Homily 37
John Chrysostom · PG 63 · cols 847–847 · machine translation (AI, from the page scans)
Contents — 1 sections
HOMILY XXXVII
[847] ...caught up to meet Christ; what a gift Rome sends to Christ, with what two crowns the city is adorned, with what golden chains it is girded, what fountains it possesses. Therefore I admire the city, not for much gold, not for columns, not for other pomp, but for these columns of the Church. Who will grant me now to embrace the body of Paul, to be fixed to his sepulcher, to see the dust of that body which filled up what was lacking in Christ, which bore the stigmata, which disseminated the preaching everywhere? The dust of the mouth by which Christ spoke, by which he spoke before kings and was not ashamed, by which we learn of Paul, by which we learn of the Lord of Paul? The thunder is not so terrible to us as that voice was to the demons. For as a lightning bolt from heaven terrifies those who see it, so the voice of Paul terrified the devil, and like a thunderbolt striking, it plunged into his phalanxes. For he did not stand in battle array against him, but he was so fearful and trembling that if he saw even his shadow or heard his voice, he would flee, positioned afar off. For if he shuddered at his garments, much more at his voice. This led him away bound; this purged the world; this cured illnesses, expelled wickedness, brought back the truth; it had Christ sitting within it, and it proceeded with Him everywhere; and what the Cherubim are, this was the voice of Paul. For just as Christ sat above those Virtues, so also above the tongue of Paul. For that was worthy to receive Christ, speaking those things which were pleasing to Christ, and flying to an immeasurable height like the Seraphim. I would wish to see the dust, not only of his mouth, but also of that heart, which he who said it was the heart of the world would not lie, the fountain of a thousand goods, the beginning and the element of our life. For the spirit of life was poured forth from there into all people, and was distributed to the members of Christ. I would wish also to see that [848] dust dissolved, which is higher than the heavens, wider than the world, more splendid than a ray, hotter than fire, firmer than adamant, which was deemed worthy to love Christ as no other has loved. I would wish to see the dust of the hands which were bound by chains, by whose imposition the Holy Spirit was given, through which divine Epistles were written; of those hands which, when the viper saw, it fell into the fire. I would wish to see the dust of the eyes which were rightly blinded, which received sight for the salvation of the world, which were deemed worthy to see Christ in the body, which saw the earthly while not seeing them, which saw those things that are not seen, which did not know sleep, which kept watch in the midst of nights, which did not suffer those things which eyes are wont to suffer. I would wish also to see the dust of those feet which ran around the world and did not tire, which were bound to the wood when the prison shook, which traversed the inhabited and uninhabited earth, which often journeyed on the way. And why should I speak by parts? I would wish to see the sepulcher in which the weapons of justice lie, the weapons of light, members now living, but mortified while they lived, members of Christ, which were clothed in Christ, the temple of the Spirit, a holy building, bound by the Spirit, fixed as if by nails by the fear of Christ, which have the stigmata of Christ. This body girds that city as with a wall, which is safer than any tower and a thousand fortifications; and with it is the body of Peter. For he honored him while he was alive: "I went up," he says, "to Jerusalem to see Peter" (Gal. 1:18). And for this reason divine grace deemed it worthy to make him a co-inhabitant as he departed. Let us, therefore, also imitate him: for he too was a man, and a sharer of the same nature as we, having all other things in common; but because he exhibited great love toward Christ, he traversed the heaven and has a place with the angels. Therefore, even if we wish to rise a little, and to kindle that fire in ourselves, we shall be able to emulate that holy man. For if this were not able to be done, he would not have cried out, saying: "Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 4:16). Let us not, therefore, only admire and be stupefied by him, but also imitate him, so that departing hence we may be deemed worthy to see him, and to enjoy the ineffable glory: of which may we all be deemed worthy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.HOMILY XXXVII
A word rashly uttered overturns whole houses, and destroys and overwhelms souls. The loss of money, indeed, it is possible to restore again; but a word once sent forth cannot be brought back. "Hast thou heard a word," it says, "let it die with thee" (Eccli. 19:10). Extinguish it, overwhelm it, do not allow it to go out, nor to be moved at all; kill what has been said, consign it to oblivion, so that thou mayest emerge like one who did not hear. Many men, when they have said something secret, ask the listener, adjure him not to tell it to another, declaring by themselves that they have done a thing worthy of reproach. For if thou prayest him not to tell another, much more was it not fitting for thee to say it first. For if thou wishest a word not to be carried to another, do not thou thyself speak; but when thou hast handed over the custody of a word to another, thou prayest and adjurest him in vain for the custody of what was said. But is it sweet to speak evil? Nay, it is sweet not to speak evil. For he who has spoken evil is anxious afterwards, he is suspicious, he fears, he is led by repentance, he bites his tongue, fearing and trembling lest the word carried to others bring great danger; but he who retains it with himself will live with great security, with great pleasure. For he who curiously inquires into the lives of others cannot ever care for his own life. For when all his study is spent in examining the life of others, it is necessary that he despise his own, however it may be, and negligently. But he who harshly examines the things of others will never obtain any pardon for his own sins. For God will pass sentence not only from the nature of our sins, but also from the judgment passed on others. To Him be glory and power, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.