23rd of KIAHK lectionary explanation

FAST OF THE NATIVITY 2010

http://www.4shared.com/dir/Cx7npXlt/Fast_of_the_Nativity_2010.html


38th day of the fast
Saturday the 1st of January 2011
the 23rd of Kiahk 1727

http://www.4shared.com/document/A1SbK41c/38_Saturday.html



Vespers gospel text
LUKE 11:37-51
37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation


VESPERS Explanation of LUKE 11:37-51 by saint KYRELLOS I the 24th patriarch of Alexandria
SERMON LXXXIII.
11:37-41. And as He was speaking, a certain Pharisee besought Him to dine with him: and He went in and lay down to meat. But the Pharisee, when he saw it, wondered that He had not first washed before dinner. But the Lord said unto him, Now do you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the dish,, but that which is within you is full of rapine and wickedness. O you little-minded, did not He Who made that which is without, make that which is within also? But whatever there is give as alms, and behold! every thing is clean unto you.
THE very wise Paul truly tells us, that "Christ came into the world to save sinners." For this was His aim, and for this purpose He humbled Himself to the emptying of His glory, and appeared upon earth in the flesh, and conversed with men. For it was right, that as being the Creator and Lord of all, He should give a saving hand to those who had fallen into sin, and show unto them that were wandering in error, a pathway that would lead them straight unto every good work, and the excellence of virtuous deeds. And it is said somewhere also by one of the holy prophets, concerning those who have been called by faith to the knowledge of His glory "And they shall be all taught of God." How, therefore, does He lead us into every thing that is useful? By humbling Himself to be with sinners, and condescending sometimes even to those things that He would not, that so He might save many. That this was the case we may see by the lessons from the gospel now set before us; for one of the Pharisees, it says, besought Him to dine at His house: "and He went in, and lay down to meat." And yet how is it not plain to every one, that the gang of the Pharisees were always wicked and impure, hateful to God, and envious, ready for anger, of innate pride, and ever bold of speech against Christ the Saviour of us all? For they found fault with His divine miracles, and gathering wicked troops of counsellors, plotted His death. How then |379 did He become their guest? Was He not aware of their maliciousness? But how can this be safely affirmed? For as God He knowcth all things. What therefore is the explanation? It is this, that He was especially anxious to admonish them, therein resembling the most excellent physicians. For they apply the remedies of their are to those who are most dangerously ill, struggling against the disease under which they suffer, and assuaging its cruel attacks. As they therefore without restraint gave way to an infatuated mind, it was necessary for Christ to speak unto them what was requisite and useful for their salvation. For as He Himself somewhere says, "He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." And again He also said, that "they who are whole need not a physician, but they who are sick."
The Pharisee therefore for some purpose of his own invites Him to an entertainment: and the Saviour of all submits, as I said, to this, for the economy's sake. But He made the matter an opportunity of giving instruction, not consuming the time of their meeting in the enjoyment of food and delicacies, but in the task of making those more virtuous who were assembled there. And the dull Pharisee himself supplied an occasion for His discourse, for "he wondered," it says, "that He had not washed before dinner." Did he then wonder at Him, as having done something of which he approved, as being especially worthy of the saints? This was not his view: how could it be? On the contrary he was offended, because having the reputation among them of a righteous man and a prophet, He did not conform Himself to their unreasonable customs. For they washed before meat, as though they so freed themselves from all pollution. But this was very absurd. For the washing with water is highly useful for those who are unclean in body; but how can it free men from the defilement of the mind and heart?
Our argument however is this: O foolish Pharisee, you boast much of your knowledge of the sacred Scriptures: you are ever quoting the law of Moses. Tell us therefore where Moses gave you this precept? What commandment can you mention, ordained by God, requiring men to wash before meat? The waters of sprinkling were indeed given by the command of Moses for the cleansing of corporeal |380 uncleanness, as being a type of the baptism which really is holy and cleansing, even that in Christ. Those also who were called to the priesthood were bathed in water: for so did the divine Moses bathe Aaron, and the Levites with him, the law thereby declaring by means of the baptism enacted in type and shadow, that even its priesthood had not that which suffices for sanctification, but, on the contrary, needs divine and holy baptism for the true cleansing: and further, beautifully showing us that the Saviour of all is sufficient to sanctify and cleanse from all defilement, by means of holy and precious baptism, ourselves, who are the generation consecrated to and elect of God. Plainly however, he nowhere commands it as a duty to wash before eating. Why therefore do you wonder, or for what reason are you offended, O Pharisee? He Who Himself spoke it in old time has not violated the precept of Moses: and, as I said, the law, which you makea profession of honouring, has nowhere given you any such commandment.
But what said the Saviour? He most opportunely rebuked them, saying, "Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup, and the dish; but that which is within you is full of rapine and wickedness." For it would have been easy for the Lord to have used other words with the view of instructing the foolish Pharisee, but He found an opportunity, and, so to speak, connects His teaching with what was before their eyes. For as it was the time of eating, and of sitting at table, He takes as a plain comparison the cup and the dish, and shows that those who sincerely serve God must be pure and clean, not only from bodily impurity, but also from that hidden within in the mind; just, for instance, as those utensils also that serve the table must be cleansed both from those impurities that are on the outside, and also as well from those that are within. "For He who made," He says, "that which is without, made also that which is within:" by which is meant, that He Who created the body made also the soul. As therefore they are both the works of one virtue-loving God, their purification must be uniform.
But this was not the practice of the Scribes and Pharisees; for so far as the mere reputation went of being clean, they were anxious to do every thing. They went about with sad |381 looks, as though pale from fasting; and as the Saviour says, "made broad the hems of their robes, and widened their phylacteries, and stood in the streets and prayed, that they might be seen of many," wishing rather to have praise of men than God, and to carry off the applause of the spectators. And, to speak briefly, while they exhibited themselves to the lookers on as the very pattern of the life of virtue that is by the law, they in every possible way withdrew from being lovers of God. "Whitened sepulchres were they," as the Saviour said, "which on the outside are beautiful, but inside are full of bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness." But Christ wills not that we be such as these, but rather spiritual worshippers, holy and without blame both in soul and body. For one also of our communion said, "Cleanse your hands you sinners, and sanctify your hearts, you double-minded." And the prophet David somewhere sings, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." And again the prophet Isaiah speaks as in the person of God, "Wash you, make you clean; put away iniquities from your souls from before My eyes. Cease from your iniquities." Observe the exactness of the expression: for His words are, "From before My eyes put away iniquities from your souls." For the wicked do sometimes escape the eyes of men, but never can they escape those of God. It is our duty therefore, inasmuch as God sees what is secret, to put away wickedness from before His eyes.
But the Pharisees had no knowledge of any such method of virtuous living: what medicine therefore did the Saviour offer them after His rebukes? How did He Who struck them make them whole? "Whatever you have," He says, " give as alms: and lo! every thing is pure unto you." And yet we affirm that there are many ways of virtuous conduct, such for instance as meekness, humility, and other kindred virtues: why therefore did He omit these, and command them to be |382 compassionate? What answer do we make to this? The Pharisees then were exceedingly avaricious, and the slaves of base gains, and accumulated with greedy hand stores of wealth. For the God of all even somewhere said concerning them, "How has the faithful city Zion, that was full of judgment, become a harlot! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers! Your silver is adulterate; your merchants mingle the wine with water; your princes are disobedient, the partners of thieves, loving bribes, running after recompense; they judge not the fatherless, and regard not the suit of the widow." He purposely therefore had regard to that malady which had possession of them, and tears their avarice up by the root, that being delivered from its wickedness, and attaining to purity in mind and heart, they might become true worshippers.
The Saviour therefore in all these things acted in accordance with the plan of salvation; and being invited to a banquet, bestowed spiritual food, not only upon His entertainer, but upon all those who were feasting with Him. And let us too pray Him for this spiritual food; for "He is that living Bread, which came down from heaven, and gives life unto the world:" by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever, Amen. |383
SERMON LXXXIV.
11:42-44. But woe unto you, Pharisees! who tithe mint and rue and all herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God. But these things ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for you love the uppermost seat in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you! for you are as those graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them know it not.
THOSE who are exact observers of the sacred commandments do not venture in any way whatsoever to offend the God of all. For they feel the truth of what is written, "That whosoever shall keep the whole law, but shall offend in one particular, becomes guilty of all. For He Who said, You shall not commit adultery, said also, You shall not kill. If then you do not commit adultery, but yet kill, you are become a transgressor of the law." The transgression therefore of one commandment transgresses the law, that is, proves the man to be without the law. But when any one disregards those commandments, which especially are important above the rest, what words will he find able to save him from deserved punishment? That the Pharisees then merited these severe censures, the Lord proved against them, saying, "Woe unto you, Pharisees! who tithe mint and rue and all herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God. These things ought you to have done, and not to pass by the other, that is, to leave them undone." For while they omitted, as of no importance, those duties which they were especially bound to practice, as, for instance, judgment and the love of God, they carefully and scrupulously observed, or rather commanded the people subject to their authority to observe, those commandments only which were a way and means of great revenues for themselves. |384
Put more fully to explain these things to you, my beloved, I must speak as follows. The law of Moses commanded tithes to be offered to the priests by the Israelites. For it spoke thus; "The sons of Levi shall have no inheritance among the children of Israel. The offerings of the Lord are their inheritance." For whatsoever was offered by any one for the glory of God, on the score I mean of tithe, this God set apart for those whose office it was to minister; and this was their inheritance. But inasmuch as the Pharisees above all others were covetous, and fond of disgraceful gains, they commanded that this law of tithing should be observed carefully and scrupulously, so as not even to omit the most paltry and insignificant herbs; while they carelessly disregarded what they ought to have observed, namely, the more essential commandments given by Moses; such, for instance, as judgment, by which is meant justice in passing judgment, and the love of God. For it would have been a just judgment, and an upright sentence, to have considered every thing that was commanded deserving of equal care and attention, and not to neglect things of primary importance, while they paid a scrupulous regard to those only which were to their profit. And the effect of love to God would have been to avoid making Him angry in any respect, and to dread the violation of any part whatsoever of the law.
Or to put it in another light, one may say, that judgment would have been to decree just sentences, and to make upon no matter whatsoever an unfair decision. And this too was disregarded by the Pharisees; for the Spirit rebuked them by the voice of David, thus saying, "God arose in the congregation of the Gods, and in the midst of the Gods He judges. How long will you judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?" He accused them also by the voice of Isaiah, saying, "How has the faithful city Zion, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver is adulterate: your merchants mingle the wine with water: your princes are disobedient, the partners of thieves, loving bribes, running after recompense: they judge not the fatherless, and regard not the suit of the widow." For to judge unjustly is not the part of those who practice love to the brethren, but the crime rather |385 of an iniquitous mind, and a plain proof of a falling away into sin. While therefore you tithe mint, He says, and rue, and every herb, and ordain that the commandment upon these points is to be strictly kept, you deign to give no attention to the weightier matters of the law, to those commandments, I mean, which are more especially necessary and beneficial to the soul, and by means of which you might prove yourselves honourable and holy, and full of such praises as become those whose desire it is to love God, and please Him.
And He adds yet another woe to those already spoken, saying, "Woe unto you, Pharisees, who love the uppermost seat in the synagogues, and greetings in the market places," Is then this reproof useful to the Pharisees only? Not so: for the benefit of it extends even unto us: for by the rebukes He addressed to them, He effects also our improvement. For true it is, that those who are perfect in mind, and lovers of upright conduct, find in the rebukes of others the means of their own safety. For they of course avoid imitating them, and do not expose themselves to being caught in similar faults. The accusation therefore which Christ brings against the Pharisees, that they seek for greetings in the market places, and the uppermost seats in the synagogues, or meetings, shows that they were fond of praise, and wont to indulge themselves in empty ostentation, and an absurd superciliousness. And what can be worse than this? or how must not such conduct be hateful to every man, as being boastful and annoying, and destitute of the praises of virtue, and intent solely upon stealing the reputation of being honourable. And how must not he be incomparably superior to men thus disposed, who is poor in spirit, and gentle, and affable; not loving boasting, but courteous; not deceiving men by outside and fictitious disguises, but being rather a true worshipper, and adorned with that rational beauty which the divine Word imprints in us by means of all virtue and holiness and righteousness.
For if we must prove ourselves better than others,----and there is nothing to prevent this,----let the sentence of superiority be given us of God, by our excelling them in point of conduct and morals, and in a wise and blameless knowledge of the sacred scriptures. For to be saluted by others, and seated higher |386 than one's friends, does not at all prove us to be persons of merit: for this is possessed by many, who, so far from being virtuous, are rather lovers of pleasure, and lovers of sin. For they wrest honours from every one, because of their possessing either vast wealth or worldly power.
But that our being admired by others without investigation and inconsiderately, and without their knowing our real state, does not at all make us elect in the presence of God, Who knows all things, the Saviour at once demonstrates by Saying; "Woe unto you, for you are as those graves which appear not, and the men who walk over them know it not," Observe, I pray, very clearly the force of the example. Those who desire to be saluted by every one in the marketplace, and anxiously consider it a great matter to have the foremost seats in the synagogues, differ in no respect from graves that appear not, which on the outside are beautifully adorned, but are full of all impurity. See here, I pray, that hypocrisy is utterly blamed: for it is a hateful malady, both towards God and men. For whatsoever the hypocrite seems, and is thought to be, that he is not: but he borrows, so to speak, the reputation of goodness, and thereby accuses his real baseness: for the very thing which he praises and admires, he will not practise. But it is a thing impossible for you long to hide your hypocrisy: for just as the figures painted in pictures fall off, as time dries up the colours, so also hypocrisies, after escaping observation for a very little time, are soon convicted of being really nothing.
We then must be true worshippers, and not as wishing to please men, lest we fall from being servants of Christ. For so the blessed Paul somewhere speaks; "For now do I persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." For suppositions in matters of moral excellence are simply ridiculous, and worthy neither of account nor admiration. For just as in gold coins, that which is counterfeit and faulty is rejected, so the hypocrite is regarded with scorn both by God and men. But he who is |387 true meets with admiration; just, for instance, as Nathaniel, of whom Christ said, "Behold one truly an Israelite, in whom is no guile." He who is such is esteemed before God; he is counted worthy of crowns and honours; has a glorious hope given him; and is "a fellow-citizen with the saints, and of the household of God."
Let us therefore flee from the malady of hypocrisy: and may there rather dwell within us a pure and uncorrupt mind, resplendent with glorious virtues. For this will unite us unto Christ; by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever, Amen. |388
SERMON LXXXV.
11:45-48. Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto Him, Teacher, in saying these things you reproach us also. And He said, Also unto you, lawyers, woe! for you burden men with burdens heavy and grievous to be borne; and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for you build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Therefore you bear witness, and approve of the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchres.
REPROOF is ever, so to speak, a thing difficult for any man to bear: but it is not without profit to the soberminded: for it leads them to the duty of performing those things which make them worthy of honour, and lovers of virtuous pursuits. But those who run into wickedness with all eagerness, and whose heart is set against admonition, are hurried into greater sins by the very things that should have made them more soberminded, and are only hardened by the words of those who try to benefit them. And, as an example of this state of mind, behold those who among the Jews were called lawyers. For the Saviour of all was rebuking the Pharisees, as men that were wandering far from the right way, and fallen into unbecoming practices. For He blamed them as being boasters, as hypocrites, as loving greetings in the markets, and as wishing to sit in front of everybody else in the synagogues: and He further called them "whited sepulchres, which on the outside are beautiful, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all impurity." At these things the band of wicked lawyers was indignant, and one of them stood up to controvert the Saviour's declarations, and said; "Teacher, in saying these things, You reproach us also." Oh what great ignorance! what blindness in mind and understanding unto every thing necessary! These men subject themselves to blame: or rather the force of truth showed them to be liable to the same accusations as the Pharisees, and of one mind with them, and partners of their |389 evil deeds, if they thus consider that what Christ said unto the others was spoken also against them. For tell me, for what reason are you angry? When any reproof is addressed to the Pharisees, you say that you are reproached. You confess therefore your deeds. You are conscious, of course, to thyself of being a similar character. But if you consider it a reproach for ought of this sort to be said of you, and nevertheless do not alter your behaviour, it is your own conduct you are found blaming. If you hate reproof as being a reproach, show thyself superior to the faults with which you are charged: or rather do not regard as a reproach the word of correction. Do you not see that those who heal the bodies of men converse with the sick upon the causes which have brought on their maladies, and use pungent drugs to counteract what has happened: but no one is angry with them on this account, or regards what they say as a reproach. But you are weak-minded in bearing admonitions, nor consent to learn what those passions are which are bringing injury to your heart. Far better would it be to love reproof, and ask for deliverance from your maladies, and healing for the ulcers of your soul. Far better were it rather to say, "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed: save me, and I shall be saved: for You are my praise."
Nothing however of this sort enters the mind of the lawyers, but they venture even to say; "In speaking these things, You reproach us also:" ignorantly giving the name of reproach to a reproof which was for their benefit and advantage. What then does Christ reply? He makes His reproof yet more severe, and humbles their empty pride, thus saying; "Also to you, lawyers, woe! for you burden men with burdens heavy and grievous to be borne: and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." He frames His argument against them out of a plain example. For the law was confessedly grievous to the Israelites, as the divine disciples also acknowledged. For they even rebuked those who were endeavouring to make such as had already believed desire to return to the legal ritual: for they said; "And now why tempt you God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? And the Saviour Himself taught us this, crying out and saying; "Come |390 unto Me, all you weary, and heavy laden; and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your-selves." Weary then and heavy laden are those, He says, who are under the law: while He calls Himself meek, as though the law had nothing in it of this character. For, as Paul says; "Whosoever has despised Moses' law is put to death without mercy at the mouth of two or three witnesses." Woe to you, therefore, He says, O lawyers: for while you bind burdens grievous to be borne, and intolerable to carry, and lay them on those who are under the law, you yourselves will not touch them. For while commanding that the ordinance of Moses should be kept inviolate, and passing sentence of death upon any who despise it, they themselves paid not the slightest heed to the duty of performing its precepts. As accustomed thus to act, the wise Paul also rebukes them, saying; "Behold you are called a Jew, and rest in the law, and make your boast of God; and know His will, and discern the things that are more excellent, being instructed by the law; and are confident of thyself, that you are a guide of the blind; an instructor of those without understanding; a teacher of babes; and that you have the form of knowledge and of truth in the law. You therefore that teach others, teach you not thyself? you that say that men should not steal, do you steal? you that say that men should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? And you that despise idols, do you plunder the sanctuary? And you that boast in the law, by the transgression of the law despise you God?" For the teacher is rejected with infamy when his conduct does not agree with his words. Upon him our Saviour also passes the sentence of severe punishment: "for whosoever," He says, "has taught and done, shall be called great: but whosoever shall teach and not do, he shall " be called small in the kingdom of heaven." And for the same reason the disciple of the Saviour also writes to us; "Let there not be many teachers among you, my brethren; knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we all of us commit wrong."
And having thus shown the worthlessness of this abominable crew of lawyers, He goes on to utter a common reproof to all |391 the chiefs of the Jews: "Woe unto you! for you build the sepulchres of the prophets: and your fathers killed them. Therefore you bear witness, and approve of the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchres." Let us then carefully examine what the Saviour means; for what wicked act can we say that they were guilty of in building the tombs of the saints? Were they not rather doing them distinguished honour? What doubt can there be of this? It is necessary therefore to see what it is which Christ teaches us. The ancestors then of the Jews had from time to time put the holy prophets to death, when bringing them the word of God, and leading them unto the right way: but their descendants, acknowledging that the prophets were holy and venerable men, built over them sepulchres or tombs, as bestowing upon them an honour suitable to the saints. Their fathers therefore slew them; but they, as believing that they were prophets and holy men. became the judges of those that slew them. For by determining to pay honour to those who had been put to death, they thereby accused the others of having done wrongfully. But they, who condemned their fathers for such cruel murders, were about to incur the guilt of equal crimes, and to commit the same, or rather more abominable offences. For they slew the Prince of Life, the Saviour and Deliverer of all: and added also to their wickedness towards Him other abominable murders. For Stephen was put to death, not as being accused of any thing base, but rather for admonishing them, and speaking unto them what is contained in the inspired Scriptures. And other crimes besides were committed by them against every saint who preached unto them the Gospel message of salvation.
The lawyers therefore and Pharisees were reproved in every way, as being haters of God, and boastful, and lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God: and as everywhere hating to be saved. For this reason Christ added always that word "woe," as something peculiarly theirs: by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever, Amen. |392 |393

MATINES ON THE TRANSFIGURATION
Matthew 17:1-9
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.


MATINES GOSPEL
EXPLANATION BY SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
HOMILY LVI.

MATT. XVI. 28.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, There are some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Thus, inasmuch as He had discoursed much of dangers and death, and of His own passion, and of the slaughter of the disciples, and had laid on them those severe injunctions; and these were in the present life and at hand, but the good things in hope and expectation:--for example, "They save their life who lose it;" "He is coming in the glory of His Father;" "He renders His rewards: "--He willing to assure their very sight, and to show what kind of glory that is wherewith He is to come, so far as it was possible for them to learn it; even in their present life He shows and reveals this; that they should not grieve any more, either over their own death, or over that of their Lord, and especially Peter in His sorrow.

And see what He doth. Having discoursed of hell,(1) and of the kingdom (for as well by saying, "He that findeth his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose it for my sake, shall find it; "(2) as by saying, "He shall reward every man according to his works,"(3) He had manifested both of these): having, I say, spoken of both, the kingdom indeed He shows in the vision, but hell not yet.
Why so? Because had they been another kind of people, of a grosser sort, this too would have been necessary; but since they are approved and considerate, He leads them on the gentler way. But not therefore only doth He make this disclosure, but because to Himself also it was far more suitable.
Not however that He passes over this subject either, but in some places He almost brings even before our eyes the very realities of hell; as when He introduces the picture of Lazarus, and mentions him that exacted the hundred pence, and him that was clad in the filthy garments, and others not a few.

2. "And after six days He taketh with Him Peter and James and John.(4)
Now another says, "after eight,"(5) not contradicting this writer, but most fully agreeing with him. For the one expressed both the very day on which He spake, and that on which He led them up; but the other, the days between them only.
But mark thou, I pray thee, the severe goodness of Matthew, not concealing those who were preferred to himself. This John also often doth, recording the peculiar praises of Peter with great sincerity. For the choir of these holy men was everywhere pure from envy and vainglory.
Having taken therefore the leaders, "He bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was(6) white as the light. And there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.(7)

Wherefore doth He take with Him these only? Because these were superior to the rest. And Peter indeed showed his superiority by exceedingly loving Him; but John by being exceedingly loved of Him; and James again by his answer which he answered with his brother, saying, "We are able to drink the cup;(8) nor yet by his answer only, but also by his works; both by the rest of them, and by fulfilling, what he said. For so earnest was he, and grievous to the Jews, that Herod himself supposed that he had bestowed herein a very great favor on the Jews, I mean in slaying him.
But wherefore doth He not lead them up straightway? To spare the other disciples any feeling of human weakness: for which cause He omits also the names of them that are to go up. And this, because the rest would have desired exceedingly to have followed, being to see a pattern of that glory; and would have been pained, as overlooked. For though it was somewhat in a corporeal way that He made the disclosure, yet nevertheless the thing had much in it to be desired.

Wherefore then doth He at all foretell it? That they might be readier to seize the high meaning, by His foretelling it; and being filled with the more vehement desire in that round of days, might so be present with their mind quite awake and full of care.
3. But wherefore doth He also bring forward Moses and Elias? One might mention many reasons. And first of all this: because the multitudes said He was, some Elias, some Jeremias, some one of the old prophets, He brings the leaders of His choir, that they might see the difference even hereby between the servants and the Lord; and that Peter was rightly commended for confessing Him Son of God.
But besides that, one may mention another reason also: that because men were continually accusing Him of transgressing the law, and accounting Him to be a blasphemer, as appropriating to Himself a glory which belonged not to Him, even the Father's, and were saying, "This Man is not of God, because He keepeth not the Sabbath day;"(1) and again, "For a good work we stone Thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God:"(2) that both the charges might be shown to spring from envy, and He be proved not liable to either; and that neither is His conduct a transgression of the law, nor His calling Himself equal to the Father an appropriation of glory not His own; He brings forward them who had shone out in each of these respects: Moses, because he gave the law, and the Jews might infer that he would not have overlooked its being trampled on, as they supposed, nor have shown respect to the transgressor of it, and the enemy of its founder: Elias too for his part was jealous for the glory of God, and were any man an adversary of God, and calling himself God, making himself equal to the Father, while he was not what he said, and had no right to do so; he was not the person to stand by, and hearken unto him.

And one may mention another reason also, with those which have been spoken of. Of what kind then is it? To inform them that He hath power both of death and life, is ruler both above and beneath. For this cause He brings forward both him that had died, and him that never yet suffered this.
But the fifth motive, (for it is a fifth, besides those that have been mentioned), even the evangelist himself hath revealed. Now what was this? To show the glory of the cross, and to console Peter and the others in their dread of the passion, and to raise up their minds. Since having come, they by no means held their peace, but "spake," it is said, "of the glory(3) which He was to accomplish at Jerusalem;(4)" that is, of the passion, and the cross; for so they call it always.
And not thus only did He cheer them, but also by the excellency itself of the men, being such as He was especially requiring from themselves. I mean, that having said, "If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross, and follow me;" them that had died ten thousand times for God's decrees, and the people entrusted to them, these persons He sets before them. Because each of these, having lost his life, found it. For each of them both spake boldly unto tyrants, the one to the Egyptian, the other to Ahab; and in behalf of heartless and disobedient men; and by the very persons who were saved by them, they were brought into extreme danger; and each of them wishing to withdraw men from idolatry; and each being unlearned; for the one was of a "slow tongue,"(5) and dull of speech, and the other for his part also somewhat of the rudest in his bearing: and of voluntary poverty both were very strict observers; for neither had Moses made any gain, nor had Elias aught more than his sheepskin; and this under the old law, and when they had not received so great a gift of miracles. For what if Moses clave a sea? yet Peter walked on the water, and was able to remove mountains, and used to work cures of all manner of bodily diseases, and to drive away savage demons, and by the shadow of his body to work those wonderful and great prodigies; and changed the whole world. And if Elias too raised a dead man, yet these raised ten thousand; and this before the spirit was as yet vouchsafed to them. He brings them forward accordingly for this cause also. For He would have them emulate their winning ways toward the people, and their presence of mind and inflexibility; and that they should be meek like Moses, and jealous for God like Elias, and full of tender care, as they were. For the one endured a famine of three years for the Jewish people; and the other said, "If thou wilt forgive them their sin, forgive; else blot me too out of the book, which thou hast written."(6) Now of all this He was reminding them by the vision.

For He brought those in glory too, not that these should stay where they were, but that they might even surpass their limitary lines. For example, when they said, "Should we command fire to come down from heaven," and made mention of Elias as having done so, He saith, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of;"(7) training them to forbearance by the superiority in their gift.
And let none suppose us to condemn Elias as imperfect; we say not this; for indeed he was exceedingly perfect, but in his own times, when the mind of men was in some degree childish, and they needed this kind of schooling. Since Moses too was in this respect perfect; nevertheless these have more required of them than he. For "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no ease enter into the kingdom of Heaven."(1) For not into Egypt did they enter, but into the whole world, worse disposed than the Egyptians; neither were they to speak with Pharaoh, but to fight hand to hand with the devil, the very prince of wickedness. Yea, and their appointed struggle was, both to bind him, and to spoil all his goods; and this they did cleaving not the sea, but an abyss of ungodliness, through the rod of Jesse,--an abyss having waves far more grievous. See at any rate how many things there were to put the men in fear; death, poverty, dishonor, their innumerable sufferings; and at these things they trembled more than the Jews of old at that sea. But nevertheless against all these things He persuaded them boldly to venture, and to pass as along dry ground with all security.

To train them therefore for all this, He brought forward those who shone forth under the old law.
4. What then saith the ardent Peter? "It is good for us to be here."(2) For because he had heard that Christ was to go to Jerusalem and to suffer, being in fear still and trembling for Him, even after His reproof, he durst not indeed approach and say the same thing again, "Be it far from thee;(3) but from that fear obscurely intimates the same again in other words. That is, when he saw a mountain, and so great retirement and solitude, his thought was, "He hath great security here, even from the place; and not only from the place, but also from His going away no more unto Jerusalem." For he would have Him be there continually: wherefore also he speaks of "tabernacles." For "if this may be," saith he, "we shall not go up to Jerusalem; and if we go not up, He will not die, for there He said the scribes would set upon Him."

But thus indeed he durst not speak; but desiring however to order things so, he said undoubtingly, "It is good for us to be here," where Moses also is present, and Elias; Elias who brought down fire on the mountain, and Moses who entered into the thick darkness, and talked with God; and no one will even know where we are."
Seest thou the ardent lover of Christ? For look not now at this, that the manner of his exhortation was not well weighed, but see how ardent he was, how burning his affection to Christ. For in proof that not so much out of fear for himself he said these things, hear what he saith, when Christ was declaring beforehand His future death, and the assault upon Him: "I will lay down my life for Thy sake.(4) Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee.(5)
And see how even in the very midst of the actual dangers he counselled amiss(6) for himself. We know that when so great a multitude encompassed them, so far from flying, he even drew the sword, and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. To such a degree did he disregard his own interest, and fear for his Master. Then because he had spoken as affirming a fact, he checks himself, and thinking, what if he should be again reproved, he saith, "If Thou wilt, let us make(7) here three tabernacles, one for Thee and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

What sayest thou, O Peter? didst thou not a little while since distinguish Him from the servants? Art thou again numbering Him with the servants? Seest thou how exceedingly imperfect they were before the crucifixion? For although the Father had revealed it to him, yet he did not always retain the revelation, but was troubled by his alarm; not this only, which I have mentioned, but another also, arising from that sight. In fact, the other evangelists, to declare this, and to indicate that the confusion of his mind, with which he spake these things, arose from that alarm, said as follows; mark, "He wist not what to say, for they were sore afraid;"(8) but Luke after his saying, "Let us make three tabernacles," added, "not knowing what he said."(9) Then to show that he was holden with great fear, both he and the rest, he saith, "They were heavy with sleep, and when they were awake they saw His glory;"(10) meaning by deep sleep here, the deep stupor engendered in them by that vision. For as eyes are darkened by an excessive splendor, so at that time also did they feel. For it was not, I suppose, night, but day; and the exceeding greatness of the light weighed down the infirmity of their eyes.

5. What then? He Himself speaks nothing, nor Moses, nor Elias, but He that is greater than all, and more worthy of belief, the Father, uttereth a voice out of the cloud.
Wherefore out of the cloud? Thus doth God ever appear. "For a cloud and darkness are round about Him;"(1) and, "He sitteth on a light cloud;"(2) and again, "Who maketh clouds His chariot;"(3) and, "A cloud received Him out of their sight;"(4) and, "As the Son of Man coming in the clouds."(5)
In order then that they might believe that the voice proceeds from God, it comes from thence.
And the cloud was bright. For "while he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and, behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him."(6)

For as, when He threatens, He shows a dark cloud;--as on Mount Sinai; for "Moses," it is said, "entered into the cloud, and into the thick darkness; and as a vapor, so went up the smoke;"(7) and the prophet said, when speaking of His threatening, "Dark water in clouds of the air;"(8)--so here, because it was His desire not to alarm, but to teach, it is a bright cloud.
And whereas Peter had said "Let us make three tabernacles," He showed a tabernacle not made with hands. Wherefore in that case it was smoke, and vapor of a furnace; but in this, light unspeakable and a voice.
Then, to signify that not merely concerning some one of the three was it spoken, but; concerning Christ only; when the voice was uttered, they were taken away. For by no means, had it been spoken merely concerning any one of them, would this man have remained alone, the two being severed from Him.

Why then did not the cloud likewise receive Christ alone, but all of them together? If it had received Christ alone, He would have been thought to have Himself uttered the voice. Wherefore also the evangelist, making sure this same point, saith, that the voice was from the cloud, that is, from God.
And what saith the voice? "This is my beloved Son." Now if He is beloved, fear not thou, O Peter. For thou oughtest indeed to know His power already, and to be fully assured touching His resurrection; but since; thou knowest not, at least from the voice of the Father take courage. For if God be mighty, as surely He is mighty, very evidently the Son is so likewise. Be not afraid then of those fearful things.
But if as yet thou receive it not, consider at least that other fact, that He is both a Son, and is beloved. For "This," it is said, "is My beloved Son." Now if He is beloved, fear not. For no one gives up one whom he loves. Be not thou therefore confounded; though thou lovest Him beyond measure, thou lovest Him not as much as He that begat Him.

"In whom I am well pleased." For not because He begat Him only, doth He love Him, but because He is also equal to Him in all respects, and of one mind with Him. So that the charm of love is twofold, or rather even threefold, because He is the Son, because He is beloved, because in Him He is well pleased.
But what means, "In whom I am well pleased?" As though He had said," In whom I am refreshed, in whom I take delight;" because He is in all respects perfectly equal with Himself, and there is but one will in Him and in the Father, and though He continue a Son, He is in all respects one with the Father.
"Hear ye Him." So that although He choose to be crucified, you are not to oppose Him.
6. "And when they heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only."(9)

How was it that, when they heard these words, they were dismayed? And yet before this also a like voice was uttered at Jordan, and a multitude was present, and no one felt anything of the kind; and afterwards again, when also they said, "It thundered, .... yet neither at that time did they experience anything like this. How then did they fall down in the mount? Because there was solitude, and height. and great quietness, and a transfiguration full of awe, and a pure light, and a cloud stretched out; all which things put them in great alarm. And the amazement came thick on every side, and they fell down both in fear at once and in adoration.
But that the fear abiding so long might not drive out their recollection, presently He puts an end to their alarm, and is seen Himself alone, and commands them to tell no man this, until He is risen from the dead.

For "as they came down from the mount, He charged them to tell the vision to no man, until He were risen from the dead."(11) For the greater the things spoken of Him, the harder to be received by the generality at that time; and the offense also from the cross was the more increased thereby.
Therefore He bids them hold their peace; and not merely so, but He again reminds them of the passion, and all but tells them also the cause, for which indeed He requires them to keep silence. For He did not, you see, command them never to tell any man, but "until He were risen from the dead." And saying nothing of the painful part, He expresses the good only.
What then? Would they not afterwards be offended? By no means. For the point required was the time before the crucifixion. Since afterwards they both had the spirit vouchsafed them, and the voice that proceeded from the miracles pleading with them, and whatsoever they said was thenceforth easy to be received, the course of events proclaiming His might more clearly than a trumpet, and no offense of that sort interrupting(1) what they were about.

7. Nothing then is more blessed than the apostles, and especially the three, who even in the cloud were counted worthy to be under the same roof with the Lord.
But if we will, we also shall behold Christ, not as they then on the mount, but in far greater brightness. For not thus shall He come hereafter. For whereas then, to spare His disciples, He discovered so much only of His brightness as they were able to bear; hereafter He shall come in the very glory of the Father, not with Moses and Elias only, but with the infinite host of the angels, with the archangels, with the cherubim, with those infinite tribes, not having a cloud over His head, but even heaven itself being folded up.
For as it is with the judges; when they judge publicly, the attendants drawing back the curtains show them to all; even so then likewise all men shall see Him sitting, and all the human race shall stand by, and He will make answers to them by Himself; and to some He will say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; "(2) to others," Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things.(3)

And again passing an opposite sentence, to some He will answer, "Depart into the everlasting fire, that is prepared for the devil and his angels,"(4) and to others, "O thou wicked and slothful servants."(5) And some He will "cut asunder," and "deliver to the tormentors;" but others He will command to "be bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness? And after the axe the furnace will follow; and all out of the net, that is east away, will fall therein.
"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun; "(7) or rather more than the sun. But so much is said, not because their light is to be so much and no more, but since we know no other star brighter than this, He chose by the known example to set forth the future brightness of the saints.
Since on the mount too, when He says, "He did shine as the sun," for the same cause did He so speak. For that the comparison did not come up to His light, the apostles showed by falling down. For had the brightness not been unalloyed, but comparable to the sun; they would not have fallen, but would easily have borne it.

The righteous therefore will shine as the sun, and more than the sun in that time; but the sinners shall suffer all extremities. Then will there be no need of records, proofs, witnesses. For He who judges is Himself all, both witness, and proof, and judge. For He knows all things exactly; "For all things are naked and opened unto His eyes."(8)
No man will there appear rich or poor, mighty or weak, wise or unwise, bond or free; but these masks will be dashed in pieces, and the inquiry will be into their works only. For if in our courts, when any one is tried for usurpation, or murder, whatever he may be, whether governor, or consul, or what you will, all these dignities fleet away, and he that is convicted suffers the utmost penalty; much more will it be so there.

8. Therefore that this may not be so, let us lay aside our filthy garments, let us put on the armor of light, and the glory of God will wrap us around. For what is even grievous in the injunctions? or what is there not easy? Hear, for instance, the prophet speaking, and then thou shalt know the easiness thereof. "Neither though thou bow as a collar thy neck, and strew beneath thee sackcloth and ashes, not even so shalt thou call a fast acceptable; but loose every bond of iniquity, unloose the twisted knots of oppressive bargains."(9)
See a prophet's wisdom, how stating first whatever was irksome, and removing it, he exhorts them to obtain salvation by the duties that are easy; signifying, that God needs not toils, but obedience.

Then implying that virtue is easy, but vice grievous and galling, he makes it out by the bare names; "For," saith he, "vice is a bond," and "a twisted knot," but virtue is a disengagement and release from all these.
"Tear in sunder every unjust compact;" thus calling men's bills about the interest due to them, and the sums they have lent.
"Set at liberty them that are bruised;' them that are afflicted. For such a being is the debtor; when he sees his creditor, his mind is broken, and he fears him more than a wild beast.
"Bring in the poor that are cast out to thy house; if thou seest one naked, clothe him, and them that belong to thy seed thou shalt not overlook."(1)

Now in our late discourse which we made unto you when declaring the rewards, we showed the wealth arising from these acts; but now let us see if any of the injunctions be grievous, and transcending our nature. Nay, nothing of the kind shall we discover, but quite the contrary; that while these courses are very easy, those of vice are full of labor. For what is more vexatious than to be lending, and taking thought about usuries and bargains, and demanding sureties, and fearing and trembling about securities, about the principal, about the writings, about the interest, about the bondsmen?
For such is the nature of worldly things; yea, nothing is so unsound and suspicious as that which is accounted security, and contrived for that purpose; but to show mercy is easy, and delivers from all anxiety.

Let us not then traffic in other men's calamities, nor make a trade of our benevolence. And I know indeed that many hear these words with displeasure; but what is the profit of silence? For though I should hold my peace, and give no trouble by my words, I could not by this silence deliver you from your punishment; rather it has altogether the opposite result; the penalty is enhanced, and not to you only, but to me also, doth such a silence procure punishment. What then signify our gracious words, when in our works they help us not, but rather do harm? What is the good of delighting men in word, while we vex them in deed, bringing pleasure to the ears, and punishment to the soul? Wherefore I must needs make you sorry here, that we may not suffer punishment there.
9. For indeed a dreadful disease, beloved, dreadful and needing much attendance, hath fallen on the church. Those, namely, who are enjoined not even by honest labors to lay up treasures, but to open their houses to the needy, make a profit of other men's poverty, devising a specious robbery, a plausible covetousness.

For tell me not of the laws that are without; since even the publican fulfills the law that is without, but nevertheless is punished: which will be the case with us also, unless we refrain from oppressing the poor, and from using their need and necessity as an occasion for shameless trafficking.
For to this intent thou hast wealth, to relieve poverty, not to make a gain of poverty; but thou with show of relief makest the calamity greater, and sellest benevolence for money. Sell it, I forbid thee not, but for a heavenly kingdom. Receive not a small price for so good a deed, thy monthly one in the hundred,(2) but that immortal life. Why art thou beggarly, and poor, and mean, selling thy great things for a little, even for goods that perish. when it should be for an everlasting kingdom? Why dost thou leave God, and get human gains? Why dost thou pass by the wealthy one, and trouble him that hath not? and leaving the sure paymaster make thy bargain with the unthankful? The other longs to repay, but this even grudges in the act of repaying. This hardly repays a hundredth part, but the other "an hundredfold and eternal life." This with insults and revilings, but the other with praises and auspicious words. This stirs up envy against thee, but the other even weaves for thee crowns. This hardly here, but the other both there and here.

Surely then is it not the utmost senselessness, not so much as to know how to gain? How many have lost their very principal for the interest's sake? How many have fallen into perils for usurious gains. How many have involved both themselves and others in extreme poverty through their unspeakable covetousness!
For tell me not this, that he is pleased to receive, and is thankful for the loan. Why, this is a result of thy cruelty. Since Abraham too,(3) contriving how his plan might take with the barbarians, did himself give up his wife to them; not however willingly, but through fear of Pharaoh. So also the poor man, because thou countest him not even worth so. much money, is actually compelled to be thankful for cruelty.
And it seems to me as though, shouldest thou deliver him from dangers, thou wouldest exact of him a payment for this deliverance. "Away," saith he; "let it not be." What sayest thou? Delivering him from the greater evil, thou art unwilling to exact money, and for the lesser dost thou display so much inhumanity?

Seest thou not how great a punishment is appointed for the deed? hearest thou not that even in the old law this is forbidden?(1) But what is the plea of the many? "When I have received the interest, I give to the poor;" one tells me. Speak reverently, O man; God desires not such sacrifices. Deal not subtilly with the law. Better not give to a poor man, than give from that source; for the money that hath been collected by honest labors, thou often makest to become unlawful because of that wicked increase; as if one should compel a fair womb to give birth to scorpions.
And why do I speak of God's law? Do not even ye call it "filth"? But if ye, the gainers, give your voice so, consider what suffrage God will pass upon you.
And if thou wilt ask the Gentile lawgivers too, thou wilt be told that even by them this thing is deemed a proof of the most utter shamelessness. Those, for example, who are in offices of honor, and belong to the great council, which they call the senate, may not legally disgrace themselves with such gains; there being a law among them which prohibits the same.(2)

How then is it not a horrible thing, if thou ascribe not even so much honor to the polity of Heaven, as the legislators to the council of the Romans; but Heaven is to obtain less than earth, and thou art not ashamed even of the very folly of the thing? For what could be more foolish than this, unless one without! land, rain, or plough, were to insist upon sowing?(3) Tares therefore, to be committed to the fire, do they reap, who have devised this evil husbandry.
Why, are there not many honest trades? in the fields, the flocks, the herds, the breeding of cattle, in handicrafts, in care of property? Why rave and be frantic, cultivating thorns for no good? What if the fruits of the earth are subject to mischance; hail, and blight, and excessive rain? yet not to such an extent as are money dealings. For in whatsoever cases of that sort occur, the damage of course concerns the produce, but the principal remains, I mean, the land. But herein many often have suffered shipwreck in their principal; and before the loss too they are in continual dejection. For never cloth the money-lender enjoy his possessions, nor find pleasure in them; but when the interest is brought, he rejoices not that he hath received gain, but is grieved that the interest hath not yet come up to the principal. And before this evil offspring is brought forth complete, he compels it also to bring forth,(4) making the interest principal, and forcing it to bring forth its untimely and abortive brood of vipers. For of this nature are the gains of usury; more than those wild creatures do they devour and tear the souls of the wretched.(5) This "is the bond of iniquity:" this "the twisted knot of oppressive bargains."

Yea, "I give," he seems to say, "not for thee to receive, but that thou mayest repay more." And whereas God commands not even to receive what is given (for "give," saith He, "to them from whom ye look not to receive"),(6) thou requirest even more than is given, and what thou gavest not, this as a debt, thou constrainest the receiver to pay.
And thou indeed supposest thy substance to be increased hereby, but instead of substance thou art kindling the unquenchable fire.
That this therefore may not be, let us cut out the evil womb of usurious gains, let us deaden these lawless travailings, let us dry up this place of pernicious teeming, and let us pursue the true and great gains only. "But what are these?" Hear Paul saying "Godliness with contentment is great gain."(7)

Therefore in this wealth alone let us be rich, that we may both here enjoy security, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and world without end. Amen.



HOMÉLIE SUR LA DIVINE TRANSFIGURATION
de notre Seigneur et Sauveur Jésus Christ
PAR SAINT EPHREM LE SYRIEN

Du champ, la réjouissance de la moisson; de la vigne les fruits délectables; et des divines Écritures, l'enseignement vivifiant. Le champ a un temps pour la moisson, la vigne a un temps pour la vendange, mais l'Écriture lue en tout temps répand un enseignement vivifiant. Le champ reste nu après la moisson, la vigne est amoindrie après la vendange; mais l'Écriture est chaque jour moissonnée, et les épis de ce qui est interprété en elle ne manquent pas; chaque jour elle est vendangée, et en elle, les grappes de l'espérance ne s'épuisent pas.
Approchons-nous donc de ce champ, jouissons de ses ruisseaux vivifiants, et moissonnons en elle des épis de vie, les paroles de Notre Seigneur Jésus Christ, qui dit à ses disciples : "Quelques-uns de ceux qui sont ici ne mourront point qu'ils n'aient vu le Fils de l'homme venir dans son règne (Mt. 16, 28), et "Six jours après, Jésus prit avec Lui Pierre, Jacques et Jean son frère, et il les conduisit à l'écart sur une haute montagne. Il fut transfiguré devant eux; son Visage resplendit comme le soleil, et ses vêtements devinrent blancs comme la lumière" (Mt 17,1-2). Les hommes dont Il avait dit qu'ils ne verront pas la mort jusqu'à ce qu'ils voient la marque de sa venue sont ceux qu'Il a pris et emmenés sur la montagne; et il leur a montré comment Il viendrait au dernier jour, dans la Gloire de sa Divinité et dans le Corps de son humanité.
Il les conduisit sur la montagne pour leur montrer qui est le Fils. En effet, quand il leur avait demandé que disent les hommes qu'est le Fils de l'homme, ils lui dirent : "Les uns Élie, les autres Jérémie ou l'un des prophètes." C'est pourquoi Il les a conduit sur la montagne et leur a montré qu'Il n'est pas Élie, mais le Dieu d'Élie; ni Jérémie mais Celui qui a sanctifié Jérémie dans le ventre de sa mère; ni l'un des prophètes, mais le Seigneur des prophètes, celui qui les a envoyés et qui leur a montré qu'Il est le Créateur du ciel et de la terre, qu'Il est le Seigneur des vivants et des morts. en effet, Il commanda au ciel et il a fait descendre Élie; Il fit signe à la terre et elle a attiré Moïse. Il les conduisit sur la montagne, pour leur montrer qu'Il est le Fils de Dieu, Celui qui est né du Père avant les siècles, et dernièrement incarné de la Vierge, comme Lui le sait, enfanté sans semence et ineffablement, en gardant la virginité incorruptible. En effet, là où Dieu veut, l'ordre de la nature est vaincu; car Dieu le Verbe a demeuré dans le ventre de la Vierge, et le feu de sa Divinité n'a pas brûlé les membres du corps de la Vierge, mais Il l'a même protégée durant les neuf mois. Il a demeuré dans le ventre de la Vierge sans exécrer la mauvaise odeur de sa nature, et c'est d'elle qu'Il provint comme Dieu incarné, pour nous sauver. Il les conduisit sur la montagne pour leur montrer la Gloire de la Divinité et pour leur faire connaître que c'est Lui le Rédempteur d'Israël, comme Il l'a déclaré par les prophètes et pour qu'ils ne soient pas troublés en voyant sa Passion volontaire, qu'Il allait souffrir humainement pour nous. Car ils le connaissaient comme homme fils de Marie, les fréquentant dans le monde; et leur fit savoir qu'Il est Fils de Dieu. Ils l'ont vu manger, boire, se fatiguer, se reposer, avoir sommeil, dormir, avoir peur, transpirer, toutes choses qui ne s'accordaient pas à la nature de sa Divinité, mais seulement à son humanité. Et c'est pourquoi Il les a emmenés sur la montagne, afin que l Père appelle le Fils, et leur montre qu'Il est en vérité son Fils et Dieu. Il les conduisit sur la montagne, et leur a montré sa Royauté avant sa Passion, sa Puissance avant sa mort, sa Gloire avant son blâme, et son Honneur avant son déshonneur, afin que, lorsqu'il serait saisi et crucifié par les Juifs, ils sachent qu'Il n'a pas été crucifié par faiblesse, mais par sa Bienveillance, volontairement, pour le salut du monde. Il les a emmenés sur la montagne et leur a montré la Gloire de sa Divinité avant sa Résurrection, afin que lorsqu'il ressusciterait des morts dans la Gloire de sa nature divine, ils sachent qu'Il n'a pas reçu la Gloire pour sa peine, comme un pauvre, mais qu'elle était sienne avant les siècles en le Père, et avec le Père, comme Il l'a dit en allant vers la Passion volontaire : "Et maintenant, Père, glorifie-moi auprès de Toi-même de la Gloire que j'avais auprès de Toi avant que le monde fût." (Jn 17,5).
C'était donc cette Gloire de sa Divinité non manifestée et cachée dans son humanité qu'il a démontrée a ses apôtres sur la montagne, car ils virent son Visage briller comme un éclair et ses vêtements blancs comme la lumière. Les disciples voyaient deux soleils; un dans le ciel comme d'habitude, et un autre contraire à l'habitude. L'un qui leur apparaît et qui éclaire le monde dans le firmament, et l'autre qui fait apparaître à eux seuls son Visage. "Ses vêtements étaient blancs comme la lumière"; Il a montré que la gloire de sa Divinité jaillissait de tout son corps et que, de tous les membres de son Corps brillait la lumière. En effet, sa Chair ne luisait pas d'une beauté extérieure comme Moïse, mais c'est de lui-même que jaillissait la Gloire de sa Divinité. Sa lumière parut, et se rassembla en lui-même; En effet, elle ne l'a pas quitté pour aller à un autre lieu, car si elle était venue d'ailleurs pour l'embellir, elle aurait été inutile. Et Il n'a pas déployé tout l'abîme de sa Gloire, mais seulement autant qu'en pouvait contenir la dimension des pupilles de leurs yeux.
Et "voici Moïse et Élie leur apparurent, s'entretenant avec Lui." (Mt. 17,3). Et telles étaient les paroles qu'ils échangeaient : ils Lui rendaient grâce, car leurs paroles, et celles de tous les prophètes avec eux, ont été accomplies en sa Présence. Ils Lui firent une prosternation pour le salut qu'Il a opéré pour le monde, - le genre humain - et parce que le mystère qu'eux-mêmes ont peint, Lui l'accomplit en oeuvres. La joie envahit les prophètes et les apôtres en cette ascension sur la montagne. Les apôtres se réjouirent de voir la Gloire de sa Divinité, qu'ils ne connaissaient pas, et d'écouter la Voix du Père rendant témoignage du Fils et à travers elle, ils connurent sa Divinité qui était cachée pour eux. Et, avec la Voix du Père, la Gloire apparue de son corps, venue de la Divinité unie avec celui-ci, sans changement et sans confusion, les a convaincus.
Et le témoignage des Trois a aussi été confirmé par la Voix paternelle, à Moïse et à Élie qui se tenaient près de Lui comme des serviteurs, et ils se voyaient les uns les autres. Les prophètes voyaient les apôtres, et les apôtres les prophètes. Là, ils se virent les uns les autres, les chefs de l'Ancien Testament [virent] ceux du Nouveau Testament. Moïse le saint vit Simon sanctifié. L'économe du Père vit l'épitrope du Fils. L'un déchira la mer pour faire passer un peuple à travers les vagues; l'autre dressa une tente pour bâtir l'Église. Le Vierge de l'Ancien Testament vit le Vierge du Nouveau Testament : Élie et Jean. Celui qui monta sur le char de feu vit celui qui se pencha sur la poitrine de feu. Et la montagne devint le modèle de l'Église; sur elle, Jésus a uni les deux Testaments que l'Église a reconnus; et Il nous a fait connaître que c'est le deuxième qui a révélé la Gloire de ses Oeuvres. Simon dit : "Seigneur, il est bon que nous soyons ici" (Mt. 17,4). Ô Simon, que dis-tu ? Si nous demeurons ici, qui accomplira la parole des prophètes ? Qui confirmera la parole des prédicateurs ? Qui achèvera les mystères des justes ? Si nous restons ici, pour qui s'accomplira le "Ils ont percé mes mains et mes pieds" (Ps. 21,19) ? À Qui s'accordera le "ils se sont partagés mes vêtements, ils ont tiré au sort ma tunique" (Ps. 21,19) ? A qui arrivera le "ils m'ont donné pour nourriture du fiel, pour étancher ma soif, ils m'ont abreuvé de vinaigre" (Ps. 68,22) ? Qui affirmera le "libre parmi les morts" (Ps 87,5) ? Si nous restons ici, qui déchirera la créance d'Adam ? Et qui acquittera sa dette ? Qui lui restituera le vêtement de gloire ? Si nous restons ici, comment se réalisera tout ce que j'ai dit ? Comment l'Église sera-t-elle bâtie ? Comment recevras-tu de moi les clefs du Royaume des Cieux ? Que lieras-tu ? Que délieras-tu (Mt. 18,18) ? Si nous restons ici, tout ce qu'on dit les prophètes tardera.
Il dit encore : "Je dresserai ici trois tentes, une pour Toi, une pour Moïse, et une pour Élie" (Mt 17,4). Simon a été envoyé pour bâtir l'Église dans le monde, et il veut rester ici pour dresser des tentes sur la montagne; en effet, il voyait encore Jésus humainement et le plaça au même rang que Moïse et Élie. Et aussitôt Il lui montra qu'Il n'avait pas besoin de sa tente. C'est en effet Lui qui a créé à ses pères une tente de nuage dans le désert. "Comme Il parlait encore, une nuée lumineuse les couvrit" (Mt 17,5). Vois-tu, Simon, une tente faite sans peine ? Une tente qui protège de la brûlure, et qui n'a pas d'obscurité ? Une tente resplendissante et lumineuse. Et les disciples furent ébahis. "Et voici, une voix fit entendre de la nuée ces paroles : Celui-ci est mon Fils bien-aimé, en qui j'ai mis toute mon affection : écoutez-le!" (Mt 17,5). À la Voix du Père, Moïse retourna à sa place, Élie rentra dans son pays, les apôtres tombèrent à terre, et Jésus resta seul debout, car ce n'est qu'en Lui que cette Voix trouvait son accomplissement. Les prophètes partirent et les apôtres tombèrent à terre car la voix du Père qui rendait témoignage n'était pas accomplie en eux. "Celui-ci est mon Fils bien-aimé, en qui j'ai mis toute mon affection : écoutez-le!" Le Père leur a enseigné que l'oeuvre de Moïse a été accomplie pour qu'ils obéissent désormais au Fils. En effet, celui-là , comme un serviteur - de même que tous les prophètes - a parlé de ce qui lui a été ordonné, et a prêché ce qui lui a été dit, jusqu'à ce qu'arrive ce qui était espéré, c'est-à-dire Jésus - qui est Fils et non congénère; Seigneur, et non esclave; Dominant et non dominé - dans la nature divine : "Celui-ci est mon Fils bien-aimé". Et ce qui leur était caché, le Père le révéla aux apôtres. Celui qui est annonce Celui qui est; le Père révèle le Fils : à cette voix, "les disciples tombèrent à terre". En effet, ce fut comme un coup de tonnerre redoutable, si bien qu'à cause de sa Voix, la terre s'effraya, et ceux-ci tombèrent à terre. Elle leur montra que le Père s'est approché et que le Fils les a appelés de sa propre Voix, et les a relevés. En effet, comme la Voix du Père les a jetés à terre, ainsi la voix du Fils les a relevés dans la Puissance de sa Divinité, qui, demeurant dans sa propre Chair, est unie à elle sans changement, et toutes deux restent sans confusion, indivisiblement en une seule hypostase et une seule personne. Il n'est pas devenu beau extérieurement comme Moïse, mais, comme Dieu, Il resplendit dans sa Gloire. En effet, l'apparence du visage de Moïse fut revêtue de beauté, mais Jésus resplendit de tout son Corps dans la Gloire de sa Divinité, comme le soleil dans ses rayons. Et le Père cria : "Celui-ci est mon Fils bien-aimé, en qui j'ai mis toute mon affection : écoutez-le!", non pas séparé de la Gloire du Fils de la Divinité, car le Père, le Fils, et le saint Esprit sont une nature, une puissance, une substance et un Règne, et par une Voix, il cria une parole parfaite, d'une Gloire redoutable.
Marie aussi l'appelait Fils, non pas séparé, en ce qui concerne le corps humain, de la Gloire de sa Divinité; car un seul est Dieu, apparu aux hommes dans un corps.
Sa Gloire a annoncé la Gloire divine venue du Père; et son Corps a annoncé sa gloire humaine venue de Marie. Les deux natures se réunissent en une seule hypostase. Fils unique du Père et Fils unique de Marie, quiconque se sépare de Lui sera séparé de son royaume, et quiconque confond ses natures perd sa vie; celui qui nie que Marie a enfanté Dieu ne voit pas la Gloire de sa divinité; et celui qui nie qu'Il porta une chair sans péché est rejeté du salut, et de la vie qui est donnée à travers sa chair. Tout cela témoigne - et ses puissances divines l'enseignent - à ceux qui ont le discernement, qu'Il est Dieu vrai; et sa Passion montre qu'Il est homme vrai. Et si les faibles en esprit ne s'informent pas, ils seront jugés au jour redoutable.
S'Il n'était pas chair, à quoi bon l'intermédiaire de Marie ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui Gabriel appelait-il "Seigneur" ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui était couché dans la crèche ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, les anges descendus, qui glorifiaient-ils ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui était enveloppé dans les langes ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui les bergers adoraient-ils ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui Joseph circoncit-il ? Et s'il n'était pas Dieu, en l'honneur de qui l'étoile courait-elle dans le ciel ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui Marie allaitait-elle ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, à qui les mages offrirent-ils des cadeaux ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui Siméon tenait-il dans ses bras ? Et s'il n'était pas Dieu, à qui disait-il : Tu me laisses m'en aller en paix (Lc 2,29) ? S'Il n'était pas chair, en prenant qui Joseph s'enfuit-il en Égypte ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, en qui s'accomplirait le "J'ai appelé mon Fils hors d'Égypte (Os 11,1) ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui Jean baptisa t-il ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu à qui le Père disait-Il : "Celui-ci est mon Fils bien-aimé en qui j'ai mis toute mon affection (Mt 3,17) ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui jeûnait et eut faim dans le désert ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui les anges descendus servaient-ils ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui fut invité aux noces à Cana en Galilée ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui changea l'eau en vin ? S'Il n'était pas chair, dans les mains de qui les pains se trouvaient-ils ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui rassasia les cinq mille hommes, sans compter les femmes et les enfants, avec cinq pains et deux poissons ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui était assis dans la barque ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui menaça le vent et la mer ? S'Il n'était pas chair, avec qui Simon le Pharisien mangea t-il ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui pardonna les péchés de la courtisane ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui était assis sur le puits, fatigué de marcher ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui donna de l'eau vive à la Samaritaine, et qui décela qu'elle avait eu cinq maris ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui portait des vêtements d'homme ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui faisait des prodiges et des miracles ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui cracha à terre pour en faire de la boue ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui ouvrit des yeux avec la boue ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui pleurait au tombeau de Lazare ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui ordonna au mort de quatre jours de sortir ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui s'assit sur l'ânon ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, à la rencontre de qui la foule sortit avec gloire ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui les Juifs saisirent-ils ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui commanda à la terre et les jeta face contre terre ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui reçut un soufflet ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui guérit l'oreille coupée par Pierre et la remit à sa place ? S'Il n'était pas chair, le visage de qui reçut-il des crachats ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui souffla sur les apôtres pour qu'ils reçoivent le saint Esprit ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui se présenta devant Pilate dans le prétoire ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, de qui la femme de Pilate eut-elle peur en songe ? S'Il n'était pas chair, les vêtements de qui les soldats ont-ils enlevés et partagés ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, comment le soleil s'obscurcit-il au moment de la crucifixion ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui était pendu sur la Croix ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui fit trembler la terre de tous ses fondements ? S'Il n'était pas chair, les mains et les pieds de qui les clous ont-ils transpercés ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, comment le voile du temple se déchira t-il ? Comment les rochers se fendirent-ils et les sépulcres s'ouvrirent-ils ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui s'écria : "Mon Dieu, mon Dieu pourquoi m'as-tu abandonné" ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui dit : "Père, pardonne-leur" ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui était pendu sur la Croix avec les larrons ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, comment dit-Il au larron : "Aujourd'hui tu seras avec moi au paradis ? S'Il n'était pas chair, à qui offrirent-ils du vinaigre et du fiel ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, en entendant la voix de qui l'enfer s'effraya-t-il ? S'Il n'était pas chair le côté de qui la lance a-t-elle piqué, en faisant jaillir du sang et de l'eau ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, qui brisa les portes de l'enfer et en rompit les liens, et à l'ordre de qui les morts enfermés en sortirent ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui les apôtres virent-ils dans la chambre haute ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, comment entra-t-Il les portes fermées ? S'Il n'était pas chair, la marque des clous dans les mains et celle de la lance dans le côté, et que Thomas toucha, à qui étaient-elles ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, à qui s'écria-t-il : "Mon Seigneur et mon Dieu" ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui mangea sur les bords du lac de Tibériade ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, à l'ordre de qui le filet se remplit-il de poissons ? S'Il n'était pas chair, qui les anges et les apôtres virent-ils monter au ciel ? Et s'Il n'était pas Dieu, pour qui le ciel s'ouvrit-il, qui les Puissances adorèrent-elles avec crainte, et pour qui le Père avait-Il dit : "Siège à ma droite, etc..." (Ps 109,1) ?
S'Il n'était pas Dieu et chair, notre salut est donc un mensonge, mensonge aussi alors la voix des prophètes. Mais ce qu'ont dit les prophètes s'est réalisé, et leurs témoignages sont vrais. Pour tout ce qui a été ordonné, c'est le saint Esprit qui parlait par eux.; c'est pourquoi Jean aussi, le pur et vierge - celui qui se pencha sur la poitrine de feu - en certifiant la voix des prophètes et parlant de Dieu dans l'Évangile, nous a enseigné en disant : "Au commencement était la Parole, et la Parole était avec Dieu, et la Parole était Dieu. Elle était au commencement avec Dieu. Toutes choses ont été faites par elle, et rien de ce qui a été fait n'a été fait sans elle. ( É) Et la parole a été faite chair, et elle a habité parmi nous" (Jn 1,1-3 et 14). De Dieu, Verbe Dieu, et du Père Fils unique, consubstantiel au Père, être de l'être, Verbe d'avant les siècles; né du Père sans mère ineffablement avant tous les siècles; lui-même, les derniers temps, enfanté par une fille d'homme, Marie la Vierge, sans père; Dieu incarné portant la chair par elle, et devenu homme, ce qu'Il n'était pas, pour sauver le monde.
Et Il est le Christ, le Fils de Dieu, Fils unique de Père, Fils unique aussi de mère. Je confesse le même Dieu parfait et homme parfait, reconnu en deux natures selon l'hypostase - c'est-à-dire la personne - unies indivisiblement, sans confusion, sans changement, revêtu de la chair animée, avec une âme raisonnable et mentale, devenu en tout notre compagnon de souffrance sauf le péché.
Lui-même, terrestre et éternel, passager et perpétuel, avec commencement et sans commencement, dans le temps et hors du temps, créé et non-créé, passible et impassible, Dieu et homme, parfait selon l'un et l'autre, un dans les deux et un en trois. Une personne du Père, une personne du Fils, et une personne du saint Esprit. Une seule divinité, une seule puissance, un seul Règne en trois personnes - c'est-à-dire hypostases. C'est ainsi que nous glorifions la sainte Unité en Trinité, la sainte Trinité en Unité. De cette manière, le Père cria depuis les cieux : "Celui-ci est mon Fils bien-aimé, en qui j'ai mis toute mon affection : écoutez-le!"
Voilà ce que l'Église universelle de Dieu a reconnu, et c'est en cette sainte Trinité qu'Elle baptise pour la vie éternelle, c'est Elle qu'Elle confesse sans partage, inséparablement, et c'est Elle qu'Elle adore sans faillir, et qu'Elle confesse et glorifie. À cette Unité tri-hypostatique reviennent la gloire, l'action de grâce, l'honneur, le règne, la grandeur, au Père, au fils, et au saint Esprit, maintenant et toujours et aux siècles des siècles. Amen.


Pope Shenouda III
series of pamphlets
1
The Transfiguration
and some meditations
upon the feast of the Transfiguration

Cairo, June 1998

Name of the book: The Transfiguration
Author: His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
Editor: Orthodox Coptic Clerical College, Cairo
Fourth Edition: June 1998
Press: Amba Rueiss, (Offset)
Deposition number at "The Library": 96/8787
I.S.B.N. 977 - 5345 - 32 - 4

All rights reserved to the author
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
Pope and Patriarch of the See of Alexandria and of all the Predication of the Evangelist St. Mark




In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
the One God, Amen
You will read in this pamphlet about:
The Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus-Christ and its theological signification.
The transfiguration of Moses and Eliah and its pointing to the transfiguration of the human nature.
The transfiguration of our nature in the Resurrection, and its transfiguration here on earth.
The relation between the Transfiguration and the gifts.
The relation between the Transfiguration and the promises of God.



PREFACE
What is the story of these pamphlets?
Many people are inclined to read concise writings, more than what they read in big books.
Therefore we have seen to publish for you these pamphlets, in a single bunch of the small size.
They will be published in the weaks when the Kiraza magazine will not appear, and in the weaks when no big books will be published.
The price is insignificant and less than the price of a daily newspaper.
We present to you, dear reader, this first pamphlet, about the Transfiguration, on the occasion of the feast of the Transfiguration.
Pope Shenouda III
August 1996

We congratulate all of you for the feast of the Transfiguration, which is one of the Lord's feasts, and the Church celebrates it on the 13th of the month of Misra, which is the 19th of the month of August. The story of the Transfiguration is mentioned in the holy Gospel (Mark and Luke).

THE STORY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

According to the gospel of the apostle saint Mark, the story of the Transfiguration was mentioned like this:
[Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves, and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus: "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah", because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: "This is My beloved Son, hear Him!" Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.] (Mark 9: 2-8).
And in the narration of the apostle saint Luke, he added saying: "And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep, and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him" (Luke 9: 30-32).

THE GLORY AND DIVINITY OF CHRIST

The expression "glory" is mentioned more than once in the gospel of Luke.
As regards His divinity, it is evident in that in a moment, He was transfigured to this illuminating brightful aspect, whose brightness was magnificent...... and about which it was said: "His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them" (Mark 6:2).
His divinity is also evident in the manner of His capacity to bring Elijah and Moses to be present with Him.....
In how He brought them with Him.....! in how they spoke with Him......! and suddenly disappeared......!
In His sudden appearance, and His sudden disappearance! How did they come with Him in a moment?! And how did they disappear in a moment?! Where did they come from?! And where did they go to?!
Yes, how was Christ the Lord able to bring Elijah, body and soul, from that place which we do not know, since he was elevated alive to heaven in a chariot of fire, out of the earth. (2 Kings 2:11). And we do not know to what place in heaven!
His calling Elijah to stand with Him on the mount of the Transfiguration, then his dismissal in a single moment, undoubtedly that refers to the power of His divinity........
Then, how could He bring the soul of Moses, who was dead and buried, and "no one knows his grave to this day" (Deut. 34:6). It is known that the prophets and the righteous of the Old Testament were, before the Redemption, lying on hope, in their place of waiting "into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9).
There is no doubt also that the calling of Elijah happened according to the power of His divinity.
The Lord willed to show to his disciples that He had put on this human body, simply out of His humility, and His self-abnegation.
But at that time, they did not understand His divine nature.
This glorious transfiguration was supposed to establish an equilibrium in the moral condition of the apostles when they will see the Lord at the time of His crucifixion, in an aspect which the prophet Isaiah described saying: "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him" (Is. 53:2).
All this is added to the testimony of the Father for Him, with a voice which they heard out of the cloud which overshadowed them, saying: "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Mark 9:7), (Luke 9:35).
This testimony of the Father was heard during the baptism of repentance when the Lord humbled Himself "(Matt. 3:17), (Luke 2:23). And this testimony was also heard during the glory of the Transfiguration......
He is the beloved Son, whether in His humility or in His glory......

GRADATION IN THE TRANSFIGURATION

The Lord Christ tooks steps in the revelation of His nature's transfiguration, even toward His saint apostles.
This Transfiguration on the mount of Tabor, was the simplest image of His Transfiguration, in spite of its magnificence and its glory, in its light and in the testimony of the Father from the cloud.

Another kind of the Lord's transfiguration was in His resurrection and His ascension.
That glorious Resurrection in which He rised with a glorious body, and was able to come out of the tomb while it was closed, and was able to enter to the apostles while the doors were closed (John 20:19), in a calm way that would not terrify them.
His ascension to heaven with a body that is over the level of the earth gravitation, is like His transfiguration". He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight ... while they looked steadfastly toward heaven" (Acts 1: 9-10). Our instructor the apostle saint Mark says about that: "So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (Mark 16:19).
This transfiguration in the resurrection and the ascension, happened in a manner which amazed them and made them feel His divinity, but it did not terrify them.....

But we see a frightful aspect in which the Lord appeared in the vision which the apostle saint John saw. It was said that: "His eyes (were) like a flame of fire ...... and His voice as the sound of many waters ....... out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength" (Apoc. 1: 14-16); to such a degree, that saint John, who is one of the three who saw the transfiguration on mount Tabor, could not bear this transfiguration with which the Lord appeared in the vision. Therefore he said: "I fell at His feet as dead" (Apoc. 1:17), the thing that made the Lord say to him: "Do not be afraid" ..... that is the disciple who "was leaning on Jesus' bosom" (John 13: 23-25).
The last transfiguration will be in His second coming
when "the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints" (Jude 14), "when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:26), He "will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matt. 16:27), "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one form another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats" (Matt. 25: 31-32).
Verily the two expressions "His glory" and "His Father's glory" are overbearing to our understanding and our imagination!!
Do they mean the glory of His divinity?! Undoubtedly not. Because these peoples would not have been able to stand before Him ..... and also because He said: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory" (Matt. 25:31). And also "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels" (Matt. 16:27). And also He said: "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in his own glory, and His Father's" (Luke 9:26).
Therefore in the words of these expressions of glory, He speaks about the Son of Man, that is about His glory in His incarnation, meaning the tramsfiguration into glory of the nature of "the incarnated Word" .......
......when He comes upon the clouds of heaven, in His second coming, to judge the living and the dead. As if He were saying to His disciples:
"Let not My humility in My incarnation, make you doubt of My divinity.

In spite of having "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man....." (Philippians 2: 7-8), nevertheless sometimes it was possible for Him to be "transfigured before them" (Mark 9:2), manifesting His divinity......
This is as regards the Lord Christ, what then is it as regards us?
His Transfiguration was the firstfruits of the transfiguration of our human nature.
We say, in the Gregorian mass, about that: "You have blessed my nature in You" ...... Yes He has blessed it with the glory which He has given to it.

WITH MOSES AND ELIJAH

Christ our Lord was not alone on the mount of the Transfiguration, but there were with Him, Moses and Elijah who appeared in glory (Luke 9:31).
It is evident here that the Lord does not refuse His glory to His sons.
It was said in the epistle to the Romans: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son ....... these He also glorified" (Romans 8: 29-30).
The Lord said about His disciples to the Father: "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one" (John 17:22).

We note that each one of the three who were in glory on the mount of Transfiguration, had fasted forty days.
Probably this indicates that transfiguration is related to keeping away from material things.
It is known that the Lord Christ fasted forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4:2).
And Moses fasted fory days, when he was with God on the mountain to receive the Law from Him. "And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Ex. 24:18).
And Elijah, when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: [Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you". So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God" (1 Kings 19: 7-8).

Moses and Elijah in their transfiguration, symbolised the whole human nature.
Likewise we note that in the parable of the ten foolish and wise virgins (Matt. 25:1), that the five wise virgins symbolised all the wise human beings in their virtuous way of life; and similarly the five foolish virgins symbolised all the human beings who do not, in their ignorance, prepare themselves for their eternal life and for meeting God.
In the same way the Lord gave us His Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah, as a symbol of the transfiguration which the Lord will grant to all human beings in eternity.

The variety which is represented by the two prophets Moses and Elijah:
1. Elijah represents the virgins (of either sex), and Moses represents the married. Rather Moses married more than once. He married Zipporah the daughter of the priest of Midian (Ex. 2: 19-22). He also married an Ethiopian woman (Num. 12:1), who was a symbol of the acceptance of the Gentiles.
All this is a symbol, because the transfiguration will equally be the destiny of the virgins and the married.
In the same manner, we find around the cross of the Lord: the Holy Virgin Mary, and the virgin apostle John. Likewise we find Mary Magdalene, and Mary the wife of Cleopas and mother of Joses, Judah, and Simeon.

2. Moses represented those who were dead. And Elijah represented the living who have not yet died. That would symbolise, in the second coming of Christ, the dead who will rise, and the living who will be lifted up to the clouds, as saint Paul said in (1Thess.4:15-17):
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
All will be with the Lord ...... those who were buried in the earth and remained under the earth until the day of the resurrection (John 5:29), and those who will be raised up to heaven as Elijah was raised up.


3. Elijah represents those who have lived a life of ascetism in the mountains, as he was himself on the mountain of Carmel; and Moses represents those who have lived in the world with their families in a social life.

4. One of them represents the life of monks, and the other represents the ministry and the guidance of crouds.
One of them is in the style of Mariam, and the other is in the style of Martha, with the difference in measuring ...... all of these two kinds will be transfigurated with the Lord

5. Some have said that Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the prophets; because Moses presented the Law, or the Judicial procedure, to the people, while Elijah was one of the prophets.

6. Moses represents meekness; and Elijah represents the fiery jealousy. The one represents forgiveness, and the other represents punishment .......
It was said about the prophet Moses that he: "was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3). It was Moses who interceded for the people when the Lord wanted to destroy them, saying: "Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say: " He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people" (Ex. 32: 11-12). He said also likewise: "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin, but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written" (Ex. 32:32).
But Elijah was the fiery man who said to each of the two captains of fifty: "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men" (2 Kings 1: 10,12). Likewise it was he who ordered the slaughter of the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18:40). It is he who said in his flaming anger: "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word" (1 Kings 17:1). Yes, he is Elijah who reprimanded king Achab and said to him: "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals" (1Kings 18;18).
From this, we understand that both those who are meek, and those who are strong and firm, God will grant all of them the transfiguration in eternity, according to their kind......

As if Christ our Lord says: "I shall assemble all of them to me in the transfiguration":
Him who was married, and him who was a virgin; him who lived the life of meditation, and him who lived the life of service; him who was meek and calm, and him who was firm and strong; him who lived on the mountain, and him who lived in the city. The important thing is that they live a life of righteousness ..... All the kinds of righteous people are fit for the kingdom and will be transfigured in it, in spite of the difference in kind. Some were meek and interceded for the culprits for the sake of God; and some others were firm and strong and purified the earth from idolatry, and chastised the sinners in order to bring them to repentance, for the sake of God.

Although Moses represented one kind of righteous, and Elijah represented another kind, both of them participated in some qualities:
Each of them was a prophet to God. Each of them offered sacrifices to God. Each of them was holy and loved God and His kingdom, and was a man of God.
Each of them was a man of miracles: The prophet Moses divided the waters of the Red Sea (Exode 14); and brought down the manna and the quails from heaven for the people (Exode 16); and stroke the rock, and water sprang from it (Exode 17).
The prophet Elijah resurrected the son of the widow of Zarephath which belongs to Sidon, from death. He blessed the flour and the oil in the house of this widow, and they were sufficient during all the period of the famine. (1 Kings 17). He is the one who brought down rain by his prayer (1 Kings 18). He is the one who brought down fire from heaven, and it consumed the two captains and their fifties. (2 Kings 1).
Each one of both of them was courageous in his censure of a delinquent king. The prophet Moses rebuked Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Elijah rebuked Achab, king of Israel. (1 Kings 18: 18-19). He censured him likewise for the killing of Naboth the Jezreelite, and he warned him saying: "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours"; and he said to him: "you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord" (1 Kings 21: 19,20).
Each one of both of them was a cause of salvation for the people in his days. The prophet Moses delivered the people from the bondage to Pharaoh. The prophet Elijah delivered them from the famine, and participated in their salvation from idolatry.
Each one of both of them had spiritual experiences in the life of the mountains: The prophet Moses remained with God forty days on the mount Horeb. The prophet Elijah had his spiritual experience on the mount Carmel.
God also glorified both of them. The Lord said about the prophet Moses while He was reprimanding Aaron and Mariam because they has spoke against him: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord" (Num. 12: 6-8). He glorified him likewise in many wonders and miracles. He rather said to him: "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet" (Ex. 7:1).
The Lord also dignified Elijah with the miracles, and likewise by lifting him alive to heaven in a chariot of fire: "suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11).
Each one of both of them was exposed to fear. Moses was frightened at the beginning of his life when he had killed the Egyptian man, and then he ran away from the face of Pharaoh (Ex. 2: 14-15). Elijah ran away from the face of the queen Jezabel; and he said to the Lord, in an attempt to justify his flight: "the children of Israel ...... killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take ny life" (1 Kings 19:14).

I would like to say on this occasion, that the prophet Elijah is not John the Baptist, as those who believe in reincarnation say.
Because Elijah did not die, and his soul did not go out of his body in order to return to incarnation in the person of John the Baptist. Likewise when they asked John the Baptist saying: ["Are you Elijah?" He said: "I am not"] (John 1:21). John the Baptist was a well known personality in that time. If he had appeared with the Lord on the mount of the Transfiguration, the apostles would have recognised him, and Peter would not have said: "Lord, it is good for us to be here, if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Matt. 17:4).

THE TRANSFIGURATION
OF OUR HUMAN NATURE

The Lord who has taken the weakness of our human nature, blessed this nature, and will grant to it transfiguration and glory in the resurrection. In this matter, the apostle said about our Lord Jesus- Christ:
"who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body" (Philippians 3:21).
What is it then that will happen to that human body in the resurrection? The apostle says:
"So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power .......... It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15: 42-44).
"And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man" (1 Cor. 15:49).
"for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality". Death will then be transformed into victory, and we shall say: "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?!" (1 Cor. 15: 52-55).
"Then human beings will be "like angels of God in heaven" (Matt. 22:30), as the Lord has said.
Our glorified body in the resurrection, will be a body that does not hunger nor thirst, nor get tired nor become ill, nor will die nor will be corrupted; but rather will be elevated upward in the transfiguration of the human nature.
How will be the new nature of our bodies that will become spiritual heavenly bodies?!
Will they move as the angels who pass on from heaven to earth in the twinkle of an eye? Will they possess the spiritual perception instead of the ordinary vision?
How will they eat from the hidden manna as the Lord promised (Apoc. 2:17)? And how will they "eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God"? (Apoc. 2:7).
And what are the "white garments" in which they will be clothed in eternity? (Apoc. 3:5).
And how will they sit with the Son on His throne, as He also sat down with His Father on His throne? (Apoc. 3:21).
Hence the transfiguration of our bodies in the resurrection is marvelous! And our spiritual heavenly nature will be marvelous, far away from the nature of flesh and blood.
And when our human nature will be transfigured in eternity, it will not be transfigurated only in the body ......
but also in the soul........
There will be no weakness in the soul, as before, when the soul weakened and submitted to the body. And as we say now in the prayer of the third hour: "Deliver us from the impurity of the body and the soul". And as we say in the prayer of the divine mass: "Purify our souls, our bodies, and our spirits". Because the soul becomes impure when it submits to the body and when it participates with it in its faults and its desires. But in the resurrection, the soul becomes transfigured. How is that?
There will be laid upon her the crown of righteousness.
That about which the apostle saint Paul said: "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8).
The meaning of the crown of righteousness is, that the human being will afterwards commit no more sin .
Neither the soul will commit sin, nor the body will commit sin......
The human nature will become infallible, because it will have been crowned with righteousness......
It will have become like the angels of God in heaven, not sinning. And the word of the apostle saint John about whomever is borne of God that "he cannot sin", will apply to them.
In the transfiguration of the soul, not only it will not sin, for that is a negative side! But what will it be from the positive side?
What will be its knowledge for example? Here is the apostle saying: "Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" (1 Cor. 13:12). What then will be the knowledge of the soul after having got rid of the fog from the surrounding matter? Will the word of the Lord in His conversation with the Father be applied to them: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God....." (John 17:3)?
How will the soul grow in knowledge, and in the love of God, and in joining Him, and in the relation with the angels and the saints' souls? How will it be transfigurated in its light? What glory will it obtain?
Undoubtedly, it will return to the image and the resemblance of God as it was created in the beginning (Gen. 1: 26-27), but far away from union with material things.
That is the transfiguration of the human nature, when it will be lifted up over the level of material things, and also over the level of the participation with flesh and blood, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 15:50).
Thus is the human nature in transfiguration: when it enters into the perpetual spiritual life, and in the spiritual pleasure which is the property of the sons of God.
God will give man a kind of transfiguration in his nature, whether as regards the body or as regards the soul. We should like here to give some examples in order to explain the transfiguration in a simple manner.

SOME EXAMPLES OF TRANSFIGURATION

An evident example: the three young men in the fiery burning furnace.
When they cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego bound in the midst of the fiery burning furnace, this latter was exceedingly heated, to the point that the flame killed the men who took up these three young men" (Dan. 3: 22-23).
In spite of that, they saw the three young men who were not hurt and walking in the fire. "and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them" (Dan. 3: 25-27).
How then did that happen? Verily the fourth was with them, He that was said of Him: "and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (Dan. 3:26). He had kept them from the fire, and it had no power over them. But how is that?
He gave to their bodies a kind of transfiguration, so that fire would have no power over them.
That is quite evident, because if their bodies were at that time in the same ordinary material nature which is consumed by fire, it would have been possible for the fire to consume them. But they were given that transfiguration in which they became unconsumable.
But the transfiguration of the bodies of the three young men was for a time.
That is for a definite period, which is the period when they were inside the fiery furnace. But when they came out of it, their bodies returned to their natural position.
That is of course something else than the transfiguration of our bodies in eternity, where they will perpetually be spiritual incorruptible bodies. That is not intended to mean that we shall take other bodies, but they will be the same bodies, but with another nature. They will take from God, a power, and some characteristics which will be superior to material things.
We present another example, which is coal that has been heaten with fire:
A piece of black coloured coal, that would make dirty any hand which touches it, because of the fine dust which it leaves upon his fingers. When it is burned with fire, we see that it is sparkling, and it becomes illuminating, and its colour becomes red, like the colour of fire, and that it has lost its blackness, and whoever touches it will burn his fingers because of its heat.
That is a kind of transfiguration for the piece of coal. It did not lose its carbonic nature, but with this transfiguration, it took some other characteristics, among which are sparkling, heat, and the disappearance of the black colour.....

A similar example to a certain point, is iron when it is heated by fire.......
It is the same iron in its nature, but it gains some other characteristics because of its union with fire, as regards heat, the change of colour, the possibility to be beaten and turned into different forms. It obtains some transfiguration which removes it far away from its black image.

Another example is oil in a lamp:
It is the same oil. Its nature has not changed. But with a stick of matches, it is transformed into fire and light, and becomes a source of illumination. Is not that a kind of transfiguration?! It has not the same form as before, but rather it is transfigured into a light that illuminates......

OTHER KINDS OF TRANSFIGURATION

We have mentioned before, that the human nature obtains a kind of transfiguration in the general resurrection, when it will be clothed with spiritual heavenly incorruptible bodies, and human beings will become like the angels of God in heaven. But there are some kinds of transfiguration which happen here in life upon the earth, among which there is:
The transfiguration of thinking.
Sometimes thinking is lucid and bright, bringing out extremely ravishing thoughts. That happens to a poet whose imagination and thinking becomes radiant in writing a poem of verse; or to a writer who composes a story or a novel while he is at the top of his creative capacity, in a state of transfiguration, in the depth of intelligence, and the depth of imagination......
These are kinds of transfiguration in the fields of many arts and gifts.
It happens to an artist, or a designer, or a sculptor, or a musician, or a poet, or a novelist. Any one of these gifted people presents a marvelous masterpiece whose author is then described that he was in a state of transfiguration in his feelings and senses and thinking, during the production.
All these cases may be for a moment, during the production and the fabrication, and may be representing a case of perpetual transfiguration of gifts, and may appear even in infancy.
Yes, undoubtedly, gifts are transfigurations which God grants to man.
Because gifts are extraordinary capabilities that God gives. They are of many kinds which the apostle saint Paul mentioned in the twelfth chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians saying:
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills" (1 Cor. 12: 7-11).
A human being may be transfigured as regards certain definite spiritual qualities.
In human touches which he possesses, and which have a singular characteristic as regards their realisation; in mercy for instance or tenderness or commiseration, or the forgiveness of offenders. As we read about that in some stories about the saint Amba Abram, the bishop of Fayoum, or the saint Amba Sarabamoun, the bishop of Menoufiah, or the saint Amba Roueiss.
This transfiguration may appear in the thoughts or the responses of some saints, as it was mentioned in the words of the saint Amba Antonios, or the sayings of many fathers, which were registered in "the Paradise of the Monks" ...... Words at which, man stands amazed, and meditates upon their depth, and says: "Undoubtedly, this was a case of transfiguration in which the fathers pronounced what they said, so that the generations have preserved their words......!
The case of transfiguration could be one of the great works of grace in man.
As the apostle saint Paul said: ", "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain ......... yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10).
Extraordinary capabilities and gifts are transfigured in man as a result of the work of grace.
His image is granted a form that amazes those who see him as a result of transfiguration.
It was said about saint Stephanos in the story of his martyrdom, that during his trial before the congregation of the Jews:
"And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15).
Sometimes it happens during certain dreams that we see a person whom we know, in a wonderful image or in a lightful form, although we did not see him like that in his earthly life. But he appears to you during the dream in a state of transfiguration.

THE TRANSFIGURATION IS THE PLEDGE OF THE KINGDOM

All the cases of transfiguration on the earth, whether for a moment or in a perpetual way, are nothing but the pledge of the eternal transfiguration in the kingdom..... They are a kind of tasting the kingdom, and the gifts of the richness of the glory of God.....
In the story of the Transfiguration, we note the amazement of Peter with what he had seen on earth.
Then he said his well-known expression: "Lord, it is good for us to be here, if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Matt. 17:4). But Christ our Lord did not agree with him about that......
It is not good that we be here on earth, and that we make for ourselves tabernacles to live in that material world ........ What you see, O Peter, is simply a taste of the pleasures in eternity..... in heaven, in the spiritual heavenly body. Enjoy then the scene of transfiguration which you see. But let your thoughts be in what will be, which is far more magnificent.
Therefore it was said about the words which Peter said: "because he did not know what to say" (Mark 9:6)......!







THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

We are happy to celebrate the feast of the transfiguration, and we consider it one of the Lord's feasts in the Church. We are glad with it not only simply for the Transfiguration of Christ on mount Tabor, but we are the more glad for the transfiguration which will be in eternity, and the gifts which we will obtain in it, like the angels of God in heaven.
It is not profitable to consider the feast of the Transfiguration as regards the events which happened in it, but rather as regards its symbols and meanings.
With this we come to the depth of the feast, and the depth of its meanings......
With this, we will have spiritual meditations in transfiguration:
As regards the Transfiguration of the Lord, and His divinity in the Transfiguration.
As regards the transfiguration of Moses and Elijah as a pledge of the transfiguration of humanity.
As regards the transfiguration of the human nature after the resurrection.
The transfiguration which we obtain on earth, and the relation between that and the gifts of the Spirit.

The Christ our Lord was transfigured on the mount of Tabor before three of his disciples, and with Him there were two of His prophets who "spoke of His deceasee which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31).
As for the permanent transfiguration, it will be in the heavenly Jerusalem, where God will be in the midst of His people, in Jerusalem, "coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Apoc. 21: 1-4) where God will make everything new.
Yes. "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Apocalypse 22:20).






THE TRANSFIGURATION
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers
Series 1 Volume 10
Saint John Chrysostom
On the Gospel of saint Matthew

HOMILY LVI
MATT. XVI from verse 28

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Thus, inasmuch as He had discoursed much of dangers and death, and of His own passion, and of the slaughter of the disciples, and had laid on them those severe injunctions; and these were in the present life and at hand, but the good things in hope and expectation:--for example, "They save their life who lose it;" "He is coming in the glory of His Father;" "He renders His rewards: "--He willing to assure their very sight, and to show what kind of glory that is wherewith He is to come, so far as it was possible for them to learn it; even in their present life He shows and reveals this; that they should not grieve any more, either over their own death, or over that of their Lord, and especially Peter in His sorrow.

And see what He doth. Having discoursed of hell,(1) and of the kingdom (for as well by saying, "He that findeth his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose it for my sake, shall find it; "(2) as by saying, "He shall reward every man according to his works,"(3) He had manifested both of these): having, I say, spoken of both, the kingdom indeed He shows in the vision, but hell not yet.
Why so? Because had they been another kind of people, of a grosser sort, this too would have been necessary; but since they are approved and considerate, He leads them on the gentler way. But not therefore only doth He make this disclosure, but because to Himself also it was far more suitable.
Not however that He passes over this subject either, but in some places He almost brings even before our eyes the very realities of hell; as when He introduces the picture of Lazarus, and mentions him that exacted the hundred pence, and him that was clad in the filthy garments, and others not a few.

2. "And after six days He taketh with Him Peter and James and John.(4)
Now another says, "after eight,"(5) not contradicting this writer, but most fully agreeing with him. For the one expressed both the very day on which He spake, and that on which He led them up; but the other, the days between them only.
But mark thou, I pray thee, the severe goodness of Matthew, not concealing those who were preferred to himself. This John also often doth, recording the peculiar praises of Peter with great sincerity. For the choir of these holy men was everywhere pure from envy and vainglory.
Having taken therefore the leaders, "He bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was(6) white as the light. And there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.(7)

Wherefore doth He take with Him these only? Because these were superior to the rest. And Peter indeed showed his superiority by exceedingly loving Him; but John by being exceedingly loved of Him; and James again by his answer which he answered with his brother, saying, "We are able to drink the cup;(8) nor yet by his answer only, but also by his works; both by the rest of them, and by fulfilling, what he said. For so earnest was he, and grievous to the Jews, that Herod himself supposed that he had bestowed herein a very great favor on the Jews, I mean in slaying him.
But wherefore doth He not lead them up straightway? To spare the other disciples any feeling of human weakness: for which cause He omits also the names of them that are to go up. And this, because the rest would have desired exceedingly to have followed, being to see a pattern of that glory; and would have been pained, as overlooked. For though it was somewhat in a corporeal way that He made the disclosure, yet nevertheless the thing had much in it to be desired.

Wherefore then doth He at all foretell it? That they might be readier to seize the high meaning, by His foretelling it; and being filled with the more vehement desire in that round of days, might so be present with their mind quite awake and full of care.
3. But wherefore doth He also bring forward Moses and Elias? One might mention many reasons. And first of all this: because the multitudes said He was, some Elias, some Jeremias, some one of the old prophets, He brings the leaders of His choir, that they might see the difference even hereby between the servants and the Lord; and that Peter was rightly commended for confessing Him Son of God.
But besides that, one may mention another reason also: that because men were continually accusing Him of transgressing the law, and accounting Him to be a blasphemer, as appropriating to Himself a glory which belonged not to Him, even the Father's, and were saying, "This Man is not of God, because He keepeth not the Sabbath day;"(1) and again, "For a good work we stone Thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God:"(2) that both the charges might be shown to spring from envy, and He be proved not liable to either; and that neither is His conduct a transgression of the law, nor His calling Himself equal to the Father an appropriation of glory not His own; He brings forward them who had shone out in each of these respects: Moses, because he gave the law, and the Jews might infer that he would not have overlooked its being trampled on, as they supposed, nor have shown respect to the transgressor of it, and the enemy of its founder: Elias too for his part was jealous for the glory of God, and were any man an adversary of God, and calling himself God, making himself equal to the Father, while he was not what he said, and had no right to do so; he was not the person to stand by, and hearken unto him.

And one may mention another reason also, with those which have been spoken of. Of what kind then is it? To inform them that He hath power both of death and life, is ruler both above and beneath. For this cause He brings forward both him that had died, and him that never yet suffered this.
But the fifth motive, (for it is a fifth, besides those that have been mentioned), even the evangelist himself hath revealed. Now what was this? To show the glory of the cross, and to console Peter and the others in their dread of the passion, and to raise up their minds. Since having come, they by no means held their peace, but "spake," it is said, "of the glory(3) which He was to accomplish at Jerusalem;(4)" that is, of the passion, and the cross; for so they call it always.
And not thus only did He cheer them, but also by the excellency itself of the men, being such as He was especially requiring from themselves. I mean, that having said, "If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross, and follow me;" them that had died ten thousand times for God's decrees, and the people entrusted to them, these persons He sets before them. Because each of these, having lost his life, found it. For each of them both spake boldly unto tyrants, the one to the Egyptian, the other to Ahab; and in behalf of heartless and disobedient men; and by the very persons who were saved by them, they were brought into extreme danger; and each of them wishing to withdraw men from idolatry; and each being unlearned; for the one was of a "slow tongue,"(5) and dull of speech, and the other for his part also somewhat of the rudest in his bearing: and of voluntary poverty both were very strict observers; for neither had Moses made any gain, nor had Elias aught more than his sheepskin; and this under the old law, and when they had not received so great a gift of miracles. For what if Moses clave a sea? yet Peter walked on the water, and was able to remove mountains, and used to work cures of all manner of bodily diseases, and to drive away savage demons, and by the shadow of his body to work those wonderful and great prodigies; and changed the whole world. And if Elias too raised a dead man, yet these raised ten thousand; and this before the spirit was as yet vouchsafed to them. He brings them forward accordingly for this cause also. For He would have them emulate their winning ways toward the people, and their presence of mind and inflexibility; and that they should be meek like Moses, and jealous for God like Elias, and full of tender care, as they were. For the one endured a famine of three years for the Jewish people; and the other said, "If thou wilt forgive them their sin, forgive; else blot me too out of the book, which thou hast written."(6) Now of all this He was reminding them by the vision.

For He brought those in glory too, not that these should stay where they were, but that they might even surpass their limitary lines. For example, when they said, "Should we command fire to come down from heaven," and made mention of Elias as having done so, He saith, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of;"(7) training them to forbearance by the superiority in their gift.
And let none suppose us to condemn Elias as imperfect; we say not this; for indeed he was exceedingly perfect, but in his own times, when the mind of men was in some degree childish, and they needed this kind of schooling. Since Moses too was in this respect perfect; nevertheless these have more required of them than he. For "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no ease enter into the kingdom of Heaven."(1) For not into Egypt did they enter, but into the whole world, worse disposed than the Egyptians; neither were they to speak with Pharaoh, but to fight hand to hand with the devil, the very prince of wickedness. Yea, and their appointed struggle was, both to bind him, and to spoil all his goods; and this they did cleaving not the sea, but an abyss of ungodliness, through the rod of Jesse,--an abyss having waves far more grievous. See at any rate how many things there were to put the men in fear; death, poverty, dishonor, their innumerable sufferings; and at these things they trembled more than the Jews of old at that sea. But nevertheless against all these things He persuaded them boldly to venture, and to pass as along dry ground with all security.

To train them therefore for all this, He brought forward those who shone forth under the old law.
4. What then saith the ardent Peter? "It is good for us to be here."(2) For because he had heard that Christ was to go to Jerusalem and to suffer, being in fear still and trembling for Him, even after His reproof, he durst not indeed approach and say the same thing again, "Be it far from thee;(3) but from that fear obscurely intimates the same again in other words. That is, when he saw a mountain, and so great retirement and solitude, his thought was, "He hath great security here, even from the place; and not only from the place, but also from His going away no more unto Jerusalem." For he would have Him be there continually: wherefore also he speaks of "tabernacles." For "if this may be," saith he, "we shall not go up to Jerusalem; and if we go not up, He will not die, for there He said the scribes would set upon Him."

But thus indeed he durst not speak; but desiring however to order things so, he said undoubtingly, "It is good for us to be here," where Moses also is present, and Elias; Elias who brought down fire on the mountain, and Moses who entered into the thick darkness, and talked with God; and no one will even know where we are."
Seest thou the ardent lover of Christ? For look not now at this, that the manner of his exhortation was not well weighed, but see how ardent he was, how burning his affection to Christ. For in proof that not so much out of fear for himself he said these things, hear what he saith, when Christ was declaring beforehand His future death, and the assault upon Him: "I will lay down my life for Thy sake.(4) Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee.(5)
And see how even in the very midst of the actual dangers he counselled amiss(6) for himself. We know that when so great a multitude encompassed them, so far from flying, he even drew the sword, and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. To such a degree did he disregard his own interest, and fear for his Master. Then because he had spoken as affirming a fact, he checks himself, and thinking, what if he should be again reproved, he saith, "If Thou wilt, let us make(7) here three tabernacles, one for Thee and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

What sayest thou, O Peter? didst thou not a little while since distinguish Him from the servants? Art thou again numbering Him with the servants? Seest thou how exceedingly imperfect they were before the crucifixion? For although the Father had revealed it to him, yet he did not always retain the revelation, but was troubled by his alarm; not this only, which I have mentioned, but another also, arising from that sight. In fact, the other evangelists, to declare this, and to indicate that the confusion of his mind, with which he spake these things, arose from that alarm, said as follows; mark, "He wist not what to say, for they were sore afraid;"(8) but Luke after his saying, "Let us make three tabernacles," added, "not knowing what he said."(9) Then to show that he was holden with great fear, both he and the rest, he saith, "They were heavy with sleep, and when they were awake they saw His glory;"(10) meaning by deep sleep here, the deep stupor engendered in them by that vision. For as eyes are darkened by an excessive splendor, so at that time also did they feel. For it was not, I suppose, night, but day; and the exceeding greatness of the light weighed down the infirmity of their eyes.

5. What then? He Himself speaks nothing, nor Moses, nor Elias, but He that is greater than all, and more worthy of belief, the Father, uttereth a voice out of the cloud.
Wherefore out of the cloud? Thus doth God ever appear. "For a cloud and darkness are round about Him;"(1) and, "He sitteth on a light cloud;"(2) and again, "Who maketh clouds His chariot;"(3) and, "A cloud received Him out of their sight;"(4) and, "As the Son of Man coming in the clouds."(5)
In order then that they might believe that the voice proceeds from God, it comes from thence.
And the cloud was bright. For "while he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and, behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him."(6)

For as, when He threatens, He shows a dark cloud;--as on Mount Sinai; for "Moses," it is said, "entered into the cloud, and into the thick darkness; and as a vapor, so went up the smoke;"(7) and the prophet said, when speaking of His threatening, "Dark water in clouds of the air;"(8)--so here, because it was His desire not to alarm, but to teach, it is a bright cloud.
And whereas Peter had said "Let us make three tabernacles," He showed a tabernacle not made with hands. Wherefore in that case it was smoke, and vapor of a furnace; but in this, light unspeakable and a voice.
Then, to signify that not merely concerning some one of the three was it spoken, but; concerning Christ only; when the voice was uttered, they were taken away. For by no means, had it been spoken merely concerning any one of them, would this man have remained alone, the two being severed from Him.

Why then did not the cloud likewise receive Christ alone, but all of them together? If it had received Christ alone, He would have been thought to have Himself uttered the voice. Wherefore also the evangelist, making sure this same point, saith, that the voice was from the cloud, that is, from God.
And what saith the voice? "This is my beloved Son." Now if He is beloved, fear not thou, O Peter. For thou oughtest indeed to know His power already, and to be fully assured touching His resurrection; but since; thou knowest not, at least from the voice of the Father take courage. For if God be mighty, as surely He is mighty, very evidently the Son is so likewise. Be not afraid then of those fearful things.
But if as yet thou receive it not, consider at least that other fact, that He is both a Son, and is beloved. For "This," it is said, "is My beloved Son." Now if He is beloved, fear not. For no one gives up one whom he loves. Be not thou therefore confounded; though thou lovest Him beyond measure, thou lovest Him not as much as He that begat Him.

"In whom I am well pleased." For not because He begat Him only, doth He love Him, but because He is also equal to Him in all respects, and of one mind with Him. So that the charm of love is twofold, or rather even threefold, because He is the Son, because He is beloved, because in Him He is well pleased.
But what means, "In whom I am well pleased?" As though He had said," In whom I am refreshed, in whom I take delight;" because He is in all respects perfectly equal with Himself, and there is but one will in Him and in the Father, and though He continue a Son, He is in all respects one with the Father.
"Hear ye Him." So that although He choose to be crucified, you are not to oppose Him.
6. "And when they heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only."(9)

How was it that, when they heard these words, they were dismayed? And yet before this also a like voice was uttered at Jordan, and a multitude was present, and no one felt anything of the kind; and afterwards again, when also they said, "It thundered, .... yet neither at that time did they experience anything like this. How then did they fall down in the mount? Because there was solitude, and height. and great quietness, and a transfiguration full of awe, and a pure light, and a cloud stretched out; all which things put them in great alarm. And the amazement came thick on every side, and they fell down both in fear at once and in adoration.
But that the fear abiding so long might not drive out their recollection, presently He puts an end to their alarm, and is seen Himself alone, and commands them to tell no man this, until He is risen from the dead.

For "as they came down from the mount, He charged them to tell the vision to no man, until He were risen from the dead."(11) For the greater the things spoken of Him, the harder to be received by the generality at that time; and the offense also from the cross was the more increased thereby.
Therefore He bids them hold their peace; and not merely so, but He again reminds them of the passion, and all but tells them also the cause, for which indeed He requires them to keep silence. For He did not, you see, command them never to tell any man, but "until He were risen from the dead." And saying nothing of the painful part, He expresses the good only.
What then? Would they not afterwards be offended? By no means. For the point required was the time before the crucifixion. Since afterwards they both had the spirit vouchsafed them, and the voice that proceeded from the miracles pleading with them, and whatsoever they said was thenceforth easy to be received, the course of events proclaiming His might more clearly than a trumpet, and no offense of that sort interrupting(1) what they were about.

7. Nothing then is more blessed than the apostles, and especially the three, who even in the cloud were counted worthy to be under the same roof with the Lord.
But if we will, we also shall behold Christ, not as they then on the mount, but in far greater brightness. For not thus shall He come hereafter. For whereas then, to spare His disciples, He discovered so much only of His brightness as they were able to bear; hereafter He shall come in the very glory of the Father, not with Moses and Elias only, but with the infinite host of the angels, with the archangels, with the cherubim, with those infinite tribes, not having a cloud over His head, but even heaven itself being folded up.
For as it is with the judges; when they judge publicly, the attendants drawing back the curtains show them to all; even so then likewise all men shall see Him sitting, and all the human race shall stand by, and He will make answers to them by Himself; and to some He will say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; "(2) to others," Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things.(3)

And again passing an opposite sentence, to some He will answer, "Depart into the everlasting fire, that is prepared for the devil and his angels,"(4) and to others, "O thou wicked and slothful servants."(5) And some He will "cut asunder," and "deliver to the tormentors;" but others He will command to "be bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness? And after the axe the furnace will follow; and all out of the net, that is east away, will fall therein.
"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun; "(7) or rather more than the sun. But so much is said, not because their light is to be so much and no more, but since we know no other star brighter than this, He chose by the known example to set forth the future brightness of the saints.
Since on the mount too, when He says, "He did shine as the sun," for the same cause did He so speak. For that the comparison did not come up to His light, the apostles showed by falling down. For had the brightness not been unalloyed, but comparable to the sun; they would not have fallen, but would easily have borne it.

The righteous therefore will shine as the sun, and more than the sun in that time; but the sinners shall suffer all extremities. Then will there be no need of records, proofs, witnesses. For He who judges is Himself all, both witness, and proof, and judge. For He knows all things exactly; "For all things are naked and opened unto His eyes."(8)
No man will there appear rich or poor, mighty or weak, wise or unwise, bond or free; but these masks will be dashed in pieces, and the inquiry will be into their works only. For if in our courts, when any one is tried for usurpation, or murder, whatever he may be, whether governor, or consul, or what you will, all these dignities fleet away, and he that is convicted suffers the utmost penalty; much more will it be so there.

8. Therefore that this may not be so, let us lay aside our filthy garments, let us put on the armor of light, and the glory of God will wrap us around. For what is even grievous in the injunctions? or what is there not easy? Hear, for instance, the prophet speaking, and then thou shalt know the easiness thereof. "Neither though thou bow as a collar thy neck, and strew beneath thee sackcloth and ashes, not even so shalt thou call a fast acceptable; but loose every bond of iniquity, unloose the twisted knots of oppressive bargains."(9)
See a prophet's wisdom, how stating first whatever was irksome, and removing it, he exhorts them to obtain salvation by the duties that are easy; signifying, that God needs not toils, but obedience.

Then implying that virtue is easy, but vice grievous and galling, he makes it out by the bare names; "For," saith he, "vice is a bond," and "a twisted knot," but virtue is a disengagement and release from all these.
"Tear in sunder every unjust compact;" thus calling men's bills about the interest due to them, and the sums they have lent.
"Set at liberty them that are bruised;' them that are afflicted. For such a being is the debtor; when he sees his creditor, his mind is broken, and he fears him more than a wild beast.
"Bring in the poor that are cast out to thy house; if thou seest one naked, clothe him, and them that belong to thy seed thou shalt not overlook."(1)

Now in our late discourse which we made unto you when declaring the rewards, we showed the wealth arising from these acts; but now let us see if any of the injunctions be grievous, and transcending our nature. Nay, nothing of the kind shall we discover, but quite the contrary; that while these courses are very easy, those of vice are full of labor. For what is more vexatious than to be lending, and taking thought about usuries and bargains, and demanding sureties, and fearing and trembling about securities, about the principal, about the writings, about the interest, about the bondsmen?
For such is the nature of worldly things; yea, nothing is so unsound and suspicious as that which is accounted security, and contrived for that purpose; but to show mercy is easy, and delivers from all anxiety.

Let us not then traffic in other men's calamities, nor make a trade of our benevolence. And I know indeed that many hear these words with displeasure; but what is the profit of silence? For though I should hold my peace, and give no trouble by my words, I could not by this silence deliver you from your punishment; rather it has altogether the opposite result; the penalty is enhanced, and not to you only, but to me also, doth such a silence procure punishment. What then signify our gracious words, when in our works they help us not, but rather do harm? What is the good of delighting men in word, while we vex them in deed, bringing pleasure to the ears, and punishment to the soul? Wherefore I must needs make you sorry here, that we may not suffer punishment there.
9. For indeed a dreadful disease, beloved, dreadful and needing much attendance, hath fallen on the church. Those, namely, who are enjoined not even by honest labors to lay up treasures, but to open their houses to the needy, make a profit of other men's poverty, devising a specious robbery, a plausible covetousness.

For tell me not of the laws that are without; since even the publican fulfills the law that is without, but nevertheless is punished: which will be the case with us also, unless we refrain from oppressing the poor, and from using their need and necessity as an occasion for shameless trafficking.
For to this intent thou hast wealth, to relieve poverty, not to make a gain of poverty; but thou with show of relief makest the calamity greater, and sellest benevolence for money. Sell it, I forbid thee not, but for a heavenly kingdom. Receive not a small price for so good a deed, thy monthly one in the hundred,(2) but that immortal life. Why art thou beggarly, and poor, and mean, selling thy great things for a little, even for goods that perish. when it should be for an everlasting kingdom? Why dost thou leave God, and get human gains? Why dost thou pass by the wealthy one, and trouble him that hath not? and leaving the sure paymaster make thy bargain with the unthankful? The other longs to repay, but this even grudges in the act of repaying. This hardly repays a hundredth part, but the other "an hundredfold and eternal life." This with insults and revilings, but the other with praises and auspicious words. This stirs up envy against thee, but the other even weaves for thee crowns. This hardly here, but the other both there and here.

Surely then is it not the utmost senselessness, not so much as to know how to gain? How many have lost their very principal for the interest's sake? How many have fallen into perils for usurious gains. How many have involved both themselves and others in extreme poverty through their unspeakable covetousness!
For tell me not this, that he is pleased to receive, and is thankful for the loan. Why, this is a result of thy cruelty. Since Abraham too,(3) contriving how his plan might take with the barbarians, did himself give up his wife to them; not however willingly, but through fear of Pharaoh. So also the poor man, because thou countest him not even worth so. much money, is actually compelled to be thankful for cruelty.
And it seems to me as though, shouldest thou deliver him from dangers, thou wouldest exact of him a payment for this deliverance. "Away," saith he; "let it not be." What sayest thou? Delivering him from the greater evil, thou art unwilling to exact money, and for the lesser dost thou display so much inhumanity?

Seest thou not how great a punishment is appointed for the deed? hearest thou not that even in the old law this is forbidden?(1) But what is the plea of the many? "When I have received the interest, I give to the poor;" one tells me. Speak reverently, O man; God desires not such sacrifices. Deal not subtilly with the law. Better not give to a poor man, than give from that source; for the money that hath been collected by honest labors, thou often makest to become unlawful because of that wicked increase; as if one should compel a fair womb to give birth to scorpions.
And why do I speak of God's law? Do not even ye call it "filth"? But if ye, the gainers, give your voice so, consider what suffrage God will pass upon you.
And if thou wilt ask the Gentile lawgivers too, thou wilt be told that even by them this thing is deemed a proof of the most utter shamelessness. Those, for example, who are in offices of honor, and belong to the great council, which they call the senate, may not legally disgrace themselves with such gains; there being a law among them which prohibits the same.(2)

How then is it not a horrible thing, if thou ascribe not even so much honor to the polity of Heaven, as the legislators to the council of the Romans; but Heaven is to obtain less than earth, and thou art not ashamed even of the very folly of the thing? For what could be more foolish than this, unless one without! land, rain, or plough, were to insist upon sowing?(3) Tares therefore, to be committed to the fire, do they reap, who have devised this evil husbandry.
Why, are there not many honest trades? in the fields, the flocks, the herds, the breeding of cattle, in handicrafts, in care of property? Why rave and be frantic, cultivating thorns for no good? What if the fruits of the earth are subject to mischance; hail, and blight, and excessive rain? yet not to such an extent as are money dealings. For in whatsoever cases of that sort occur, the damage of course concerns the produce, but the principal remains, I mean, the land. But herein many often have suffered shipwreck in their principal; and before the loss too they are in continual dejection. For never cloth the money-lender enjoy his possessions, nor find pleasure in them; but when the interest is brought, he rejoices not that he hath received gain, but is grieved that the interest hath not yet come up to the principal. And before this evil offspring is brought forth complete, he compels it also to bring forth,(4) making the interest principal, and forcing it to bring forth its untimely and abortive brood of vipers. For of this nature are the gains of usury; more than those wild creatures do they devour and tear the souls of the wretched.(5) This "is the bond of iniquity:" this "the twisted knot of oppressive bargains."

Yea, "I give," he seems to say, "not for thee to receive, but that thou mayest repay more." And whereas God commands not even to receive what is given (for "give," saith He, "to them from whom ye look not to receive"),(6) thou requirest even more than is given, and what thou gavest not, this as a debt, thou constrainest the receiver to pay.
And thou indeed supposest thy substance to be increased hereby, but instead of substance thou art kindling the unquenchable fire.
That this therefore may not be, let us cut out the evil womb of usurious gains, let us deaden these lawless travailings, let us dry up this place of pernicious teeming, and let us pursue the true and great gains only. "But what are these?" Hear Paul saying "Godliness with contentment is great gain."(7)

Therefore in this wealth alone let us be rich, that we may both here enjoy security, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and world without end. Amen.



The French Translation
From the site of the Abbaye Saint Benoit, Port-Valais

HOMELIE LVI
« JE VOUS DIS EN VERITE QU’IL Y EN A QUELQUES-UNS DE CEUX QUI SONT ICI PRESENTEMENT QUI NE MOURRONT POINT QU’ILS N’AIENT VU LE FILS DE L’HOMME VENIR EN SON REGNE». (CHAP. XVI, 28, JUSQU’AU VERSET 10 DU CHAP. XVII.)

ANALYSE
1. La Transfiguration.
2. Pourquoi Moïse et Elie sont présents à la Transfiguration?
3. Paroles et sentiments de saine Pierre pendant la Transfiguration.
4. La gloire de la Transfiguration si brillante qu’elle fût, n’était cependant qu’un rayon de la gloire du dernier avènement. — De l’état où seront alors les justes et les réprouvés.
5 et 6. Combien il est facile de pratiquer la vertu ; et combien on a de peine pour faire le mal. — Contre l’usure. — Bassesse et cruauté des usuriers.


1. Nous avons vu jusqu’ici , mes frères, que Jésus-Christ a beaucoup entretenu ses disciples de ses souffrances, de sa passion et de sa mort; et qu’il leur a prédit les maux qu’ils endureraient eux-mêmes et la mort violente qu’on leur ferait souffrir un jour. C’est pourquoi, après leur avoir dit des choses si dures et si fâcheuses, il tâche de les consoler ensuite. Et comme ces maux dont il leur parlait étaient présents, et que les biens qu’il leur promettait n’étaient encore qu’en espérance, lorsqu’il leur disait : « Qu’ils sauveraient leur âme en la perdant, et qu’il viendrait dans la gloire de son Père pour distribuer les récompenses » ; il veut par avance rendre leurs yeux témoins de cette gloire, et leur faire voir, autant qu’ils en étaient capables en cette vie; cette haute majesté dans laquelle il devait venir. Il veut aussi prévenir en même temps le trouble et la douleur que ses apôtres, et particulièrement saint Pierre, pouvaient ressentir de sa mort.
Mais remarquez ce que fait Jésus-Christ après qu’il a parlé de l’enfer et du Royaume du ciel. Car lorsqu’il dit : « Celui qui voudra sauver son âme la perdra. Celui qui la perdra pour l’amour de moi la sauvera »; et encore lorsqu’il assure « qu’il rendra à chacun selon ses oeuvres» , c’est du ciel et de l’enfer qu’il veut parler; il les marque bien l’un et l’autre, et néanmoins il ne les offre pas l’un et l’autre à la vue des apôtres, il ne leur montre que le ciel et il laisse l’enfer dans ses ténèbres. Pourquoi cela ? C’est que s’il avait eu affaire à des âmes par trop grossières, il aurait bien fallu leur présenter aussi une image de l’enfer ; mais comme les apôtres étaient pieux et bien disposés, c’est par la vue des biens célestes qu’il les excité. Outre cette raison tirée des apôtres, il y en avait encore une autre tirée de la personne de Jésus-Christ, pour qui il était plus convenable de montrer le ciel que l’enfer. Ce n’est pas néanmoins qu’il néglige l’autre moyen; il y a des endroits de l’Evangile où il nous met sous les yeux un tableau assez frappant de l’enfer, par exemple lorsqu’il parle du mauvais riche, ou de celui qui redemanda avec tant de cruauté les cent deniers que son frère lui devait, ou de ce téméraire qui osa se trouver aux noces avec des vêtements sales.
« Et six jours après Jésus prenant en particulier Pierre, Jacques et Jean son frère, les fit monter avec lui sur une haute montagne (XVII, 4) ». Un autre évangéliste dit que ce fut « huit jours après». Il n’y a néanmoins aucune contradiction entre eux, et ils ne laissent pas de s’accorder parfaitement. Car l’un compte le jour auquel Jésus-Christ disait ces paroles, et celui auquel il mena ses apôtres sur la montagne; et l’autre, négligeant ces deux jours, ne compte que l’intervalle qui y (437) est compris. Mais je ne puis m’empêcher, mes frères, d’admirer la vertu de notre évangéliste, qui n’affecte point de cacher le nom des apôtres que Jésus-Christ honorait davantage de ses faveurs, et qu’il préférait aux autres. C’est ce que fait aussi saint Jean en plusieurs endroits de son évangile, où il se complaît à rapporter assez au long les louanges de saint Pierre, et la prééminence qu’il avait sur tous les autres; c’est que cette sainte compagnie était entièrement exempte d’envie et de vaine gloire. Jésus-Christ donc prenant avec lui les principaux d’entre ses apôtres, « les mène en particulier sur une haute montagne. Et il fut transfiguré devant eux et sort visage devint resplendissant comme le soleil, et ses vêtements blancs et éclatants comme la lumière (2). Et en même temps ils virent paraître Moïse et Elie qui s’entretenaient avec lui (3) ». Pourquoi ne prend-il que ces trois apôtres, sinon parce qu’ils étalent plus parfaits que les autres? saint Pierre, parce qu’il aimait plus Jésus-Christ ; saint Jean, parce qu’il en était plus aimé, et saint Jacques à cause de cette réponse qu’il fit avec son frère: « Nous pouvons boire votre calice », et il ne s’en tint pas aux paroles, mais il alla jusqu’aux effets, puisque sa grande vertu le rendit si insupportable aux Juifs, qu’Hérode crut leur faire un plaisir insigne, en lui faisant couper la tête.
Mais d’où vient que Jésus-Christ attend « six « jours » pour se transfigurer devant ces trois disciples? Que ne le fait-il aussitôt qu’il l’a promis? C’était pour épargner la faiblesse des autres apôtres, et c’est cette même raison qui l’avait empêché de leur dire quels seraient l’es trois qu’il devait choisir d’entre eux. On ne doit point douter qu’ils n’eussent eu un désir dardent de le suivre, et qu’ils n’eussent été percés jusqu’au coeur, se croyant méprisés de leur Maître. Car, bien que le Sauveur ne montrât qu’une image fort imparfaite et toute corporelle de sa gloire, cette vue ne laissait pat néanmoins de leur être extrêmement douce, Mais pourquoi, me direz-vous, prédit-il que cela arriverait? C’était afin que ceux qui en seraient témoins, fussent plus disposés à le croire, quand ils le verraient; et il voulait que ce retard de quelques jours, pendant les quels il différa de leur faire voir cette vision, en augmentât en eux le désir, et les y rendît ensuite plus attentifs. Pourquoi Jésus-Christ fait-il paraître Moïse et Elie? On pourrait en rapporter plusieurs raisons. Mais la principale c’est que le peuple disait que Jésus-Christ était ou Moïse ou Elie, ou Jérémie, ou quelque autre des prophètes. Jésus mena avec lui les principaux de ses apôtres, afin qu’ils vissent dans cette gloire la différence du maître et des serviteurs, et avec quelle raison il avait loué saint Pierre, lorsque celui-ci avait confessé qu’il était « le Fils de Dieu »
On sait d’ailleurs que les Juifs accusaient sans cesse Jésus-Christ d’être un violateur de la loi, un blasphémateur, lequel s’appropriait une gloire qui, selon eux, ne lui appartenait pas, la gloire de Dieu le Père. Ils disaient souvent: « Cet homme n’est point de Dieu, parce qu’il ne garde pas le sabbat ». (Jean, IX, 16.} Et ailleurs: « Nous ne vous lapidons pas à cause de vos bonnes oeuvres, mais à cause de vos blasphèmes, parce qu’étant homme vous vous faites Dieu ». (Jean, X, 33.) Jésus-Christ donc voulant montrer que l’une et l’autre de ces deux accusations ne venaient que de l’envie des Juifs; qu’il était également exempt de ces deux crimes; qu’il ne violait point la loi en faisant ce qu’il faisait, et qu’il ne s’attribuait pas une gloire qui ne lui appartenait point en se disant égal à Dieu son Père, Jésus-Christ s’autorise des deux témoins qui étaient les plus irréprochables et les moins suspects en ce point à tous les Juifs. Car puisque Moïse avait donné la loi, les Juifs ne pouvaient pas dire que ce saint prophète eût voulu souffrir un homme qui la violait, et qu’il eût honoré l’ennemi déclaré des ordonnances qu’il avait autrefois publiées de la part de Dieu. Elle aussi, qui avait été brûlé d’un zèle si ardent pour la gloire et le service de Dieu, n’eût eu garde de venir assister Jésus-Christ, et d’obéir à ses ordres s’il l’eût regardé comme un homme opposé à Dieu, qui. eût voulu, se rendre égal à lui, et usurper injustement une gloire dont ce saint prophète avait été si jaloux durant sa vie,
2. Jésus-Christ voulait encore apprendre qu’il étant le maître de la vie et de la mort, et qu’il dominait dans le ciel et dans les enfers. C’est pourquoi il fait venir ici en sa présence un homme qui était mort et un autre qui ne l’était pas. L’Evangéliste nous découvre encore une cinquième raison. Jésus-Christ voulait faire voir à ses disciples quelle serait la gloire de sa croix. Il voulait consoler saint Pierre, et les autres à qui sa passion faisait peur, et relever (438) ainsi leur courage. Car Moïse et Elie étant avec Jésus-Christ, ne se tenaient pas, en silence:
« mais ils parlaient entre eux de la gloire qu’il devait recevoir à Jérusalem (Luc, II, 31) », c’est-à-dire de sa passion et de sa croix. Car c’est le nom que les prophètes lui donnaient toujours. Jésus-Christ ne se contente pas néanmoins de fortifier ses Apôtres par cette considération. Il les anime encore en rappelant en leur mémoire, par la présence de ces deux grands hommes, les vertus dans lesquelles ils avaient excellé autrefois, et que Jésus-Christ désirait le plus dans ses disciples. Et comme il venait de leur dire: « Si quelqu’un veut venir après moi, qu’il porte sa croix et qu’il me suive», il fait venir aussitôt après en sa présence des hommes qui s’étaient offerts cent fois à la mort pour obéir aux ordres de Dieu, et pour procurer le bien du peuple qu’il leur avait confié.
Car on peut dire de chacun de ces deux prophètes qu’il avait perdu son âme, et qu’il l’avait retrouvée. Tous deux s’étaient hardiment présentés devant les princes endurcis, l’un devant Pharaon et l’autre devant Achab. Tous deux s’étaient exposés, pour leur parler en faveur d’un peuple désobéissant et rebelle, qui, après avoir été délivré d’une tyrannie insupportable, devait ensuite porter sa furie contre ses propres libérateurs. Tous deux n’étant encore que simples particuliers, avaient néanmoins résolu de retirer le peuple de l’idolâtrie. L’un avait la langue embarrassée et la. voix faible, l’autre fut un peu sauvage dans tout son extérieur. Tous deux furent exempts d’avarice, foulèrent aux pieds les richesses, et n’aimèrent que la vertu, puisque Moïse ne possédait rien en propre, et qu’Elie n’avait pour trésor qu’une peau de bête qui le couvrait.
Et ce qui est très-remarquable, c’est qu’ils étaient amis de la pauvreté dans le temps même de l’ancienne loi; et lorsque ni l’un ni l’autre ne faisait pas encore beaucoup de miracles. Car bien que Moïse ait fendu une fois les eaux de la mer, qu’a-t-il fait de comparable à saint Pierre qui a marché sur elles, qui y a pu transporter les montagnes, qui a guéri toutes sortes de maladies, chassé les démons, fait des miracles par la seule ombre de son corps, et converti toute la terre à Jésus-Christ? Que si Elie a ressuscité un mort, les apôtres en ont ressuscité mille, avant même qu’ils eussent reçu le Saint-Esprit. Ce sont donc là les raisons, mes frères, du choix que Jésus-Christ fait de ces deux hommes pour être présents à sa Transfiguration. Il voulait que ses apôtres imitassent particulièrement dans l’un, l’amour qu’il avait eu pour son peuple, et dans l’autre ce courage inflexible qu’il avait témoigné en toutes rencontres, afin qu’ils devinssent tout ensemble doux comme Moïse, et pleins de zèle comme Elie. L’un frappa toute la Judée d une famine de trois années, et l’autre disait à Dieu : « Si vous leur remettez ce péché, Seigneur, remettez-le, sinon effacez-moi du livre que vous avez écrit ». (Exod. XXXII, 32.)
C’étaient toutes ces choses dont Jésus-Christ voulait faire souvenir ses apôtres en leur présentant seulement devant eux ces deux prophètes. Il les leur fait voir dans une grande majesté, afin de les encourager davantage à monter par leurs vertus, non seulement à ce même degré de gloire, mais encore à un autre plus élevé; car il ne voulait point que ses apôtres se bornassent à l’état et à la perfection de ces deux grands hommes, mais qu’ils allassent encore plus loin. C’est pourquoi, lorsqu’ils lui dirent : « Commanderons-nous au feu de descendre sur cette ville » ? (Luc. IX, 54) ce que fit autrefois Elie, il leur répond: « Vous ne savez, pas à quel esprit vous appartenez», voulant les exciter à la. patience, par la considération des grandes grâces qu’ils avaient reçues de Dieu.
Qu’on ne croie pas cependant que j’accuse Elie comme faible ou comme un homme d’une vertu médiocre. Je reconnais l’excellence et la vertu sublime de ce grand prophète, et j’admire qu’il l’ait possédée en un degré si éminent, dans le temps auquel il vivait. Caron sait combien ce temps était encore faible, et qu’il était comme l’enfance du monde. C’est aussi de cette manière que nous disons que Moïse était parfait; mais d’une perfection qui ne suffisait pas pour les apôtres. Car Jésus-Christ leur demandait plus que n’avait fait Moïse: « Si votre justice n’est plus abondante que celle des scribes et des pharisiens, vous n’entrerez point dans le royaume des cieux ». (Matth. V, 27.) Il ne les envoyait pas seulement en Egypte comme il y avait envoyé Moïse, mais dans toute la terre, qui n’était pas moins corrompue ni moins plongée dans l’idolâtrie que ne l’était l’Egypte : et ils n’avaient pas à disputer contre Pharaon, mais à combattre le démon même qui est le prince et le père de toute malice. Car leur (439) combat et leur dessein était proprement de terrasser cet ennemi furieux; de l’enchaîner, et de lui enlever ses dépouilles. Ce qu’ils firent, non en divisant les eaux de la mer, mais en séparant par la vertu de Jésus-Christ, qui est la verge de Jessé, les abîmes de l’impiété qui s’élevaient de toutes parts avec plus de violence que tous les flots de la mer Rouge.
Représentez-vous ce qui donne d’ordinaire le plus de terreur aux hommes, la mort, la pauvreté, l’infamie et cent autres choses fâcheuses, qui nous font plus de peur que la mer alors n’en faisait aux Juifs. Cependant Jésus-Christ leur persuade de se raidir contre ces maux, et de passer au travers de ces souffrantes, comme à pied sec et dans une pleine paix. Pour les fortifier donc, et pour les exercer dans cette pénible carrière, il fait venir en leur présence ces divins athlètes d’autrefois, qui s’étaient le plus signalés du temps de l’ancienne loi. Mais que dit en cette rencontre saint Pierre que l’on voit partout montrer tant de feu?
« Seigneur, nous sommes bien ici (4) ». Comme il craignait ce qu’il avait entendu dire, il n’y avait pas longtemps, savoir que Jésus-Christ devait aller à Jérusalem pour y souffrir, et qu’il n’osait plus après cette rude réprimande que le Sauveur lui avait faite, prendre encore la liberté de le détourner de ce dessein, en lui disant : « Seigneur ayez pitié de vous » sa crainte continuant toujours, lui fait donner encore le même conseil à Jésus-Christ, mais par des paroles différentes et plus couvertes. Il se voyait sur le haut d’une montagne et dans une solitude fort écartée. Il crut que ce lieu était sûr et qu’il valait mieux y demeurer que de retourner à Jérusalem. C’est pourquoi il exhorte Jésus-Christ à y demeurer: «Seigneur», dit-il, « nous sommes bien ici », il parle même de faire des tentes, croyant que si Jésus-Christ le lui permettait, il ne penserait plus à retourner dans la ville qui le devait faire mourir.
Il espérait ainsi que s’il pouvait une fois porter son maître à ne plus faire ce voyage, il l’empêcherait de mourir. Car c’était dans Jérusalem que Jésus-Christ disait que les scribes et les pharisiens le prendraient. N’osant donc dire ouvertement tout ce qu’il pensait, et tâchant néanmoins de le persuader au Fils de Dieu, il le dit d’une manière ingénieuse, assez pour se faire entendre et pas assez pour s’attirer une nouvelle réprimande: « Seigneur, nous sommes bien ici », puisque Moïse et Elie s’y trouvent présents. Elie se souviendra qu’il a fait autrefois descendre le feu de la montagne sur ceux qui le voulaient perdre. Moïse pourra aussi nous cacher dans une nuée, comme il le fut autrefois sur la montagne en parlant à Dieu. Et d’ailleurs personne ne saura que nous soyons cachés ici.
3. Admirez, mes frères, l’amour ardent que cet apôtre avait pour son maître.. Ne considérez point que son conseil n’était pas sage, mais voyez combien son zèle pour le Sauveur était brûlant. Car ce n’était point pour lui-même que l’apôtre craignait. C’était uniquement pour son maître. Et il n’en faut point d’autre -preuve que ce qu’il dit à Jésus un instant
avant que celui-ci fût pris et conduit à la mort: « Je donnerai ma vie pour vous, et quand il me faudrait mourir avec vous, je ne vous renoncerai jamais » (Marc, XIV, 31.), n‘est-ce pas aussi ce qui fit que, le trouvant au milieu d’un si grand danger et environné de tant de soldats, non-seulement il ne pensa point à fuir, mais qu’il tira même l’épée, et coupa l’oreille à l’un des serviteurs du grand prêtre? On ne peut donc raisonnablement croire qu’il craignît pour lui. Jésus-Christ seul était tout le sujet de sa crainte.
Mais comme il avait dit trop en général: « Nous sommes bien ici », il se corrige en ajoutant aussitôt : « Faisons ici, s’il vous plaît, trois tentes: une pour vous, une pour Moïse, et une pour Elie ». Que dites-vous, saint apôtre? Vous venez de séparer le maître d’avec les serviteurs, et vous les confondez maintenant ensemble. Vous voyez, mes frères, combien les apôtres étaient imparfaits avant la mort du Sauveur. Il est vrai que le Père avait révélé son Fils à saint Pierre, mais saint Pierre n’avait pas cette révélation toujours présente dans l’esprit, et il était encore sujet au trouble, comme on le voit ici dans la surprise de cette vision, et de ce qu’il y entendit. Les autres évangélistes, pour exprimer ce trouble et nous montrer quelle était la confusion de son esprit, disent « qu’il ne savait ce qu’il disait » (Marc, IX, 6), parce. qu’il était saisi de crainte. Et saint Luc, après ces paroles : « Faisons ici trois tentes », ajoute aussitôt : « Qu’il ne savait ce qu’il disait »: Et pour .marquer davantage leur épouvante, il dit qu’ils étaient appesantis par le sommeil, et qu’en se (440) réveillant ils virent la gloire du Sauveur, appelant du nom de « sommeil » le grand étonnement que cette vision leur causa.
Comme les yeux d’ordinaire sont obscurcis par une grande lumière, les apôtres furent comme aveuglés par la gloire de Jésus. Car cette transfiguration ne se fit point durant la nuit, mais en plein jour; et l’éclat extraordinaire d’une lumière si divine les frappa de telle sorte, que la faiblesse de leurs yeux n’en put supporter la force, et fut contrainte de céder. Après que saint Pierre eut dit ces paroles, ni Jésus, ni Moïse, ni Elie ne parlent plus. Seul le Père, autorité plus grande et plus digne de foi, fait sortir sa voix d’une nuée.
« Comme il parlait encore, une nuée lumineuse vint les couvrir; et en même temps il sortit une voix de cette nuée qui fit entendre ces mots: C’est mon Fils bien-aimé dans lequel j’ai mis toute mon affection. Ecoutez-le (5) »; Pourquoi cette voix sort-elle d’une nuée? Parce que c’est de cette manière que Dieu paraît partout. David dit de lui « que la nuée et l’obscurité l’environnent ». (Psal. LXIX, 4.) Et ailleurs: « Qu’il monte sur une nuée; et qu’il est assis sur une nuée légère ». (Ps. CIII, 3.) Et dans les Actes : « Une nuée le reçut et le cacha aux yeux des apôtres ». (Act. 1, 9.) Et ailleurs: « C’était comme le Fils de l’homme venant dans les nuées ». (Dan. VIII, 14.) C’est donc afin que les apôtres croient que cette voix venait de Dieu qu’elle sort d’une nuée. L’ةvangile marque qu’elle était claire et « lumineuse ». Quand Dieu voulait étonner les hommes par ses menaces, il leur faisait voir une nuée noire et sombre, comme il fit sur le mont Sinaï : « Moïse », dit l’Ecriture, « entra dans une nuée obscure, et la fumée paraissait de toutes parts comme une fumée épaisse ». (Exod. XXIV,13.) Le Prophète parlant de même des menaces dont Dieu étonnait les hommes, les compare à une « eau obscure et ténébreuse dans les nuées de l’air». (Ps. XVII, 13.) Mais Dieu, qui ne voulait point terrifier ici les apôtres, mais seulement les instruire et les enseigner, paraît sur une nuée claire. Saint Pierre disait : « Faisons trois tentes », et Dieu en fait au contraire paraître une qui n’était point faite par la main des hommes. Ici on n’aperçut rien de ces fumées épaisses et sombres d’autrefois. On ne vit qu’une nuée claire et légère, d’où sortit une voix qui n’avait rien de terrible. Et pour ne point laisser de doute à qui des trois cette voix s’était adressée : « Voici mon Fils bien-aimé »; lorsqu’elle se fit entendre, Moïse et Elie s’étaient déjà retirés, ce qui ne fût pas arrivé, si ce témoignage si glorieux eût été pour quelqu’un de ces deux prophètes. Pourquoi la nuée les enveloppe-t-elle tous et non pas le Christ seul? Parce que si elle n’eût reçu que le Christ seul, on eût pu croire que c’était lui qui aurait fait entendre la voix. Aussi l’évangéliste, insistant sur ce point, affirme expressément que la voix venait de la nuée, c’est-à-dire de Dieu.
Et que dit la voix? « C’est ici mon Fils bien-aimé ». Si Jésus-Christ est le Fils bien-aimé du Père, Pierre, ne craignez plus rien. Vous ne devez plus douter de sa toute-puissance, lors même qu’il sera en croix: ni perdre l’espérance de. sa résurrection. Si votre peu de foi vous a fait trembler jusqu’ici, qu’au moitis la voix du Père vous rassure. Si vous ne doutez point de la toute-puissance du Père, pourquoi doutez~vous de celle d,u Fils? Ne craignez -donc plus les maux auxquels, il va s’exposer volontairement pour noua. Jésus est non seulement le Fils, mais le Fils bien-aimé de son Père. C’est le Père lui-même qui le dit en votre présence: «Voici mon Fils bien-aimé » Puisque le Père aime son Fils, que devez-vous craindre? Personne n’abandonne celui qu’il aime. Quittez donc ces vaines terreurs. Quand vous auriez pour Jésus-Christ un amour encore plus tendre, il ne peut égaler celle que le Père éternel a pour son Fils.
L’Evangile ajoute : « Dans lequel j’ai mis toute mon affection ». Le Père n’aime pas seulement son Fils parce qu’il l’a engendré, mais aussi parce qu’il lui est égal en toutes choses et qu’il veut généralement tout ce que son Père veut. Il trouve donc dans son Fils un double ou plutôt un triple sujet d’amour. Il l’aime parce qu’il est son « Fils » : Il l’aime, parce qu’il est son Fils « bien-aimé»: Il l’aime enfin, parce qu’il « met en lui toute son affection ». C’est-à-dire, qu’il trouve en lui tout son repos, tout son plaisir. Le Père aime son Fils de la sorte, parce qu’il lui est égal en tout, qu’il n’a qu’une même volonté avec lui, et qu’étant Fils, il n’est néanmoins qu’un avec celui qui l’engendre : « Ecoutez-le », dit le Père. Et s’il veut être crucifié, ne vous y opposez pas.
4. « Les disciples entendant cette voix, (441) tombèrent le visage contre terre, et furent saisis d’une grande crainte (6) ». Pourquoi furent-ils saisis d’une si grande crainte en entendant cette voix? Cette même voix s’était déjà fait entendre au baptême de Jésus-Christ en présence de tout un peuple, et cependant personne de tous ceux qui étaient présents ne fut frappé d’une semblable terreur. (Jean, XII, 21.) Il est encore marqué dans la suite qu’ils entendirent comme la voix, et comme le bruit d’un tonnerre, et cependant ce tonnerre ne les étonne pas autant que le fait ici cette voix. Quel est. donc le sujet de la crainte qu’ils éprouvent? C’était, mes frères, à cause de toutes les circonstances, du temps, du lieu, de la solitude, de la montagne, du silence qui y régnait, de là transfiguration du Sauveur, de la lumière ‘si brillante qui parut alors, et de cette nuée qui les couvrit de son ombre. Toutes ces particularités jointes ensemble les jetèrent dans une appréhension extrême. Tout ce qu’ils voyaient contribuait à leur trouble, et ils se jettent par terre autant par un sentiment de crainte que par un mouvement d’adoration. Mais Jésus, pour empêcher que Cette crainte ne leur fit perdre la mémoire de ce qu’ils venaient de voir, les en délivre sur l’heure.
« Mais Jésus s’approchant, les toucha et leur dit: Levez-vous, et ne craignez point (7). Alors levant les yeux, ils ne virent personne que Jésus tout seul (8). Et comme ils descendaient de la montagne, Jésus leur fit ce commandement, et leur dit : Ne parlez à personne de cette vision jusqu’à ce que le Fils de l’homme soit ressuscité d’entre les morts (9) ». Jésus-Christ leur défend de parler de cette vision avant qu’il fût ressuscité d’entre les morts, parce que plus les apôtres publiaient de grandes choses à son sujet, plus les hommes les croyaient difficilement. D’ailleurs, le scandale de la croix s’en fût augmenté. Il a soin, en leur faisant cette défense, de leur marquer qu’il ne les engageait pas au silence pour toujours, mais seulement « jusqu’à ce qu’il fût ressuscité d’entre les morts »; comme pour leur rendre raison du commandement qu’il leur faisait. Il use en leur parlant de sa passion, d’une expression qui cachait ce qu’elle avait de triste, et qui n’en faisait paraître que la fin qui devait être agréable.
Mais quoi, me direz-vous, les hommes ne devaient-ils plus se scandaliser de la croix du Fils de Dieu, lorsqu’il serait ressuscité d’entre les morts? Tout le monde sait que non. Le temps des scandales était celui qui précéda la passion. Mais depuis que les apôtres eurent reçu la plénitude du Saint-Esprit, et que l’éclat de leurs miracles soutenait leurs prédications, ils persuadèrent aisément aux hommes tout ce qu’ils voulurent, parce que d’une voix plus éclatante que le son de la trompette, les faits publiaient d’eux-mêmes la puissance du Sauveur. Quoi de plus heureux que ces trois apôtres qui furent trouvés dignes d’être avec le Seigneur enveloppés d’une même nuée?
Pour nous, mes frères, il dépendra de nous, si nous le voulons, de voir aussi le Fils de Dieu dans sa gloire; nous pourrons le voir, non plus comme ces trois disciples sur la montagne, mais d’une manière bien plus auguste. Quand il viendra au milieu des airs pour juger le monde, ce ne sera plus avec cette faible gloire qu’il fit paraître sur le Thabor. Il fallait épargner la faiblesse des apôtres; et Jésus. Christ ne leur devait dévoiler sa gloire qu’autant qu’ils étaient capables de la supporter. Mais lorsqu’il se fera voir à la fin du monde, il viendra dans toute la gloire de son Père. Il ne sera plus accompagné seulement de Moïse ou d’Elie, mais d’un nombre innombrable d’anges, des archanges, des chérubins, et de cette troupe bienheureuse que personne ne peut nombrer. Il ne sera point alors enveloppé dune nuée : le ciel se repliera sur lui-même comme pour 1ui faire place. Et de même que quand les juges vont prononcer leur sentence, on tire les rideaux qui les couvraient, ainsi le ciel s’ouvrira alors, afin que toute la terre voie Jésus, son juge, sur son tribunal, et que tous les hommes écoutent l’arrêt de ses jugements. Il ne fera point comme nos juges : il ne se servira de l’entremise de personne pour prononcer la sentence. Le Sauveur parlera lui-même. Il dira aux uns: « Venez, vous que mon Père a bénis. Car j’ai eu faim, et vous m’avez donné à manger » (Matth. XXV, 49.) Il dira aux autres : «Courage, bon et fidèle serviteur; vous avez été fidèle dans les petites choses, je vous établirai sur les grandes ». (Ibid. 30.) Mais il dira au contraire aux méchants: « Allez, maudits, dans le feu éternel qui, est préparé pour le diable et pour ses anges ». Et à d’autres : « Méchant et lâche serviteur, etc. » Il séparera ces derniers d’avec lui; il les livrera entre les mains des bourreaux; il commandera qu’on lie les pieds et les mains aux autres et (442) qu’on les jette dans les ténèbres extérieures. Après que les méchants, comme de mauvais arbres, auront été coupés par cette cognée terrible dont il les avait menacés, ils seront précipités dans les flammes qui ne s’éteindront jamais; lorsque les justes , au contraire , brilleront comme le soleil, et plus même que le soleil. Car quand Jésus-Christ compare la gloire de ses élus à l’éclat et à la beauté de cet astre, il ne faut pas croire qu’ils ne seront précisément que dans ce degré de beauté et de lumière. Le Sauveur ne se sert de cette comparaison que parce que nous ne voyons rien ici-bas de plus brillant que le soleil, et il nous propose une lumière que nous connaissons, pour nous faire juger d’une autre que nous ne connaissons pas.
C’est en ce sens qu’il faut entendre ce que l’Evangile vient de dire, que « son visage était resplendissant comme le soleil » au moment de sa transfiguration. Le trouble qui saisit alors les apôtres et qui les fit tomber le visage en terre, nous fait voir que cette lumière était quelque chose de plus que n’est celle du soleil; puisqu’ils l’eussent aisément supportée, si elle lui eût été semblable et si elle n’eût point eu de plus grand éclat. Les justes donc brilleront alors comme le soleil et plus même que le soleil; mais les méchants seront jetés dans les ténèbres et réduits aux dernières extrémités.
Il ne faudra point alors ouvrir de livres, ni produire d’accusateurs, ni écouter de témoins. Jésus-Christ tiendra lui seul lieu de tout, de témoin, d’accusateur et de juge. Il connaît parfaitement toutes choses. Tout est nu et développé à ses yeux. Toutes les différentes conditions d’ici-bas, de pauvre ou de riche, de puissant ou de faible, de sage ou de fou, d’esclave ou de libre, disparaîtront en sa présence. Toutes ces qualités extérieures et étrangères à l’homme s’évanouiront devant lui, et il jugera de chacun uniquement par ses oeuvres. Nous voyons tous les jours dans les jugements séculiers, lorsqu’on juge un meurtrier et un homicide ou un criminel de lèse-majesté, qu’on oublie toutes ses qualités passées. On ne se souvient plus qu’il ait été ou préfet, ou consul, élevé en un mot aux plus hautes charges de l’Etat. On ne le considère plus que comme un coupable, et on ne pense qu’à lui faire souffrir la peine qu’il a méritée. Si cela est vrai des jugements de la terre, combien le sera-ce davantage du jugement de Dieu même?
5. Prévenons donc, mes frères, la rigueur de ce Juge. Quittons la robe souillée du mal. Couvrons-nous des armes de la lumière, afin qu’alors la gloire de Dieu -nous environne. Car enfin qu’y a-t-il de si pénible dans ce que Dieu nous commande? Ou qu’y a-t-il au contraire qui ne soit aisé? Ecoutez le prophète Isaïe, et reconnaissez avec quelle facilité vous pouvez obéir à la loi de Dieu: «Quand», dit-il, « vous « humilieriez vos têtes, et que vous seriez sur le sac et sur la cendre, vous n’offririez pas « encore une hostie qui fût agréable à Dieu. Mais rompez tous les liens de l’iniquité, et déchirez les obligations exigées par votre avarice et par votre violence ». (Isaïe, LVIII, 5.) Admirez la sagesse du Prophète. Il semble ne parler d’abord des choses rudes et pénibles que pour les exclure, et il nous porte ensuite à nous sauver, par la pratique de ce qui est le plus aisé. Il nous fait voir que Dieu ne recherche pas principalement de nous les travaux du corps et l’affliction de la chair; mais qu’il veut avant tout que nous obéissions à ses lois et que nous exécutions ses commandements.
Le Prophète va plus loin, et, pour nous faire comprendre combien la vertu est aisée, et qu’il n’y a que la malice qui soit pénible, il se sert d’expressions qui le montrent par elles-mêmes. Car il appelle la .malice « un lien et une chaîne, et la vertu, au contraire, la délivrance de nos chaînes : « Rompez », dit-il, « tous les liens de l’iniquité. Déchirez », ajoute-t-il, « les obligations exigées par votre avarice », marquant ainsi ce que nous faisons par nos détestables usures « Laissez aller libres ceux qui sont brisés, »c’est-à-dire ceux qui sont chargés de dettes. Car le débiteur, lorsqu’il aperçoit celui qui lui a prêté, a le coeur comme brisé, et la crainte qui le saisit est comme un poids qui l’accable.
Il aimerait mieux voir alors une bête féroce « Retirez chez vous ceux qui n’ont point d’abri. Si vous voyez un pauvre nu, donnez-lui de quoi se vêtir, et ne méprisez pas ceux qui sont du même sang que vous ».
Je me souviens que, dans nos dernières exhortations, nous avons parlé de la grandeur des récompenses que Dieu promet à ces oeuvres de piété, et des biens inestimables qu’elles nous attirent. C’est pourquoi je ne m’y arrête plus. J’aime mieux aujourd’hui considérer avec vous, s’il est vrai qu’il y ait quelque chose de pénible dans ces exercices de charité, et (443) s’ils sont au-dessus des forces de l’homme. Je vous déclare par avance que nous n’y trouverons rien de difficile, et que nous reconnaîtrons qu’on n’a de la peine qu’en faisant le mal.
Car, sans sortir de l’exemple dont le Prophète nous parle, qu’y a-t-il de plus pénible que de donner son argent à usure, et de se charger l’esprit des soins de le bien placer; de chercher des assurances; de se défier de celles qu’on nous a données; d’avoir peur de perdre, tantôt la rente, tantôt le fonds, tantôt les cautions, tantôt les contrats? car l’on est exposé à toutes ces pertes. Souvent, plus en croit avoir d’assurances, plus on est trompé; et ce qui nous paraissait le moins à craindre, nous manque le plus. il n’y a rien de semblable dans la pratique de l’aumône. Elle se fait toujours sans peine. Elle est exempte de toutes ces inquiétudes.
Ne trafiquons donc plus des misères de nos frères, et ne faisons point un commerce si infâme d’un argent dont nous nous devrions faire des amis. Je sais qu’il y en a parmi vous qui ne prennent pas plaisir à m’entendre, et qui ne peuvent souffrir que je leur parle si souvent du mépris de. leurs richesses. Mais quel avantage retirez-vous de mon silence? Quand je me tairais, et que, pour vous épargner, je cesserais de vous avertir de votre devoir, mon silence vous délivrera-t-il de l’enfer? Vos peines, au contraire, ne s’augmenteront-elles pas par la liberté de vos crimes? Et un si lâche silence ne m’engagera-t-il pas avec vous dans la même condamnation? Que vous servirait donc ma fausse douceur et ma cruelle complaisance, puisqu’elle ne vous produirait aucun bien, et qu’elle rendrait vos maux encore pires qu’ils n’étaient. Quelle utilité retirerez-vous, si, vous flattant par des paroles qui vous plaisent, je vous jette en effet dans une éternelle douleur? Si j’épargne vos oreilles au lieu d’épargner vos âmes, et si, pour plaire aux unes, je laisse périr les autres? Ne vaut-il pas mieux vous causer ici un peu de peine, et vous causer une douleur passagère, qui vous délivrera d’un feu qui ne s’éteindra jamais?
Car il ne faut point vous céler, mes frères, que l’Eglise est attaquée aujourd’hui d’une maladie bien dangereuse, et qui a besoin d’un puissant remède. Dieu défend aux chrétiens de s’amasser des richesses. Il condamne en eux cette avarice, quand ils ne s’enrichiraient que par des voies innocentes, et par de justes travaux, parce qu’il ne veut pas qu’ils se fassent un trésor sur la terre. Il leur commande au contraire d’ouvrir leurs maisons aux pauvres, et de leur faire part de leurs biens. Et cependant on voit qu’aujourd’hui ils s’enrichissent de la misère et de la pauvreté de leurs frères et qu’ils sont ravis d’avoir trouvé une sorte d’avarice qui leur paraît irréprochable, et qui est même couverte de quelque prétexte de bonté.
.Et ne m’alléguez point ici les lois et les coutumes. Les publicains et les usuriers déclarés les gardent, et ils ne laissent pas d’être condamnés de Dieu. Ne doutons point donc que nous ne le soyons nous-mêmes, si nous ne cessons de tyranniser les pauvres, si nous augmentons leur pauvreté par nos usures, et si nous tirons un gain cruel de l’argent que nous leur prêtons pour satisfaire aux plus pressantes nécessités.
Dieu vous a donné des richesses, non pour appauvrir les autres, ni pour trafiquer de leurs misères, mais pour les en délivrer. Vous témoignez vouloir soulager leur pauvreté, et vous la rendez plus insupportable. Vous feignez de les consoler, et vous les jetez dans le désespoir. Vous voulez tirer un gain infâme de vos aumônes, et vous vendez le plaisir que vous leur faites. Vendez-le, je ne vous en empêche pas , mais que ce soit pour le royaume des cieux. Ne vous contentez plus d’un vil gain, d’un pour cent par. mois, et ne prétendez pas moins qu’une vie qui ne finit point.
Pourquoi vous condamnez-vous vous-même à une si grande bassesse, et à un gain si méprisable?Avez-vous l’âme assez basse pour abandonner de si grandes choses, afin de vous attacher à d’autres qui sont si petites, et pour vous contenter d’un peu d’argent, lorsque rien ne devrait vous contenter que le royaume de Dieu? Pourquoi laissez-vous de côté les récompenses que Dieu vous offre pour en chercher de basses et de honteuses parmi les hommes? Pourquoi quittez-vous Celui qui est infiniment riche, pour vous adresser à un pauvre qui n’a rien? Pourquoi méprisez-vous Celui qui ne cherche qu’à répandre ses dons et ses grâces, pour mettre toute votre espérance dans un ingrat? Vous ne confiez pas votre argent à celui qui pourrait tous le rendre avec une grosse usure, et vous l’abandonnez à celui (444) qui est même incapable de vous le rendre. L’un ne souhaite que de vous le restituer, et l’autre ne craint rien tant que d’être contraint de le faire. L’un ne peut qu’avec peine donner un pour cent, et l’autre vous offre cent pour un dans ce monde, et une vie éternelle dans l’autre. L’un ne vous rend ce qu’il vous doit qu’avec des murmures et des injures; et l’autre vous le rendrait avec des louanges et des applaudissements. L’un tâche d’attirer sur vous la haine de tout le monde, et l’autre ne pense qu’à vous couronner un jour devant tout le monde.
N’est-ce donc pas le comble de la folie de ne savoir pas même où l’on doit placer son argent, et où l’on doit chercher à gagner? Combien a-t-on vu de personnes perdre leur fonds par le désir violent d’en tirer trop de revenu ? Combien en a-t-on vu d’autres courir une infinité de hasards, et s’exposer aux pièges que leur tendaient ceux qui enviaient leurs richesses? Combien en a-t-on vu tomber dans la dernière pauvreté par l’insatiabilité de leur avarice?
6. Ne me dites point pour vous excuser que ces pauvres se réjouissent, lorsque vous leur prêtez votre argent, et que même ils vous rendent grâce de votre usure. C’est votre cruauté qui les oblige de trouver cette triste joie dans ce qui les réduit à la dernière pauvreté. (Gen. XII, 3.) Lorsqu’Abraham livra sa propre femme entre les mains des barbares, il se prêta à l’accomplissement de leurs mauvais desseins, mais était-ce de bon gré, ou par la crainte de Pharaon ? C’est ainsi que le pauvre agit. Comme vous êtes assez dur pour ne lui pas donner gratuitement la somme dont il a besoin, il est contraint de rendre grâce à votre avarice, et de recevoir avec joie l’effet de votre cruauté. Vous ressemblez à un homme qui, en délivrant un autre d’un péril de mort imminent, exigerait de lui la récompense de ce service. Cette comparaison vous fait horreur et vous paraît injurieuse. Quoi donc, vous rougiriez d’exiger de l’argent d’un homme pour l’avoir tiré de ce péril, et vous ne rougissez pas d’en exiger si cruellement pour l’avoir assisté dans un besoin moins considérable? Ne prévoyez-vous point déjà que le châtiment vous est réservé pour une telle conduite, et ne vous souvenez-vous point avec quelle sévérité ce crime était défendu dans l’ancienne loi?
Mais quelle est l’excuse dont la plupart se couvrent? Il est vrai, disent-ils, que je prête mon bien à usure, mais c’est pour assister les pauvres. Malheureux, que dites-vous? Dieu rejette avec horreur ces détestables aumônes. Il ne veut point ces sacrifices sanglants. Ne faussez point la loi de Dieu. Il vaut mieux ne rien donner aux pauvres que de leur donner d’un bien si cruellement acquis. Vous faites même souvent qu’un argent qui n’avait été amassé que par de justes travaux, et par des voies très-innocentes, devient enfin un argent maudit de Dieu par vos usures illégitimes, et vous faites le même mal que si vous forciez un sein pur et chaste d’enfanter des scorpions et des vipères.
Mais pourquoi vous parler de la loi de Dieu? N’avouez-vous pas vous-même que l’usure est une chose très-infâme? Si vous, qui profitez de ces usures, ne les regardez néanmoins qu’avec horreur, jugez de quel oeil Dieu les regarde. Que si vous consultez ceux qui ont établi les lois humaines, ils vous diront que l’usure a toujours été regardée comme la marque de la dernière impudence. Et c’est pour cette raison qu’il n’est jamais permis aux personnes constituées en: dignité, ni aux magistrats de se déshonorer par ces gains infâmes. .C’est la loi, dites-vous, qui le leur défend. Tremblez donc de votre indifférence, lorsque vous avez moins de respect pour les lois de Dieu, que les magistrats n’en, put pour les lois civiles, et lorsque vous témoignez estimer moins les oracles du ciel, qu’ils n’estiment les arrêts du sénat de Rome.
Mais si je vous crois, me dites-vous, et que je place mon argent au ciel, il me profitera moins que placé sur la terre. Ne rougissez-vous pas d’autoriser ainsi l’injustice de vos usures? Je l’appelle une injustice; car y a-t-il rien de plus injuste que de semer sans terre, sans- pluie, sans charrue et sans semence ? Que recueillent aussi ceux qui sèment de la sorte, sinon une ivraie qui sera jetée dans le feu? N’y a-t-il point d’autres voies justes et légitimes de gagner sa vie? Ne peut-on pas cultiver les champs, nourrir des troupeaux, engraisser des boeufs, travailler des mains, et ménager son revenu? N’êtes-vous pas déraisonnable? N’êtes-vous pas insensé de passer toute votre vie à labourer et à semer des épines?
Vous me répondrez peut-être que les fruits de la terre sont sujets à trop d’accidents, que (445) souvent la grêle, les brouillards, les eaux et les chaleurs ruinent tout. Mais y a-t-il là autant de périls à craindre que vous en courez par l’usure? Toutes ces intempéries de l’air ne peuvent au plus que gâter le fruit sans nuire à la terre qui le porte; au lieu qu’ici on perd très-souvent le fonds, et qu’avant cette perte, on souffre mille inquiétudes. Car l’usurier ne jouit jamais en paix de son bien, Jamais il n’y trouve de repos. Quand on lui apporte de l’argent, il ne considère point ce qu’il a, mais ce qu’il n’a pas; et quelque grande que soit la rente qu’on lui paie, il s’afflige toujours de ce qu’elle n’égale pas le fonds. C’est pourquoi il ne peut, dans cette impatience avare, se donner le temps d’amasser quelque somme considérable. Il replace cet argent à mesure qu’il le reçoit. Il contraint ces revenus injustes de lui produire d’autres revenus semblables, comme une vipère produit encore d’autres vipères.
Je me sers de cette comparaison, parce que l’usure ronge plus l’âme d-e l’avare qui l’exige, que les vipères ne. rongent les entrailles qui leur ont donné la vie. Ce sont là « les liens injustes » dont parlait tantôt le Prophète, « et ces chaînes pesantes » qui accablent ceux qui les portent. Je vous donne, dit l’usurier, non afin que vous jouissiez de ce que je vous donne, mais afin que vous me rendiez plus que je ne vous ai donné. Quoi ! Dieu ne veut pas que vous redemandiez même ce que vous avez donné: « Donnez», dit-il, « à ceux dont vous n’espérez rien recevoir (Luc, VI, 40)», et vous exigez plus nième que vous ne donnez? Vous redemandez comme une dette, un argent qui n’est point sorti de vos mains. Croyez-vous augmenter votre bien par un moyen par lequel vous ne vous amassez qu’un trésor de colère et de vengeance?
Donc, mes frères, pour éviter de tomber sous les coups de la colère de Dieu, et dans ces abîmes de feu, renonçons éternellement à l’usure. Desséchons cette racine empoisonnée qui ne porte que des fruits de mort, et n’aspirons plus qu’à ce gain dont parle saint Paul, qui est le seul gain qui soit grand et légitime, c’est-à-dire : « La piété avec ce qui nous suffit « pour vivre ». (I Tim. vi, 6.) C’est de ce trésor que nous devons nous enrichir; afin de passer ici paisiblement notre vie et de jouir ensuite des biens éternels que je vous souhaite, par la grâce et par la miséricorde de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ, à qui, avec le Père et le saint-Esprit, est la gloire, la puissance et l’empire, dans. tous les siècles des siècles. Ainsi soit-il. (446)




Gospel of Matines from Mark 9:2-7 about the Transfiguration

SERMON LI. by saint Kyrellos Elkebeer (saint Cyril 1) about the subject

9:27-36. But I say unto you truly, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste of death, until they have seen the kingdom of God. And there were after these things about eight days, and He took Peter, and John, and James, and went up to the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the look of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white, shining like lightning: and behold! two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah: who having appeared in glory, spake of His departure, that He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but having roused themselves, they both saw His glory, and the two men that stood with Him. And it came to pass, that when they were separating from Him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for Thee: and one for Moses: and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said. While he spake these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them; and they feared as they entered the cloud. And there was a voice from the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, hear Him. And when there was the voice, Jesus was found alone; and they kept silence, and told no man in those days ought of the things they had seen.
THOSE who are skilful in the combat rejoice when the spectators clap their hands, and are roused to a glorious height of courage by the hope of the chaplets of victory: and so those whoso desire it is to be counted worthy of the divine gifts, and who thirst to be made partakers of the hope prepared for the saints, joyfully undergo combats for piety's sake towards Christ, and lead elect lives, not setting store by a thankless indolence, nor indulging in a mean timidity, but rather manfully resisting every temptation, and setting at nought the violence of persecutions, while they count it gain to suffer in His behalf. For they remember that the blessed Paul thus writes, |227 "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy of the glory that is about to be revealed in us."
Observe, therefore, how perfectly beautiful is the method which our Lord Jesus Christ uses here also for the benefit and edification of the holy Apostles. For He had said unto them, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross every day, and follow Me. For he that will save his life shall lose it; and he that will lose his life for My sake shall find it." The commandment is indeed both for the salvation and honour of the saints, and the cause of the highest glory, and the means of perfect joy: for the choosing to suffer for the sake of Christ is not a thankless duty, but on the contrary makes us sharers in everlasting life, and the glory that is prepared. But as the disciples had not yet obtained power from on high, it probably occasionally happened, that they also fell into human weaknesses, and when thinking over with themselves any such saying as this, may have asked "how does a man deny himself?" or how having lost himself does he find himself again? And what reward will compensate those who thus suffer? Or of what gifts will they be made partakers? To rescue them therefore from such timid thoughts, and, so to speak, to mould them unto manliness, by begetting in them a desire of the glory about to be bestowed upon them, He says, "I say unto you, there are some of those standing here, who shall not taste of death until they have seen the kingdom of God." Does He mean that the measure of their lives will be so greatly prolonged as even to reach to that time when He will descend from heaven at the. consummation of the world, to bestow upon the saints the kingdom prepared for them? Even this was possible for Him: for He is omnipotent: and there is nothing impossible or difficult to His all-powerful will. But by the kingdom of God He means the sight of the glory in which He will appear at His manifestation to the inhabitants of earth: for He will come in the glory of God the Father, and not in low estate like unto us. How therefore did He make those who had received the promise spectators of a thing so wonderful? He goes up into the mountain taking with Him three chosen disciples: and is transformed to so surpassing and godlike a brightness, that His garments even |228 glittered with rays of fire, and seemed to flash like lightning. And besides, Moses and Elijah stood at Jesus' side, and spake with one another of His departure, which He was about, it says, to accomplish at Jerusalem: by which is meant the mystery of the dispensation in the flesh; and of His precious suffering upon the cross. For it is also true that the law of Moses, and the word of the holy prophets, foreshewed the mystery of Christ: the one by types and shadows, painting it, so to speak, as in a picture; while the rest in manifold ways declared beforehand, both that in due time He would appear in our likeness, and for the salvation and life of us all, consent to suffer death upon the tree. The standing, therefore, of Moses and Elijah before Him, and their talking with one another, was a sort of representation, excellently displaying our Lord Jesus Christ, as having the law and the prophets for His body guard, as being the Lord of the law and the prophets, and as foreshown in them by those things which in mutual agreement they before proclaimed. For the words of the prophets are not at variance with the teachings of the law. And this I imagine was what Moses the most priestly and Elijah the most distinguished of the prophets were talking of with one another.
But the blessed disciples sleep awhile, as Christ continued long in prayer:----for He performed these human duties as belonging to the dispensation:----and afterwards on awaking they became spectators of changes thus splendid and glorious: and the divine Peter, thinking perchance, that the time of the kingdom of God was even now come, proposes dwellings on the mountain, and says that it is fitting there should be three tabernacles, one for Christ, and the others for the other two, Moses and Elijah: "but he knew not," it says, "what he was saying." For it was not the time of the consummation of the world, nor for the saints to take possession of the hope promised to them; for as Paul says, "He will change our humble body into the likeness of His,----that is, Christ's----glorious body." As therefore the dispensation was still at its commencement, and not yet fulfilled, how would it have been fitting for Christ to have abandoned His love to the world, and have departed from His purpose of suffering in its behalf? For He redeemed all under heaven, by both undergoing death |229 in the flesh, and by abolishing it by the resurrection from the dead. Peter therefore knew not what he said 9.
But besides the wonderful and ineffable sight of Christ's glory, something else was done, useful and necessary for the confirmation of their faith in Him: and not for the disciples only, but even for us too. For a voice was given forth from the cloud above, as from God the Father, saying: "This is My beloved Son, hear Him. And when there was the voice," it says, "Jesus was found alone." What then will he who is disputatious and disobedient, and whose heart is incurable, say to these things? Lo! Moses is there, and does the Father command the holy apostles to hear him? Had it been His will that they should follow the commandments of Moses, He would have said, I suppose, Obey Moses; keep the law. But this was not what God the Father here said, but in the presence of Moses and the prophets, He commands them rather to hear Him. And that the truth might not be subverted by any, affirming that the Father rather bade them hear Moses, and not Christ the Saviour of us all, the Evangelist has clearly marked it, saying, "When there was the voice, Jesus was found alone." When therefore God the Father, from the cloud overhead, commanded the holy apostles, saying, "Hear Him," Moses was far away, and Elijah too was no longer nigh; but Christ was there alone. Him therefore He commanded them to obey.
For He also is the end of the law and the prophets: for which reason He cried aloud to the multitudes of the Jews: "If ye had believed Moses, ye would have believed Me also: for he wrote of Me 10." But as they persevered even unto the end in despising the commandment given by most wise Moses, and in rejecting the word of the holy prophets, they have justly been alienated and expelled from those blessings that were |230 promised to their fathers. For "obedience is better than sacrifices, and to hearken than the fat of rams," as the Scripture saith. And thus much then of the Jews: but upon us who have acknowledged the revelation, all these blessings have necessarily been bestowed, by means of and as the gift of the same Christ: by Whom and with Whom, to God the Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen. |231



PAULINE EPISTLE

HEBREWS 11:17---27
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Explanation of the Pauline Epistle from
Hebrews 11:17--27
Homily XXV. Hebrews 11:17-19
St. John Chrysostom
By faith [Abraham],[1] when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only-begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure,
[1.] GREAT indeed was the faith of Abraham. For while in the case of Abel, and of Noah, and of Enoch, there was an opposition of reasonings only, and it was necessary to go beyond human reasonings; in this case it was necessary not only to go beyond human reasonings, but to manifest also something more. For what was of God[2] seemed to be opposed to what was of God; and faith opposed faith, and command promise.
I mean this: He had said, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and I will give thee this land." (Gen. 12:1, 7.) "He gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on." (Acts 7:5.) Seest thou how what was done was opposed to the promise? Again He said, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Gen. 21:12 ), and he believed: and again He says, Sacrifice to Me this one, who was to fill all the world from his seed. Thou seest the opposition between the commands and the promise? He enjoined things that were in contradiction to the promises, and yet not even so did the righteous man stagger, nor say he had been deceived.
For you indeed, he means, could not say this, that He promised ease and gave tribulation. For in our case, the things which He promised, these also He performs. How so? "In the world" (He says), "ye shall have tribulation." (John 16:33.) " He that taketh not his cross and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me." (Matt. 10:38.) "He that hateth not his life shall not find it." (John 12:25.) And, "He that forsaketh not all that he hath, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me." (Luke 14:27, 33.) And again, "Ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake." (Matt. 10:18.) And again, "A man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matt. 10:36.) But the things which pertain to rest are yonder.
But with regard to Abraham, it was different. He was enjoined to do what was opposed to the promises; and yet not even so was he troubled, nor did he stagger, nor think he had been deceived. But yon endure nothing except what was promised, yet you are troubled.
[2.] He heard the opposite of the promises from Him who had made them; and yet he was not disturbed, but did them as if they had been in harmony [therewith]. For they were in harmony; being opposed indeed according to human calculations, but in harmony [when viewed] by Faith. And how this was, the Apostle himself has taught us, by saying, "accounting[1] that God was able to raise Him up, even from the dead." By the same faith (he means) by which he believed that God gave what was not,[2] and raised up the dead, by the same was he persuaded that He would also raise him up after he had been slain in sacrifice. For it was alike impossible (to human calculation, I mean) from a womb which was dead and grown old and already become useless for child-bearing to give a child, and to raise again one who had been slain. But his previous faith prepared the way for things to come.
And see; the good things came first, and the hard things afterwards, in his old age. But for you, on the contrary, (he says) the sad things are first, and the good things last. This for those who dare to say, 'He has promised us the good things after death; perhaps He has deceived us.' He shows that "God is able to raise up even from the dead," and if God be able to raise from the dead, without all doubt He will pay all [that He has promised].
But if Abraham so many years before, believed "that God is able to raise from the dead," much more ought we to believe it. Thou seest (what I at first said) that death had not yet entered in and yet He drew them at once to the hope of the resurrection, and led them to such full assurance, that when bidden, they even slay their own sons, and readily offer up those from whom they expected to people the world.
And he shows another thing too, by saying, that "God tempted Abraham." (Gen. 22:1.) What then? Did not God know that the man was noble and approved? Why then did He tempt him? Not that He might Himself learn, but that He might show to others, and make his fortitude manifest to all.[3] And here also he shows the cause of trials, that they may not suppose they suffer these things as being forsaken [of God]. For in their case indeed, it was necessary that they should he tried, because there were many who persecuted or plotted against them: but in Abraham's case, what need was there to devise trials for him which did not exist? Now this trial, it is evident, was by His command. The others indeed happened by His allowance, but this even by His command. If then temptations make men approved in such wise that, even where there is no occasion, God exercises His own athletes; much more ought we to bear all things nobly.
And here he said emphatically, "By faith, when he was tried, he offered up Isaac," for there was no other cause for his bringing the offering but that.
[3.] After this he pursues the same thought. No one (he says) could allege, that he had another son, and expected the promise to be fulfilled from him, and therefore confidently offered up this one. "And" (his words are) "he offered up his only-begotten, who had received the promises." Why sayest thou "only-begotten"? What then? Of whom was Ishmael sprung? I mean "only-begotten" (he would say) so far as relates to the word of the promise. Therefore after saying, "Only-begotten," showing that he says it for this reason, he added, "of whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called," that is, "from" him. Seest thou how he admires what was done by the Patriarch? "In Isaac shall thy seed be called," and that son he brought to be sacrificed.
Afterwards, that no one may suppose he does this in despair, and in consequence of this command had cast away that Faith,[4] but may understand that this also was truly of faith, he says that he retained that faith also, although it seem to be at variance with this. But it was not at variance. For he did not measure the power of God by human reasonings, but committed all to faith. And hence he was not afraid to say, that God was "able to raise him up, even from the dead."
"From whence also he received him in a figure,"[5] that is in idea,[6] by the ram, he means. How? The ram having been slain, he was saved: so that by means of the ram he received him again, having slain it in his stead. But these things were types: for here it is the Son of God who is slain.
And observe, I beseech you, how great is His lovingkindness. For inasmuch as a great favor was to be given to men, He, wishing to do this, not by favor, but as a debtor, arranges that a man should first give up his own son on account of God's command, in order that He Himself might seem to be doing nothing great in giving up His own Son, since a man had done this before Him; that He might be supposed to do it not of grace, but of debt. For we wish to do this kindness also to those whom we love, others, to appear first to have received some little thing from them, and so give them all: and we boast more of the receiving than of the giving; and we do not say, We gave him this, but, We received this from him.
"From whence also" (are his words) "he received him in a figure," i.e. as in a riddle[1] (for the ram was as it were a figure of Isaac) or, as in a type. For since the sacrifice had been completed, and Isaac slain in purpose,[2] therefore He gave him to the Patriarch.
[4.] Thou seest, that what I am constantly saying, is shown in this case also? When we have proved that our mind is made perfect, and have shown that we disregard earthly things, then earthly things also are given to us; but not before; lest being bound to them already, receiving them we should be bound still. Loose thyself from thy slavery first (He says), and then receive, that thou mayest receive no longer as a slave, but as a master. Despise riches, and thou shalt be rich. Despise glory, and thou shalt be glorious. Despise the avenging thyself on thine enemies, and then shalt thou attain it. Despise repose, and then thou shalt receive it that in receiving thou mayest receive not as a prisoner, nor as a slave, but as a freeman.
For as in the case of little children, when the child eagerly desires childish playthings, we hide them from him with much care, as a ball, for instance, and such like things, that he may not be hindered from necessary things; but when he thinks little of them, and no longer longs for them, we give them fearlessly, knowing that henceforth no harm can come to him from them, the desire no longer having strength enough to draw him away from things necessary; so God also, when He sees that we no longer eagerly desire the things of this world, thenceforward permits us to use them. For we possess them as fleemen and men, not as children.
For [in proof] that if thou despise the avenging thyself on thine enemies, thou wilt then attain it, hear what he says, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink," and he added, "for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." (Rom. 12:20.) And again, that if thou despise riches, thou shalt then obtain them, hear Christ saying, "There is no man which hath left father, or mother, or house, or brethren, who shall not receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matt. 19:29.) And that if thou despise glory, thou shall then attain it, again hear Christ Himself saying, "He that will be first among you, let him be your minister." (Matt. 20:26.) And again, "For whosoever shall humble himself, he shall be exalted." (Matt. 23:12.) What sayest thou? If I give drink to mine enemy, do I then punish him? If I give up my goods, do I then possess them? If I humble myself, shall I then be exalted? Yea, He says, for such is My power, to give contraries by means of contraries. I abound in resources and in contrivances: be not afraid. The 'Nature of things' follows My will: not I attend upon Nature. I do all things: I am not controlled by them: wherefore also I am able to change their form and order.
[5.] And why dost thou wonder if [it is so] in these instances? For thou wilt find the same also in all others. If thou injure, thou art injured;[3] if thou art injured, then thou art uninjured; if thou punish, then thou hast not punished another, but hast punished thyself. For "he that loveth iniquity," it is said, "hateth his own soul." (Ps. 11:5, LXX.) Seest thou that thou dost not injure, but art injured?[4] Therefore also Paul says, "Why do ye not rather take wrong?" (1 Cor. 6:7.)Dost thou see that this is not to be wronged?
When thou insultest, then art thou insulted. And most persons partly know this: as when they say one to another, "Let us go away, do not disgrace yourself." Why? Because the difference is great between thee and him: for however much thou insultest him, he accounts it a credit. Let us consider this in all cases, and be above insults. I will tell you how.
Should we have a contest with him who wears the purple, let us consider that in insulting him, we insult ourselves, for we become worthy to be disgraced. Tell me, what dost thou mean? When thou art a citizen of Heaven, and hast the Philosophy that is above, dost thou disgrace thyself with him "that mindeth earthly things"? (Phil. 3:19.) For though he be in possession of countless riches, though he be in power, he does not as yet know the good that is therein. Do not in insulting him, insult thyself. Spare thyself, not him. Honor thyself, not him. Is there not some Proverb such as this, He that honoreth;[5] honoreth himself? With good reason: for he honors not the other, but himself. Hear what a certain wise man says, "Do honor to thy soul according to the dignity thereof." (Ecclus. 10:28.) "According to the dignity thereof," what is this? if he have defrauded (it means), do not thou defraud; if he has insulted, do not thou insult.
[6.] Tell me, I pray thee, if some poor man has taken away clay thrown out of thy yard, wouldst thou for this have summoned a court of justice? Surely not. Why? Lest thou shouldst disgrace thyself; lest all men should condemn thee. The same also happens in this case. For the rich man is poor, and the more rich he is, the poorer is he in that which is indeed poverty. Gold is clay, cast out in the yard, not lying in thy house, for thy house is Heaven. For this, then, wilt thou summon a Court of Justice, and will not the citizens on high condemn thee? Will they not cast thee out from their country, who art so mean, who art so shabby, as to choose to fight for a little clay? For if the world were thine, and then some one had taken it, oughtest thou to pay any attention to it?
Knowest thou not, that if thou wert to take the world ten times or an hundred times, or ten thousand times, and twice that, it is not to be compared with the least of the good things in Heaven? He then who admires the things here slights those yonder, since he judges these worthy of exertion, though so far inferior to the other. Nay, rather indeed he will not be able to admire those other. For how [can he], whilst he is passionately excited towards these earthly things? Let us cut through the cords and entanglements: for this is what earthly things are.
How long shall we be stooping down? How long shall we plot one against another, like wild beasts; like fishes? Nay rather, the wild beasts do not plot against each other, but [against] animals of a different tribe. A bear for instance does not readily kill a bear, nor a serpent kill a serpent, having respect for the sameness of race. But thou, with one of the same race, and having innumerable claims,[1] as common origin, rational faculties, the knowledge of God, ten thousand other things, the force of nature, him who is thy kinsman, and partaker of the same nature--him thou killest, and involvest in evils innumerable. For what, if thou dost not thrust thy sword, nor plunge thy right hand into his neck, other things more grievous than this thou doest, when thou involvest him in innumerable evils. For if thou hadst done the other, thou wouldst have freed him from anxiety, but now thou encompassest him with hunger, with slavery, with feelings of discouragement, with many sins. These things I say, and shall not cease to say, not [as] preparing you to commit murder: nor as urging you to some crime short of that; but that you may not be confident, as if you were not to give account. "For" (it says) "he that taketh away a livelihood" (Ecclus. 34:22) and asketh bread, it says.[2]
[7.] Let us at length keep our hands to ourselves, or rather, let us not keep them, but stretch them out honorably, not for grasping, but for alms-giving. Let us not have our hand unfruitful nor withered; for the hand which doeth not alms is withered; and that which is also grasping, is polluted and unclean.
Let no one eat with such hands; for this is an insult to those invited. For, tell me, if a man when he had made us lie down on tapestry[3] and a soft couch and linen interwoven with gold, in a great and splendid house, and had set by us a great multitude of attendants, and had prepared a tray[4] of silver and gold, and filled it with many dainties of great cost and of all sorts, then urged us to eat, provided we would only endure his besmearing his hands with mire or with human ordure, and so sitting down to meat with us--would any man endure this infliction? Would he not rather have considered it an insult? Indeed I think he would, and would have gone straightway off. But now in fact, thou seest not hands filled with what is indeed filth, but even the very food, and yet thou dost not go off, nor flee, nor find fault. Nay, if he be a person in authority, thou even accountest it a grand affair, and destroyest thine own soul, in eating such things. For covetousness is worse than any mire; for it pollutes, not the body but the soul, and makes it hard to be washed. Thou therefore, though thou seest him that sitteth at meat defiled with this filth both on his hands and his face, and his house filled with it, nay and his table also full of it (for dung, or if there be anything more unclean than that, it is not so unclean and polluted as those viands), dost thou feel as if forsooth thou wert highly honored, and as if thou wert going to enjoy thyself?
And dost thou not fear Paul who allows us to go without restraint to the Tables of the heathen if we wish, but not even if we wish to those of the covetous? For, "if any man who is called a Brother" (1 Cor. 5:11), he says, meaning here by Brother every one who is a believer simply, not him who leads a solitary life. For what is it which makes brotherhood? The Washing of regeneration; the being enabled to call God our Father. So that he that is a Monk, if he be a Catechumen, is not a Brother,'[5] but the believer though he be in the world, is a Brother. "If any man," saith he, "that is called a Brother." (1 Cor. 5:11.) For at that time there was not even a trace of any one leading a Monastic life, but this blessed [Apostle] addressed all his discourse to persons in the world. "If any man," he says, "that is called a Brother, be a fornicator, or covetous or a drunkard, with such an one, no not to eat." But not so with respect to the heathen: but "If any of them that believe not," meaning the heathen, "bid you and ye be disposed to go, whatsoever is set before you eat." (1 Cor. 10:27.)
[8.] "If any man that is called Brother be" (he says) "a drunkard." Oh ! what strictness Yet we not only do not avoid drunkards, but even go to their houses, partaking of what they set before us.
Therefore all things are upside down, all things are in confusion, and overthrown, and ruined. For tell me, if any such person should invite thee to a banquet, thee who art accounted poor and mean, and then should hear thee say, "Inasmuch as the things set before me are [the fruit] of overreaching, I will not endure to defile my own soul," would he not be mortified? Would he not be confounded? Would he not be ashamed? This alone were sufficient to correct him, and to make him call himself wretched for his wealth, and admire thee for thy poverty, if he saw himself with so great earnestness despised by thee.
But we "are become" (I know not why) "servants of men" (1 Cor. 7:23), though Paul cries aloud throughout, "Be not ye the servants of men." Whence then have we become "servants of men"? Because we first became servants of the belly, and of money, and of glory, and of all the rest; we gave up the liberty which Christ bestowed on us.
What then awaiteth him who is become a servant (tell me)? Hear Christ saying, "The servant abideth not in the house for ever." (John 8:35.) Thou hast a declaration complete in itself, that he never entereth into the Kingdom; for this is what "the House" means. For, He says, "in My Father's House are many mansions." (John 14:2.) "The servant" then "abideth not in the House for ever." By a servant He means him who is "the servant of sin." But he that "abideth not in the House for ever," abideth in Hell for ever, having no consolation from any quarter.
Nay, to this point of wickedness are matters come, that they even give alms out of these [ill-gotten gains], and many receive [them]. Therefore our boldness has broken down, and we are not able to rebuke any one. But however, henceforward at least, let us flee the mischief arising from this; and ye who have rolled yourselves in this mire, cease from such defilement, and restrain your rage for such banquets, if even now we may by any means be able to have God propitious to us, and to attain to the good things which have been promised: which may we all obtain in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, honor, now and for ever, and world without end. Amen.
Homily XXVI. Hebrews 11:20-22
St. John Chrysostom
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith, Jacob when he was a dying blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshiped[1] leaning on the top of his staff. By faith, Joseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones.
[1.] "MANY prophets and righteous men" (it is said) "have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them." (Matt. 13:17.) Did then those righteous men know all the things to come? Yea, most certainly. For if because of the weakness of those who were not able to receive Him, the Son was not revealed,--He was with good reason revealed to those conspicuous in virtue. This Paul also says, that they knew "the things to come," that is the resurrection of Christ.
Or he does not mean this: but that "By faith, concerning things to come" [means] not [concerning] the world to come, but "concerning things to come" in this world. For how [except by faith] could a man sojourning in a strange land, give such blessings?
But on the other hand he obtained the blessing, and yet did not receive it.[1] Thou seest that what I said with regard to Abraham, may be said also of Jacob, that they did not enjoy[2] the blessing, but the blessings went to his posterity, while he himself obtained the "things to come." For we find that his brother rather enjoyed the blessing. For [Jacob] spent all his time in servitude and working as a hireling, and [amid] dangers, and plots, and deceits, and fears; and when he was asked by Pharaoh, he says, "Few and evil have my days been" (Gen. 47:9); while the other lived in independence and great security, and afterwards was an object of terror to [Jacob]. Where then did the blessings come to their accomplishment, save in the [world] to come?
Seest thou that from the beginning the wicked have enjoyed things here, but the righteous the contrary? Not however all. For behold, Abraham was a righteous man, and he enjoyed things here as well, though with affliction and trials. For indeed wealth was all he had, seeing all else relating to him was full of affliction. For it is impossible that the righteous man should not be afflicted, though he be rich: for when he is willing to be overreached, to be wronged, to suffer all other things, he must be afflicted. So that although he enjoy wealth, [yet is it] not without grief. Why? you ask. Because he is in affliction and distress. But if at that time the righteous were in affliction, much more now.and
"By Faith," he says," Isaac blessed Jacob Esau concerning things to come" (and yet Esau was the elder; but he puts Jacob first for his excellence). Seest thou how great was his Faith? Whence did he promise to his sons so great blessings? Entirely from his having faith in God.
[2.] "By Faith, Jacob when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph."' Here we ought to set down the blessings entire, in order that both his faith and his prophesying may be made manifest. "And worshiped leaning,"[3] he says, "upon the top of his staff." Here, he means, he not only spoke, but was even so confident about the future things, as to show it also by his act. For inasmuch as another King was about to arise from Ephraim, therefore it is said, "And he bowed himself upon the top of his staff." That is, even though he was now an old man, "he bowed himself" to Joseph, showing the obeisance of the whole people which was to be [directed] to him. And this indeed had already taken place, when his brethren "bowed down" to him: but it was afterwards to come to pass through the ten tribes. Seest thou how he foretold the things which were to be afterwards? Seest thou how great faith they had? How they believed "concerning the things to come"?
For some of the things here, the things present, are examples of patience only, and of enduring ill-treatment, add of receiving nothing good; for instance, what is mentioned in the case of Abraham, in the case of Abel. But others are [examples] of Faith, as in the case of Noah, that there is a God, that there is a recompense. (For Faith in this place is manifold,[4] both of there being a recompense, and of awaiting it, not under the same conditions,[5] and of wrestling before the prizes.) And the things also which concern[6] Joseph are of Faith only. Joseph heard that [God] had made a promise to Abraham, that He had engaged His word "to thee and to thy seed will I give this land;" and though in a strange land, and not yet seeing the engagement fulfilled, but never faltered even so, but so believed as even to "speak of the Exodus, and to give commandment concerning his bones." He then not only believed himself, but led on the rest also to Faith: that having the Exodus always in mind (for he would not have "given commandment concerning his bones," unless he had been fully assured [of this]), they might look for their return [to Canaan].
Wherefore, when some men say, 'See ! Even righteous men had care about their sepulchers,' let us reply to them, that it was for his reason: for he knew that "the earth is the Lord's and all that therein is."[7] (Ps. 24:1.) He could not indeed have been ignorant of this, who lived in so great philosophy, who spent his whole life in Egypt. And yet if he had wished, it was possible for him to return, and not to mourn or vex himself. But when he had taken up his father thither, why, did he enjoin them to carry up thence his own bones also? Evidently for this reason.
But what? Tell me, are not the bones of Moses himself laid in a strange land? And those of Aaron, of Daniel, of Jeremiah? And as to those of the Apostles we do not know where those of most of them are laid. For of Peter indeed, and Paul, and John, and Thomas, the sepulchers are well known; but those of the rest, being so many, have nowhere become known.[8] Let us not therefore lament at all about this, nor be so little-minded. For where-ever we may be buried, "the earth is the Lord's and all that therein is." (Ps. 24:1.) Certainly what must take place, does take place: to mourn however, and lament, and bewail the departed, arises from littleness of mind.
[3.] (Ver. 23) "By faith, Moses when he was born, was hid three months of his parents." Dost thou see that in this case they hoped for things on the earth after their death?[1] And many things were fulfilled after their death. This is for some who say, 'After death those things were done for them, which they did not obtain while alive; nor did they believe [would be] after their death.'
Moreover Joseph did not say, He gave not the land to me in my life-time, nor to my father, nor to my grandfather, whose excellence too ought to have been reverenced; and will He vouchsafe to these wretched people what He did not vouchsafe to them? He said nothing of all this, but by Faith he both conquered and went beyond all these things.
He has named Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, all illustrious and admirable men. Again he makes the encouragement greater, by bringing down the matter to ordinary persons. For that the admirable should feel thus, is nothing wonderful, and to appear inferior to them, is not so dreadful: but to show oneself inferior even to people without names, this is the dreadful thing. And he begins with the parents of Moses, obscure persons, who had nothing so great as their son [had]. Therefore also he goes on to increase the strangeness of what he says by enumerating even women that were harlots, and widows. For "by Faith" (he says) "the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." And he mentions the rewards not only of belief but also of unbelief; as in [the case of] Noah.
But at present we must speak of the parents of Moses. Pharaoh gave orders that all the male children should be destroyed, and none had escaped the danger. Whence did these expect to save their child? From faith. What sort of Faith? "They saw" (he says) "that he was a proper child." The very sight drew them on to Faith: thus from the beginning, yea from the very swaddling-clothes, great was the Grace that was poured out on that righteous man, this being not the work of nature. For observe, the child immediately on its birth appears fair and not disagreeable to the sight. Whose [work] was this? Not that of nature, but of the Grace of God, which also stirred up and strengthened that barbarian woman, the Egyptian, and took and drew her on.
And yet in truth Faith had not a sufficient foundation in their case. For what was it to believe from sight? But you (he would say) believe from facts and have many pledges of Faith. For "the receiving with joyfulness the spoiling of their goods" (c. x. 34), and other such [things], were [evidences] of Faith and of Patience. But inasmuch as these [Hebrews] also had believed, and yet afterwards had become faint-hearted, he shows that the Faith of those [saints of old] also was long continued,[2] as, for instance, that of Abraham, although the circumstances seemed to contend against it.
"And" (he says) "they were not afraid of the king's commandment," although that was in operation,[3] but this [their hope respecting their child] was simply a kind of bare expectation. And this indeed was [the act] of his parents; but Moses himself what did he contribute?
[4.] Next again an example appropriate to them, or rather greater than that. For, saith he, (ver. 24-26) "by faith Moses when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt;[4] for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." As though he had said to them, ' No one of you has left a palace, yea a splendid palace, nor such treasures; nor, when he might have been a king's son, has he despised this, as Moses did.' And that he did not simply leave [these things], he expressed by saying, "he refused," that is, he hated, he turned away. For when Heaven was set before him, it was superfluous to admire an Egyptian Palace.
And see how admirably Paul has put it. He did not say, 'Esteeming heaven, and the things in heaven,' 'greater riches than the treasures of Egypt,' but what? "The reproach of Christ." For the being reproached for the sake of Christ he accounted better than being thus at ease; and this itself by itself was reward.
"Choosing rather" (be says) "to suffer affliction with the people of God." For ye indeed suffer on your own account, but he "chose" [to suffer] for others; and voluntarily threw himself into so many dangers, when it was in his power both to live religiously, and to enjoy good things.
"Than" (he says) "to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." He called unwillingness "to suffer affliction with the" rest "sin ": this, he says, [Moses] accounted to be "sin." If then he accounted it "sin" not to be ready to "suffer affliction with" the rest, it follows that the suffering affliction must be a great good since he threw himself into it from the royal palace.
But this he did, seeing some great things before him. "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." What is, "the reproach of Christ"? It is being reproached in such ways as ye are, the reproach which Christ endured; Or that he endured for Christ's sake: for "that rock was Christ"[1] (1 Cor. 10:4); the being reproached as you are.
But what is "the reproach of Christ"? That [because] we repudiate the [ways] of our fathers we are reproached; that we are evil-entreated when we have run to God. It was likely that he also was reproached, when it was said to him, "Wilt thou kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?" (Ex. 2:14.) This is "the reproach of Christ," to be ill-treated to the end, and to the last breath: as He Himself was reproached and heard, "If Thou be the Son of God" (Matt. 27:40), from those for whom He was crucified, from those who were of the same race. This is "the reproach of Christ" when a man is reproached by those of his own family, or by those whom he is benefiting. For [Moses] also suffered these things from the man who had been benefited [by him].
In these words he encouraged them, by showing that even Christ suffered these things, and Moses also, two illustrious persons. So that this is rather "the reproach of Christ" than of Moses inasmuch as He suffered these things from "His own." (John 1:11.) But neither did the one send forth lightnings, nor the Other feel any [anger],[2] but He was reviled and endured all things, whilst they "wagged their heads." (Matt. 27:39.) Since therefore it was probable that they [the readers] also would hear such things, and would long for the Recompense, he says that even Christ and Moses had suffered the like. So then ease[3] is [the portion] of sin; but to be reproached, of Christ. For what then dost thou wish? "The reproach of Christ," or ease?
[5.] (Ver. 27) "By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is Invisible." What dost thou say? That he did not fear? And yet the Scripture says, that when he heard, he "was afraid "[4] (Ex. 2:14), and for this cause provided for safety by flight, and stole away, and secretly withdrew himself; and afterwards he was exceedingly afraid. Observe the expressions with care: he said, "not fearing the wrath of the king," with reference to his even presenting himself again. For it would have been [the part] of one who was afraid, not to undertake again his championship, nor to have any hand in the matter. That he did however again undertake it, was [the part] of one who committed all to God: for he did not say, 'He is seeking me, and is busy [in the search], and I cannot bear again to engage in this matter.'
So that even flight was [an act of] faith. Why then did he not remain (you say)? That he might not cast himself into a foreseen danger. For this finally would have been tempting [God]: to leap into the midst of dangers, and say, 'Let us see whether God will save me.' And this the devil said to Christ, "Cast Thyself down." (Matt. 4:6.) Seest thou that it is a diabolical thing, to throw ourselves into danger without cause and for no purpose, and to try whether God will save us? For he [Moses] could no longer be their champion when they who were receiving benefits were so ungrateful. It would therefore have been a foolish and senseless thing to remain there. But all these things were done, because, "he endured as seeing Him who is Invisible."
[6.] If then we too always see God with our mind, if we always think in remembrance of Him, all things will appear endurable to us, all things tolerable; we shall bear them all easily, we shall be above them all. For if a person seeing one whom he loves, or rather, remembering him is roused in spirit, and elevated in thought, and bears all things easily, while he delights in the remembrance; one who has in mind Him who has vouchsafed to love us in deed, and remembers Him, when will he either feel anything painful, or dread anything fearful or dangerous? When will he be of cowardly spirit? Never.
For all things appear to us difficult, because we do not have the remembrance of God as we ought; because we do not carry Him about alway in our thoughts. For surely He might justly say to us, "Thou hast forgotten Me, I also will forget thee." And so the evil becomes twofold, both that we forget Him and He us. For these two things are involved in each other, yet are two. For great is the effect of God's remembrance, and great also of His being remembered by us. The result of the one is that we choose good things; of the other that we accomplish them, and bring them to their end.[1] Therefore the prophet says, "I will remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and from the little hill of Hermon." (Ps. 42:6.) The people which were in Babylon say this: being there, I will remember Thee.
[7.] Therefore let us also, as being in Babylon, [do the same]. For although we are not sitting among warlike foes, yet we are among enemies. For some [of them] indeed were sitting as captives, but others did not even feel their captivity, as Daniel, as the three children (cf. Ps. 137:1); who even while they were in captivity became in that very country more glorious even than the king who had carried them captive. And he who had taken them captive does obeisance to[2] the captives.
Dost thou see how great virtue is? When they were in actual captivity he waited on them as masters. He therefore was the captive, rather than they. It would not have been so marvelous if when they were in their native country, he had come and done them reverence in their own land, or if they had been rulers there. But the marvelous thing is, that after he had bound them, and taken them captive, and had them in his own country, he was not ashamed to do them reverence in the sight of all, and to "offer an oblation."[3] (Dan. 2:46.)
Do you see that the really splendid things are those which relate to God, whereas human things are a shadow? He knew not, it seems, that he was leading away masters for himself, and that he cast into the furnace those whom he was about to worship.But to them, these things were as a dream.
Let us fear God, beloved, let us fear [Him]: even should we be in captivity, we are more glorious than all men. Let the fear of God be present with us, and nothing will be grievous, even though thou speak of poverty, or of disease, or of captivity, or of slavery, or of any other grievous thing: Nay even these very things will themselves work together for us the other way. These men were captives, and the king worshiped them: Paul was a tent-maker, and they sacrificed to him as a God.
[8.] Here a question arises: Why, you ask, did the Apostles prevent the sacrifices, and rend their clothes, and divert them from their attempt, and say with earnest lamentation, "What are ye doing? we also are men of like passions with you" (Acts 14:15); whereas Daniel did nothing of this kind.
For that he also was humble, and referred [the] glory to God no less than they, is evident from many places. Especially indeed is it evident, from the very fact of his being beloved by God. For if he had appropriated to himself the honor belonging to God, He would not have suffered him to live, much less to be in honor. Secondly, because even with great openness he said, "And as to me, O King, this secret hath not been revealed to me through any wisdom that is in me." (Dan. 2:30.) And again; he was in the den for God's sake, and when the prophet brought him food, he saith, "For God hath remembered me." (Bel and the Dragon, yet. 38.) Thus humble and contrite was he.
He was in the den for God's sake, and yet he counted himself unworthy of His remembrance, and of being heard. Yet we though daring [to commit] innumerable pollutions, and being of all men most polluted, if we be not heard at our first prayer, draw back. Truly, great is the distance between them and us, as great as between heaven and earth, or if there be any greater.
What sayest thou? After so many achievements, after the miracle which had been wrought in the den, dost thou account thyself so humble? Yea, he says; for what things soever we have done, "we are unprofitable servants." (Luke 17:10.) Thus by anticipation did he fulfill the evangelical precept, and accounted himself nothing. For "God hath remembered me," he said. His prayer again, of how great lowliness of mind it is full. And again the three children said thus, "We have sinned, we have committed iniquity." (Song of the Three Children, ver. 6.) And everywhere they show their humility.
And yet Daniel had occasions innumerable for being puffed up; but he knew that these also came to him on account of his not being puffed up, and he did not destroy his treasure. For among all men, and in the whole world he was celebrated, not only[4] because the king cast himself on his face and offered sacrifice to him, and accounted him to be a God, who was himself honored as God in all parts of the world: for he ruled over the whole [earth]; (and this is evident from Jeremiah. "Who putteth on the earth," saith he, "as a garment." (See Jer. 43:12 and Ps. 104:2.) And again, "I have given it to Nebuchadnezzar My servant" (Jer. 27:6), and again from what he [the King] says in his letter).[5] And because he was held in admiration not only in the place where he was, but everywhere, and was greater than if the rest of the nations had been present and seen him; when even by letters [the King] confessed his submission[6] and the miracle. But yet again for his wisdom he was also held in admiration, for it is said, "Art thou wiser than Daniel?" (Ezek. 28:3.) And after all these things he was thus humble, dying ten thousand times for the Lord's sake.
Why then, you ask, being so humble did he not repel either the adoration which was paid him by the king, or the offerings?
[9.] This I will not say, for it is sufficient for me simply to mention the question, and the rest I leave to you, that at least in this way I may stir up your thoughts. (This however I conjure you, to choose all things for the fear of God, having such examples; and because in truth we shall obtain the things here also, if we sincerely lay hold on the things which are to come.) For that he did not do this out of arrogance, is evident from his saying, "Thy gifts be to thyself." (Dan. 5:17.)
For besides this also again is another question, how while in words he rejected it, in deed he received the honor, and wore the chain[1] [of gold]. (Dan. 5:29.)
Moreover while Herod on hearing the cry "It is the voice of a god and not of a man," inasmuch as "he gave not God the glory, burst in sunder, and all his bowels gushed out" (Acts 12:22, 23; see 1:18), this man received to himself even the honor belonging to God, not words only.
However it is necessary to say what this is. In that case [at Lystra] the men were falling into greater idolatry, but in this [of Daniel] not so. How? For his being thus accounted of, was an honor to God. Therefore he said in anticipation, "And as to me, not through any wisdom that is in me." (Dan. 2:30.) And besides he does not even appear to have accepted the offerings. For he [the king] said (as it is written) that they should offer sacrifice, but it did not appear that the act followed. But there [at Lystra] they carried it even to sacrificing the bulls, and "they called" the one "Jupiter and" the other "Mercurius." (Acts 14:12.)
The chain [of gold] then he accepted, that he might make himself known; the offering however why does it not appear that he rejected it? For in the other case too they did not do it, but they attempted it, and the Apostles hindered them; wherefore here also he ought at once to have rejected [the adoration]. And there it was the entire people: here the King. Why he did not divert him [Daniel] expressed by anticipation, [viz.] that [the king] was not making an offering [to him] as to a God, to the overthrow of religious worship, but for the greater wonder. How so? It was on God's account that [Nebuchadnezzar] made the decree; wherefore [Daniel] did not mutilate[2] the honor [offered]. But those others [at Lystra] did not act thus, but supposed them to be indeed gods. On this account they were repelled.
And here, after having done him reverence, he does these things: for he did not reverence him as a God, but as a wise man.
But it is not clear that he made the offering: and even if he did make it, yet not that it was with Daniel's acceptance.
And what [of this], that he called him" Belteshazzar, the name of" his own "god "?[3] Thus [it seems] they accounted their gods to be nothing wonderful, when he called even the captive thus; he who commands all men to worship the image,[4] manifold and of various colors, and who adores the dragon.[5]
Moreover the Babylonians were much more foolish than those at Lystra. Wherefore it was not possible at once to lead them on to this. And many [more] things one might say: but thus far these suffice.
If therefore we wish to obtain all good things, let us seek the things of God. For as they who seek the things of this world fail both of them and of the others, so they who prefer the things of God, obtain both. Let us then not seek these but those, that we may attain also to the good things promised in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, honor, now and for ever and world without end. Amen.


Catholicon
2 Peter: 1-19 - 2-8
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)


EPRAXIS
ACTS 15:21-29
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

EPRAXIS EXPLANATION
ACTS 15:21-29
Homily XXXIII. Acts 15
St. John Chrysostom
EXTRACT
For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day." (v. 19-21.) Since[4] then they had heard of the Law, with good reason he enjoins these things from the Law, that he may not seem to make it of no authority. And (yet) observe how he does not let them be told these things from the Law, but from himself, saying, It is not that I heard these things from the Law, but how? "We have judged." Then the decree is made in common. "Then pleased it the Apostles and elders, together with the whole Church, to choose men of their own company"--do you observe they do not merely enact these matters, and nothing more?--"and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas:namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: and they wrote letters by them after this manner." (v. 22.) And observe, the more to authenticate the decree, they send men of their own, that there may be no room for regarding Paul and his company with suspicion. "The Apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia." (v. 23.) And mark[5] with what forbearance of all harsh vituperation of those (brethren) they indite their epistle. "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the Law: to whom we gave no such commandment." (v. 24.) Sufficient was this charge against the temerity of those men, and worthy of the Apostles' moderation, that they said nothing beyond this. Then to show that they do not act despotically, that all are agreed in this, that with deliberation they write this--"It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send men of ours whom we have chosen" (v. 25)--then, that it may not look like disparagement of Paul and Barnabas, that those men are sent, observe the encomium passed upon them--"together with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas; who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us"--it is not man's doing, it says--"to lay upon you no greater burden"--again it calls the LaW a burden: then apologizing even for these injunctions--"save these necessary things" (v. 26-28): "That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. (v. 29.) For these things the New Testament did not enjoin: we nowhere find that Christ discoursed about these matters; but these things they take from the Law. "From things strangled," it says, "and from blood." here it prohibits murder. (Comp. Gen. 9:5)


SYNAXAIRE
The Fifth Day of the Blessed Month of Kiahk
1. The Departure of Nahum, the Prophet.
2. The Martyrdom of St. Victor (Boctor).
3. The Martyrdom of St. Isidore (Isidorus).
1. On this day is the commemoration of the righteous Prophet Nahum, one of the minor 12 prophets. He was born in the village of El-Kosh, one of the villages of Galilee. He was of the tribe of Simeon, among the prophets, he was the 16th from Moses down. He prophesied in the days of Amaziah the son of Joash, and in the days of Azariah, his son.
He rebuked the children of Israel because of their worship of idols and he revealed to them that although God, the most High, is compassionate and abundant in mercy, yet He is a jealous God Who will take vengeance on His adversaries. He prophesied concerning the preaching of the Gospel and the apostles who should preach it, saying, "Behold on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace..." (Nahum 1:15)
Nahum prophesied about the destruction that would come upon Ninevah. That was fulfilled since God had sent an earthquake and a fire which destroyed and burnt up the people that returned from the way of righteousness and committed the sin. As for those who were straight in their ways, no evil nor harm befell them.
When he completed his days in a life pleasing to God, he departed in peace.
His prayers be with us. Amen.
2. On this day also St. Victor (Boctor) was martyred. He was born in a town, in the province of Assiut, east of the Nile. He was appointed a soldier in the city of Shaou (Shaw). During that time the Edict of Diocletian was issued to worship and raise incense to the idols. When St. Victor refused to worship the idols, the Governor of Shaou called him and tried to befriended him, but when he failed to persuade him, the Governor finally cast him into prison. His parents came and encouraged him to face martyrdom.
Once again the Governor brought him from prison and ordered him to worship the idols, but St. Victor refused. When the Governor of Shaou failed to make him renounce his faith in the Lord Christ, he was enraged. He sent him to the Governor of the province of Assiut, along with some soldiers, and a message informing him of what had happened.
When the Governor of Assiut read the message, he summoned Victor. When Victor came before him, the Governor asked him, "Why did you disobey the Governor of Shaw? Know, if you listen to me, I shall place you in a high honor, and I shall write to the Emperor to appoint you as governor over one of the cities." The saint shouted with a loud voice, saying, "The kingdoms of the world vanish, the gold perishes, the cloth wears out, the beauty of the body will corrupt and be eaten by worms and will disappear in graves, therefore I would not forsake my Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and the Provider for everyone, to worship idols made of stone which are inhabited by devils."
The Governor was enraged and ordered him to be tied to the tails of horses and be dragged to the village of Ebesidia. There, they asked him again to worship the idols, but he refused. The Governor ordered him to be killed by throwing him in boiling water in the village of Mosha (Monshah), east of the village of Ebesidia (Ibsidya).
When they took him there, Victor asked the soldiers to wait in order that he might pray first. He extended his arms and prayed to the Lord. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him and promised him with many promises, and the everlasting blessings in the kingdom of heaven. Then St. Victor looked to the soldiers and told them, "Finish what you have been ordered to do." They bound him and cast him into the boiling water. He endured to the end, completed his good strife, and received the crown of the Heavenly kingdom.
Some Christians secretly recovered his body and hid it till the end of the Diocletian reign. When they revealed it, the people who saw it testified that they found the body whole, with not even one hair burned, and lying peacefully like a sleeping person.
They built a great church in his name, which still exists in the village of Mosha (Monshah), province of Assiut. Many wonders and signs were manifested from his body and still appear to this day.
His prayer be with us. Amen.
3. On this day also is the commemoration of the martyrdom of St. Isidorus.
His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.

DIVINE LITURGY
Matthew 23: 13-36

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.



Explanation of the gospel of the divine liturgy from
Matthew 23:14-36 by saint John Chrysostom
HOMILY LXXIII.

MATT. XXIII. 14.

Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater damnation."
AFTER this, next He derides them for gluttony: and the grievous thing was, that not from rich men's goods, but from the poor they indulged their own belly, and aggravated their poverty, which they should have relieved. For neither did they merely eat, but devoured.
Moreover also the manner of their overreaching was yet more grievous, "for a pretense making long prayers."
For every one is worthy of vengeance who doeth any evil thing; but he that is deriving even the reason for so doing from godliness, and is using this cloke for his wickedness, is justly liable to a far more grievous punishment. And wherefore did He not depose them? Because the time suffered it not as yet. So therefore He lets them alone for a time, but by His sayings, He secures that the people be not deceived, lest, through the dignity of those men, they be drawn on to the same emulation.

For as He had said, "Whatsoever they bid you do, that do;" He shows how many things they do amiss, lest from thence He should be supposed amongst the unwise to commit all to them.
"Woe unto you, for ye shut up the kingdom against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."(2) But if to profit no one be a charge against a man, even to hurt and hinder, what plea hath that? But what means, "them that are entering in?" Them that are fit for it. For when they were to lay injunctions on others, they used to make the burdens intolerable, but when they themselves were to do any of the things required, on the contrary, so far from doing anything, they went much beyond this in wickedness, they even used to corrupt others. These are they that are called pests,(3) who make their employment the ruin of others, standing right contrary to teachers. For if it be the part of a teacher to save that which is perishing, to destroy that which is on the point of being saved is that of a destroyer.

After this, again another charge: compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves;"(4) that is, not even the fact that hardly ye have taken him, and with endless toils, induces you to be sparing towards him, although of the things we have hardly acquired, we are more sparing, but you not even this renders more gentle.
Here He lays to their charge two things; one, that they are unprofitable for the salvation of the many, and need much toil in order to win over even one; another, that they were remiss in the preservation of him whom they had gained, or rather that they were not only careless, but even traitors, by their wickedness in their life corrupting him, and making him worse. For when the disciple sees his teachers to be such as these, he becomes worse than they. For he stops not at his teacher's wickedness; but as when his teacher is virtuous, he imitates him, so when he is bad, he even goes beyond him, by reason of our proneness to what is evil.

And He calls him "a child of hell," that is, a very hell. And He said "twofold more than you," that He might both alarm those, and make these feel the more severely, because they are teachers of wickedness. And not this only, but because they labor to instill into their disciples a greater wickedness, hardening them to a much greater depravity than they have, and this is above all a mark of a depraved soul.
Then He derides them for folly also, because they bade them disregard the greater commandments. And yet before He had said the opposite, that "they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne." But these things too they did again and were doing everything for the corruption of those who were subject to them, in little things requiring strictness, and despising the great.
"For ye pay tithe," He saith, "of mint and anise, and have omitted(1) the weightier matters of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone."(2)

Here then He naturally saith it, where it is tithe and almsgiving, for what doth it hurt to give alms? But not to keep the law; for neither doth it say thus. Therefore here indeed He saith, "These ought ye to have done;" but where He is speaking about clean and unclean, He no longer adds this, but makes a distinction, and shows that the inward purity is necessarily followed by the outward, but the converse is no longer so.
For where there is a plea of love to man, He passes it over lightly, for this very reason, and because it was not yet time expressly and plainly to revoke the things of the law. But where it is an observance of bodily purification, He overthrows it more plainly.
So, therefore, while with respect to alms He saith, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone," touching purifications He speaks not on this wise, but what? "Ye make clean," He saith, "the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full of extortion, and injustice. Cleanse that which is within the cup, that the outside may be clean also."(3) And He took it from a thing confessed and manifest, from a cup and platter.

2. Then, to show that there is no harm arising from despising bodily cleansings, but very great vengeance from not regarding the purifications of the soul, which is virtue, He called these "a gnat," for they are small and nothing, but those other a camel, for they were beyond what men could bear. Wherefore also He saith, "Straining at the gnat, and swallowing the camel."(4) For indeed the one were enacted for the sake of the other, I mean of mercy and judgment; so that not even then did they profit being done alone. For whereas the little things were mentioned for the sake of the great, and after that these last were neglected, and labor was spent on those alone, nothing was gained even then by this. For the greater followed not the lesser, but the lesser were sure to follow these greater.
But these things He saith to show, that even before grace was come, these were not among the principal things, or amongst those upon which men should spend their labor, but the matters required were different. But if before the grace they were so, much more when high commandments had come, were these things unprofitable, and it was not meet to practise them at all.

In every case then is vice a grievous thing, but especially when it does not so much as think it needs amendment; and it is yet more grievous, when it thinks itself sufficient even to amend others; to express which Christ calls them "blind guides." For if for a blind man not to think he needs a guide be extreme misery and wretchedness; when he wishes himself to guide others, see to what a gulf it leads.
But these things He said, by all intimating their mad desire of glory, and their exceeding frenzy concerning this pest. For this became a cause to them of all their evils, namely, that they did all things for display. This both led them away from the faith, and caused them to neglect what really is virtue, and induced them to busy themselves about bodily purifyings only, neglecting the purifications of the soul. So therefore to lead them into what really is virtue, and to the purifyings of the soul, He makes mention of mercy, and judgment, and faith. For these are the things that comprise our life, these are what purify the soul, justice, love to man, truth; the one inclining us to pardon (5) and not suffering us to be excessively severe and unforgiving to them that sin (for then shall we gain doubly, both becoming kind to man, and hence meeting also ourselves with much kindness from the God of all), and causing us both to sympathize with them that are de-spitefully entreated, and to assist them; the other not suffering them to be deceitful, and crafty.

But neither when He saith, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone," doth He say it as introducing a legal observance; away with the thought;(6) neither with regard to the platter and the cup, when He said, "Cleanse that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also," doth He bring us unto the old regard for little things, but on the contrary indeed, He doth all things to show it to be superfluous. For He said not, Cleanse the outside of them also, but that which is within, and the outside is sure to follow.
And besides, neither is it concerning a cup and platter he is speaking, but of soul and body, by the outside meaning the body, by the inside the soul. But if with regard to the platter there be need of that which is within much more with regard to thee.

But ye do the contrary, saith He, observing things trifling and external, ye neglect what are great and inward: whence very great mischief arises, for that thinking ye have duly performed all, ye despise the other things; and despising them, ye do not so much as strive or attempt to perform them.
After this, He again derides them for vainglory, calling 'them "whited sepulchers."(1) and unto all adding, "ye hypocrites;" which thing is the cause of all their evils, and the origin of their ruin. And He did not merely call them whited sepulchers, but said, that they were full of uncleanness and hypocrisy. And these things He spake, indicating the cause wherefore they did not believe, because they were full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
But these things not Christ only, but the prophets also constantly lay to their charge, that they spoil, that their rulers judge not according to the rule of justice, and every where you may find the sacrifices indeed refused, but these things required. So that there is nothing strange, nothing new, neither in the lawgiving, nor in the accusation, nay not even in the comparison of the sepulchre. For the prophet makes mention thereof, neither did he call them merely a sepulchre, "but their throat an open sepulchre."(2)

Such are many men now also, decking themselves indeed outwardly, but full of iniquity within. For now too there is many a mode, and many a care for outward purifications, but of those in the soul not so much as one. But if indeed any one should tear open each man's conscience, many worms and much corruption would he find, and an ill savor beyond utterance; unreasonable and wicked lusts I mean, which are more unclean than worms.
3. But that "they" should be such persons is not "so" dreadful a thing (although it be dreadful), but that "you," that have been counted worthy to become temples of God, should of a sudden have become sepulchers, having as much ill savor, this is extreme wretchedness. He in whom Christ dwells, and the Holy Spirit hath worked, and such great mysteries, that this man should be a sepulchre, what wretchedness is this? What mournings and lamentations doth this call for, when the members of Christ have become a tomb of uncleanness? Consider how thou wast born, of what things thou hast been counted worthy, what manner of garment thou hast received, how thou wast built a temple without a breach! how fair! not adorned with gold, neither with pearls, but with the spirit that is more precious than these.

Consider that no sepulchre is made in a city, so then neither shalt thou be able to appear in the city above. For if here this is forbidden, much more there. Or rather even here thou art an object of scorn to all, bearing about a dead soul, and not to be scorned only, but also to be shunned. For tell me. if any one were to go round, bearing about a dead body, would not all have rushed away? would not all have fled? Think this now likewise. For thou goest about, bearing a spectacle far more grievous than this, a soul deadened by sins, a soul paralyzed.
Who now will pity such a one? For when thou dost not pity thine own soul, how shall another pity him that is so cruel, such an enemy to himself?(3) If any one, where thou didst sleep and eat, had buried a dead body, what wouldest thou not have done? but thou art burying a dead soul, not where thou dinest, nor where thou sleepest, but in the members of Christ: and art thou not afraid lest a thousand lightnings and thunderbolts be hurled from above upon thine head?

And how dost thou even dare to set foot in the churches of God, and in holy temples, having within thee the savor of so much abomination? For if one bearing a dead body into the king's courts and burying it would have suffered the utmost punishment, thou setting thy foot in the sacred courts. and filling the house with so much ill savor, consider what a punishment thou wilt undergo.
Imitate that harlot who anointed with ointment the feet of Christ, and filled the whole house with the odor, the opposite to which thou doest to His house! For what though thou be not sensible of the ill savor? For this most of all is the grievous part of the disease; wherefore also thou art incurably diseased, and more grievously than they that are maimed in their bodies, and become fetid. For that disease indeed is both felt by the sick and is without any blame, nay even is deserving of pity; but this of hatred and punishment.

Since then both in this respect it is more grievous, and from the sick not being sensible of it as he ought to be; come, give thyself to my words, that I may teach thee plainly the mischief of it.
But first listen to what thou sayest in the Psalm, "Let my prayer be set forth in Thy sight as incense."(1) When then not incense, but a stinking smoke arises from thee, and from thy deeds, what punishment dost thou not deserve to undergo?
What then is the stinking smoke? Many come in gazing about at the beauty of women; others curious about the blooming youth of boys. After this, dost thou not marvel, how bolts are not launched, and all things are not plucked up from their foundations? For worthy both of thunderbolts and hell are the things that are done; but God, who is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forbears awhile His wrath, calling thee to repentance and amendment.

What doest thou, O man? Art thou curiously looking after women's beauty, and dost thou not shudder at thus doing despite unto the temple of God? Doth the church seem to thee a brothel, and less honorable than the market-place. For in a market-place indeed thou art afraid and ashamed to appear to be looking after any woman, but in God's temple, when God Himself is discoursing unto thee, and threatening about these things, thou art committing whoredom and adultery at the very time in which thou art being told not to do this. And dost thou not shudder, nor stand amazed?
These things do the spectacles of wantonness teach you, the pest that is so hard to put down, the deleterious sorceries, the grievous snares of the thoughtless, the pleasurable destruction of the unchaste
Therefore the prophet also blaming thee, said, "Thine eyes are not good, neither is thine heart."(2)

It were better for such men to be blind; it were better to be diseased, than to abuse thine eyes for these purposes.
It were meet indeed that ye had within you the wall to part you from the women; but since ye are not so minded, our fathers thought it necessary by these boards(3) to wall you off; since I hear from the eider ones, that of old there were not so much as these partitions; "For in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female."(4) And in the apostle's time also both men and women were together. Because the men were men, and the women women, but now altogether the contrary; the women have urged themselves into the manners of courtezans, but the men are in no better state than frantic horses.
Heard ye not, that the men and women were gathered together in the upper room, and that congregation was worthy of the heavens? And very reasonably. For even women then practised much self-denial, and the men gravity and chastity. Hear, for instance, the seller of purple saying, "If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come in, and abide with me."(5) Hear the women, who went about with the apostles, having taken unto themselves manly courage, Priscilla, Persis, and the rest; from whom our present women are as far removed as our men from their men.

4. For then indeed even travelling into far countries women brought not on themselves evil report; but now even though brought up in a chamber, they hardly escape this suspicion. But these things arise from their decking of themselves, and their luxury, Then the business of those women was to spread the word; but now to appear beauteous, and fair, and comely in countenance. This is glory to them, this salvation; but of lofty and great works they do not even dream.
What woman exerts herself to make her husband better? what man hath taken to himself this care to amend his wife? There is not one: but the woman's whole study is upon the care of ornaments of gold, and raiment, and the other adornments of the person, and how to increase their substance; but the man's both this, and others more than this, all however worldly.

Who, when about to marry, inquires about the disposition and nurture of the damsel? No one; but straightway about money, and possessions, and measures of property of various and different kinds; like as if he were about to buy something, or to settle some common contract.
Therefore they do even so call marriage. For I have heard many say, such a man has contracted with such a woman, that is, has married. And they offer insult to the gifts of God, and as though buying and selling, so do they marry, and are giver in marriage.
And writings there are, requiring greater security than those about buying and selling. Learn how those of old married, and imitate them. How then did they marry? They inquired about ways of life, and morals, and virtue of the soul. Therefore they had no need of writings, nor of security by parchment and ink; for the bride's disposition sufficed them in the place of all.

I therefore entreat you likewise not to seek after wealth and affluence, but a good disposition, and gentleness. Seek for a pious and self-denying damsel, and these will be to thee better than countless treasures. If thou seek the things of God, these others will come also; but if thou pass by those, and hasten unto these, neither will these follow.
But such a man, one will say, became rich by his wife! Art thou not ashamed of bringing forward such examples? I had ten thousand times sooner become a poor man, as I have heard many say, than gain wealth from a wife. For what can be more unpleasing than that wealth? What more painful than the abundance? What more shameful than to be notorious from thence, and for it to be said by all, such a man became rich by a wife? For the domestic discomforts I pass by, all that must needs result from hence, the wife's pride, the servility, the strifes, the reproaches of the servants. "The beggar," "the ragged one." "the base one, and sprung of base." "Why, what had he when he came in?" "Do not all things belong to our mistress?" But thou dost not care at all about these sayings, for neither art thou a freeman. Since the parasites likewise hear worse things than these, and are not pained wherefore neither are these, but rather pride themselves in their disgrace; and when we tell them of these things,"Let me have," saith one of them, "something pleasant and sweet, and let it choke me." Alas! the devil,what proverbs hath he brought into the world, of power to overturn the whole life of such persons. See at least this self-same devilish and pernicious saying; of how much ruin it is full. For it means nothing else than these words, Have thou no regard to what is honorable; have thou no regard to what is just; let all those things be cast aside, seek one thing alone, pleasure. Though the thing stifle thee, let it be thy choice; though all that meet thee spurn thee, though they smear thy face with mire, though they drive thee away as a dog, bear all. And what else would swine say, if they had a voice? What else would filthy dogs? But perhaps not even they would have said such things, as the devil hath persuaded men to rave.

Wherefore I entreat you, being conscious of the senselessness of such words as these, to flee such proverbs, and to choose out those in the Scriptures that are contrary to them.
But what are these? "Go not," it is said, "after thy lusts, and refrain thyself from thine appetites."(1) And, touching an harlot again, it is said in opposition to this proverb, "Give not heed to a bad woman: for honey droppeth from the lips of a woman that is an harlot, which, for a season, is luscious unto thy throat; but afterwards thou shalt find it more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword."(2) Unto these last then let us listen, not unto those. For hence indeed spring our mean, hence our slavish thoughts, hence men become brutes, because in everything they will follow after pleasure according to this proverb, which, even without arguments of ours, is of itself ridiculous. For after one is choked, what is the gain of sweetness?

Cease, therefore, to set up such great absurdity, and to kindle hell and unquenchable fire; and let us look steadfastly (at length though late) as we ought, unto the things to come, having put away the film on our eyes, that we may both pass the present life honestly, and with much reverence and godly fear, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory world without end. Amen.