A Thus also Christ, Light from Light, being without beginning and inaccessible, having existed in a temporal and created body, is one Sun of righteousness, one Christ in two natures. And the body indeed is circumscribed, but the divinity is uncircumscribed, existing in all things and above all things. And just as the sun is one thing (for it is the fountain of light, being unable to be seen clearly) and the light is another, which reaches the earth from it (for the wisdom and philanthropy of God are seen and foreseen, so that we might not be entirely devoid of good things), thus the face of Christ shines more brightly, as the sun (for what the sun is in sensible things, this God is in intelligible things), [(3)] and as light, the garments whiten, gleaming with the participation of divine light. That, however, it did not shine as the sun, but that B the light was even greater than the example, the disciples showed by falling down. For if the light were not unmixed, but only commensurate with the sun, they would not have fallen.
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
It should be noted that previously in the Jordan the Trinity was testified to when the Son was baptized, the Father testifying from above, the Spirit descending like a dove. But now on Tabor it is testified to again C to the one preaching, to the one being preached, and by the cloud, which is the Spirit. These things David also foretold: "Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name." For Hermon rejoiced when Christ was baptized. But that on Tabor was transformed, since in both the voice was uttered, saying, "This is my Son."
"And taking the cup, and giving thanks, he gave to them saying: Drink ye all of it."
The bread and wine are not a figure of the body and blood of Christ—far from it!—but the very body and the very blood themselves, contributing to the constitution D of our soul and body; not consumed, not corrupted, not passing into the draught, but into our substance and preservation. But if some have called the bread and wine antitypes of the body and blood of the Lord, they did not say this after the consecration, but before it was consecrated, thus calling the oblation. But they are called antitypes of the things to come, not as though they are not truly the body and blood of Christ, but because now we participate through them in the divinity of Christ, but then we shall participate intellectually through contemplation alone. It is called *participation* (metaleipsis), because through it we receive the divinity of Jesus; it is called *communion* (koinonia), because we commune through it with Christ, and participate in his flesh and divinity. And through it we also commune and are united with one another. For since we all partake of one bread, we become one body of Christ and one blood, and members of one another, being named the "concorporeal" of Christ. [(4)]
ADDENDA. FRAGMENTS ON ST. MATTHEW.
A XXVII, 5. "And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed and went and hanged himself." Of desertions, one is for the sake of hidden virtue, that it may be manifested, as in the case of Job; another for the averting of pride, as in the case of Paul; another for the correction of another, as in the case of Lazarus and the rich man. For naturally, when we see others suffering, we are restrained. Another is for the glory of someone else, as was the man blind from birth, for the glory of Christ. And another is for the zeal of others, as in the case of martyrdom. And, simply put, there are two kinds of desertion: for there is a desertion that is for dispensation and instruction, and there is a desertion that is final reprobation. The dispensational and instructive one is that which happens for the correction, salvation, and glory of the one who suffers, or for the zeal and imitation of others, or even for the glory of God. But the final desertion is when, though God does everything for salvation, the person remains incurable due to his own disposition. For then he is handed over to perdition, as was Judas.
VERS. 37. "And they put up over his head his accusation written: This is Jesus the king of the Jews." The writing of the title which Pilate fixed above the Lord's head fulfilled the Lord's voice, who said: "When I am lifted up, I will draw all things to myself." This reading, therefore, signified that the saving passion had come to pass not for Judæa alone, but for every Greek and Barbarian as well.
45. "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour." The sun fails because of the body of the moon, which has come as a sort of middle wall and casts a shadow, not permitting the light to be given to us. As much, therefore, as is found of the moon to hide the sun, to that extent the eclipse occurs. But the eclipse of the moon comes from the shadow of the earth, when the moon is fifteen days old and is found opposite at the extreme point of the center, the sun being under the earth and the moon above the earth. For the earth makes a shadow and does not allow the solar light to reach the moon, and then it fails.
XXVIII, 20. "And behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen." He did not say that He would be with them only, but also with all those who were to believe after them. For the apostles were not going to remain until the end of the age; but He addresses the faithful as one body. "For do not," He says, "object to me the difficulty of matters. For I am with you, who make all things easy." He said this also to the prophets in the Old Law constantly, both to Jeremiah who excused his youth, and to Moses, and to Ezekiel who were overwhelmed by difficulty: "I am with you." So also here to these men. But consider for me, even here, the difference between them. For those, indeed, were sent to one nation and often