HOMILY XXXVIII. On the fact that we should not be ashamed to confess the venerable Cross, and how through it Christ saved us, and how we ought to boast in it, and on virtue, and how He desires our salvation, and on almsgiving.
A This, my brethren, is the sign which the Lord promised He would give to all, saying: *An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas* (Matt. 12:39), meaning the Cross, and the death, and the burial, and the resurrection. And again, in another way, declaring the power of the Cross, He said: *When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am He* (John 8:28); that is to say: "When ye have crucified Me," He says, "and think that you have overcome Me, then especially shall ye know My power." [And Christ said well.] For after Christ was crucified, Jewish customs ceased, the preaching flourished, the word was extended to the ends of the world, and earth and sea and the whole world proclaim His unconquerable power. Let no one, therefore, be ashamed of the venerable symbols of our salvation, and the sum of all good things, by which we also live and by which we are; but as a crown, so let us bear about with us the Cross of Christ. For all our affairs are completed by it: if one must be regenerated, the Cross arrives; if one must be nourished with that mystical food, if B one must be ordained, if one must do anything else, everywhere the symbol of victory stands by us. For this reason, in our houses, and on our walls, and on our doors, and on our forehead, and in our mind, we inscribe it with much zeal. For this is the sign of our salvation, and of our common liberty, and of the gentleness of our Lord: *He was led as a sheep to the slaughter* (Isa. 53:7). When, therefore, you seal yourself, consider the whole mystery of the Cross, and extinguish anger, and all other passions; when you seal yourself, fill your forehead with much boldness, *and make your soul free*. You know, indeed, what it is that provides us with liberty. For this reason Paul, leading us into this—to the liberty, I say, which is becoming to us—thus led us up, reminding us of the Cross and the blood of the Lord: *For ye were bought with a price*, he says; *be not ye the servants of men* (1 Cor. 7:23). Consider, he says, the price paid for your sake, and be the slave of no man; calling the blood that was shed through the Cross the price. You must not simply trace it with your finger, but first with your intention, with much faith, and so impress it upon your face. No one of the unclean demons will be able to stand near you, seeing the blade by which he received his wound; seeing the sword by which he received his mortal blow. For if we, seeing the places where criminals are executed, shudder, consider what the devil will suffer when he sees the weapon of our defense, by which Christ dissolved all his power and cut off the head of the dragon. Do not, therefore, be ashamed of so great a good, lest Christ be ashamed of you when He comes with His glory, and the sign appears before Him, shining brighter than the ray of the sun. For the Cross shall appear then, uttering a voice through the sight, and defending the Lord before the whole world, and showing that He lacked nothing of those things which pertained to them.
C This sign also opened closed doors to our ancestors; this extinguished poisonous drugs, this dissolved the power of hemlock, this healed the bites of venomous beasts. For if it opened the gates of Hades, and unfolded the arches of the heavens, and renewed the entrance to Paradise, and cut the nerves of the devil, what is it to marvel if it overcomes poisonous drugs and beasts and other things of this kind? Inscribe this, therefore, on your mind, and embrace the salvation of our souls. For this Cross turned the world, expelled error, brought back the truth, made earth heaven, and rendered men angels. Because of this, the demons are no longer fearful, but contemptible; nor is death death, but sleep; because of this, all our enemies are cast down and trampled underfoot. If, therefore, anyone says to you, "Do you worship the crucified one?" say with a cheerful voice and joyful face: "I do worship Him, and I will never cease to worship Him." And if he laughs, weep for him, because he is mad. Give thanks to the Lord that He has bestowed such benefits upon us, which no one can even learn without revelation from above. For this is why even this man laughs, that *the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit* (1 Cor. 2:14). For little children suffer this, when they see something great and wonderful; even if you lead a child into the mysteries, he will laugh. D To these children the Greeks are in likeness, or rather they are even more imperfect than they; and therefore they are more wretched, because they suffer the things of children not in an immature age, but in a mature one; whence they are not even worthy of pardon. But let us, with a loud voice, crying out great and lofty things, let us shout and say, even if all the Greeks are present, with more boldness let us say that the Cross is our boast, and the sum of all good things, and our boldness, and our entire crown. I would that I could say along with Paul that *the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world* (Gal. 6:14), but I cannot, being held by various passions. For this reason, I exhort you, and myself before you, to be crucified to the world, and to have nothing in common with the earth, but to long for the homeland above, and the glory from thence, and the eternal goods. For we are soldiers of a heavenly King, and we have put on spiritual armor. Why then do we conduct the life of hucksters and wanderers, or rather of worms? For where the King is, there the soldier must also be. For we have become soldiers, not of those who are far off, but of those who are near. For the king on earth would not endure for everyone to be in the palace, nor beside his own sides; but the King of the heavens desires all to be near His royal throne. And how, you ask, is it possible, being here, to stand near that throne? Because Paul also, being on earth, was where the Cherubim were, where the Seraphim were, and he was closer to Christ than those shield-bearers of the king. For they often turn their faces all about, but nothing disturbed him and nothing drew him away, but he had his whole mind stretched toward the King and Lord. So that if we will, this is possible for us also. For if He were distant in location, you would speak correctly; but if He is everywhere present, to the one who is zealous and intent, He is near. Therefore the prophet says, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me (Ps. 22:4). And He Himself again, It is I, the God who is near, and not God [from afar].
(Jer. 23:23). As, therefore, sins separate us from Him, so righteousness gathers us to Him: for A *While you are yet speaking, I will say, Behold, I am here* (Is. 58:9). What father ever hears those born of him in this way? What mother is so prepared, and stands perpetually ready, in case her children might call her? No father, no mother; but God stands ever expecting, in case any of His servants might call Him, and He never fails to hear, if we call upon Him as is fitting. Therefore He says, *While you are yet speaking.* I do not wait until you complete your prayer, but I will hear immediately. Let us therefore call upon Him as He wishes to be called upon. And how does He wish it? *Loose,* He says, *every bond of iniquity, dissolve the knots of violent dealings, tear up every unjust contract; break your bread for the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house. If you see one naked, clothe him; and do not despise the members of your own seed* (Is. 58:6-7). *Then shall your morning light break forth, and your healings shall spring up speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of God shall encompass you. Then you shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; while you are yet speaking, I will say, Behold, I am here.* Who, you ask, could do all these things? Nay, who could not, tell me? For what among the things said is difficult? What is laborious? What is not easy? For they are not only possible, but even easy, so that many have surpassed the measure of the things said, not only tearing up unjust contracts, but laying aside all their own possessions; not only receiving the poor to a roof and table, but even laboring with the sweat of their body to nourish them; conferring benefits not only upon relatives, but even upon enemies. What among the things said is difficult? For He did not say, Ascend a mountain, cross the sea, plow so many acres of land, remain fasting, clothe yourself in sackcloth; but, Make (someone) a partaker of your house and bread, tear up unjust contracts. What is easier than these, tell me? But if you think those things are difficult, weigh for me the rewards, and all things will be easy. For just as kings in the hippodromes put forth crowns, garments, and prizes before those competing, so also does Christ set prizes in the midst of the stadium, as if extending them through many hands by the words of the prophet. And kings indeed, even if they be kings a thousand times over, since they are men, whose resources are spent and whose liberality is exhausted, try to exhibit a few things as though they were many; wherefore, handing over individual things to individual ministers, they thus bring them into the middle. Our King, on the contrary, accumulating all things at once, because He is exceedingly wealthy and does nothing for display, thus proposes in the middle that which, when spread out, will be immense, and many hands will be needed to hold them. And that you may learn this, examine everything piece by piece with care. *Then,* He says, *your morning light shall break forth.* Does it not seem to you to be a single gift? Yet it is not one: for it contains many things within, crowns, prizes, and other rewards. And, if you wish, by unfolding them, we will display the entire wealth according to our ability, only let there be no fatigue. And first let us learn what the word *Break forth* means. He shows us the speed and the bounty, and how much He desires our salvation, how He leaps for joy and hastens that those good things should come forth, and nothing shall restrain that ineffable impulse; B by all of which He shows their abundant supply and immense resources. What does that *Morning* signify? That is to say, not after they have been in temptations, not after evils have broken in, but He forestalls them. For just as we call "morning" in the case of fruits that which appears before the proper time, so indicating the speed here again, He thus spoke: as He was saying above, *While you are yet speaking, I will say, Behold, I am here.* But what light does He speak of, and what is that light? Not this sensible light, but another much better, which shows us the heaven; the angels, the archangels, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, the Thrones, the Dominions, the Principalities, the Powers, the whole army, the royal cities, the tabernacles. For if you are deemed worthy of that light, you will see these things as well, and you will be delivered from Gehenna and from the venomous worm and from the gnashing of teeth, from the pain of bonds, from distress and hardships, from darkness shorn of light, from the rending, and from the rivers of fire, and from the curse, and from the places full of pain; and you will go away into the place whence sorrow and mourning have fled, where there is much joy and peace, love, pleasure, gladness; where there is eternal life and ineffable glory, and unutterable beauty; where there are eternal tabernacles, and the secret glory of the King, and those good things, *Which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they ascended into the heart of man* (1 Cor. 2:9); where is the spiritual marriage chamber and the bridal halls of the heavens, and the virgins having splendid lamps, and those who are clothed in the wedding garment; where the palaces of the Lord are, and the royal storehouses. Do you see how great the rewards are, and how many He disclosed by a single utterance, and how He brought all things together at once? Therefore, if we explain each word one after another, we shall find many resources and an immense sea. Let us not therefore delay, nor be slothful in distributing alms to the needy: do not, I beseech you; but even if it be necessary to cast away all things, even if it be necessary to be cast into the fire, and even if it be necessary to proceed against blades, and even if it be necessary to leap into swords and to suffer anything at all, let us bear all things easily, so that we may be able to have the Holy Spirit with us. But also let us honor with great honor him to whom is entrusted the operation of the divine mysteries: for great indeed is the dignity of priests. *Whose sins you remit,* He says, *they are remitted.* Therefore Paul used to say: *Obey your leaders, and submit to them* (Hebr. 13:17), and hold them in the highest honor. For you care for your own affairs; and if you manage these rightly, you will have no account to give for others: but the priest, even if he has managed his own life rightly, if he has not diligently cared for yours, will go away with the wicked into Gehenna; and often, not perish for his own deeds, but through yours, if he has not rightfully watched over you according to his ability. Since therefore you know the magnitude of the danger, show much benevolence yourselves C—that which Paul alluded to, saying, *They watch for your souls, as those who are to give account.* Therefore it is fitting that they enjoy much devotion. But if you together with others rise up against them, your own affairs will not be in a right state. For as long as the pilot is of good spirit, the affairs of the passengers will be in safety; but if they load him with reproaches and act towards him with a hostile spirit, he will no longer be able to labor and watch in this way, nor preserve his art, and even against his will he will be brought into a thousand D evils.