Aelred of Rievaulx on the Ascension and Pentecost

The second reading at the Roman Office of Readings for Pentecost was this one from St Irenaeus. The monastic equivalent of the Office of Readings (Mattins/Vigils) has different texts, and I discovered from Dom Donald's blog that the second reading at Sancta Maria Abbey at Nunraw in Scotland (Cistercian) was this rather wonderful extract from a sermon by St Aelred of Rievaulx, whose ninth centenary is being celebrated this year.

I was particularly struck by this paragraph:

Before this day the Spirit had not been given, for Jesus was not yet glorified, but today he came forth from his heavenly throne to give himself in all his abundant riches to the human race, so that the divine outpouring might pervade the whole wide world and be manifested in a variety of spiritual endowments.

It is surely right that this overflowing delight should come down to us from heaven, since it was heaven that a few days earlier received from our fertile earth a fruit of wonderful sweetness.

When has our land ever yielded a fruit more pleasant, sweeter, holier, or more delectable? Indeed, faithfulness has sprung up from the earth.

A few days ago we sent Christ on ahead to the heavenly kingdom, so that in all fairness we might have in return whatever heaven held that should be sweet to our desire.

The full sweetness of earth is Christ's humanity, the full sweetness of heaven Christ's Spirit.

Thus a more profitable bargain was struck: Christ's human nature ascended from us to heaven, and on us today Christ's Spirit has come down.