, so that his coming may not put us to shame. In the gospel he himself says to those who have believed in him: "If you persevere in my word, you will truly be my disciples." And to their unspoken question, "What will it profit us?", he adds: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

At present we possess our salvation in hope, not in fact; we do not yet possess what we have been promised, but we hope to do so in the future. The one who promised it is faithful; he will not deceive you, so long as you wait for his promised gift without growing weary. The truth cannot possibly deceive. Make sure then that you yourself are not a liar, professing one thing and doing another; keep faith with him, and he will keep his word to you. If you do not keep faith, it will be you who deceive yourself, not he who made the promise.

"If you know that he is righteous, you can be sure that everyone who acts rightly is born of him." Our righteousness in this life comes through faith. None but the angels are perfectly righteous, and they have only a shadow of righteousness in comparison with God. Nevertheless, if there is any perfect righteousness to be found in the souls and spirits created by God, it is in the holy angels who are good and just, who have not fallen away from God nor been thrust out of heaven by their pride. They abide forever in the contemplation of God's word and find their happiness in nothing apart from him who made them. In these is found the perfection of righteousness, but in us righteousness has its beginning through faith, as the Spirit leads us.