"Whether the married couple remains a small dyad standing at the intersection of larger kin groups, or whether they begin a new home and family of their own, what is at stake in terms of the Gospel is the manner in which this foundation of a new locus of love, a home, becomes a place where the Gospel injunctions are fulfilled: to clothe the naked, to instruct the ignorant, to heal the sorrowing, to feed the hungry.

At His Ascension, Christ had the wounds of the Cross on His Body and he is on the Throne of the Father with these. Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite collected Patristic passages in which one can see why Christ after His Resurrection left on His Body the wounds made by the nails and the spear, while He could have healed them. He gave five reasons.

Our path, brothers and sisters, by which we, too, can attain the heights of holy glory, is the same path by which our Lord ascended in glory; that is, the way of the Cross, the way of purification, self-denial, the way of exterior and interior sufferings. Will we remember this? And in remembering it, will we travel Christ's path to Heaven?

Perhaps the rest of Psalm 23 is loftier than the Gospel teaching. The Lord's Gospel offers a way of living upon the earth and tells of that return which the noble Prophet sets out upon. Corporeal burdens do not oppress him and has joined himself to the transcendent powers whose voices proclaim to us that the Lord has advanced to His Throne surrounded by the Angels. While present upon the earth they adjured men to enter when saying: "Lift up your ancient gates and be lifted up ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter" (Psalm 23:7).

"Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! So when He saw them, He said to them, 'Go show yourselves to the priests.' And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?' And He said to him, 'Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well" (St. Luke 17:11-19).

Today the Church celebrates your reign, and she rejoices mystically, O King. As she rightly honors your all-venerable memory, she sings hymns of praise to you, and she salutes you and says "Rejoice! You zealously emulated Saint Paul, you took up the Cross of Christ, and you crushed the snares of the enemy. Rejoice! Most excellent of rulers, and equal in honor to Apostles. Rejoice! You were the support of the faithful and the rampart of emperors. O blessed Constantine, the adornment of Emperors, never cease interceding with the  Lord on our behalf, for you have great access to Him.