The church's profit and the martyr's baptism

If you spend time here continually, you will certainly put away whatever evils you picked up outside; but if you jump away and flee, you will certainly lose whatever good things you acquired from the divine Scriptures, as your wealth is gradually dragged away by the gatherings and conversations outside. And that these things are true—when you leave here, make a point of seeing those who stayed away today, and you will see how great the distance is between your cheerfulness and their despondency. A beautiful and charming bride sitting in her bridal chamber is not so lovely as a wondrous and glorious soul appearing in the Church, breathing spiritual perfumes. For the one who comes here with faith and zeal departs carrying away ten thousand treasures; and if he only opens his mouth, he immediately fills those who are with him with every fragrance and spiritual wealth. And if ten thousand terrible things fall upon him, he will bear them all easily, having received from here from the divine Scriptures ample resources for endurance and self-discipline. And just as the one who stands continually on the rock laughs at the waves, so the one who enjoys continual assembly and is watered by the divine words, having set himself as on a rock of right judgment about things, will not be captured by any human thing, having placed himself above the assault of worldly affairs. And not from counsel only, but also from prayer, and from a father's blessing, and from the common gathering, and from the love of the brothers and sisters, and from ten thousand other things, he reaps much benefit and refreshment of soul, and so departs, carrying home ten thousand good things. See, then, how much blessing you will enjoy today, and how much loss they will endure. For you will go away receiving a martyr's reward; but they, besides being deprived of this gain, will also endure another loss, dragging along with themselves from their useless pastimes a great heap of cares. For just as the one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward (Matthew 10:41), so the one who receives a martyr in the name of a martyr will receive a martyr's reward. And receiving a martyr means gathering for his remembrance, sharing in the telling of his contests, marveling at what happened, imitating his virtue, and carrying his brave deeds out to others. These are the gifts of hospitality for the martyrs; this is how one receives these holy ones—just as you have done today.

Yesterday our Master was baptized in water; today the servant is baptized in blood. Yesterday the gates of heaven were opened; today the gates of hell were trampled down. And do not be surprised that I called martyrdom a baptism; for here too the Spirit hovers over with great abundance, and there is a removal of sins and a wondrous and extraordinary cleansing of the soul. And just as those who are baptized are washed in water, so those who bear witness are washed in their own blood—which is exactly what happened in this case. But before the slaughter, it is necessary to speak of the devil's cunning. For when he saw that the holy man laughed at every kind of punishment and torture, and that neither by lighting a furnace, nor digging a pit, nor preparing a wheel, nor leading him up to a wooden stake, nor hurling him down cliffs, nor casting him into the teeth of wild beasts was he able to overcome the holy man's self-discipline, he devised another, harsher method, and went around seeking to find a punishment that would be at once both the sharpest and the longest.