brothers, about our affliction that happened to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, beyond our strength; but we ourselves within ourselves had the sentence of death.” A And he adds: “so that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a danger.” “We despaired,” he says, “and did not expect that we should live, but we thought that we should die; for this is what it means: ‘We ourselves within ourselves had the sentence of death.’ The events themselves answered us, telling us that we would surely perish.” Why did God allow us to come into so many and so great dangers? “So that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead”; that is, that we might not be high-minded, that we might not be puffed up because of our good works. Which he declares still more clearly, writing again in this way. For after he had said that he had been caught up into heaven and had entered into paradise, and had heard those unspeakable words, he added: B “And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me.” Here he indicates those who were vexing him, who were causing him trouble, and were casting him into prison; for he calls each one of them Satan. “It was permitted,” he says, “for me to endure temptations, so that my arrogance might be repressed, and that I might learn to act with modesty.” C And therefore, when I had asked God, I did not obtain that which I sought; but I remained continually exposed to treachery, having my tribulations as a remedy for humility. And the life which he had led earlier, even before his conversion, was sufficient to bring him back to a sound mind. For he who had sat at the feet of Gamaliel, who lived accurately according to the law of his fathers, who was a zealot for his ancestral traditions, who pored over the prophets every day, who had been educated in the law: this man did not admit Christ, who had arrived and was working miracles, who was saying such things and putting forward and interpreting the words of Scripture; but even D after He had been crucified and had risen, he persecuted Him, and with a thousand hands he pelted His disciple with stones, and waged war against the Churches, and was more ferocious than any wolf. And until the light shone from above, and the voice reached him drawing him toward the truth, he could not know what he ought to do. And therefore he himself frequently in his epistles bows his head and dwells upon these things, blushing with shame for the things which he had done earlier. And writing to Timothy he said: “I give thanks to Him who strengthened me, Christ, because He accounted me faithful, putting me into his ministry, who before was a blasphemer and a persecutor and insolent; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:12-13). And again: “Therefore I obtained mercy, that in me first God might show all patience, for the information of those who are about to believe in Him unto eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:16). And writing to the Corinthians he said: “I who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church” (1 Cor. 15:9).
6. That the prefects of the Churches ought to be prone to granting pardon.
All these things happened, and God left them stripped of His grace, so that after they had learned their own infirmity, and how a man can do nothing without help from above, when they ascended to the judicial throne, and were constituted as prefects and rulers, they might show much humanity and condescension, and be prone to granting pardon to their subjects. A And therefore writing to the Galatians he said: “Brothers, if a man be overtaken in any fault, you who are spiritual, instruct such a one, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). Knowing these things, therefore, let us draw in the perverse and contumacious, and let us be prone to granting pardon to those who sin, and let us show much kindness together with the divine laws, so that we ourselves may obtain much pardon for our sins, by the grace and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Homily 2
When the Empress had come in the middle of the night to the great church, and had thence taken the relics of the martyrs, and had followed them through the middle of the forum as far as Drypia, although the martyrium was nine miles distant from the city, the homily was spoken in the martyrium, she herself being present with the whole city and the magistrates.
1. What shall I say? What shall I speak? I exult and am mad, but with a madness that is better than wisdom itself; dancing and leading dances, I am carried aloft, drunk already, from this spiritual pleasure. What shall I say? What shall I speak?
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.
A This one, however, possessed that unique ornament alone, this alone was her trophy. For she alone as queen accompanied the martyrs with such honor, such zeal, and such piety, mingling with the people, having dismissed all her retinue, and casting aside almost every inequality of condition with such great abundance. Therefore, she benefited the people no less than the martyrs. For just as all eyes were directed toward the relics, so too did they marvel at her assiduity, both rich and poor, seeing her without intermission throughout such a long stretch of the way adhering to the bones, and never exhausted or falling back, but always standing by the casket. For these things we do not cease to call you blessed; and not we alone, but all future B generations as well, as much of the earth as the sun beholds. Those who are to be hereafter, and those after them, shall hear of it, and no time shall consign the deed to oblivion, with God celebrating the matter everywhere in the world and through all future generations with great splendor. For if he caused the deed of a harlot woman to be announced to the very ends of the world and rendered it immortal in memory; much more will he not allow the deed of a modest, grave, and chaste woman, who demonstrated such piety in the Empire, to lie hidden; but all shall call you blessed, because you receive the holy ones with hospitality, because you patronize the churches, because you imitate the zeal of the apostles. For even if you have obtained a female nature, yet it is permitted to you to compete with the apostles in deeds. C Since then even that Phoebe (Rom. 16:1), who received the teacher of the world and became his patron, was a woman of the same nature as you, and yet she shone to such a degree that that holy one, worthy of heaven and the greatest of all the apostles, praised her and said, "She has been a succorer of many, and of myself also." Priscilla, too, was of the feminine sex; but that was no impediment to her being praised and her memory being immortal. There was also then another chorus of women who led an apostolic life. And so we too shall not err if we proclaim you along with them, since you are the harbor of all the Churches, and use your present reign to acquire the future kingdom, building up churches, honoring priests, dissolving the error of heretics, receiving martyrs, not at a table, but in spirit; not in your home, but in your affection; nay, rather both in your home and in your affection. D Mary also once led the people, carrying the bones of Joseph, and sang a song (Exod. 15:20); but that was after the Egyptians were submerged in the sea; you, however, after the demons were suffocated; she when Pharaoh was drowned in the sea, you, however, with the devil cast down; she having cymbals, you a mind and a soul sounding more than a trumpet; she with the Jews liberated, you with the Church crowned; she leading out one people of one tongue, you countless peoples of diverse tongues. For indeed you have led out for us countless choirs—one in the Roman tongue, another in the Syrian, another in the barbarian, another in the Greek—all striking the songs of David, and it was a sight to see diverse nations and diverse choirs all having one cithara, that is, David’s, and crowning you with their prayers. The joy of this festivity required the most religious emperor, who draws the plow of piety with you; but this too was of your own prudence, that you kept him at home today, and promised his arrival for the morrow. For lest such a great number of cavalry, and the tumult of armed soldiers, should cause annoyance to the virgins, the aged women, and the old men, and disturb the festival day, the empress, doing what was worthy of her own prudence, divided the celebration. For if both had come today, tomorrow would have been the end of the celebration; but in order to grant tranquility on the present day, and by adding the morrow to provide a greater gladness, she arranged the matter, so that the liturgy should be performed in the presence of the emperor; and coming herself today, she promised us that he would come on the morrow. For just as she is his consort in empire, so is she also in piety; nor does she allow him not to be a participant in right actions, but everywhere receives him as a consort. Since, therefore, this spiritual celebration must be extended to the following day as well, let us again display the same zeal, so that, just as today we saw this Christ-loving woman with the citizens, so on the morrow we may see the religious emperor coming with his army, and offering the same sacrifice to God with piety—namely, from zeal and from faith—and having received the holy martyrs as partakers of our prayers, let us pray for them for length of life, a vigorous old age, children and children's children; and above all these, that this zeal may be increased, piety may grow, and that they may thus pass the present life, that they may reign through infinite ages with the only-begotten Son of God: for "If we suffer," he says, "we shall also reign with him" (2 Tim. 2:12); and we shall obtain eternal goods; of which may we all be deemed worthy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the holy Spirit, be glory, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.