Nilus Doxapatrius

HOMILY XLIX

^A ...not to appear altogether useless and fruitless to this assembly, come, encouraged by the intercession of the Apostle, I shall explain to your God-loving ears the words of the Gospel read today. ^B At that time, "Jesus wanted to go forth into Galilee, and he findeth Philip, and saith to him, Follow me." When the Savior lived upon the earth, managing the economy [conducted] for our sake, and it was necessary to gather a band of disciples who were to proclaim the mystery of the economy, the wonderful Philip was the first summoned to discipleship. For even if Andrew was a disciple from the beginning, he, however, arrived having called himself, after hearing John speak about Christ, that he was the Lamb of God. But our Savior Christ, having found the most holy Philip, as if [finding] some most excellent treasure—for this is what "He findeth Philip" signifies—saith to him, "Follow me." For Philip had been long familiar with Christ, who was reared in Galilee, as the Gospel teaches. For he was destined to be a receiver of the lamp of the Spirit, and to bear deeds corresponding to his calling. For Philip is interpreted as "mouth of the lamp." ^C And Philip was from Bethsaida, the village of Andrew and Peter. The mention of the village from which he sprang, namely Bethsaida, and the inclusion of Peter and Andrew, brings forth a twofold purpose. For it both shows that God chose the despised things of the world, and that the name of the village was confirmed by its works. For Bethsaida is translated into the Greek tongue as "house of hunters." From this place, therefore, he calls the hunters of human souls—Peter, and Andrew, and Philip, and the sons of Zebedee, to whom he said: "Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men." What then of Philip? ^D As soon as he was called, he was illuminated, and knew in his mind who was calling him. And being an ardent friend of Nathanael, and searching with him into what was spoken in the Law and by the Prophets concerning Christ, he deems it a terrible thing if he did not also share with his friend the treasure that had been found. Therefore, having found [the treasure], as if he had found a windfall... Therefore today Andrew, having found the common Master like a treasure of light,

^A nor did he prefer ignorance of knowledge, as the wicked accusers of the truth took the expression, but he preferred the humility of arrogance. Let us also become like children, brethren, in the childhood according to God; let us imitate the long-suffering of children. "For unless you become," says the Savior, "as these children, you will not enter into the kingdom of God." He does not command us to be turned into the age of a child—for this is of the impossible—but to regulate our own character toward the guilelessness of the infant. And showing the children, He did not say, "The kingdom of God is of these," but, "Of such as these." If, therefore, we also become like children in simplicity, the good pleasure of God will be accomplished in us, and the kingdom of heaven shall be given as an inheritance, into which may we all enter in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY XLIX

On the text, "Jesus desired to depart into Galilee." — Read on the feast of the holy Philip.

Not only as they wandered bodily on the earth of the Savior did the disciples sweep the inhabited world with their preaching, but having already transferred to the heavens, they are present with us intellectually, and they gather together, and silent they preach, and in their own shrines invisibly dwelling, they gather the feast-lovers to their own festivals and communicate the charisms to them clearly. I, therefore, seeing the holy temple of the great Philip crowded to fullness by the multitude of the people, am amazed at the grace given by God to the saints, and I do not endure to pass over the festival in silence. Let us, therefore, contribute another thing to the feast of the apostle: one, an all-night vigil and hymns of thanksgiving; another, a contrite spirit and a fitting prayer; another, the repentance of errors; ^B another, mercy toward the poor (for there is present here, as you see, a multitude of the poor), and let another bring something else, and let no one be seen empty-handed. I, indeed, desired to place life before words as a teacher; for thus the matters of teaching would have been consonant, with life sounding in harmony with the words; but since I bring a life stained with every speck of sins, so that the dispensation and the will [of God]... good pleasure, good pleasure, good pleasure. By the word 'good pleasure' (eudokia), [is meant] the best and most beautiful voluntary will of God; whence also 'good pleasure of the Lord' comes from the fact that it seems good to Him; I am well-pleased, good pleasure. ^{C D}

HOMILY XLIX

^ALest I should seem to be altogether not contributing to this festival, and fruitless, come now, relying on the intercession of the Apostle, I shall explain to your God-loving ears the read words of the Gospel today: "At that time, Jesus wished to go forth into Galilee, and He finds Philip, and says to him, 'Follow me'." When the Savior was passing His time on earth, managing the dispensation for our sake, and it was necessary to gather a choir of disciples who were bound to preach the mystery of the dispensation, the wonderful Philip is called first to discipleship. For even if Andrew had been a disciple from the beginning, yet he presented himself voluntarily, having heard John speaking regarding Christ, that He Himself was the Lamb of God. But the most holy Philip, as some most beautiful treasure ^B and desired thing, our Savior Christ having found—for this is what "He finds Philip" signifies—says to him, "Follow me." For Philip was indeed also of old familiar to Christ, having been brought up in Galilee, as the Gospel teaches. He was destined, therefore, to become a recipient of the lamp of the Spirit, and to bear the action corresponding to his name. For Philip is interpreted as "mouth of a lamp." "Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the village of Andrew and Peter." To mention the village from which he had originated, namely Bethsaida, and to make mention also of Peter and Andrew, produces a twofold intent. Both that He might show how God chose the despised things of the world, and that the name of ^C the village might be confirmed by its works. For Bethsaida is translated in the Greek tongue as "house of hunters." From this, therefore, He calls the hunters of human souls—Peter and Andrew and Philip, and the sons of Zebedee, to whom He said, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." What then of Philip? As soon as he was called, being illuminated, he knew in his mind who it was that called. Being a burning friend of Nathanael, and together with him searching what had been spoken in the Law and by the prophets concerning Christ, he deems it a terrible thing if he should not share the found treasure with his friend, finding the find, as it were, a godsend. Therefore today Andrew, having found the common Master as a treasure of light,

to the humble and quiet man, and him that trembleth at my words.” He did not, therefore, prefer foolishness to wisdom, nor ignorance to knowledge, as certain wicked adversaries of the truth have interpreted this saying, but he preferred humility to pride. Let us, therefore, become infants, brethren, and show forth that infancy which is according to God; let us imitate the patience of children in bearing injury. “For unless you become,” says the Savior, “as these little children, you shall not enter ^B the kingdom of God.” He does not command us to return to the age of childhood—for this is an impossibility—but that we should conform our own character to the integrity of an infant. For when he pointed to the children, he did not say, “Theirs is the kingdom of God,” but, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven.” If, therefore, we also become infants in the simplicity of our character, the good pleasure of God will be fulfilled in us, and the kingdom of heaven will be given as an inheritance, into which may we all arrive in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY XLIX. On the words: “Jesus willed to go forth into Galilee.” — Read on the feast of Saint Philip.

Not only when wandering physically upon the earth did the disciples of the Savior draw the habitable world into their net by their preaching, but having now departed into the heavens, they are present with us spiritually, and they gather together with us, and though silent they preach; and by dwelling invisibly in their own temples, and by stirring up those who love the festivals to attend their celebrations, they manifestly impart their charismata to them. I, therefore, seeing the sacred shrine of the great Philip crowded by the multitude of the people, am amazed at the grace given by God to the saints, and I cannot bear to let this festival pass in silence. Let each of us, therefore, contribute something to the feast of the Apostle; let one contribute an all-night vigil and hymns of thanksgiving; another, a contrite spirit and fitting prayer; another, repentance for sins; another, mercy toward the poor (for there is present here, as you see, a multitude of the needy)—and let each contribute something, and let no one be seen empty-handed. I, for my part, would have wished to set forth life before words as a teacher; for thus would the instructions have been in harmony with my life, when the life resonated in agreement with the words; but since I bring a life stained with every spot of sin...

^A not to seem altogether useless and unprofitable to this festival, come now, relying on the intercession of the Apostle, I shall explain the words of the Gospel read today to your God-loving ears. "At that time, Jesus wanted to depart into Galilee, and he finds Philip and says to him, 'Follow me.'" When the Savior was spending his time on earth, managing the dispensation for us, and it was necessary to gather a choir of disciples who were to proclaim the mystery of the dispensation, Philip, that wondrous man, is called first to discipleship. For although Andrew had been a disciple from the beginning, yet he arrived of his own accord, having heard John speaking about Christ, that he himself was the Lamb of God. But Christ our Savior, having found the most holy Philip as if he were some most beautiful discovery, and one long desired—for this is what "He finds Philip" signifies—says to him, "Follow me." For Philip was already familiar to Christ, having been reared in Galilee, as the Gospel teaches. He was destined to be the recipient of the lamp of the Spirit, and to bring forth actions consonant with his calling; for Philip is interpreted as "mouth of the lamp." ^B And Philip was from Bethsaida, the village of Andrew and Peter. To mention the village from which he had sprung, that it was Bethsaida, and to make mention also of Peter and Andrew, brings forth a twofold purpose: that he might show both that God has chosen the despised things of the world, and that the name of the village might be confirmed by the works. For Bethsaida is interpreted in the Greek tongue as "house of hunters." From this village, therefore, he calls the hunters of human souls—Peter, Andrew, Philip, and the sons of Zebedee—to whom he said, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." What then of Philip? As soon as he was called, he was illuminated and recognized in his mind who it was that was calling him. Being an ardent friend of Nathanael, and having searched with him into what was spoken in the Law and by the prophets concerning Christ, he deems it a grave matter if he does not share the found treasure with his friend, [thinking it] a stroke of luck to have found such a discovery. Therefore, today, Andrew, having found the common Master as if he were a treasure of light, ^C [...and] ^D [...]

becoming, as it were, a herald of the object sought, becomes the bearer of the message. "He finds," he says, "Philip, and says to him: 'We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets, Jesus the son of Joseph, [who is] from Nazareth.'" It is all but as if he were shouting, "There is no need for us any longer, friend Nathanael, to pay heed to the letter, now that the reality has been found. We have found Him concerning whom we were making great search." But observe how, although Philip seems to be saying great things, he has not yet completely shaken off the Jewish coarseness. For in that he calls the Lord the son of Joseph, it is clear that he has not yet purely recognized the mystery. Yet he did recognize it later, when it was no longer the case that He had a father according to the flesh, when he even dares to say to the Master: "Show us the Father." Nathanael says to him: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip says to him: "Come and see." What then [of] Nathanael? Since he had been instructed with precision out of the divine Scriptures concerning the mystery of the Savior, and knowing that the first manifestation would occur from Bethlehem, but because of [His] life in Nazareth, He would be called a Nazarene, he readily agreed with the words of Philip, that [the one] expected to be revealed from Nazareth would indeed be something great and most beautiful. For the words, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" are not spoken in a questioning manner, as some think. For it would be foolish to accept these words of Nathanael ^B in that sense, as if he were ignorant of the mystery of the Savior, and indeed not yet clearly knowing—

Notes of Franciscus Scorsus

—that this interpretation is highly distorted and derived much further than is permitted from the Hebrew region, since the word was born in Greece and translated from it to the Hebrews. [Derived] from the love or study of horses, which was given as praise not mediocre to those ancient heroes, and even to the gods by Greek storytellers, just as [it is attributed] to Pallas by Callimachus. From this, therefore, the name is derived; but if someone should wish to grant this etymology to Theophanes, who piously draws it to his own sense and the praise of the apostle, he might think it said not altogether without any probable reasoning: for [he considers it] as a torch or lamp, from which he himself weaves the [etymology of the] name of Philip. Jerome will confirm both the etymology and the sense of the author, who deduces from the ignobility of the town that Christ wished to show that the ignoble and contemptible things of the world were chosen by Him. Thus, therefore, Jerome, lib. IX, in cap. XVI Ezech.: "The little village of Peter ^C and Andrew (and the same for Philip) is called by this name [Bethsaida]; for Bethsaida in our tongue is called 'house of hunters.'" Read besides [the] Onomasticon of Eusebius, who discusses the double word and reading, Bethesda and Bethsaida.

As for those words: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Theophanes reads and asserts that they must be taken [affirmatively], how also Rupert, Augustine, and Bede read it, although our Maldonato notes that no one among the Greek Fathers [does so]. But behold, this Greek Father, whom we are newly bringing to light, agrees with those Latins—whom Maldonato, if he had been edited earlier, could have had, to bring him forward in that opinion. And so, both in this [passage] which he thus expounds, and in the other testimonies, the Greek little word *ti* he accepts for "something," or for an intensive particle; just as the Latins sometimes [use] "how," and in the same way the same author, hom. 46, which is about the calming of the storm at sea, [takes] those words: "What manner of man is this, that the winds and the sea obey him?"—not interrogatively, but affirmatively he takes [it] in this way: "How great is this man, who ^D possesses such power, and moves the elements whither He wills!" And that I may weigh the individual places brought forward by the author: that first one from the Psalm is indeed read even in the Greek Edition of the LXX with a question; yet there is not lacking one who reads or explains: "They are greatly multiplied," as Vatablus [does], which reading falls into the same [result] as if one were to say with our [author]: "How greatly multiplied are my enemies!" Nor indeed, if you explain it thus, does the sense conflict with our Vulgate reading, and that also which is of the LXX. For that which is said through the figure of admiration or interrogation, as far as the matter and sense pertain, is not different from that which is pronounced without a figure of this kind, solely by affirming: like those from the Canticle, are from cap. 1, where we have: "Thy cheeks are beautiful as that of the turtledove," [while] the LXX have: *Ti horai-...* and the Latin version of the sixth: "How beautiful have thy cheeks become as that of the turtledove!" Nor is there any mark of interrogation in the edition, so that the Greek [word] appears taken entirely for an intensive particle. But in cap. IV, where we read: "How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my spouse?" with an added mark of admiration, the LXX [has]: *Ti ekallio-...* with no added mark even in the most correct Royal Bibles. Whence the same sense is gathered, which is brought forward by our [author], who indeed reads thus in his Bibles. Finally, that place of St. Matthew, cap. VII: "How narrow is the gate and the strait way!" In Greek it is said:

HOMILY XLIX.

For it is foolish to think of Nathanael as a man who ^A investigated the things concerning Christ with a critical spirit. But the "What is good?" must be understood by us as, "What is very good?" This phrase is worn and common in the Scriptures. For when David, dizzy at the multitude of temptations, says: "Lord, why have they multiplied that trouble me?" he is saying "why" to mean, "How greatly have my enemies multiplied!" And the beautiful kinsman in the Canticle, admiring the beauty of the chaste bride, says thus: "How beautiful have thy breasts become, my sister bride!" And, "How fair have thy cheeks become!" And concerning the entrance of virtues, the Savior says with admiration: "How narrow is the gate that leadeth unto life!" For if Nathanael had said this in perplexity, as though it were impossible for anything good to come from Nazareth, he would have been a false Israelite and deceitful, and would not have received such praise from the mouth of Truth. ^B "For Jesus," He says, "saw Nathanael coming to Him, and says of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." He saw him coming from the shadow to the truth, from the fig tree of the Law to Him who dried up the leaves of the legal fig tree on account of its lack of fruit in good works; and seeing him, He named him a genuine, and not a bastard, Israelite. For since "Israelite" is interpreted as "a mind seeing God," and Nathanael, by calling Christ "a great good," confessed Him to be God (for no one is good except God alone), he was justly named an Israelite indeed, as having no guile or hypocrisy. As an Israelite, therefore, he recognized God; but as Nathanael, he was brought to Him as a gift, for Nathanael is interpreted as "the gift of God." Observe also the stability and lack of flattery in Nathanael. For although praised, he was not in the least puffed up, ^C but by saying, "Whence knowest thou me?" he shows himself eager to learn some secrets. And the sign is ready at hand: "Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." He was indeed sitting under a fig tree when he was being initiated by Philip concerning Jesus. Nevertheless, by these words He also alluded to the fig tree of the Law, whose shadow hindered the participation of the light. For just as the trunk of the fig tree is bitter to the taste, and its leaves are rough to the touch, but the fruit that comes from it is very sweet, so the punishments of the Law are bitter, but the path that leads to life, although the road is rough, ^D and its commandments are difficult to keep, is, as it were, the fruit of that tree.

^A which sprung from the synagogue and the Law, that fruit of the root of Jesse, which is fair in beauty above the sons of men, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. But some are now so shameless as to concoct a mythical story out of this utterance. They say, namely, that Nathanael, while still wrapped in swaddling clothes and hanging at his mother’s breast, was hidden by his parents beneath a certain fig tree, covered by the density of its leaves, when the tyrant’s law mowed down the children like grass, and that in this way he escaped death. And this, they claim, is what the words, “I saw you under the fig tree,” signify. These sorts of ravings are utterly ridiculous and are mere tales fabricated by decaying old women. For Herod ordered those children to be killed who were in the borders of Bethlehem, not those in Galilee. But let us cut away these things, like useless branches and shoots of the trees of truth, with the pruning hook of critical discourse, and let us listen to the theology of Nathanael: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.” Oh, divine radiance illuminating his holy mind, so that he might understand something deeper and more worthy of Israelite nobility than the testimony of Philip! For the one had called him the son of Joseph, but the other, having first called him a great good, now declares more explicitly that he is the Son of God and the King of Israel, indicating the duality of the two natures in Christ. For as one who is ^B by nature the Son of God, he is said as man to receive the kingdom from the Father, just as Gabriel said to the Virgin: “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father.” When, therefore, the Lord saw him speaking thus about God, he leads him by his discourse toward higher insights. “Because I said to you,” he says, “that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe; you shall see greater things than these.” By these words, he promises that he will show him the Resurrection. For he knew, he knew—he who sees the future as if it were present—that after his own saving resurrection, Nathanael would be present with the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and would thirst for the mysteries there—the charcoal fire, the bread, and the fish—and would be initiated into the meanings signified by these things. For this reason he says, “You shall see greater things than these.” And having foretold through these things the rising again from the dead, he adds gradually the ascent into heaven: ^C “From now on you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” Because he had called him a true Israelite a little earlier, he confirms that praise. For the old Israel, when he had come to Charran, having become detached from the things of the senses—for this is what the patriarch’s sleeping is understood to signify, like that saying, “I sleep, and my heart keeps watch”—saw in a vision that very ladder from which the angels of God were ascending and descending. Since, therefore, that [man] [index: entries preserved]

^A contemplated in a dream, this [one] promises Nathanael he shall see while awake. But since by faith it is believed that the angels are in heaven, or above the heaven, and from thence are sent down as ministering spirits for divine services, it would perhaps have been more consistent to put the descent before the ascension. ^B For how should they ascend if they have not descended? Direct your mind to this, and rise to more subtle meanings; perceive within these words a hidden dogma. For many are the questions here: What is the meaning of the heavenly gates being opened; and when, and how, were they closed to men? And why did the Lord, as soon as he assumed flesh, not immediately effect their opening? We maintain, therefore, that heaven is said to be opened because the ascent of men to God has become unobstructed, which certainly was granted to us by the grace of Christ when he elevated our mass into heaven. For the introduction of sin had placed, as it were, a fence and a middle wall between God and man. This the Lord surely removed; he made himself a way for us to ascend into heaven, having indeed from the start deified the assumed flesh through the union, but having bestowed upon us immortality through the Resurrection, and perfect reconciliation ^C with the Father through the Ascension—which indeed he called the opening of the heavens. In that, however, he placed the ascension of the angels before their descent, he showed that the mystery of the dispensation was not known to all the angelic powers, but only to those who served it. Those indeed ascended along with him as he returned to heaven in the Ascension, commanding the heavenly gates to be lifted up; but those to whom the mystery was unknown, these, as they descended, asked, “Who is this King of glory?” In a higher sense, the angels ascend, illuminated by supernal contemplations, to the summit of the divine height, that is, of the singularity in the Trinity and the one principle. But they are brought down as they descend to the depth of the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, when they see that same one in substance after the conjunction. You learn from this, too, that not even the angels can comprehend the mystery of the divine nature; but even they, as pure minds, ascend indeed higher than human weakness can, yet they too descend, since they are not able to reach the incomprehensible. These things, then, the holy Gospel has taught us. ^D

^A But you, beloved, whosoever have come to the apostolic precinct to celebrate the festival, do not profane the sanctity of the feast with drunkenness, or with improper dances; rather, as is pleasing to God and to the Apostle, so let us celebrate the festival. Do you wish to perform a festival pleasing to God? Enter the divine temple, approach the icon of the Apostle, and converse with it as if it were a living image. If you have been held fast until now by some base habit, or by raging in unlawful intercourse, or by nourishing enmity against someone in your soul, or by contriving evil counsel, reveal everything, and set a limit in honor of the Apostle to mortify the passion and to make use of fitting repentance. And if you do this, this will be for you a true festival, and you shall find the Apostle richly granting you health of body, ease of life, and the enjoyment of soul's salvation; and while others shall return home weighed down by drunkenness, you will be sent forth by the great Apostle full of good hope, glorifying the Author and Creator of all, God, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY L

The discourse on the present feast is for me a payment of an old debt, not a demonstration of wisdom. For I have no desire to be adorned with words, nor am I ambitious to appear attractive to my fatherland with a splendid and pompous tongue. For I wish to keep my own philosophy, such as it is, hidden, shunning the inflation of vain glory. But since this holy shrine of the First-Called [Apostle] nurtured us from childhood like a nurse, providing the breast of primary instruction and the learning of the holy Scriptures, as it were instilling milk—not indeed abundantly, nor to satiety, but as much as might spring from the breast of one advanced in age, yet in such a way that it laid the foundations for perfection—I therefore return the price of my upbringing to this Church as to a nurse, fulfilling the reciprocation of the stork mentioned in the proverb. ^B And I become a fellow-worshipper, O most God-loving assembly, and I exult to see the dear ground, my fatherland, piously celebrating the memorials of the saints. I for my part...

^A became that ladder from which the angels of God were ascending and descending. For what he once beheld in a dream, this same thing he promises Nathanael he would see in reality. But since it is believed that the angels are in the heavens, or above the heavens, and that they are sent down from there for the services of God

as serving spirits

Towards the height of the divine pinnacle.

[it is] prescribed right well. And he did so very reasonably, and in a manner worthy of his own virtue. For he was not a reed shaken by the wind, as the One proclaimed by him testified in return unto him; but, to speak with David, having planted the foundations of his soul upon the rock of confession, he remained unshaken. That standing signifies the fixity in the matter, the Psalmist bears witness, saying: "I have sworn, and have established, that I will keep thy judgments." ^A Thus the prophet Amos sees God standing upon an adamant wall, ^B by the stationing indicating that which is fixed, and by the adamant signifying the strong and unyielding. In such a way did Stephen, the leader of the martyr phalanx, see Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "John stood, and two of his disciples." But what was indicated by the stationing of John has been explained in a few words. Now it is necessary to ask what it means that there were two disciples with him. These things occurred, to be sure, historically, but the events were images of things understood by the mind; ^C and he indeed who is elegant and a lover of beauty removes the outer husk, and gathers the beauty that is within. What then did the pair of disciples indicate? It revealed, as I suppose, a type of the synagogue and the Church from the Gentiles. For I suppose there is no one among you who does not know that the great John became the mediator of the Law and of grace. He stood, therefore, in the midst of two disciples, as in the midst of two peoples: of the old, which was already ceasing, and of the new, which was just beginning—for after the baptism, Jesus began to preach. And it seems to me that the evangelist looked toward this when he let the calling of one of the disciples pass by. For having named Andrew, he was silent about the other, as the legal worship typed by him had become silent and was abrogated. Andrew, however, since it is interpreted as "becoming power," ^D bears the type of the Church. For what power could be more becoming than that which received the Gospel proclamation, and was fortified so manfully that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it? But let us hear also of the things that follow: "And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he says: Behold the Lamb of God." Consider then for me, beloved, how deep in a word so brief is the scope of meanings hidden; how the history harmonizes with the contemplation. For having said of Andrew that he is "manly" from "man."

^A John, however, stood quietly, as to how he interpreted the "stance" there. For the saying, "Behold the Lamb of God," is an indication of how steadfastly he stood by his previous assertions. For this one taketh away the sin of the world, baptizing in the Spirit and in fire. But let us dwell more laboriously upon the meaning. For just as from a meadow rich in flowers the eye does not wish to depart quickly, so I, looking around the evangelical meadow, desire to linger on these things. For not even the phrase "looking upon Jesus" is devoid of deeper contemplation. For if he were speaking to us about a corporeal gaze, he would have said, rather, "having looked at Jesus." But now, having used the dative sense, he indicated a spiritual vision, so that he might not fall short of prophetic revelation even in this; for such were the visions of the prophets who saw. Having therefore looked upon the Word of God, who in the body of Jesus was united without mixture, without confusion, and without separation, ^B and having understood Him who is one in hypostasis to be twofold in nature, he let forth a theological voice, prophesying what was appropriate for each nature: "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world." Do you see the composite of the two natures in the one Christ? By saying "Lamb of God," he signifies the assumption: the truly innocent lamb, who was led to death for our sake. But so that you might not deem this Lamb to be a mere man, he adds quite alertly, "who taketh away the sin of the world"—for he joined this, which is an indication of divinity, to the former. Through both, he leads the one who is able to understand to the prophecy of Isaiah, almost crying out: This is he of whom Isaiah says, "As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer, he was dumb." "He bore our iniquities, and by his stripe we were healed." But it escaped me, undiscussed, why he says that John stood, but Jesus walked: "John stood, and having looked upon Jesus walking." Does this not seem to you, also, worthy of examination? Come then, like an unskilled harvester, I shall glean what was overlooked. The stance of John indicated, as I said, the steadfastness of prophecy, ^C as he looked upon Jesus; and having looked upon Jesus, [he showed] theoria: for theoria [comes] from theorein, and theoria, and having looked upon Jesus. And [he was united] without mixture, and without confusion, and without separation.

HOMILY L

as the fixed, immovable end of the previous page.

llbracketA the fixed, and it also bore a type of the legal cessation and station. But the walking of Jesus signified the movement of the evangelical preaching, which began from the baptism itself. For thus, historically, John, after the baptism, saw Jesus walking. And he persuades me to understand this by the oracle of the Baptist; for he had said, prophesying concerning Christ: “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him; and he must increase, but I must decrease,” indicating the evangelical increase and the decrease of the Law. “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” Since, therefore, he says, both disciples had heard him, they followed Jesus. But if the unnamed disciple, who has been taken as a type of the letter, follows with Andrew, let nothing trouble you. For many from the old worship were brought under the yoke of the Gospel, and when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered, as the Apostle says, the remnant of Israel shall be saved. Let us, therefore, also, beloved, follow the good Master Christ, imitating his life on earth, as much as is possible for man, through contemplation and action. Let us blot out our sins through alms; let us open the bowels of mercies to the needy. Let us also ask the Lord, as did the great Andrew: “Master, where dwellest thou?” For we shall know that He dwells in the heart of him who is merciful, of him who is compassionate, of him who does not foster envy in himself against his neighbor, of him who does not grow rich from rapine and injustice, of him who does not carry in his soul the remembrance of injury, of him who exercises patience towards the offender. In such a soul God dwells. Shall we remain in the commandments of Christ, as the two disciples remained with Him? For perhaps even for us it is the eleventh hour. For just as this is the final part of the day, so each of us is near to the end. For death always sets snares for us, coming upon us from any slight and chance cause. Who, then [is] that excellent steward and caretaker of his own soul, who by means of almsgiving has bought back the blessed life in exchange for the perishable things here, before the assembly here is dissolved by death? Let us emulate the manly endurance of the first-called Andrew. For you all know, having heard, how much this great man endured first in Sinope, and later in Patras; and how those wild men, bestially leaping upon him, even laid hold of his very apostolic flesh with their teeth. In Achaia, indeed, preaching the Gospel, he did not refuse the crucifixion on account of his love for the Master; but following the footsteps of the Teacher whom he had followed from the beginning, by the cross ^B—

^A he attained to him. What, then, prevents us from following him to the best of our ability, as long as we are in this life, in Sinope, which indeed wounds the sight of our souls? For truly, as if the eyes of our understanding were damaged, alas! we walk in darkness, ^B like animals laboring in a mill, with eyes covered, driving the mill of this life around. Let us therefore act manfully here, when we are torn by the bites of temptations and bitten by the teeth of envy. And if that intelligible Aegeas, the adversary of our salvation, attacks us, let us offer a praiseworthy resistance even unto death. The great apostle was fastened to an olive tree; let us be grafted onto the ever-verdant plant of mercy, fastening our flesh with the nails of continence, revolving in our thoughts the future judgment, and making death our meditation, so that with a pure conscience and a light-filled soul we may receive the radiations of the most divine Trinity and one nature, which illumines our leading faculty ^C unto the true knowledge of it, for to it pertains all glory and honor unto the ages. Amen.

HOMILY LI. On the Beatitudes. Pronounced on the memory of our holy Father Nicholas.

When the Lord called His own sheep to His own divine fold, He promised to provide for them, that they might have life, and have it more abundantly. What did He mean by this? That they would become heirs of eternal life, and have something more after their departure from here; ^D foretelling those celebrations, I think, which we solemnize in honor of the saints. For since they enjoy openness of speech with God, and communicate their graces to us, we honor them with feasts and assemblies. But all the saints, each in part, obtained veneration from men, whether by being honored especially in the places where they served God, or where the treasure of their sacred relics is laid, or where they manifested the graces of their miracles. Yet the wonderworker and great Nicholas, to the extent that he surpassed all the saints in the gifts of miracles, attained by all to an equal degree the praise derived from that wonder and work. Indeed, he is renowned for miracles, and a myrrh-streamer, myrrh-streamer

and as there is no place destitute of his graces, so there is no one at all who is alienated from his celebration. For he performs miracles not only among the faithful, but he extends his gifts, out of the abundance of his grace, even to those who are outside the mystery. And of this fact I have been assured by many others, and I have learned it by experience. For when I was sailing once, around the setting of the Pleiades, through the Sicilian strait, which flows in a stream-like manner between Rhegium and Sicily, and the season being turbulent and not favorable for sailing, suddenly a fierce storm and gale rushed in and threatened a terrible danger. Darkness descended upon the sky, and everything was overcast with clouds from every side, and the winds, clashing against one another, stirred up the sea. But that which caused more fear, and confounded the reasoning of all, was that the boat was being carried by the current towards that part where Charybdis, circling upon itself like a whirlpool, is split by the force of the wind, swallowing up any ships that happen upon it. When all of us were entreating the Divine Merciful One with tears, a certain Ishmaelite man, who was sailing with us, had nothing else on his lips but the great Nicholas, adding also the place of the promontory, where the holy temple of the saint had been built; which he would certainly not have done unless he had been well experienced in the miracles of the saint. Thus this saint is lovable even to infidel barbarians. ^A Since, therefore, the divine grace of this one has gathered us here, come, let us enjoy the feast of the evangelical words. In that time, "Jesus followed by great multitudes from all Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan." Since we are now celebrating his feast day with the feast-day banquet, the feast —

Homily —or rather, my speech concerning him, following the master whom he followed from the beginning, he climbed back up towards him through his death on the cross. What, then, prevents us, as far as we are able, from following him while we are in this life—this Sinope, which indeed wounds the eyes of our souls? For truly, as if with the eyes of our mind injured, alas! we walk in darkness; and like animals laboring at the mill, with our eyes covered, we turn the millstone of this life. Let us therefore act bravely here, when we are torn by the bites of temptations and gnawed by the teeth of envy. And if that intellectual Aigeates, the enemy of your salvation, attacks, let us stand against him even to the point of death with a commendable resistance. ^A The great apostle was fixed to an olive tree; let us be joined to the ever-flourishing plant of mercy, nailing our flesh with the nails of self-restraint, keeping that future judgment always in our thoughts, and making our meditation a preparation for death, so that with a pure conscience and a light-filled soul we may receive the brilliance of the most divine Trinity and singular nature, which illuminates our guiding faculty toward the true knowledge of it, that it may be entitled to all glory and honor, unto the ages. Amen.

Homily LI. On the Beatitudes. Spoken on the memory of our holy Father Nicholas

When the Lord was calling his own sheep to his own divine fold, he promised that he would provide for them, "that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." What did he mean by this? That they were to be heirs of eternal life, and should have more than that after their departure from here; namely, the honor from all, which I believe he was foretelling in these festivals, which we celebrate in honor of the saints. ^B For since they have obtained confidence toward God, and share those same things with us, we honor them with feasts and assemblies. But while all the saints have obtained reverence from men in their own measure—either being honored especially in the places where they pleased God, or where the treasure of their holy relics is stored, or where they demonstrated the grace of miracles—this wonder-worker and great Nicholas, by as much as he surpassed all the saints in the gifts of miracles, by so much is he celebrated by all as being renowned in miracles and as a myrrh-streamer. ^{C D} [alt-version omitted]

^A They are not in disagreement with one another, but rather they are in perfect harmony. For a mountain can be seen that is flat, in that while it possesses height and elevation from the earth, it is not rugged or craggy so as to make the footing of those ascending it precarious, but instead it provides security through its flatness for those standing upon it. Regarding such a mountain does the most prophetic voice of Isaiah speak: "Lift up a sign upon a flat mountain." Therefore, because it rises from the earth into the heights, it is called a mountain by Matthew; but because of the flatness existing in the mountain, Luke calls it a flat place. Such is the ascent to virtue: high and lofty, in that it surpasses those groveling passions, yet stable and secure for the one who has ascended.

Come, therefore, and let us too abandon those low, earthly things, and let us ascend to the high and flat mountain of contemplation. Let us not remain below at the foothills with the crowds that followed, dizzy from the hardship of the ascent, but rather let us strengthen ourselves and keep pace with the disciples, so that we may look down upon the Lord, who, as if from a watchtower, shows those things invisible to those lying below, setting forth contests, demonstrating the prizes, and calling the athletes blessed. ^B The contests, then, that are proposed are poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, peace, and being persecuted by enemies. And what are the prizes? The kingdom of heaven, consolation, the inheritance of the land above, the fullness of good things, the mercy from God, the seeing of God himself, the kinship and relationship with Him, and the eternal dwelling with Him.

These prizes, then, are such as contain blessedness; but it is necessary for us to provide an explanation of them, line by line. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The depth of this sacred teaching was known best and most loftily by only one among all, he who, like the great Moses, entered into the darkness of theology, namely the Nyssen, the great Gregory, who explained the beauty of this in eight homilies; ^C and it shall be permitted to anyone who wishes to draw from the streams of that book, written with all wisdom, and to become drunk with a sober intoxication. But for us, as the unbloody sacrifice urges us to its conclusion, let us render this teaching as concisely as possible.

^A Blessedness, therefore, is the drawing near and assimilation to God. For the divine nature is that which is truly and properly blessed; thus, indeed, did the great Paul name God: “The blessed and only Potentate.” [1 Tim. vi, 15] Now, the poor in spirit are not those who lack money—for it is possible to see many who are destitute in their abundance, yet rich in desire—but the poor in spirit are to be understood as those who have voluntarily become poor in all things that are conceived of as evil, and who keep nothing of the devil’s treasures stored up in their soul. However, the great Basil says that the poor in spirit are those who, for the sake of the Lord’s teaching, have voluntarily become poor, having sold their possessions and followed Him. [2 Cor. viii, 9] And if any man governs the poverty that has befallen him according to the will of God, like Lazarus, he too is not alienated from this blessing. Perhaps the discourse also calls poverty voluntary humility, the model of which God, who teaches these things, has become. For our sake He became poor, being rich, that we might be enriched by His poverty. This virtue, then, as being contrary to the devil’s pride and to the Lord’s life, the Lord declares blessed, giving as the fitting reward the kingdom of heaven. Having therefore posited humility as the first step of the ladder of the beatitudes, he sets forth next the praiseworthy mourning: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” [Matt. v, 4] Mourning is deserving of blessing when it occurs for transgressions and sins, through which the consolation of compassion comes. But the continuous tense of the verb suggests to us that we should perceive another kind of mourning. For He did not say, “Blessed are those who have mourned,” ^B but “those who mourn,” those who are ever mindful of the glory from which we have fallen, and how we have been piteously exiled into this place of weeping. These, making their mourning unceasing, are deemed worthy of that consolation. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Perhaps someone, looking only at the superficial sense of the words, might say: “Why, in the order of the beatitudes which are established as steps of an ascent, is the kingdom of heaven and the consolation from God given as the first prize, and then the inheritance of the earth? For it would have been more consistent for the earth to have been placed before heaven.” But it is necessary to understand that the evangelical discourse is speaking about the land of the living, about that land, I say, which is above the heavens—that land ^C of the living of which the Psalmist speaks. [Ps. cxvi, 9] ^D For it does not call this current earth...

^A which brings forth mortal things and dissolves into itself those things which are born of it, but that land into which death does not enter, which is devoid of thorns and thistles. The Psalmist promised that the righteous would inherit that land, saying, "And he shall exalt you to inherit the land." He would not have said "He shall exalt you" if he were speaking of the earth which we tread under our feet. For how could He grant this earth as an inheritance to the saints, from which, according to the Apostle, "we shall be caught up in the clouds" and "shall be with the Lord"? Those, therefore, who imitate the meekness of the Lord inherit that intelligible land. "Learn," He says, "from me, for I am meek and humble in heart." Those who, in a time of wrath, through divine love overcome passion, and remain unangered toward those who sin against ^B them. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." He calls those who have an insatiable desire for virtue "hungry and thirsty." For by the word "righteousness" He encompasses every virtue, demonstrating the whole through a part. Or rather, because Christ Himself is righteousness, and sanctification, and that very bread which has come down from heaven, and the living water, blessed are those who passionately hunger and thirst for Him, as to be able to say with David, "My soul has thirsted for You." What, therefore, is the reward for such hunger? It is to attain the object of desire, and again to say with David: "But I, in righteousness, shall appear before Your face; I shall be satisfied when Your glory is manifested to me." "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." The immediate sense of the saying indicates affection toward the poor; but since the good does not consist in the ability but in the intent, those who desire to provide for those in need but are unable to do so do not remain outside of this beautiful recompense. It is possible, moreover, to show mercy spiritually, by communicating through word, instruction, and consolation. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." That is to say, as many as have cleansed themselves in action and contemplation through the upright and truthful understanding regarding God, and through moral philosophy, see the Lord dwelling within themselves. According to the holy Basil, one is "pure in heart" who is not ^C negligent or indifferent toward the command of God.

and who does not detect in himself a transgression, or omission, or neglect of the divine law. ‹Beati pacifici, quoniam ipsi filii Dei vocabuntur.› ‹Beati pacifici, quoniam ipsi filii Dei vocabuntur.› Peace-makers can be understood as those who reconcile their enemies through equity and fairness; they can also be understood as those who tame themselves when they are becoming wild with regard to the irascible or the concupiscible, according to the dictum of the Lord: ‹Pacem habete in vobis ipsis.› Peace-makers are also those who, through the word of instruction, lead back to the straight path those who have become enemies to God through impiety or a perverted way of life, and restore them to His friendship. Hence, as imitators of God, who reconciled our affairs through His own blood, they are introduced into His kinship. ‹Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam, quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum.› ‹Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam, quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum.› The discourse implies the persecution against the martyrs, which they endured for the sake of justice—that is to say, for the sake of Christ. For who else is the justice of God and the Father but Christ? For thus does God and the Father address Him, saying: ‹Appropinquat statim justitia mea; et misericordia mea, ut reveletur.› Blessed, therefore, are those who, for His sake, are persecuted and reviled by the impious. Furthermore, those who banish themselves from the tumult of the world and choose for themselves the Lord's easy yoke, and as many as are persecuted and abused by calumniators, are insulted, are deprived of their own, and accept all things for the sake of true justice with thanksgiving—all these come to the enjoyment of the kingdom of heaven; may it be granted to all of us to enjoy it through the intercessions of the great Father, and the wonder-worker Nicholas, and all the saints who have been well-pleasing to God, to whom be every honor and glory forever. Amen.

HOMILY LII. On the Holy Innocents.

The divine voice of the Gospels leads us today to holy Bethlehem. Therefore, as if we were about to enter a holy temple, let each of us, having purified our mind with the sobriety that befits holiness, come, let us hasten in our discourse to the city of David; and let us send the Persians on their way home, as they have already been brought to Christ as the firstfruits of the inheritance of the Gentiles. For these were the first spoils He took from the struggle waged against the devil. They, then, having conducted their profitable trade—having earned the knowledge of God in exchange for gold, and frankincense, and myrrh—let them return to Persia by another way, by the counsel of an angel; and Joseph, like Lazarus, having encountered—whatsoever the case may be—and the kingdom of heaven of the Lord’s own life,

^A the just man, having taken the infant who is from before all ages together with the Virgin Mother, let him flee into Egypt, that all things might be new and filled with awe. A Mother, yet a Virgin; a Child, yet without a father; God, yet swaddled in bands; a cave, yet likened to heaven; a manger, yet assimilated to the Seraphim; a newly risen star; a King, yet poor: let these be set forth, and what shall be added? God fleeing the plots of men. Could He not have commanded the earth, that, opening in a chasm, it might swallow up Herod the plotter within itself, or have reduced that wicked one to ashes with fire from heaven, as once at Sodom? But to innovate these miracles was not foreign to the divine power; however, that He who is God should flee the plots of men is truly great and extraordinary. For just as it seems paradoxical for any man to perform divine miracles, so it is the height of the divine nature to descend even unto men. And otherwise, how was He to legislate ^B later, "If they persecute you in this city, flee into the other"? Thus, the economy of the Incarnation, having begun from humility and patience, culminated in patience. For as here there are plots and a quest leading to flight, and nowhere any retaliation, so also at the end there are timbers, and torches, and swords, and scourges, and insults, and mockeries, and at last the cross; yet what is the retaliation? "Father, do not hold this sin against them; for they do not know what they are doing." ^C But those who have practiced the Greek and demonic wisdom, and who adorn deception with the brilliant allure of words, leaving off wondering with awe at such a self-emptying of the Word of God, have armed themselves for accusations, slandering the flight of the Lord as the cause of the slaughter of the infants—reasoning falsely, and with great danger to themselves and peril, and for the destruction of their own souls. For it was necessary rather to accuse the madness of Herod and the light and reckless mind of that man; he who, having heard from the Magi, "For a King has been born, and we saw his star," did not consider the power of the One who was born, that He disposes the things in heaven as He wills, and creates such stars anew, shining like a torch by night and not hidden by day by the rays of the sun, nor did he shrink from becoming an ^D adversary of God. But if he suspected that the Persians had lied, and thought the child who was born was of such a kind that he could be killed by him, to what end was that savage edict brought forth, to reap the crop of infants so mercilessly? And why does he even eagerly inquire from the priests where Christ is to be born? For if He is the One who was born, He who was proclaimed by the prophets, He would be greater than all human plots. "Be it so," they say, "but why did Christ not prevent the undertaking of Herod, rendering his design against the infants void?"

^A For He understood the assault of the first man, and did not approach the one who possessed a stronger frame of mind, ^B but as one more susceptible, he [the serpent] approached the woman, weaving that deceitful counsel to separate her from God. And so He wishes those who teach [others] to choose the persons, and the places, and the times, and to manage words in every regard, in order to turn men from sin, and to reconcile them to God. Observe how the great Paul, in his address at the Areopagus, acting with the guile of the serpent, ^C in part from the altars which they worshipped, seizing an opportunity for his speech, cunningly inserted the evangelical doctrine, so that he might subject to the faith that judge who was held in high regard among them, I mean Dionysius, by a well-disposed address. He also provides the [teaching] that one must understand the Word—for since the head of the whole body is bereft of reason, it hastens to preserve only the head, knowing that life exists naturally in it; thus He wishes His disciples to have the practice of keeping their whole lives pure and unspotted, ^D which is our faith, which is the head of the body, and not to spare the rest of the body in any worthy [sacrifice]. For if our faith remains unbroken, we shall not suffer death in our souls. There is also another natural and hidden power in the serpent. For when its body is cut, it joins together again and restores the segments to integrity. The likeness therefore warns us that if it happens that our spiritual members are torn apart, the power of repentance should be ready for all, through which we may grow together again and be restored. Furthermore, there is also in the serpent a natural power. For after it senses that it has grown old over time, as they say that those who examine the natures of living things report, by a long fast it strips itself, and in this way it sheds the bulk of its body, and having arranged its youth, and having cast off the old body, it is forced to such a degree until, being stripped of the slough—

Notes of Franciscus Scorsus

(25) *By a well-disposed address.* The author here has the same meaning as he did a little above, and uses the same phrase in the same sense. The force and use of which words we discuss in Homily 5, note 98; among other things we said it pertains to oratorical and poetic discourse, of which significance you have an example here from the same author.

(26) *The head only unharmed.* This serpent rite is well known; but since it is also cited from a middle source, and is called a common one, but specifically seeks faith, and attempts to instill beneficial precepts into the minds of the hearers, it also accommodates itself to what is not a mere fable—who does not know? Of which we spoke in the previous homily, note 11, but providing the "forest" of the preacher himself will not be a superfluous task. The place of Epiphanius is similar to that of Theophanes. That work, *On Animals* [Physiologus], commemorates four properties of the serpent, which it interprets morally, as does ours. But they are not the same; each pursues these things in two ways, but they agree in two. These things that are placed first by Theophanes, in Epiphanius it is the third, which says: The man himself—surrendering his whole body, preserves the head only. Therefore we too, when at the time of temptation we are compelled to hand over the whole body to death, must not deny the head, that is, Christ, as the holy martyrs did. For the head of man is Christ, as it is written. Ponce de Léon Hispanus has provided a fuller interpretation with scholia; [he says]: *If the serpent entreats man, that one guards only the head, and exhibits the rest of the body to the others. We ought therefore in the time of danger to concede the whole body to death, only to guard the head; as the most holy martyrs did; all man’s head is Christ, as Scripture says.* I refer to another interpretation below in note 29. More of the same life [is in] Consalvus.

(27) *For by the body.* Aristotle, Book II, chapter 16, writes that the cut eyes of serpents grow back again under the skin, and the tail also, being cut, is born again, and interprets this in this way, that our [author], the segment being cut, joins together again and restores the segments and the integrity, not by the same number, but by equivalent ones.

^A sword his head; and as he spoke, his head was mingled with the dust. For speech leads me to utter those things which belong to poetry; the calamity then seized every age, and the Fury of tragedy was reveling in Bethlehem, scourging it with domestic wars. And an elder felt aggrieved, blaming his long life, as having reserved him for these present afflictions, and he upbraided death as having been slow; but the mother lamented that she had even become a mother; and virgins were called blessed, as were the barren, and they who bore females, and those who were childless. Perhaps the disaster was common even to such as these, being communicated by association, or blood, or by a way of life [held in common]. I saw this tragedy painted in colors on a board, and I was moved to pity, and to tears. For that tyrant Herod was depicted sitting proudly on a lofty throne, looking with a sharp and beastly gaze, with an open mouth. He held upright a sword from its scabbard, letting his left hand rest upon it; but stretching out his right, he seemed to command the soldiers to mercilessly reap the harvest of infants. They, leaping like beasts, were mercilessly mangling the wretched children. The painter depicted also the miserable ^B mothers crying out a pitiable lament, and mingling their tears with blood. And one was tearing her hair, another was furrowing her cheeks with her nails. Another was rending her robe, and baring her breast, she displayed the teat left destitute of the nursing child. Another was gathering the scattered members of her child who had been cut in pieces. And another, holding the newly-slaughtered infant on her knees, was lamenting bitterly. And since the artisan could not put a voice into the colors, he signaled the laments with the lines [of the painting]. For the woman seemed to be thus tragizing: "O unhappy child of a more miserable mother, you were unaware that you were being born for the sword and for an untimely death! O mouth that was fruitful in vain! O enviable fertility that delighted me for a little while, but brought upon me, the wretched one, much more! O tender limbs, and tongue that lisped sweetly, but now, alas, has been silenced forever! O unjust sword-wielding right hand, that you did not kill the one who bore you before you killed ^C you, child! Awake, my bowels, shake off this heavy sleep which the cruel commander has inflicted upon you. Stretch yourself into the arms of your wretched mother. Take hold of the breast you longed for before. Show that sweet and habitual smile of yours. But the cruel order of the tyrant did not allow it." Such things it seemed she was saying, and perhaps she was weaving together the themes of Niobe and Alcestis. "In vain, therefore, my child, did I feed you, in vain did I labor, and was worn out with toils. I envy women who are unmarried, to whom [the artisan] signaled the laments with the lines, and since the artisan did not have a voice to put [to the painting]...

Francisci Scorsi Notae

...well [?] Theophanes says. Yet he indicates no certain passage of a poet from whence he might have borrowed those tragic modes for his own purpose; nor indeed have I hitherto found a similar one, from which he composes those few lines of his own wit. Below, indeed, he names Alcestis and Niobe, of whom we shall speak in their proper place. Since that had preceded, I have therefore gained those things from another manuscript, and I have always confirmed my opinion in it, even concerning those things that seem as if they could have been omitted, that they were not omitted by the author, but by the scribe.

HOMILY LII

^A Shall I question you in return, you who speak so boldly and infringe upon the judgments of God? What, in truth, could have been better for the infants than to be perfected so swiftly by the blood of martyrdom, to escape the many and wretched woes of this life, and to enjoy the beatitude of the other; rather than, by living this laborious life, to be partakers of their fathers' infidelity and to burst forth with that impious and rash cry against the Lord, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him"? ^B Or to experience the evils that were to come thereafter and the intolerable calamities of captivity, when, pressed by siege and driven to the agonies of famine, they tasted human flesh, and were then captured and mercilessly cut to pieces? Should not, therefore, this unjust death be reckoned a great boon to the holy infants? I could indeed add other causes for the slaughter of the infants, but the tumult that arose at that time still rings in the ears of my mind, and the most cruel decree issued against the children, and that voice heard in Rama, and the "Woe," and the lamentation of Rachel draw my discourse thither. Yet what speech could be sufficient for the narration of such suffering? Who could worthily lament the magnitude of that disaster in the tragic manner? O execrable sight! O dreadful gloom that occupied Bethlehem at that time! O the wailing of women, and the weeping of children snatched away to death! Fathers were lamenting, falling at the feet of the soldiers, supplicating; and a mother would wrap herself around her child, and a father would call out for his offspring. A woman was rushing toward flight, carrying the child as a burden on her shoulders, ^C but the course of the servants was swifter. They were clashing with one another, and confused cries were raised. The soldiers were threatening something terrible, looking on with dragon-like, savage eyes. Mothers were wailing, defiled with blood and tears; infants were lamenting, being pitifully cut down. For the swords, as chance would have it, being aimed at them, were miserably mutilating their tops; and one was deprived of hands, while another, with feet cut off, was already half-dead. Another, with head severed, was dragging the lower parts of his body, while another was being hewn entirely, just as the fury of the ones acting on their own prompted the death of each one. ^D O how many children were cut in half and left half-dead, gaining not even a swifter death, but being consumed little by little! How she ran past her mother, and with a lisping voice called upon the one who bore her! She was rushing—but the course of the servants was swifter—driven to the agonies of famine, and they tasted human flesh, and, being captured, were mercilessly cut to pieces. But the cruel decree of the tyrant did not let them be, stretching them out.

^A

History advises that when Christ is an infant in us—that is, when we carry the word of virtue within us in an imperfect state—Herod, the spirit of the flesh, still lives and reigns. For "Herod" is interpreted as flesh subject to passion, and skin-like; by which the earthly disposition is signified, which kills the male infants—I mean, the manly reasonings of virtue—and seeks to kill the word of virtue in us. Then, indeed, it is time to flee into "Egypt," that is, into practical hardship. For by remaining in it, we shall annul the counsels of the flesh. But when the disposition of the flesh has been consumed by the worms of conscience, and the members which are upon the earth have been mortified, it is appropriate then to return as if from Egypt to Jerusalem, that is, to transfer the mind from practical hardship to contemplation. For when the passions have been killed, it is foolish to linger in the practical, and not to hasten to grasp at contemplation, of which practice is the stepping-stone. We are, as it were, transferred as four-year-olds from Egypt—the practical—to the Jerusalem of contemplation; that is, evidently, having flawlessly performed the four general virtues, which are the sources of the others and, as it were, their mothers; and by means of which the mind, having been morally tutored, is led up toward the understanding, as far as is possible, of the superessential and blessed Trinity, to whom is due all honor, and praise, and majesty, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY LIII. On the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Today the Church is mystically illuminated by candles, and is set aflame, keeping the first feast of the festivals. Today the partition of enmity begins to be dissolved, and the heavenly things are mystically conjoined with the earth. Today the angelic greeting has transformed the sorrowful rebuke of our first mother into joy, and the old gloom has vanished. Today the Virgin Mary takes the place of the Seraphic thrones, inarticulately bearing Him who is carried upon them. Today the mystery of the bush is shown being fulfilled, with the fire of the Godhead being entwined with the shrub-like nature. ^B This feast, therefore, being the crown of all the feasts, contains many mysteries. But we, because of the urgency of the time, putting before you a few of the evangelical questions, will explain them to your God-loving ears. “In those days, Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias, ^D conceived, and she hid herself for five months.” Since Zacharias...

^A after disbelieving Gabriel, had been struck dumb, and Elizabeth’s conception had been brought about, she hid herself for a certain time. As it seems to some, this was because, due to her advanced age, she was ashamed of the untimely pregnancy. But we say that she did not hide herself for this reason. For the conception was to her rather a matter of joy—not only that she was becoming a mother, a sweet thing and a sweet name, but also because even by the law itself there was a certain honor for mothers, in which the barren and infertile had no share. How, then, was she ashamed when she was attaining the legal blessing, and at the same time sharing with the blessed Sarah in an untimely conception? For that she was being freed from the reproach of infertility by the birth is something that can be learned from her own words. For she says: “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which He looked to take away my reproach among men.” For what reason, then, did she hide herself? Being of the house of Aaron, and the wife of the great priest, she was diligent in a virtuous and exact way of life. Therefore, from the beginning, she was wary of confessing the conception, so that many, becoming incredulous, might not receive the punishment of Zacharias. For to one looking at nature, it was truly most unbelievable that a woman so advanced in age, with shriveled skin, with a face full of wrinkles, withered by age, and naturally sterile, should become pregnant and a mother of a child. For already, for her as for Sarah, those things through which conception is effected had been extinguished. Therefore, not out of shame, but out of concern for others, she remained in hiding. But since, with the gradual growth of the embryo, the womb was expanding, and the breasts were being filled abundantly with milk, then, indeed, she did not keep hidden what could no longer be disbelieved. ^B “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.” Someone, from among those very inquisitive, will be eager to know for what reason this mystery was performed in the first month among the Hebrews. For it is manifest that it was the sixth month from the conception of John, but the first of the whole year. Since this sensible world was created at this time, and through the transgression of man ^B [it was]

HOMILY LIII

...and occulted herself for five months. After Zacharias, for not having had faith in Gabriel, emerged mute, Elizabeth truly conceived, and until a certain time she remained hidden. She did this, it seems to some, because she was ashamed to bear a womb at such an unseasonable age. But we do not think that was the reason for her hiding; rather, that conception ought to have been a subject of joy, not only because she was chosen to be a mother—a sweet name, indeed, and a sweet reality—but also because even by the law itself a certain honor followed mothers, of which the sterile and unfruitful were deprived. What, then, could be the cause of shame, when she had attained the legal blessing, and at the same time had in common with the blessed Sarah an unseasonable conception in old age? For that the reproach of sterility had been deleted by the birth is possible to understand from her own words. For she says: “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which He looked to take away my reproach among men.” For what reason, then, did she hide herself? Since she drew her lineage from Aaron, and was the wife of the great priest, she studied to direct her life according to an exact norm of virtue. Therefore, she feared from the beginning to reveal the conception, lest many, being incredulous, should be punished by the same penalty as Zacharias. For it was, in truth, most incredible to anyone contemplating the order of nature that a woman already advanced in age, with a body contracted by wrinkles, who had already withered with age and was by nature sterile, should become pregnant and a mother of a child. For already the power of conceiving had been extinguished in her likewise as it had been in Sarah. Therefore, she did not keep hidden out of shame, but out of a desire to consult for others. But after the womb began to swell as the fetus gradually grew, and the breasts to swell with more abundant milk, then, indeed, she did not keep hidden what could not appear incredible. “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God into a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a Virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.” Someone ^C of those who are keen for research will desire to know for what reason this mystery was performed in the first month [(28)] among the Hebrews? For it is manifest that it was the sixth from the conception of John, but the first of the whole year. Since, indeed, this world subject to the senses was created in this very time of the year [(29)], and together with man... ^D

^A the history advises, when Christ is in us an infant—that is, when we bear the word of virtue in us as yet imperfect—but Herod, that is, the mindset of the flesh, lives and reigns; for Herod is interpreted as passionate and skin-clad flesh, through which is typified the earthly mindset that kills the male infants, I mean the manly thoughts of virtue, and seeks to kill even the word of virtue within us; then, yes, then one must flee into Egypt, that is, into the laborious practice of virtue. For by dwelling in it we shall invalidate the counsels of the flesh. But when the mindset of the flesh has been consumed by the worms of the conscience, and the members which are upon the earth have been mortified, it is appropriate at that time to move as if from Egypt to Jerusalem, that is, to transfer the mind from the laborious practice of virtues to ^B contemplation. For when the passions of the soul have been mortified, it is foolish to linger longer in the practice, and not rather hasten to grasp contemplation, of which action is the threshold. And we are certainly transferred to the Jerusalem of contemplation as from the Egypt of practice when we are four years old; that is, having blamelessly accomplished the four general virtues, which are as it were the fountains and mothers of the others, and through which the mind, having been morally disciplined, is led upward—as far as is possible—to the understanding of the superessential and blessed Trinity, to whom belongs all honor, and hymn-singing, and magnificence unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Homily LIII. On the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Today the Church is mystically lit by torches and set ablaze with fire, celebrating the first festival of all feasts. Today the middle wall of enmity begins to be broken, and heavenly things to be mystically joined with the earth. Today the angelic salutation has changed that sad rebuke ^C of our first mother into joy, and the old gloom has vanished. Today the Virgin Mary succeeds to the Seraphic thrones, ineffably bearing Him who is carried upon them. Today the mystery of the bush is shown being fulfilled, the fire of Divinity being entwined with the twig-like, dry nature. This feast, then, being the crown of all feasts, contains many mysteries. But we, because of the urgency of the hour, proposing a few things from the evangelical questions in your midst, will explain them to you, who are God-loving hearers. "In those days, Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias, ^D conceived, concordant with what we have discussed."

being realized as to its own parts, had reference to the Son of God, being perfect God and perfect man. And just as this number, when resolved into its own parts, is restored to itself again when the parts are put together, so the only-begotten Son of God—having emptied Himself, taken the form of a servant, and as it were diminished Himself into His own perfection and dignity—was filled up again, having never suffered any loss of His being perfect.

But our discourse here grows bold and seeks even this: We know that Michael is the first of the archangelic order, as the prophecy of Daniel ^A instructs us in these mysteries; and he was entrusted with the protection of the Jewish people, as the sacred oracles also state. Why, then, did he not rather become the minister of this mystery, but instead Gabriel initiates the Virgin into the mysteries? Because in the first creation, woman was produced second after man, therefore the second of the archangels is sent to the second gender, as is fitting, announcing the second constitution of the world. And since the name Gabriel ^B is interpreted as "Fortitude of God," and the Son of God—who is the Wisdom and Power of God—was about to become flesh, it is fitting that this one should be the herald of the mystery.

But why is the angel sent not to the betrothed Joseph, but to the Virgin? Because he knew that Joseph had no part in the generation of the Lord, even if he did act as the guardian and spouse of the Virgin. But since from the beginning the ^C creeping-in of sin occurred through a woman, the ingress of righteousness is performed through the same gender.

Since the wise Maximus taught us to be led up to higher understandings from the elements of names and the number of them, and seven elements compose the name of Gabriel, the name itself indicates that the Christ who is announced by Gabriel to be born is come for the salvation of the whole world, which is measured by this hebdomadal movement and terminated in seven ages. If this inquiry does not seem over-curious to many, neither has the number of ^D the units of the name fallen outside of mystical contemplation. For from this, too, we shall find the providence of Holy Scripture indicated. For the one hundred and fifty-four which is gathered from the name of Gabriel indicates the one who is announced, the perfect God and the perfect man. For the decad, being perfect as including every number, when multiplied into itself makes the hundred, which is indicative of the all-perfect divinity. The pentadic decad is a symbol of the perfect soul of man, having perfection from the mind and working...

by way of the senses. What indeed do the four elements signify for the four-fold nature of the body? The number of the name of him who brings the good tidings of the conception shows, therefore, that the divinity of the Word, which exceeds all perfection, was ineffably united to the body through the medium of an intelligent and sensitive soul. Having clarified these matters, let us now look to the words of the annunciation itself: "Hail, full of grace; the Lord is with thee." ^A The word addressed to the Virgin is the opposite of that spoken to Eve. For from the latter, the pains of travail proceeded; but here, joy acts as the midwife to the birth. For the Virgin’s travail was free from pain. Why? Because every pleasure has pain joined to it; but here, pleasure did not precede the birth, nor did pain follow it. Even the prophecy of Isaiah anticipated this: "Before the pain of travail came, she escaped and brought forth a man-child." ^B "Behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb." Mark the precision of the expression. He did not say, "Behold, thou shalt bring forth a son," so that those who later raged against the truth and dared to say that the Word brought down his flesh from heaven might not have a handle. He hedges, therefore, by saying, "Thou shalt conceive in the womb," showing that it was from the very virgin womb that he took on our nature. For it was necessary, truly necessary, that he should put on that very substance which he had come to rectify. And since God does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says, he built for himself a most holy temple from the all-pure bloods of the undefiled maiden, so that, according to the prediction of Daniel, the corner-stone, cut without hands from the shady mountain, as Habakkuk says, might destroy the abominations of the demons. ^C It was consistent, then, that the one born should also bear a name appropriate to the economy, and that he who came for the salvation of the world should be called Jesus, by whom salvation is signified. "For thou shalt call," he says, "his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest." These things are said according to the human condition; but by what follows, he reminds her of the divine oracles. For the Virgin was already persuaded, since the Lord swore to David that he would place of the fruit of his belly upon his throne; and the Holy One from the shady, wooded mountain...

HOMILY LIII.

and just as this number, when resolved into its own proper parts, returns and stands fast within itself again once those parts are recomposed; thus the only-begotten Son of God, when He had emptied Himself and taken the form of a servant, ^A and had as it were diminished Himself into His own perfection and dignity, was again fulfilled, never having suffered any loss of perfection. Existent as God, and equally as perfect man.

But our discourse here grows bold, and dares to ask even this: Since we know that Michael is the prince of the angelic order, as the prophecy of Daniel instructs us, and that the custody of the Jewish people was entrusted to him, as the sacred Oracles testify ^B, for what reason did he not rather become the minister of the mystery, but instead Gabriel instructs the Virgin in the secrets? Because in the first creation of the world, a woman was led astray second after the man, therefore the second of the archangels is sent to the second sex, as is fitting, to announce the second constitution of the world. And since the name of Gabriel ^C is interpreted as "the strength of God," and it was now about to come to pass that the Son of God, who is the wisdom and power of God ^D, should take flesh, he is quite congruently the messenger of the mystery.

But why is it that the angel is sent not to the betrothed, Joseph, but to the Virgin? Because He knew that Joseph had nothing in common regarding the generation of the Lord, however much he was termed the guardian and spouse of the Virgin. But since from the beginning the infiltration of sin occurred through a woman, therefore the entry of justice acts through the same gender. Since, moreover, that wise Maximus [(56)] taught us to be lifted up from the elements of names and their number to the understanding of higher things; and seven elements complete the name of Gabriel, the name itself indicates that Christ, whose birth is announced by Gabriel, comes for the salvation of the whole world, which is measured by this hebdomadal movement of time and defined by seven ages [(57)].

But if this inquiry does not seem meddlesome to many, neither is the number of the units of which the name consists divorced from mystical consideration; for from this very thing we shall find the providence of holy Scripture indicated. For the one hundred and fifty-four, which is the sum derived from the name of Gabriel, reveals Him who is announced to be perfect God and perfect man. For a decad, being perfect as it comprehends every number, when multiplied into itself makes a hundred, which indeed shows the divinity to be perfect in all respects. The five-fold decad is the symbol of the perfect soul of man, having its perfection from the mind and working through the senses. But the four, which exceed the body, the four

^A spiritual elements, are the foundation of the virtues.

The Homily of Theophanes Kerameus on the Annunciation of the Theotokos.

And the conception was without concubines, and the labor without stain. “The Holy Spirit will overshadow you,” He said, by which He means, He will clothe you, He will fortify you, He will encompass you, and from the illumination of the Word a lamp will be kindled; and your resting place will be passionlessness, and your marriage will be incorruptibility. ^B And just as the conception was without common union, so the birth was immune from pollution. But the angel, persuading the Virgin, gave token of this from things apparent, and revealed Elizabeth’s pregnancy: “And behold,” he said, “Elizabeth your kinswoman, and she herself has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who is called barren.” One might ask here, from where was this kinship? For the Virgin was from the house and family of David, that is, from the tribe of Judah; whereas Elizabeth was descended from the Levitical lineage. How then does he call her a kinswoman of the Virgin? It is appropriate, therefore, to know that the Levitical tribe was often mingled with the royal one. ^C For Christ, who was both King and High Priest, was destined to arise from the tribe of Judah. How, then, was this kinship between them? Come, let us weave the story as we have heard it from the traditions of the fathers. Mathan the Bethleemite, and a priest, begot three daughters: Mary, and Anna, and Sobe. Now of Sobe was born Elizabeth, and of Anna the all-holy Mistress of us all. Therefore, Elizabeth and the Virgin were born of two sisters. But why did Zacharias, having disbelieved the angel, receive the punishment of muteness immediately upon his words, while the Virgin, having said, “How shall this be?” ^D is not punished, but is instructed in the manner of it? Because indeed Zacharias...

had the example of Abraham and Sarah; regarding whom he ought, by looking upon them, not to have disbelieved the good news. But for a virgin to give birth was truly a paradox and strange to nature. Besides, the Virgin did not say these things to the angel out of disbelief, but desiring to learn the supernatural quality of the matter. Having been initiated into the mystery, therefore, and its manner, and having heard, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you,” she accepts the good news as a grateful person, and surrenders herself entirely to the will of God, and says, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.” And immediately the word of the angel was made manifest in deed, and the womb possessed God, and the law of marriage was unknown to the Mother of God. Having therefore conceived her own Creator, she sets out with haste into the hill country to partake of the joy and the wonder with Elizabeth. But that morning-star prophet, who was being carried in the barren womb, even before he beheld the sun, recognized the Sun of righteousness, as being borne in the virginal womb as in a light cloud, and silently pointed out the Master. For as he did not yet possess speech, he rendered that which he did have: a leap; and he provided his mother with the means of offering praise to the Virgin, worshipping the Lord conceived within her, to whom is due all honor and glory and praise, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY LIV. On the text, "All things have been delivered unto me by my Father." It was spoken during the feast of Saint Onuphrius.

It is for me a matter of wonder to reflect upon the property of virtue; for he who pursues it, the more he strives to keep it hidden, the more is it proclaimed. And while its laborers hid themselves in deserts, on mountains, and in ravines, virtue itself, arming its fame and thundering into ears like Stentor, has made them celebrated throughout the whole earth. A clear proof of what is said is the great Onuphrius, whose holy feast we celebrate today. For he, having from childhood despised the affairs of men, and having left behind the turmoil of the world, shaking off all worldly gossip like dust, fled into the desert as into a harbor. And having gone into its deepest parts, inasmuch as he was avoiding human glory and was hastening through virtue both to belong to God and to remain hidden from men, those things he successfully accomplished, and brought them to completion, being inarticulately united to God—but the remaining hidden, although he labored much in the hollows of the cleft rocks, he was unable to achieve. But the parchments of historians and the records of imperial ordinances shall cry out like Stentor.