Homily II — The man who seized the bier
Some Jews too, perhaps, were present, those of them who were not wholly unreasonable. It is not out of place to mix into the story, like a relish added to a dish, what is passed around on many lips. For they say that when those carrying the blessed body of the Mother of God had come to the descent of a steep hill, a certain Hebrew, a slave of sin and a sworn ally of error, imitating the servant of Caiaphas who struck the divine face of the Master, Christ our God (John 18:22), became an instrument of the devil. Carried along by a reckless and senseless rush and an ill-fated impulse, he flung himself at that most divine tabernacle which the angels approached with fear, and seizing the bier with both hands, madly and out of his mind, he tried to drag it to the ground. This assault too came from the envy of the author of evil. But the fruit came before the labour was done, and he gathered a bitter cluster, well deserved by his own intent.
For they relate that his hands failed him. And one could see the man who had set his own hand to that monstrous outrage suddenly shown to have no hands, until he turned his mind to faith and remorse. For those carrying the bier at once stood still, and the wretched man laid his two hands on that tabernacle, the source of life and bearer of wonders, and from being maimed he was made whole again. For even hardships, as a rule, know how to bring forth sound and saving resolves. But let us return to our subject.
Greek
Παρῆσαν δὲ τυχὸν καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὅσοι μὴ λίαν ἀγνώμονες. Οὐχ οἷον δὲ, ὥσπερ ὄψῳ παράρτυμα, τὸ τοῖς πολλῶν περιφερόμενον χείλεσι προσμῖξαι τῷ διηγήματι. Φασὶ γὰρ, ὅτε πρὸς τῇ καταβάσει κατάντους ὄρους γεγόνασιν οἱ τὸ μακάριον σῶμα τῆς Θεομήτορος αἴροντες, Ἑβραῖόν τινα τῆς ἁμαρτίας δοῦλον, καὶ τῆς πλάνης ὑπόσπονδον, τὸν τοῦ Καϊάφα οἰκέτην μιμούμενον, ὃς τὸ Δεσποτικὸν καὶ θεῖον τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐῤῥάπικε πρόσωπον, καὶ διαβόλου γενόμενον ὄργανον, θρασείᾳ ῥύμῃ καὶ ἀλογίστῳ φερόμενον, καὶ φορᾷ κακοδαίμονι αὐτομολῆσαι πρὸς ἐκεῖνο τὸ θειότατον σκήνωμα, ᾧ δεδιότες προσῄεσαν ἄγγελοι, καὶ ἀμφοῖν τοῦ κραββάτου ταῖν χεροῖν μανικῶς καὶ ἐκφρόνως δραξάμενον καθέλκειν εἰς τοὔδαφος· φθόνου τοῦ ἀρχεκάκου καὶ τοῦτο ὅρμημα, ἀλλ' ὁ καρπὸς τῶν πόνων προέφθασε, καὶ βότρυν πικρὸν καὶ ἐπάξιον τῆς οἰκείας ἐτρύγησε προαιρέσεως. Ἐκλελοιπέναι γὰρ αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας διαγορεύουσι. Καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν τοῦ ἀτόπου τολμήματος τὸν αὐτόχειρα ἀθρόον δεικνύμενον ἄχειρα, ἕως πρὸς πίστιν τὴν γνώμην μετέβαλε, καὶ μετάμελον. Ἀμελητὶ γὰρ οἱ τὸν κράββατον φέροντες ἔστησαν, καὶ ἐπιθεὶς τὼ χεῖρε ὁ δείλαιος τῷ ζωαρχικῷ καὶ θαυμαστοτόκῳ σκηνώματι, σῶος αὖθις ἐκ κολοβόχειρος γίνεται. Ἐπίσταται γὰρ ὡς τὰ πολλὰ καὶ περιστάσεις σῶα καὶ σωτήρια κύειν βουλεύματα. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον παλινοστήσωμεν.