“For in times of old, heaven was utterly inaccessible to mortals, and no flesh yet had ever traveled that pure and all-holy realm of the angels. But Christ was the first who consecrated for us the means of access to himself and granted to flesh a way of entrance into heaven. He did this by presenting himself as an offering to God the Father, the first fruits of those who are asleep (1 Cor. 15:20) and are lying in the tomb, and by presenting himself as the first human being that ever appeared in heaven.… For Christ, did not ascend on high in order to present himself before the presence of God the Father. He always was and is and will be continually in the Father, in the sight of him who begat him.” – St Cyril of Alexandria