Aaron's rod and the martyr's mouth; exhortation to imitate and trust

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Chrysostom is closing the homily by comparing Romanus's tongueless speech to Aaron's rod that blossomed, then urging the congregation to imitate the martyr's endurance and trust God's help.

In just this way Aaron's rod once blossomed, just as the martyr's mouth has blossomed now. But why did Aaron's rod blossom then? Because the priest was being dishonored. And why has the martyr's mouth blossomed now? Because the great high priest, Jesus Christ, was being blasphemed. See how great is both the kinship and the superiority of the wonder. For just as that rod was not joined to a root, nor drawing moisture from the earth, but was barren of any supply from there and had lost its fruit-bearing power, yet suddenly produced fruit—so here too the voice, deprived of its root and having no power from the organ, suddenly blossomed in a dry and barren mouth. In this lies the kinship, and in another thing the superiority: for the distance between the two fruits is great. The one was perceptible to the senses, but the other was spiritual, and it opened the very heavens for the one who brought forth this voice at that time.

For all these things, then, let us rejoice together with the martyr. Let us glorify the God who works these wonders. Let us imitate the endurance of our fellow servant. Let us give thanks to the Master for His grace. Let us take from what has been said sufficient encouragement in trials. And as we marvel at the power and care of the God who made us, let us contribute everything on our part, and what comes from Him will surely follow. Even if human beings, even if demons, even if the devil himself fights against us, there will be nothing more for those who war against us—only if we show our own eagerness and contribute everything that must be contributed from our side. For in this way we will draw God's help here, and in the life to come we will enjoy great glory and salvation. May we all attain it, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and might, forever and ever. Amen.

Greek

Οὕτω ποτὲ καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν ἐβλάστησεν, ὥσπερ ἐβλάστησε τὸ στόμα τοῦ μάρτυρος νῦν. Ἀλλὰ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐβλάστησεν ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν τότε; Ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἱερεὺς ἠτιμάζετο. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ἐβλάστησε νῦν τὸ στόμα τοῦ μάρτυρος; Ἐπειδὴ ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς ἐβλασφημεῖτο Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός. Ὅρα πόση τοῦ θαύματος καὶ συγγένεια καὶ ὑπεροχή. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκείνη ἡ ῥάβδος οὐχ ἡνωμένη ῥίζῃ, οὐδὲ ἕλκουσα τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς νοτίδας, ἀλλ' ἔρημος τῆς χορηγίας οὖσα τῆς ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ τὴν καρπογόνον ἀπολέσασα δύναμιν, ἐξαίφνης καρπὸν ἔδειξεν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἡ φωνὴ τῆς ῥίζης ἀποστερηθεῖσα, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ὀργάνου δύναμιν οὐκ ἔχουσα, ἐν ξηρῷ καὶ ἀγόνῳ στόματι ἐξαίφνης ἐβλάστησεν. Ἐν τούτῳ μὲν ἡ συγγένεια, ἐν ἑτέρῳ δὲ ἡ ὑπεροχή· πολὺ γὰρ ἑκατέρου τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ μέσον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ αἰσθητὸς ἦν, ὁ δὲ πνευματικὸς, καὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνοίγων αὐτοὺς τῷ τὴν φωνὴν ταύτην ἀποτεκόντι τότε. Ὑπὲρ δὴ τούτων ἁπάντων συγχαίρωμεν τῷ μάρτυρι, δοξάζωμεν τὸν ταῦτα θαυματουργοῦντα Θεὸν, μιμησώμεθα τὴν ὑπομονὴν τοῦ συνδούλου, εὐχαριστήσωμεν ὑπὲρ τῆς χάριτος τῷ Δεσπότῃ, λάβωμεν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἱκανὴν ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς παράκλησιν, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἡμᾶς Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν κηδεμονίαν καταπλαγέντες, τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν πάντα εἰσφέρωμεν, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ πάντως ἕψεται. Κἂν ἄνθρωποι, κἂν δαίμονες, κἂν αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἡμῖν πυκτεύῃ, πλέον οὐδὲν ἔσται τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν ἡμῖν· μόνον ἂν τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα προθυμίαν, καὶ ὅσα παρ' ἡμῶν εἰσενεχθῆναι χρὴ πάντα εἰσενέγκωμεν. Οὕτω γὰρ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπὴν ἐπισπασόμεθα ἐνταῦθα, καὶ κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν πολλῆς ἀπολαύσομεν δόξης καὶ σωτηρίας· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ κράτος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

About this text

Chrysostom honors the martyr Romanus, who went on speaking by God's grace after his tongue was cut out.

John Chrysostom (c. 349–407) wrote this homily for a congregation celebrating the feast of the martyr Romanus. The occasion was a festal gathering, and Chrysostom spoke to honor the martyr and to encourage the Christians present.

The homily opens by celebrating the martyrs as members of one body with the Church, using the image of martyrs as the head and Christians as the feet, so their victory is a shared joy. Chrysostom then praises love as greater even than martyrdom and asks why the devil had Romanus's tongue cut out rather than killing him outright. God overturned this scheme: after the tongue was removed, Romanus continued to speak by divine grace, with a spiritual voice greater than nature.

The apostle Paul is quoted repeatedly on love and sympathy, and Christ is quoted on the love that marks his disciples. David the psalmist is quoted on God's wonderful name and praise from infants' mouths. Chrysostom also cites Aaron's rod that blossomed when the priesthood was dishonored, comparing it to Romanus's mouth blossoming because Christ was blasphemed. He closes by urging the congregation to imitate Romanus's endurance and trust God's help.

No published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Migne PG text (Aegean University Digital Patrology, via (Greek)
Also checked Migne PG 50, archive.org scan patrologiae_cursus_completus_gr_vol_050 (Greek machine-read text) (Greek · check (same print; machine-read text compared word by word))

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