The saints' bodies spread virtue like springs, roots, and perfume
Chrysostom is addressing the congregation of Antioch, showing that the enemies of Eustathius only increased his glory, and that the saint's body, though buried in Thrace, spreads spiritual fragrance to them at a distance.
Do you see how the enemies gained nothing? How they did not extinguish his glory, but lifted it up all the more and made it more brilliant, creating so many tombs in place of one—living tombs, tombs that send forth a voice, tombs that rouse others to the same zeal? This is why I call the bodies of the saints springs, roots, and spiritual perfumes. Why? Because each of these things does not keep its own virtue to itself alone, but sends it out over a great distance. Let me explain what I mean. Springs gush up with many streams, yet they do not hold them within their own basins; instead they give birth to long rivers and join with the sea, and as if by the stretching out of a hand, they take hold of the sea waters through their length. Again, the root of plants is hidden in the bosom of the earth, but it does not keep all its virtue down below—and this is especially the nature of climbing vines. For when they stretch out their branches upon tall reeds, the vine shoots creep through those canes and advance over a great distance, making a long roof by the density of their leaves. Such also is the nature of perfumes. They often lie in a small room, but their fragrance leaps out over the windows into streets, alleys, and marketplaces, and teaches those walking outside the virtue of the aromatics lying within. If a spring, a root, and the nature of plants and aromatics have such power, how much more do the bodies of the saints? And that what I say is true, you yourselves are witnesses. For the body of the martyr lies in Thrace, yet you, though not dwelling in Thrace but standing far from that land, take hold of the fragrance from such a distance, and for this reason you have gathered here. The length of the road did not hinder you, nor did the abundance of time extinguish it. Such is the nature of spiritual achievements: it is cut off by no bodily obstacle, but it blooms and grows each day, and neither the abundance of time withers it nor the length of the road walls it off. Do not be surprised that at the beginning of my discourse and praises I called the holy man a martyr. For he ended his life by his own end. How then is he a martyr? I have often said to your love that it is not death alone that makes a martyr, but also the intention. For the crown of martyrdom is often woven not only from the outcome, but also from the will. And it is not I who give this definition of martyrdom, but Paul, who says, “I die every day” (1 Corinthians 15:31). How do you die every day? How is it possible for one mortal body to receive ten thousand deaths? By the readiness, he says, and by being prepared for death. So also God declares. For Abraham did not stain the knife with blood, did not redden the altar, did not sacrifice Isaac, yet he completed the sacrifice. Who says this? The very one who received the sacrifice: “You have not spared your beloved son for my sake” (Genesis 22:16).
Greek
Ὁρᾶτε πῶς οὐδὲν πλέον ἐγένετο τοῖς ἐχθροῖς; πῶς οὐκ ἔσβεσαν τὴν δόξαν, ἀλλ' ἐπῆραν ταύτην μᾶλλον καὶ λαμπροτέραν εἰργάσαντο, τοσούτους ποιήσαντες τά φους ἀνθ' ἑνὸς, τάφους ἐμψύχους, τάφους φωνὴν ἀφιέντας, τάφους πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν ζῆλον παρασκευα ζομένους; Διὰ τοῦτο τὰ τῶν ἁγίων σώματα καὶ πηγὰς, καὶ ῥίζας, καὶ μύρα καλῶ πνευματικά. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν; Ὅτι ἕκαστον τούτων τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρετὴν οὐ παρ' ἑαυτῷ κατέχει μό νον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι πολλοῦ διαπέμπεται μήκους. Οἷόν τι λέγω· αἱ πηγαὶ ἀναβλύζουσι μὲν πολλὰ νά ματα, οὐ μὴν εἴσω τῶν οἰκείων κόλπων ταῦτα κατ έχουσιν, ἀλλὰ μακροὺς τίκτουσαι ποταμοὺς συγγί νονται τῷ πελάγει, καὶ καθάπερ χειρός τινος ἐκτάσει, τῷ μήκει τούτων ἐπιλαμβάνονται τῶν θαλατ τίων ὑδάτων. Πάλιν ἡ ῥίζα τῶν φυτῶν κέκρυπται ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ' οὐ κάτω κατέχει τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτῆς ἅπασαν, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἀμπέλων τῶν ἀναδενδράδων αὕτη ἡ φύσις. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐφ' ὑψηλῶν τῶν καλάμων τοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκτείνωσι κλάδους, τὰ κλήματα διὰ τῶν δονάκων ἐκείνων ἕρποντα μέχρι πολλοῦ πρόεισι διαστήματος, μακράν τινα ὀροφὴν τῇ τῶν φύλλων ποιοῦντα πυκνότητι. Τοιαύτη καὶ τῶν μύρων ἡ φύσις· αὐτὰ μὲν γὰρ κεῖται ἐν οἰκίσκῳ πολλάκις, διὰ δὲ τῶν θυρίδων ὑπερεκπίπτουσα αὐτῶν ἡ εὐωδία εἰς ἄμφοδα καὶ στενωποὺς καὶ ἀγορὰς, καὶ τοὺς ἔξω βαδίζοντας διδάσκει τὴν ἔνδον κειμένην τῶν ἀρωμάτων ἀρετήν. Εἰ δὲ πηγὴ, καὶ ῥίζα, καὶ φυτῶν καὶ ἀρωμάτων φύσις τοσαύτην ἔχουσι τὴν ἰσχὺν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῶν ἁγίων τὰ σώματα· καὶ ὅτι οὐ ψευδῆ τὰ λεγόμενα, μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ σῶμα τοῦ μάρτυρος κεῖται ἐν Θρᾴκῃ, ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐν Θρᾴκῃ διατρίβοντες, ἀλλὰ πολὺ τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης ἀφεστηκότες ἀντιλαμβάνεσθε τῆς εὐωδίας ἐκ τοσούτου διαστήματος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συνεληλύθατε, καὶ οὐ διεκώλυσε τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος, οὐκ ἔσβεσε τοῦ χρόνου τὸ πλῆθος. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῶν πνευματικῶν κατορθωμάτων ἡ φύσις· οὐδενὶ σωματικῷ διακόπτεται κωλύματι, ἀλλ' ἀνθεῖ καὶ αὔξεται καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, καὶ οὔτε χρόνου μαραίνει τὸ πλῆθος αὐτὴν, οὐχ ὁδοῦ διατειχίζει μῆκος. Μὴ θαυμάσητε δὲ εἰ τοῦ λόγου καὶ τῶν ἐγκωμίων ἀρχόμενος μάρτυρα τὸν ἅγιον ἐκάλεσα· καὶ γὰρ οἰκείῳ τέλει τὴν ζωὴν κατέλυσε· πῶς οὖν ἐστι μάρτυς; Εἶπον πολλάκις πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην, ὅτι μάρ τυρα οὐχὶ ὁ θάνατος ποιεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ πρό θεσις. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκβάσεως μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης πλέκεται πολλάκις ὁ τοῦ μαρτυρίου στέφανος. Καὶ τοῦτον οὐκ ἐγὼ, ἀλλὰ Παῦλος δίδωσι τοῦ μαρτυρίου τὸν ὅρον οὑτωσὶ λέγων, Καθ' ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκω. Πῶς ἀποθνήσκεις καθ' ἡμέραν; πῶς δυνατὸν ἑνὶ σώματι θνητῷ μυρίους δέξασθαι θανά τους; Τῇ προθέσει, φησὶ, καὶ τῷ παρεσκευάσθαι πρὸς τελευτήν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἀποφαίνεται· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ οὐχ ᾕμαξε τὴν μάχαιραν, οὐκ ἐφοίνιξε τὸν βωμὸν, οὐκ ἔθυσε τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπήρτισε τὴν θυσίαν. Τίς ταῦτά φησιν; Αὐτὸς ὁ τὴν θυσίαν δεξάμενος· Οὐκ ἐφείσω γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ υἱοῦ σου τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ δι' ἐμέ.