Christological Homily on Lazarus
Homilia christologica in Lazarum
Homily on Lazarus, Mary, and Martha§1
1A Christological homily by our holy and confessing father Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch, concerning the dinner of Lazarus and concerning Mary and Martha his sisters. Let us listen, beloved; for the sacred trumpet of the gospels proclaims the Gospel to the Church of God even now. And what has been added to the joy of the faithful? For let us make this a crown of the word and a guide toward the things that follow.
John the evangelist, the son of the thunder, says, having drawn forth the unutterable mysteries from the deep wisdom of the Lord's heart: 'Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, the one who had died, whom he raised from the dead, was. So they made a dinner for him; and Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him.' (John 11:5-7).
Well does the foster-child of the truth speak of the one having been leveled before a short time by Hades, leaping forth and breaking the bonds of death with the tropes of death.
Greek · §1
Homilia christologica in Lazarum, Mariam et Martham [Sp.] Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ὁμολογητοῦ Εὐσταθίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀντιοχείας εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον Λαζάρου καὶ εἰς Μαρίαν καὶ Μάρθαν τὰς ἀδελφὰς αὐτοῦ. 1 Ἀκούσωμεν ἀγαπητοί· καὶ εἰς δεῦρο εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ἱερὰ τῶν εὐαγγελίων σάλπιγξ. Καὶ τί εἰς εὐφροσύνην τοῖς πιστοῖς προστίθησιν; Ταύτην γὰρ κορωνίδα τοῦ λόγου καὶ ὁδηγὸν ποιησώμεθα πρὸς τὰ ἑξῆς. Φησὶν Ἰωάννης, ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸς, ὁ τὰ ἄρρητα μυστήρια ἐκ τοῦ παμφόρου τῆς σοφίας χωρίου τῆς καρδίας τοῦ Κυρίου ἀρυσάμενος· «Πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς Βηθανίαν, ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος ὁ τεθνηκὼς, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἐποίησαν οὖν αὐτῷ δεῖπνον· καὶ ἡ Μάρθα διηκόνει, ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος ἦν τῶν ἀνακειμένων αὐτῷ.» 2 Καλῶς ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας τρόφιμος τὸν πρὸ βραχέος εἱρκτῇ ᾅδου πεπεδημένον, ἐκπηδήσαντα καὶ τοὺς τοῦ θανάτου δεσμοὺς ταῖς τοῦ θανάτου τροπαῖς
The Miracle of Lazarus at the Meal§2
2Having laughed, having been dismissed as an unworthy guest among the ght him again into the midst and, presenting him before all those who were dining, enumerated him by name. For the goal of the Evangelist is not to embellish the one being evangelized through associations and dining with glorious persons, nor to forbid those who are blessed, but to make God known to all as the wonder-worker through his own works.
It was therefore a work of Christ, and the greatest of works is the raising of Lazarus, who had been stripped and had been turned to corruption (John 11). Because of this, he shows him dining with the Lord, and makes the wonder known to the inhabited world without illusion, and he makes a feast of the paradox, that of that bright feast, in which spiritual food was offered to the diners as an early welcome, the paradox of that extraordinary banquet in which the pleasure of the stomach was attained and the souls of those reclining feasted.
Greek · §2
διαγελάσαντα, τῶν σπαργάνων ἀξένων ἀπολυθέντα, εἰς μέσον αὖθις παρήγαγεν καὶ πάντας τοὺς συνεσθίοντας παραδραμὼν, τοῦτον ἐξ ὀνόματος ἀπηρίθμησεν· σκοπὸς γὰρ τῷ εὐαγγελιστῇ, οὐκ ἐν προσώπων ἐνδόξων συνδιατρίβαις καὶ συνεστιάσεσι κατακαλλῦναι τὸν εὐαγγελιζόμενον δι' αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ κεχαρισμένα διαγορεῦσαι, ἀλλ' ἐξ οἰκείων ἔργων πᾶσι γνωστὸν τὸν θαυματουργὸν καταστῆσαι θεόν. 3 Ἔργον δὲ ἄρα ἦν Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἔργων τὸ μέγιστον ἡ τοῦ ἐκλελυμένου καὶ εἰς φθορὰν κεχωνευμένου Λαζάρου ἔγερσις. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ συνδειπνοῦντα τῷ Κυρίῳ δείκνυσι, καὶ ἀφαντασίαστον τὸ θαῦμα δημοσιεύει τῇ οἰκουμένῃ, καὶ εὐωχίαν ποιεῖται τὸ παράδοξον τὸ τῆς λαμπρᾶς ἐκείνης εὐωχίας, ἐν ᾗ ὡς πρώϊμον ξένιον Λάζαρος προύκειτο πνευματικὴ τροφὴ τοῖς δαιτυμόσι, τὸ τοῦ παραδόξου ἐκείνου δείπνου ἐν ᾧ ἡδονὴ γαστρὸς ἐπεσχέθη καὶ εὐωχήθησαν ψυχαὶ ἀνακειμένων, τὸ τῆς
The Miracle of the Wine§3
3Because of that extraordinary joy, in which he who had been made a table by corruption became again a table of wonders of abundance for living men.
For it was necessary for the one who is richly supplied with all things and, as if from an inexhaustible spring, gushes forth good things by his will, having entered under the roof of the poor, to add the riches to the needy, just as also in Cana of Galilee John 2:1-11 the uncultivated wine, and to bring that absolute wine in due time into the midst, and to open it to the servants as a paradise of pleasure, both enjoying and being enjoyed. In which no smell of corruption appeared, for he partook through the divine calling of the incorruptible fragrance; nor was any blame of the fruit shown again; for he was a creator, having remade the presence, not even a little, but a great thing which distinguishes the change for those being elevated, but he was
Greek · §3
παραδόξου ἐκείνης χαρμονῆς ἐν ᾗ ὁ τῇ φθορᾷ τραπεζοποιηθεὶς, ἀνθρώπων ζώντων αὖθις ἐγένετο τράπεζα θαυμάτων ἀνάπλεως. 4 Ἔπρεπε γὰρ τῷ πάντα εὐπόρῳ καὶ ἐκ θελήματος ὡς ἐκ πηγῆς ἀενάου ἀναβλύζοντι τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ὑπὸ στέγην πτωχῶν εἰσεληλυθότι, προσθεῖναι τοῖς πενιχροῖς τὰ πλούσια, καθάπερ καὶ τοῖς ἐν Κανὰ Γαλιλαίας τὴν ἀγεώργητον οἰνοχοΐαν, καὶ τὸν ἀπόλυτον ἐκεῖνον εὐκαίρως εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν καὶ ὡς παράδεισον πανδαισίας εὐωχοῦντά τε καὶ εὐωχούμενον διανοῖξαι τοῖς παισίν· ἐν ᾧ οὐκ ὀσμὴ φθορᾶς ἐφαίνετο· μετέλαβεν γὰρ διὰ τῆς θείας κλήσεως τῆς ἀφθάρτου εὐωδίας· οὐδ' αὖ λώβη μελῶν ἐδείκνυτο· δημιουργὸς γὰρ ἦν ὁ παροστάξει ἀναπλάσας ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μικρόν τι ἢ μέγα ὅπερ ἀλλοίωσιν τοῖς καταβιβαζομένοις διαχαρακτηρίζει, ἀλλ' ἦν
The Statue and the Divine Will§4
4The statue is pure from every side, perfect and well-formed even to the hair. Truly, it nourishes that joy appropriately, I say, both from the most complete and clear love of those who received her, and from the wonders of the God who was shown without interruption.
For she indeed knew clearly that the divine eye was accustomed to rest most upon the one being benefited by the Savior [...], just as she has heard from him that 'my food is to do the will of him who sent me' (John 4:34), and the will of the Father and the Son is the salvation of men. Salvation of men exists through the faith in him who is always co-glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the highest, as he says in the gospels: 'This is the will of my Father, that everyone seeing the Son and believing in him may have eternal life' (John 6:40).
Greek · §4
ἀκέραιον τὸ ἄγαλμα πάντοθεν ἄρτιον καὶ εὐειδὲς ἄχρι τριχός. 5 Πρεπόντως τοιγαροῦν ἐκτρέφει ἐκείνην εὐφρασίαν, φημὶ δὲ ἔκ τε τῆς τῶν ὑποδεξαμένων παναρέτων ἀκραιφνοῦς ἀγαπῆς, ἔκ τε θαυμάτων τοῦ ἀνενδεῶς ὑποδειχθέντος θεοῦ. Ἤδει γὰρ ᾔδει σαφῶς ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐφηδύνειν εἴωθεν τὸν θεῖον ὀφθαλμὸν εἰ τὸν εὐεργετούμενον σωτῆρα .., καθῶς ἀκηκόει παρ' αὐτοῦ ὅτι «ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με,» θέλημα δὲ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ σωτηρία. Σωτηρία μὲν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπάρχει ἡ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν ἀεὶ συνδοξαζόμενον τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ἐν ὑψίστοις πίστις, ὠς ἐν εὐαγγελίοις φησί· «τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ θεωρῶν τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.»
The Fire of Salvation§5
5Longing for our salvation, he cried out elsewhere, saying, 'I came to cast fire upon the earth' (Luke 3:16), the one who desires mercy, the one who thirsts to thirst, the one who swore by himself, 'not to desire the death of the sinner, but that he might turn back and live.' The Savior came to cast fire upon the earth, which he fashioned with his own hands and sanctified with the divine breath. The Savior came to cast fire upon it to rekindle its self-power, which was honored by him from the beginning, but which the finder of evil and deceit took away from it and enslaved in passions of dishonor.
The Savior came to cast fire upon it, that illuminating fire, the life-giving fire, the fire of the knowledge of God, the consumer of the thorns of impiety, the increaser of the seeds of the pious, the destroyer and uprooter of that which is against nature, and the planter and farmer of those good things which are according to nature, so that just as man was voluntarily joined to deceit and arbitrarily seized the death forewarned through disobedience, so again, having been cleansed from hardness of heart, he may know what is necessary, and through ransom and through drawing near to Him, may be made to belong to God.
This divine and illuminating fire was kindled and kindled up toward the salvation of the Jews and in Lazarus the Lord, as providing them a sense worthy of faith for the sake of being saved. For to the unbelieving, signs are always given, and not to the believing is the occasion of salvation given. For while they were contradicting and fighting against the truth, he manifested himself through God-powered works to be God irrefutably, just as he says: 'If you do not believe me, believe my works, so that you may know that the Father is in me and I in the Father' (John 14:11).
This is like the radiance of the sun in the sun and like the sun in a ray, indivisibly and unalterably, because of the consubstantiality and self-strength; and elsewhere: 'He who has seen me has seen the Father' (John 14:9), just as the tree is known by its fruit; and elsewhere: 'I and the Father are one' (John 10:30), demonstrating equality and equal power; but let us return to what is before us.
“They made a dinner for him,” he says, “and Lazarus was one reclining with him” (Luke 7:13). This is a magnificent way toward true faith in the invisible resurrection of the saved; for so also the Lord, after his salvific resurrection, manifested himself to his genuine disciples, having taken and eaten in their eyes according to the law of human nature.
Because of this, even now, having conquered the master's command of the law of nature and death, he who dined with the Master, the one raised rejoiced with the one who raised him, the clay sat with the potter, the one fleeing the darkness rejoiced with the light, the one falling in chains joined with the one loosening them, the one in those pangs of death—I say indeed to the unlearned—having easily deceived the harsh gale, was attentive to the Lord who raised him.
But I will say to you: open to us, O divine head, John, your holy tablets; for we are unable to traverse the immense depth of the wonder. Yes, he says, Lazarus reclined with Jesus, the old and new man, whom he called out of corruption through the word of the living and almighty one into life; the newborn reclined as if he were presenting to the new birth of men a command; for it is the law for the offspring of the Jews to recline together, being filled with joy. “For when a woman gives birth, she has pain because her hour has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the distress because of the joy that a human being was born into the world” (John 16:21).
So also our Lord, intending to raise Lazarus from Hades, the one who loves his household wept and was moved with compassion, seeing human nature decaying and grieving with those who came together, and he inwardly rebuked the death that holds him and visibly called out to the one being held, the greatness of the household...
Greek · §5
6 Ἐπιποθῶν δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν, κέκραγεν ἀλλαχοῦ λέγων· «πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰς τὴν γῆν,» ὁ θελητὴς ἐλέους, ὁ διψῶν τὸ διψᾶσθαι, ὁ καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ὀμόσας «μὴ βούλεσθαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ ζῆν αὐτόν·» πῦρ ἦλθεν βαλεῖν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἣν ἰδίαις χερσὶν ἔπλασεν καὶ ἡγίασεν τῷ θείῳ ἐμφυσήματι· πῦρ ἦλθεν βαλεῖν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπ' αὐτὴν καὶ ἀναζωπυρῆσαι τὸ αὐτεξούσιον αὐτῆς ᾧ ἐτιμήθη παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀφεῖλεν ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ κατεδούλωσεν ἐν πάθεσιν ἀτιμίας ὁ τῆς κακίας καὶ ἀπάτης εὑρετής· πῦρ ἦλθεν βαλεῖν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπ' αὐτὴν, πῦρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ φωτιστικὸν, τὸ ζωοποιὸν, τὸ τῆς θεογνωσίας πῦρ, τὸ τῶν ἀκανθῶν τῆς ἀσεβείας δαπανητικὸν, τὸ τῶν εὐσεβῶν σπερμάτων αὐξητικὸν, τὸ τῶν παρὰ φύσιν τμητικὸν καὶ ἐκριζωτικὸν, καὶ τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ἀγαθῶν φυτουργικὸν καὶ γεωργικὸν, ἵνα ὥσπερ ἑκουσίως τῇ ἀπάτῃ συναπήχθη καὶ τὸν προμεμαρτυρημένον ἐκ παρακοῆς θάνατον αὐθαιρέτως ἐπεσπάσατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὕτως αὖθις ἐκνίψας τῆς καρώσεως ἐπιγνῷ τὸ δέον, καὶ θεῷ διὰ τῆς ἐξαγορεύσεως καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν νεύσεως προσοικειωθῇ. 7 Τοῦτο τὸ θεῖον καὶ φωτιστικὸν πῦρ ἀνῆψεν καὶ ἀνεπύρσευσεν πρὸς τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων σωτηρίαν καὶ ἐν Λαζάρῳ ὁ Κύριος, ὡς ἀξίαν πίστεως αἴσθησιν παρέχων αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ σῴζεσθαι. Τοῖς γὰρ ἀπίστοις ἀεὶ τὰ σημεῖα καὶ οὐ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν δίδοται σωτηρίας ἀφορμή. Ἀντιλεγόντων γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀντιμαχομένων τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, διὰ τῶν θεοδυνάμων ἔργων ἑαυτὸν ἐνεφάνιζεν θεὸν εἶναι ἀναντιρρήτως, ὥς που αὐτός φησιν· «εἰ ἐμὲ οὐ πιστεύετε, τοῖς ἔργοις μου πιστεύσατε, ἵνα γνῶτε ὅτι ἐν ἐμοὶ ὁ Πατὴρ κᾀγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρί·» τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὡς ἀπαύγασμα ἡλίου ἐν ἡλίῳ καὶ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἐν ἀκτῖνι ἀμερίστως καὶ ἀπαραλλάκτως διὰ τὸ ὁμοούσιον καὶ αὐτοσθενές· καὶ ἑτέρωθι· «ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα·» καθάπερ ἐν τῷ καρπῷ τὸ δένδρον ἐπιγινώσκεται· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· «ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν·» τὸ ἰσότιμον καὶ ἰσοδύναμον ὑπερδεικνύων· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν. 8 «Ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ, φησὶν, δεῖπνον· ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος εἷς ἦν τῶν ἀνακειμένων αὐτῷ·» μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἄγαν πρὸς πίστωσιν ἀληθινὴν τῆς ἀφαντασιάστου ἀναστάσεως τοῦ σεσωσμένου· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος μετὰ τὴν σωτήριον αὐτοῦ ἀνάστασιν ἐνεφάνιζεν ἑαυτὸν τοῖς γνησίοις αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς, λαβὼν καὶ φαγὼν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν νόμῳ φύσεως ἀνθρώπων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ὁ τῷ δεσποτικῷ προστάγματι φύσεως καὶ θανάτου νόμον νικήσας, οὗτος τῷ δεσπότῃ συνεδείπνει, ὁ ἀναστὰς τῷ ἀναστήσαντι συνευφραίνετο, ὁ πηλὸς τῷ πλαστουργῷ συνανέκειτο, ὁ τὸ σκότος ἀποδράσας τῷ φωτὶ συνεώρταζεν, ὁ ἐν δεσμοῖς ἐφαλλόμενος τῷ λύοντι πεπεδημένους ἐν ἀνδρείᾳ συνέχαιρεν, ὁ ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ἡνίαις τοῦ θανάτου, λέγω δὴ τοῖς σπαργάνοις, τὸν ᾅδην ῥοιζήματι εὐτόνως ἀπατήσας τῷ ἐγείραντι Κυρίῳ συνειστιᾶτο. 9 Ἀλλ' ἐρῶ πρὸς σέ· διάνοιξον ἡμῖν, ὦ θεία κεφαλὴ, Ἰωάννη, τὰς ἱεράς σου πλάκας· ἀδυνατοῦμεν γὰρ περιδράξασθαι τὸ ἀχανὲς βάθος τοῦ θαύματος. Ναὶ, φησὶν, συνανέκειτο τῷ Ἰησοῦ Λάζαρος, ὁ παλαιὸς καὶ νέος ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἐκάλεσεν ἐκ τῆς φθορᾶς διὰ λόγου ζῶντος καὶ παντοδυνάμου εἰς ζωήν· συνανέκειτο ὁ νεοπαγὴς ὡσεὶ τίτθῃ τῷ νεὰν γέννησιν ἀνθρώπων ἐν προστάγματι ἀναδείξαντι· νόμος γὰρ τοῖς Ἰουδαίων γεννήμασι ταῖς λεχοῦσι συνανακεῖσθαι ἐμπιμπλαμέναις χαρᾶς. «Ἡ γὰρ γυνὴ ὅταν τίκτῃ λύπην ἔχει ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα αὐτῆς· ὅταν δὲ γεννήσῃ τὸ παιδίον οὐκέτι μνημονεύει τῆς θλίψεως διὰ τὴν χαρὰν ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ἐγεννήθη εἰς τὸν κόσμον.» 10 Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν μέλλων ἐγείρειν ἐξ ᾅδου τὸν Λάζαρον, ἐδάκρυε μὲν ὁ φιλοικτίρμων καὶ κατεσπλαγχνίσθη, τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσιν φθειρομένην ὁρῶν καὶ τοῖς συνελθοῦσιν ἅμα σκυθρωπάζων, ἐνεβριμήσατο δὲ ἀοράτως τῷ κατέχοντι θανάτῳ καὶ φωνήσας ὁρατῶς τῷ κατεχομένῳ, τὸ μέγα τῆς οἰκείας
Martha's Confession and the Two Witnesses§6
6He performed a sign of power, revealing the down payment of the general resurrection. Because of this, he was moved with the one who was acted upon, rejoicing, as one who confirmed through works that he is 'our life and resurrection.' For this too had been previously prophesied by him through the prophet: 'I will be rejoiced in doing good with them.'
By this wonder and by their own feast, the sisters of the Savior and of the risen one were serving as honorable learners, the one providing the things of hospitality and the other the things of devotion. For Martha was indeed a hostess like Abraham, but a lover of the poor like Job, and a lover of Christ in her confession like Peter, having the door of loving hospitality opened to everyone coming. Therefore, she did not receive the angels in ignorance or without knowing, as Lot of old did, but in good knowledge and disposition, she received under her roof the creator and lord of the angels. And Martha was such and so great and in such great things.
And this one's sister Mary also, 'having taken a pound of ointment of nard of faithful preciousness, anointed the feet of Jesus and with her hair wiped his feet, and the house was filled from the fragrance of the ointment.' The holy women, breathing the myrrh of piety, filled the house with the fragrance of myrrh, Martha through confession and Mary through work. Martha is a second Peter; for grace also breathed upon her, and for this reason she surpassed the faith of the one at the top.
She heard: 'he who believes in me even if he dies, shall live,' and she recognized the provider of life and, using a loud voice, cried out: 'I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God coming into the world.' For it was necessary for the feminine nature to recognize and confess the Creator and God. First Peter confesses by divine teaching, second Martha exclaims by divine inspiration, third John theologizes divinely and uniquely in the letters. Peter and Martha say: 'you are the Christ, the Son of the living God'; John says: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.' Pay attention, beloved, to the light of truth; flee the darkness of error.
“You are the Christ,” he says; yet not a mere human Christ, but the Son of the living God, the Word who became flesh and remains unchanging for us, the only Son of the living God, the Word who became flesh. He is not one of the Jewish Christs, nor one of the Jewish and written-of Christs, but you are, according to Paul, “the one Lord, blessed above all unto the ages of ages, Amen” (1 Cor 8:6). You alone are Christ and the only-begotten Son of the living God. “We beheld,” says the evangelist, “his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). You are the firstborn and the only-begotten and alone, consubstantial and co-honorary and equal-power to the One begotten, without beginning and co-existing with God the Father. You are the Christ, not one of your invisible and liturgical powers created under you, but naturally the Son of the living God. “For not an elder nor an angel, but the Lord himself, says, as Isaiah said, saved us, saved them” (Isa 9:6); so the angels are not Christs. You are the Christ, that is, not a human Christ, but a God Christ, a God having become man, not a man having become divine, but having anointed his own and voluntary incarnation with his own divinity, for which reason it is said, “your name emptied of myrrh,” and “we run toward the fragrance of your myrrh.” You are the Christ, worshipped by all creation, as one Lord and God, as one Son, as one Master with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Again, let us bring the word back to the most excellent brotherhood of the pious and faithful brothers. O the unbroken branch of the inward love of the friends and genuine servants of Christ Jesus, one of the uncreated and consubstantial Trinity. Not even the unsevered seed of the inward love of these, of the teacher and master, was torn apart: neither the unbelief of Jews, nor the disobedience of Pharisees, nor the violence of Sadducees, nor the scandals of priests, but having once planted the vine in faith, they remained fruitful, unshakeable by every assault and invincible, knowing God and the Christ.
Greek · §6
δυνάμεως ἀπεποίησε σημεῖον, τῆς καθόλου ἀναστάσεως ἐμφανίσας τὸν ἀρραβῶνα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο συνανεκλίθη τῷ ποιηθέντι εὐφραινόμενος, ὡς πιστοποιήσας διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν «ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν»· προαναπεφώνητο γάρ που παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· «εὐφρανθήσομαι ἐν τῷ ἀγαθοποιεῖν με αὐτοῖς.» 11 Τῷδε τῷ θαύματι καὶ τῇ ἑαυτῶν ἑορτῇ αἱ τίμιαι μαθή τριαι τοῦ Σωτῆρος καὶ τοῦ ἀναστάντος ἀδελφαὶ διηκόνουν, ἡ μὲν τὰ τῆς ὑποδοχῆς, ἡ δὲ τὰ τῆς φιλοθεΐας προσκομίζουσαι. Ἦν γάρ πως ἡ Μάρθα φιλόξενος μὲν ὡς ἀβραμιαία, φιλόπτωχος δὲ ὡς ὁ Ἰὼβ, καὶ φιλόχριστος τὴν ὁμολογίαν ὡς Πέτρος, ἠνεῳγμένην ἔχουσα τὴν τῆς φιλοξενίας ἀγαπητικὴν θύραν παντὶ ἐρχομένῳ· ὅθεν οὐ λεληθότως, οὐδὲ ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ, ὡς πάλαι ὁ Λὼτ, ἀγγέλους ἐξένισεν, ἀλλ' ἐν εἰδήσει ἀγαθῇ καὶ διαθέσει τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων δημιουργὸν καὶ κύριον ὑπὸ τὴν ὀροφὴν εἰσεδέξατο. Καὶ ἡ μὲν Μάρθα τοιαύτη καὶ τηλικαύτη καὶ ἐν τηλικούτοις. 12 Ἡ δὲ ταύτης ἀδελφὴ Μαρία καὶ αὐτὴ «λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου [νάρδου] πιστικῆς πολυτίμου ἤλειψεν τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς ἀπέμαξεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας, ἡ δὲ οἰκία ἐπλήσθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου.» Μύρον εὐσεβείας πνέουσαι αἱ ἅγιαι, μύρου εὐωδίας καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπλήρωσαν, ἡ μὲν Μάρθα διὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας, ἡ δὲ Μαρία [διὰ] τῆς ἐργασίας. ∆εύτερος Πέτρος ἡ Μάρθα· ἐπέπνευσε γὰρ καὶ ταύτῃ ἡ χάρις καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴ τὴν τοῦ κορυφαίου ἀνώμβρησε πίστιν. 13 Ἤκουσεν· «ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ κἂν ἀποθάνῃ, ζήσεται», ἐπέγνω τὸν τῆς ζωῆς χορηγὸν καὶ εὐθυβόλῳ χρησαμένη φωνῇ ἀνέκραγεν· «ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐρχόμενος.» Ἔδει γὰρ τὴν γυναικείαν φύσιν ἐπιγνῶναι καὶ ὁμολογῆσαι τὸν κτίστην καὶ θεόν. Πρῶτον Πέτρος θεοδιδάκτως ὁμολογεῖ, δεύτερον Μάρθα θεομυήτως ἀναφωνεῖ, τρίτον Ἰωάννης ἐν δέλτοις θεοφρόνως καὶ μονογενῶς θεολογεῖ. Πέτρος καὶ Μάρθα· «σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος·» Ἰωάννης· «ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν.» 14 Πρόσεχε, ἀγαπητὲ, τῷ φωτισμῷ τῆς ἀληθείας, φεῦγε τὸ σκότος τῆς πλάνης. «Σὺ εἶ, φησὶν, ὁ Χριστός»· οὐ ψιλὸς Χριστὸς ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ὁ Λόγος ὁ γενόμενος σὰρξ ἄτρεπτος δι' ἡμᾶς, ὁ μόνος υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ὁ Λόγος ὁ γενόμενος σάρξ· οὐχ εἷς τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν χριστῶν, οὐχ εἷς τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν καὶ παρεγγράπτων χριστῶν, ἀλλὰ σὺ κατὰ Παυλὸν, «ὁ εἷς Κύριος, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν·» σὺ εἶ μόνος Χριστὸς καὶ υἱὸς μονογενὴς τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῦ ζῶντος· «ἐθεασάμεθα, φησὶν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρὸς, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας·» 15 σὺ εἶ ὁ πρωτότοκος καὶ ὁ μονογενὴς καὶ μόνος σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ὁμοούσιός τε καὶ ὁμότιμος καὶ ἰσοδύναμος τῷ γεγεννηκότι, ἄναρχός τε καὶ συναΐδιος θεῷ Πατρί· σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐχ εἷς τῶν ὑπό σου κτισθέντων ἀοράτων καὶ λειτουργικῶν σου δυνάμεων, ἀλλὰ φυσικῶς υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. «Οὐ πρέσβυς γὰρ οὐδὲ ἄγγελος, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος, φησὶν, ὡς εἶπεν Ἡσαΐας, ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς, ἔσωσεν αὐτούς·» ὥστε οὐκ εἰσὶν οἱ ἄγγελοι χριστοί· σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦτ' ἔστιν οὐκ ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ θεὸς Χριστὸς, θεὸς ἐνανθρωπήσας, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἀποθεωθεὶς, ἀλλὰ χρίσας τὴν οἰκείαν καὶ ἑκούσιον σάρκωσιν τῇ οἰκείᾳ θεότητι δι' ὃ καὶ εἴρηται· «μῦρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σου,» καὶ «εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρων σου ἐκδραμούμεθα·» σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ παρὰ πάσης κτίσεως προσκυνούμενος, ὡς εἷς Κύριος καὶ θεὸς, ὡς εἷς Υἱὸς, ὡς εἷς ∆εσπότης σὺν Πατρὶ [καὶ] τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. 16 Πάλιν ἐπανάξωμεν τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὴν καλλίστην ἀδελφότητα τῶν εὐσεβῶν καὶ πιστῶν ἀδελφῶν. Ὦ συμπνοίας τῶν φίλων καὶ θεραπόντων γνησίων Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἑνὸς τῆς ἀκτίστου καὶ ὁμοουσίου Τριάδος. Βαβαὶ τῆς ἐντρίτου ἀγαπῆς τὸ ἀρραγὲς σπαρτίον· οὐδὲν τούτους τῆς τοῦ διδασκάλου καὶ δεσπότου ἀγαπῆς ἀπέρρηξεν, οὐκ ἀπιστία Ἰουδαίων, οὐκ ἀπείθεια Φαρισαίων, οὐ Σαδδουκαίων ὑλακὴ, οὐ σκάνδαλα ἱερέων ἀλλ' ἐγκεντρισθέντες ἅπαξ τὴν καλλιέλαιον τῇ πίστει, ἔμειναν ἔγκαρποι, πάσῃ προσβόλῃ ἄσειστοι καὶ ἀτίνακτοι, θεὸν γνωρίζοντες τὸν Χριστὸν,
Mary's Faith and the Living Temple§7
7Confessing the Son of God undividedly and without confusion as both God and man, proclaiming Emmanuel. And then Martha said to him, «I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God» (John 11:27). Lazarus confirmed this within himself, joined by this faith and hope; for even while he was living and dwelling with the ever-present One, his sisters prayed for him, saying, «Lord, see him whom you love is ill» (John 11:3). Mary, through whom the sister's confession and the brother's faith were unitedhousehold's piety was manifested.
For having taken the ointment, she did not anoint a lifeless stone for the house of God, as Jacob did when he was being wrested away from Esau, but she anointed God, the Creator and Maker of all things, with a living temple united to the Theotokos the Virgin; she was not merely saving a mimicry of the intimacy toward Jacob as a truthful daughter, but was much more surpassing the patriarch in faith and work. Just as he fashioned the shadow, she herself felt the reality and worshiped.
Thus Jacob appears to have done this twice: once in being wrested away from the envy that was bound to murder, and once in having the divine vision in Bethel (Genesis 28). But even so, he is not equalized to the daughter's piety in this respect; for he learned nothing more than to anoint a stone as a type of the cornerstone, but she not only felt and anointed the holy, living, and God-created temple of the Creator and Eternal God, but also, worshiping the God who is unchangeably in it and through it, she confessed one indivisible Lord, perceiving the invisible glory in the seen beauty, and in the felt flesh, she was discerning the unutterable and untouchable God the Word.
For His condescension toward us did not diminish the glory of the invisible God in their eyes, nor did the lowliness of His reflection insult the majestic authority of God in their eyes; nor did the weak enclosure of the flesh diminish the criterion of their intellect against the unapproachable eminence; nor did the love, which has been emboldened toward His descent, strike down the fear and trembling of the unshakeable power; rather, being led toward the invisible by the visible signs, they marveled exceedingly at the paradox of His voluntary poverty, and being enlightened in intellect by the wonders performed word by word, and being instructed in the authoritative nature of His Lordship, they surpassed all in more intense, man-loving humanity; and they worshiped a God who works and strikes out unhindered from His own treasury, providing the charge of miracles through the touch of the hem, and they were astonished beyond measure, understanding the resurrection of the dead through the communion with mortals in death.
Therefore, having overcome fear through affection, they possessed an insatiable longing, and the ministry of the one who is both God and perfect man was poured out into the hearts of the like-minded and like-believing ones; the one Christ worked the human things through His condescension toward us, while the other [the soul/devotion] brought the more God-pleasing and fragrant fruit with haste, pouring out fragrance like upon the altar of His life-giving temple. And this, not as a triviality but as a diligent loving, and kissing the sanctity through the natural enclosure, placed a crown of glory upon her own head, not composed of corruptible and earthly matter, but the glimmerings of divine splendor flashing forth.
If, then, according to Moses, 'everyone who touches the altar shall be sanctified' (Exodus 29:44), what can anyone say concerning her who has touched the Lord, the altar; with what words shall we adorn the unity of these brothers? Indeed, the works of these surll praise. It is enough for you, Martha, the confession of Christ, as a crown of glory; it is enough for you, Lazarus, to be called the friend of Christ, as an inheritance of glory; it is enough for you, Mary, the vote from God. For Mary, it is said, 'has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her' (Luke 10:42).
Greek · §7
θεὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἀδιαιρέτως καὶ ἀσυγχύτως ὁμολογοῦντες τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ υἱὸν, κηρύσσοντες τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ· 17 καὶ τότε ἔφη πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ Μάρθα· «ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.» Τοῦτο Λάζαρος ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἐβεβαίωσεν, ταύτῃ συνταφεὶς τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐλπίδι· ἔτι γὰρ αὐτοῦ ζῶντος καὶ συνικετεύοντος τὸν πανταχοῦ παρόντα αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ ἐδεήθησαν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ λέγουσαι· «Κύριε, ἴδε ὃν φιλεῖς ἀσθενεῖ.» Μαρία δὲ δι' ὦν ἔπραττεν τῇ τε τῆς ἀδελφῆς ὁμολογίᾳ καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ πίστει σύμφωνον ἐνεφάνιζεν καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν εὐσέβειαν. 18 Λαβοῦσα γὰρ τὸ μῦρον, οὐ λίθον ἄψυχον εἰς οἶκον θεοῦ ἔχρισεν καθάπερ Ἰακὼβ τῷ ὀφθέντι αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ἀποδιδράσκειν αὐτὸν τὸν Ἠσαῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐκ τῆς θεοτόκου παρθένου ἑνωθέντα ἔμψυχον ναὸν τῷ ἀκτίστῳ καὶ δημιουργῷ τῶν ἁπάντων θεῷ ἤλειψεν, οὐ μίμημα μόνον ἀποσῴζουσα τῆς πρὸς τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἐν τοῖς οὕτω οἰκειότητος, ὡς ἀψευδὴς θυγάτηρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπερβαίνουσα πολλῷ πλέω τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐργασίᾳ τὸν πατριάρχην. Καθόσον ὁ μὲν τὴν σκιὰν ἐτύπου, ἡ δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτὴν ἐψηλάφα καὶ προσεκύνει. 19 Φαίνεται γοῦν δὶς τοῦτο ποιήσας ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἔν τε τῷ ἀποδιδράσκειν τὸν πρὸς φόνον ἐξηρτυμένον φθόνον, ἔν τε τῷ ἐπαναλύειν μετὰ τὴν θείαν ἐν Βεθὴλ ὀπτασίαν. Ἀλλ' οὐδ' οὕτως ἐξισοῦται τῇ τῆς θυγατρὸς εὐσεβείᾳ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει· πλεὸν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἢ λίθον ἀλείφειν εἰς τύπον τοῦ ἀκρογωνιαίου μεμάθηκε λίθου, αὕτη δὲ οὐ μόνον τὸν ἅγιον καὶ ἔμψυχον καὶ θεόκτιστον τοῦ ἀκτίστου καὶ ἀϊδίου θεοῦ ναὸν ἐψηλάφα καὶ ἤλειφεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ ἀμερίστως ὄντα θεὸν σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ προσκυνοῦσα, ἕνα Κύριον ἀδιαίρετον ὡμολόγει ἐν τῇ ὁρωμένῃ εὐπρεπείᾳ τὴν ἀόρατον κατανοοῦσα δόξαν, καὶ ἐν ψηλαφωμένῃ σαρκὶ τὸν ἀναφῆ καὶ ἀψηλάφητον καταμανθάνουσα θεὸν Λόγον. 20 Οὐ γὰρ ἐσμίκρυνεν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν τοῦ ἀοράτου θεοῦ τὴν δόξαν ὁ πρὸς ἡμᾶς συσχηματισμὸς αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἐνύβρισεν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν τὴν μεγαλοπρεπῆ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξουσίαν τὸ τῆς συνανακλίσεως αὐτοῦ ταπεινὸν, οὐκ ἐμείωσεν τὸ τῆς διανοίας αὐτῶν κριτήριον [πρὸς] τὴν τοῦ ἀπροσίτου ὑπεροχὴν τὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀσθενὲς περιβόλαιον, οὐκ ἤμβλυνεν τὸν φόβον καὶ τρόμον τῆς ἀστέκτου δυνάμεως ἡ πρὸς τὴν συγκατάβασιν αὐτοῦ πεπαρρησιασμένη αὐτῶν ἀγάπη, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν φαινομένων σημείων ἐπὶ τὸ ἀόρατον ποδηγούμενοι κράτος, περισσῶς ἐθαύμαζον τῆς ἑκουσίου πτωχείας τὸ παράδοξον 21 , καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐπιτελουμένων λόγων ὑπὲρ λόγον θαυμάτων φωτιζόμενοι τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ τὸ τῆς κυριότητος ἐξουσιαστικὸν παιδευόμενοι, σφοδρώτερον τὴν φιλάνθρωπον ἐνανθρώπησιν ὑπέφριττον, καὶ τὴν δι' ἁφῆς τῶν κρασπέδων ἐπιδιδομένην τῶν ἰαμάτων φορὰν ἐνο ρῶντες, τὸν ἀνεμποδίστως ἐνεργοῦντα καὶ ἐμβλύζοντα ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου θησαυροῦ τὰς ἐπικουρίας προσεκύνουν θεὸν, καὶ τὴν τῶν νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν κατανοοῦντες τὴν μετὰ τῶν θνητῶν συνδιατριβὴν τοῦ θανάτου ὑπερβαλλόντως ἐξεπλήττοντο. 22 Ὅθεν στοργῇ τὸν φόβον κεράσασαι, εἴχοντο τοῦ ἀκορέστου πόθου, καὶ τὴν διακονίαν τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ αὐτοῦ ἑνώσει θεοῦ [καὶ] τελείου ἀνθρώπου διειλημμέναι εἰς ἑαυτὰς αἱ ὁμόψυχοι καὶ ὁμόπιστοι, ἡ μὲν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς συγκατάβασιν ἐλειτούργει, ἡ δὲ τὴν θεοτερπῆ καὶ εὐωδεστάτην ὡς κάρπωμα προσῆγεν σπουδὴν, μύρον ἐπιχέουσα ὡς ἐπὶ θυσιαστηρίῳ τῷ ζωηφόρῳ αὐτοῦ ναῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐ παρέργως ἀλλ' ἐπιμελῶς καταφιλοῦσα, καὶ τῷ ἐκ φύσεως περιβολαίῳ ἐκμάσσουσα τὸ ἁγίασμα, στέφανον δόξης τῇ οἰκείᾳ περιέθηκεν κεφαλῇ, οὐκ ἐξ ὑλῆς φθαρτῆς καὶ γεώδους συγκείμενον, ἀλλὰ τῆς θεϊκῆς λαμπρότητος τὰς μαρμαρυγὰς ἀπαστράπτοντα. 23 Εἰ τοίνυν κατὰ Μωϋσέα «πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἁγιασθήσεται,» τί ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τῆς ἁψαμένης αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, ποίοις λόγοις κατακοσμήσομεν τῶν ἀδελφῶν τούτων τὴν ὁμόπνοιαν; Ναὶ, τούτων τὰ ἔργα νικᾷ πάντα ἐπαινόν. Ἀρκεῖ σοι, Μάρθα, ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁμολογία εἰς στέφανον δόξης· ἀρκεῖ σοι, Λάζαρε, τὸ φίλον Χριστοῦ κληθῆναι εἰς περιουσίαν δόξης· ἐξαρκεῖ σοι, Μαρία, ἡ παρὰ θεοῦ ψῆφος. «Μαρία γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο, ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἐξ αὐτῆς·»
Mary's Vision and the Witness of Jacob§8
8Mary, the lover of stillness, the peculiar bee, who remains hovering near the remains of divine contemplations, having become a resident and a migrant from a shackled life to encounter a divine life that is undisturbed and peaceful. 'Where the breeze is thin, there also is the Lord' according to the oracle of Elijah, from which knowledge of both divine and human matters flows, just as it is written: 'Be still, and know that I am God.' The pure dove, having spread her wings in the desert and having rested in the quiet and happy harbor of serenity, through whom the prophets were instructed and the desires of the righteous were known. Jacob, fleeing, encountered a turbulent spear by a chance of God, and a pillar of remembrance, as it has been said many times; and Mary, having most greatly been separated from the swarms of thoughts and the violent storms of a fleeing mind, a cell most distinct of both intellect and reason, she heard the unwearied beatings of God's blessings, and was made worthy to hold the uncontrolled through the flesh.
But the Jew in blindness leaps upon the word and says: 'Do not blaspheme, Christian, for it is written: No one shall see my face and live, says the Lord.' On the contrary, O fool, in your own law it is written that Jacob said: 'I saw God face to face, and my soul was saved'; for the life of man is vision. And since these things are so, I will neither invalidate yours, nor will I leave my own witness unstated; for to comprehend the essence of God is impossible and helpless, but for God to be made known to men is easy for Him, the All-Powerful, who manifests Himself to the worthy as He wills, for it is written: 'I have multiplied visions and was made like unto the hands of the prophets.'
Jacob indeed saw God, and he did not lie, and he saw how the one seen pleased to be seen; for God knows how to manifest Himself as He wills, and there is no obstacle or interruption to His purpose, even if even the highest cannot bear His extreme glory. So also Mary saw God having become man, and she scattered a libation of sweet fragrance upon His holy and worshipful temple; that is to say, this is something she holds within herself, for the union is undivided, the mystery of piety is unmixed, and the confession to the one Lord Jesus Christ of the Trinity is indissoluble.
But you, beloved, do not be surprised by hearing something strange and loud from the strangers of the truth; for they are brothers to the blind and traitorous Judas, who foolishly allowed the goddess to remain with such an intention at the banquet. But what is this unseemly vote against this one? It exposes Judas as a thief, but accepts her as a lover of God; it proclaims the completed act as a benefit and opposes those coming against her, and says even these things through Matthew the evangelist: 'Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful work for me' (Matthew 26:13). And I weigh against the love of such a work the eternal memory: 'For wherever this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, it shall be spoken, and what she did shall be for her memorial' (Matthew 24:14).
And Mary's sowing and harvest are worthy, worthy of the good intention and the fruitfulness; she hastened to fulfill the scripture, having been foreordained by the descending divine grace; she learned the things sung in the prophets, and recognized the timely outcome of the prophecy; she heard Solomon singing how 'he whose king is in his reclining, gave the scent of nard' (Song of Solomon 1:2); and she understood the king of those reigning and lord of those ruling, foretold by the servant king.
Therefore, having hesitated in no work, she completed the learning, and having brought to pass the preordained things without regret, she carried away the glorious and beyond-calculation vote; by which vote may we all become one and know and worship the Lord, having been born from eternity consciously and in unison, and unreservedly and unspeakably from the Father, that is, from the uncreated essence, and at the end, unchangeably and without confusion through the thought and word having been made flesh by the immaculate Virgin, to obtain from him the blessing in mercy and in infinite life, because to him belongs the glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Greek · §8
24 Μαρία ἡ φιλήσυχος, ἡ ἰδιότροπος μέλισσα, ἡ παρὰ τοὺς λειμῶνας τῶν θείων θεωρημάτων διϊπτα μένη, ἡ μέτοικος καὶ μετανάστις ἀπὸ τοῦ πεφυρμένου βίου γενομένη καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀτάραχον καὶ εἰρηνικοῖς πρέποντα βίον θεῖον καταντήσασα. «Ἔνθα αὔρα λεπτὴ καὶ ἐκεῖ Κύριος» κατὰ τὸν χρησμὸν Ἡλίου· ἐξ οὗ πηγάζει γνῶσις θείων τε καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων, καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι «σχολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεός·» ἡ ἀκέραιος περιστερὰ, ἡ ἀναλαβοῦσα ἠρέμα τὰς πτέρυγας καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἤρεμον καὶ εὐδαίμονα τῆς γαλήνης λιμένα καταπαύσασα, δι' ἧς ἐμυήθη τὰ προφήταις καὶ δικαίοις ἐπιθύμητα. Ἰακὼβ ἀποδράσας λόγχην εὐτάραχον ἐν εὐκαιρίᾳ θεοῦ ἐπέτυχεν, καὶ στήλην μνημοσύνου, ὡς πολλάκις εἴρηται, ἤλειψεν· καὶ Μαρία πορρωτάτω διαζευχθεῖσα μιγάδων λογισμῶν καὶ συγκλύδων ἀποδρομῆς τραχυνόντων πως [τὸ] διανοίας τε καὶ νοῦ διειδέστατον κέλλιον, ἀθόλωτος θεοῦ μακαρισμῶν ἤκουσεν, καὶ τὸν ἀκράτητον κρατῆσαι διὰ σαρκὸς ἠξιώθη. 25 Ἀλλ' ἐπιπηδᾷ τῷ λόγῳ ὁ ἐν τυφλώσει Ἰουδαῖος καί φησι· μὴ βλασφήμει, χριστιανὲ, γέγραπται γάρ· «οὐδεὶς ὄψεταί μου τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ζήσεται, λέγει Κύριος.» Μενοῦν γε, ὦ ἄφρων, ἐν τῷ σῷ νόμῳ γέγραπται ὅτι εἶπεν Ἰακώβ· «εἶδον θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐσώθη μου ἡ ψυχή·» ζωὴ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ὅρασις. Καὶ τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων, οὔτε τὸν σὸν ἀκυρώσω, οὔτε τὸν ἐμὸν ἀμάρτυρον ἐάσω λόγον· οὐσίαν γὰρ θεοῦ κατανοῆσαι ἀδύνατον καὶ ἀμήχανον, θεὸν [δὲ] γνωρισθῆναι ἀνθρώποις ῥᾴδιον αὐτῷ τῷ πάντα δυναμένῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανίζοντι ὡς βούλεται, γέγραπται γάρ· «ἐγὼ ἐπλήθυνα ὁράσεις καὶ ἐν χερσὶ τῶν προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην.» 26 Εἶδεν τοιγαροῦν θεὸν ὁ Ἰακὼβ, καὶ οὐκ ἐψεύσατο, εἶδεν δὲ ὡς ὁ ὀφθεὶς ηὐδόκησεν ὀφθῆναι· οἶδεν γὰρ θεὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανίζειν [ὡς] βούλεται καὶ τὸ κώλυον αὐτὸν καὶ διεῖργον τὸ κατὰ γνώμην οὐκ ἔστιν, κἂν μὴ χωροῦσιν οὔτε οἱ ἀνώτατοι φέρειν αὐτοῦ τὴν εἰς ἄκρον δόξαν· οὕτω καὶ Μαρία εἶδεν θεὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα ἀτρέπτως καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον καὶ συμπροσκύνητον αὐτοῦ ναὸν σπονδὴν εὐωδίας ἔσπεισεν τουτ' ἔστιν αὐτὸ ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, ἀμέριστος γὰρ ἡ ἕνωσις καὶ ἀσύγχυτον τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον καὶ ἀδιαίρετος ἡ εἰς τὸν ἕνα τῆς Τριάδος Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὁμολογία. 27 Σὺ δὲ, ὦ ἀγαπητὲ, μὴ ξενίζου ἀκούων ξένον τι καὶ ἀπηχὲς παρὰ τῶν ξένων τῆς ἀληθείας· ἀδελφοὶ γάρ εἰσι τοῦ τυφλοῦ καὶ προδότου Ἰοῦδα, ἐπιμεμψαμένου ἀφρόνως τὴν θεά ρεστον τοιαύτην πρόθεσιν ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ. Ἀλλὰ τί πρὸς τοῦτον ἡ ἀδέκαστος ψῆφος; Τὸν μὲν Ἰοῦδαν ἐξελέγχει ὡς κλέπτην, τὴν δὲ ἀποδέχεται ὡς φιλόθεον, καὶ εὐεργεσίαν τὸ τελούμενον ἀναγορεύει καὶ τοῖς ἐπιφερομένοις ἀντιπαρατάττεται, καί φησι καὶ ταῦτα διὰ Ματθαίου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ· «τί κόπους παρέχετε τῇ γυναικί· ἔργον γὰρ καλὸν εἰργάσατο εἰς ἐμέ.» Καὶ ἀντιταλαντεύω τῇ ἀγαπήσει τῆς τοιαύτης ἐργασίας τὴν αἰώνιον μνήμην· «ὅπου γὰρ ἂν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦτο τῆς βασιλείας ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ λαληθήσεται καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς.» 28 Καὶ ἄξιον τῆς σπορᾶς καὶ τὸ θέρος τῆς Μαρίας, ἐπαξία τῆς ἀγαθῆς προθέσεως καὶ ἡ ἐπικαρπία· ἐτάχυνεν πληρῶσαι τὴν γραφὴν, προκατελείφθη ὑπὸ τῆς καταστεφούσης θείας χάριτος· ἔμαθεν τὰ ἐν προφήταις ᾀδόμενα, ἐπέγνω καὶ τῆς προφητείας τὴν εὔκαιρον ἔκβασιν· ἤκουσε Σολομῶντος ᾄδοντος ὡς «οὗ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἀνακλίσει αὐτοῦ, νάρδος ἔδωκεν ὀσμήν·» καὶ συνῆκεν τὸν ὑπὸ οἰκέτου βασιλέως προμηνυθέντα βασιλέα τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ κύριον τῶν κυριευόντων· 29 ὅθεν μηδὲν μελλήσασα ἔργον, τὴν μάθησιν ἐξετέλεσεν, καὶ τῷ ἀνενδεεῖ τὰ προκεχρηματισμένα προσκομίσασα, τὴν εὐκλεῆ καὶ ἀπαραλόγιστον ἀπηνέγκατο ψῆφον· μεθ' ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν γινώσκειν καὶ προσκυνοῦντας Κύριον πρὸ αἰώνων συναιδίως τε καὶ συνανάρχως ἀφραστῶς τε καὶ ἀρρεύστως ἐκ Πατρὸς τουτ' ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς ἀκτίστου οὐσίας γεννηθέντα, καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἐκ τῆς ἀχράντου παρθένου ἀμεταβλήτως καὶ ἀσυγχύτως ὑπὲρ ἔννοιαν καὶ λόγον σαρκωθέντα, τυχεῖν τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῦ μακαρισμοῦ ἐν ἐλέει καὶ ζωῇ τῇ ἀπεράντῳ ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς ἀγηράντους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.