imentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes ... timentes questus est? A Yet neither physical weakness, nor the luxurious habits of life, nor the pride of high station proved an obstacle to their eagerness. Rulers, too, for their part, left behind their carriages, their lictors, and their guards, and mingled themselves with the common people. And why speak of women or of rulers, when even she who wears the diadem and is clothed in purple did not endure to be separated from the relics for even a small portion of the way, but followed the saints like a handmaid, touching the casket and the covering laid upon it, trampling underfoot all human pride, and appearing in the midst of the theatre before so great a crowd—she whom it is not permitted for all the eunuchs frequenting the imperial courts even to behold? But the suffering of the martyrs, and that tyranny [of love], and the kinship of charity, persuaded her to cast off all these masks and to display with naked enthusiasm the zeal she felt for the holy martyrs. For she remembered the blessed David, who, though clothed in the purple and wearing the diadem, and holding the scepter of the Hebrew people, when he brought up the ark, left all that scene behind, and leaped and danced and bounded, playing and sporting with great abandon, and by his leaping demonstrated the joy he felt for the things being accomplished. If, then, in the shadow and in the type it was necessary to display such warmth, how much more so in the time of grace and truth? Since this [procession] was bringing up an ark much better than that of David. For it has not stone tablets, but spiritual tablets, and grace flourishing, and a gift sparkling, and bones shining with rays to match; or rather, they emit an even more brilliant lightning flash. For while demons suffer nothing when they see the sun's ray, they cannot bear the radiance flashing forth from *this* source, but are blinded and flee and beat a retreat from a great distance. Such is the power of the ashes of the saints, not only abiding within the relics, but also advancing further and driving away unclean powers, and sanctifying those who approach with faith with great abundance. B For this reason, this Christ-loving Empress followed the relics, touching them frequently, and drawing the blessing to herself, and becoming for all others a teacher of this good and spiritual commerce, and teaching everyone to draw from this fountain, which is always being drawn upon but is never emptied. For just as the waters of springs flowing forth are not contained within their own depths, but bubble over and pour out, so too the grace of the Spirit dwelling in the bones and resting with the saints advances even to others who follow it with faith, and runs from soul to bodies, and from bodies to garments, and from garments to sandals, and from sandals even to shadows. For this reason, not only did the bodies of the holy apostles work wonders, but also the handkerchiefs and the aprons; and not only the handkerchiefs and the aprons, but even the shadows of Peter worked more powerfully among the living. Already, at one point, a sheepskin cast upon the body of Elisha brought down a double grace upon him; for not only the body of Elisha, but that garment, too, was filled with grace. For this reason, even in the case of the three youths, the nature of the flame did not only reverence their bodies, but even their very sandals; and in the case of Elisha, not even after he was dead did his grace leave him, but when another dead man was cast into the tomb of the prophet, death was dissolved. C So too has it happened this day; for as the relics were being carried, the burning of demons, the wailings and the lamentations, were raised from every side, as the ray from the bones leaped forth and was burning up the phalanx of the opposing powers.
2. Because of these things I skip and fly for joy, because you have made the city a desert by emptying it; because you have shown us today the wealth of the Church. Behold how many sheep, and nowhere a wolf; how many vines, and nowhere a thorn; how many ears of wheat, and nowhere any weeds. A sea extended from the city to this place, a sea devoid of waves, having no shipwreck, freed from reefs—a sea sweeter than all honey, more drinkable than water meant for drinking. No one would err in calling this sea a river of fire; so did the lamps, which in the night were dense and continuous, stretching all the way to this martyrdom [shrine], provide to those who saw them the impression of a river of fire. And these things happened in the night; but when the day appeared, other lamps again were seen; for the sun, as it rose, hid those and made them seem dim, but it showed those in each person's mind to be more radiant; for warmer than that visible fire was the fire of your enthusiasm; and each person bore a double lamp: the one of fire in the night, the one of enthusiasm both in the night and in the day; or rather, I will no longer call that [time] night; for it vied with the day, carrying you, the sons of light, and showing you to be more brilliant than ten thousand stars and the morning star. For just as those who are drunk make the day a night, so those who keep vigil and are awake make the night a day. For this reason, through all the night, that prophetic [saying] rang true: "The night is light in my luxury; and for that reason, darkness will not be darkened by you; and night shall be illuminated as the day: as its darkness, so also its light." For what day has this night not become more brilliant than, with everyone leaping in such an excess of joy, having spiritual joy, with so many crowds poured out and flooding both the road and the marketplace? For there was no ground to be seen bare, but having covered the entire road with human bodies, you displayed one golden and continuous chain, and one river borne along with a great rushing sound throughout the whole journey; and looking up to heaven we saw D the moon and the stars in the midst, but below, the multitude of the faithful, and in their midst, the queen being carried, more brilliant than the moon. For just as the stars below are better than those above, so is she much more radiant than that one. For what is the moon in comparison to a soul adorned with such dignity and such great faith? What would one admire in her first? The zeal, hotter than fire; the faith, firmer than adamant; the contrition of mind and the humility, through which she hid everyone, casting away with great abundance the kingdom and crowns and all pride from that source, and putting on the garment of humility instead of the purple, and through this shone even more brightly? For many queens have often existed, who shared only in the garment itself and the crowns, and in this royal glory alone.