bearing the images of good things. For your garment is bright and clear, portraying the symbols of immortality. A white linen cloth, A like a diadem, binds your head, proclaiming liberty. Your hand carries the signs of the victory won over the devil. For Christ has shown you raised up: now indeed by symbols, but a little later he will show it by the things themselves; if only we do not stain the tunic of faith with sins; if we do not extinguish the lamp of grace with improper actions; if we keep the crown of the Spirit. Then, the Lord will clearly cry out from the heavens with a terrible yet kind voice toward men: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." To Him be the glory, and the power, for ever and ever. Amen. B
A SERMON OF OUR HOLY FATHER ATHANASIUS ON THE HOLY PASCHA AND ON THE NEWLY ILLUMINATED, ON THE SABBATH IN ALBIS
1. Christ, having risen from the dead, made the whole life of men one single festival. For having translated the conversation of those living on earth to heaven, He bestowed causes for celebrating. And a witness to these things is Paul, who possessed his tongue as an instrument of the words of Christ. "For our conversation," he says, "is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." For who, while waiting, does not celebrate in hope? Who, imagining in his mind the arrival C of the Savior, does not anticipate with joy the experience of the things themselves? And who, upon hearing of the future descent of a mortal king, does not lift up his mind and rejoice in his soul, anticipating in love the time of seeing him? Then the crowds are stirred, boys leap for joy, maidens dance, old men strive to cast off old age, brought back to the flower of youth by their hopes; and the celebration of the royal arrival pervades everything. What then would one say, Christ the immortal King arriving, not so that He might adorn cities and raise towers, D nor so that He might bestow gifts, which succumb to time; but so that He might...
clothe man A in immortality, and cause him who was despoiled by death to dwell in the safe harbor of heaven? B
2. Today Christ was seen again by the disciples after the resurrection, and by this second appearance He fashioned a firmer faith in the resurrection. He was seen, moreover, when the doors were locked; for He who had shown Hades to be without walls stood in no need of doors for His entry. For where God commands, the laws of custom cease to operate. Previously He had walked upon the sea; the flowing element bore the feet of His flesh, He measured the waves with the tread of His feet, and for His use the deep sea was solidified like dry land. Jesus entered while the doors were locked. Although, when the resurrection took place, the stone of the tomb was rolled away and the door of the sepulcher was opened, yet it was demonstrated there that what was visibly occurring to the tomb, the same was invisibly happening to Hades; and by the opening of the sepulcher, death was convicted of being even more doorless. For it was fitting that the tomb should be stripped bare together with Hades, and that the invisible things should be manifested along with the visible. But here He enters through locked doors, so that those who were incredulous regarding the resurrection might be astonished at the entry, and be led by the hand from one miracle to another. When therefore Christ had risen, He appeared to the women before the disciples. And the women preached the resurrection of Christ to the apostles, and rightly so. For thus, the injury inflicted by the devil upon Eve was turned back upon the devil himself. For from whence the disease proceeded, thence comes the remedy. C Whence death began, thence resurrection appears. For a woman is the cause of the transgression, and the herald of the resurrection; she who led the first Adam to the fall testifies that the second Adam has risen.
3. Thus Christ was seen by the apostles, who were hidden in an upper room, and He entered while the doors were locked. But Thomas, who had not been present, was incredulous; desiring the sight, he refused to admit the hearing—he closed his ears, wishing to open his eyes; wounded by desire, he was struck by the voice: "Unless I put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." * Insatiable in his affection, Thomas does not apply faith; he feigns incredulity so that he may enjoy the sight. He says, "He will dissolve my incredulity when He appears: I will put my finger into the prints of the nails; I will embrace the Lord whom I desire." Let Him reprove his incredulity, and grant the sight. D As an unbeliever I shall see, but
A as a faithful one I will embrace and enjoy. I would see the pierced hands, by which the hands of Adam that had transgressed were restored to health. I would see the side, by which death, having emerged from the side, was taken away. I would be a spectator, not a hearer, of the Lord. By the narration I am the more inflamed to desire; by those things which you announce, you also increase my pain. But I shall heal my distress by taking the remedy in hand.
4. But again the Lord is present, and He relieves the disciple of his distress and incredulity. Or rather, He did not relieve his incredulity, but He satisfied his desire. He was present while the doors were shut: by an incredible sight He confirms the resurrection that was not believed; and again He doubles the miracle, that He might assure Thomas. "Bring," He says, "your finger into the print of the nails; B that which you sought while absent, enjoy now that I am present." I know your desire even when you are silent; before the words are spoken, I know your intention. I heard your words, and although I did not appear, I was present with you as you disbelieved, and although I was not seen, I gave time to your incredulity, that I might marvel at your desire. "Bring your finger into the prints of the nails; and bring your hand into my side, and do not be faithless, but faithful." And Thomas, having touched, and having banished his incredulity, cried out with sincere faith and god-befitting desire: "My Lord and my God." And the Lord says to him: "Because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed C are they who have not seen, and yet have believed." Preach, Thomas, my resurrection to those who have not seen. Draw the world, which believes not by eyes, but by words; go around the barbarian nations and cities; teach them to be armed with the cross instead of weapons. Only preach, and those who adore will believe; they will not ask of you to see me. Declare to them the calling, and behold the faith. "For blessed, in truth, are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."
Such is this new recruit of the Lord's army; so are the offspring of that spiritual pool, the works of grace, the cultivation of the Spirit: not having seen, they obeyed, but desiring, they believed. They recognized Christ not with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of faith. They did not put their fingers into the prints of the nails, but having embraced the cross, they embraced the passion; they were not spectators D of the Lord's side, but by grace they were joined to the Lord's members, confirming in themselves the voice of the Lord: "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed," those who have not seen, and yet have been joined to Christ.
5. Today you put off the garment you wear; but do not lay aside the hidden seal; put off the outward symbols, but do not lay aside the tokens of the army. You are putting off the clothing, O soldier of Christ, but do not put off the faith
A of the armor of faith; for now you have the greatest need of the whole armor. For now the enemy is more vigilant against you than before, and the war has become more burdensome. While you were a captive and a slave of the enemy [(92)], and he held you under his dominion, he did not care to attack you; but since you have transferred yourself to Christ, and fleeing from the enemy, have run to the Lord, and leaping away from the wolf, have been gathered into the fold, he pursues you like his old prey, devising many-faceted wiles. The blessed Paul, acting as our general, stirs us up for this battle, and issues commands, saying: "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [(93)]." Do you see the martial array and the raging battle? For what reason, then, is the war? What are the gains of the battle? The general himself adds, saying: "In the heavenly places," that is, for heavenly possessions. He arms you for incorruption, and he fights for immutability; he draws up the line for the sake of being with Christ. For these are heavenly possessions; these are what he wishes to snatch away [(94)]. He does not allow you to fight naked, but instructs you with the Father's armor. And see, I pray, how terrible the lightning of such armor is to the enemies; for he says thus: "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Against invisible enemies [(95)], he has adorned us with invisible armor.
6. Such, indeed, is the power of the armor. But that one must fight with him C, even if he does not appear, consider in this way. For the devil did not hesitate to tempt Christ himself; but with the utmost impudence, he dared to attack the Lord. Who then would cease his schemes against you? He saw Christ baptized (but do you, O newly-illuminated one, observe this occasion of time), and then he rose up to tempt Him. He saw Him hungering in the desert, and he took hunger as a helper for his temptation, nor did he leave even the very necessity of food free from snares; but approaching Him, he attempts to tempt Him, saying [(97)]: "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." As if he were saying this: You are arrogant to be called the Son of God; you are hallucinating because of the name. You glory in a bare and empty appellation. I see you hungering, and shall I call you the Son of God? That honor is rendered illegitimate by your passion. Provide for your necessity by a miracle; let the stones obey you as you command, and I will believe in the
A honor to be rendered to the commandment, and I will concur with the miracle; I shall accept the voice, and I will agree to the honor. But he was assailed with Scriptural words: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Deut. VIII, 3). But, shamed by the first contest, he brought forward a second trial: "Cast thyself down," he says; "for it is written, That he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Ps. XC, 11). But he heard again: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Deut. VI, 16). And he did not grow numb from the second fall, but he introduces a third engine, lured by the expectation of victory, to bring about a fall: "For all these things will I give thee," he says, "if thou wilt fall down and worship me" (Matt. IV, 9). Do you see the speed of his engines? Do you see the preparation of his deceit?
7. But perhaps you have thought there are only three types of temptation, following the figure of the number. Yet every kind of temptation is encompassed in these three; for he would not have ceased tempting had he not emptied his whole quiver of arrows. For he brought forth all the engines of pleasure through the desire for food, stirring up with one assault the whole kinship of the appetites. And by saying, "Cast thyself down," he set in motion the methods born of arrogance. And by saying, "All these things will I give thee," he introduced the most grievous root of sins, avarice. For every kind of sin springs from this one root. And among men sin has no place B that does not proceed from these. For it either wounds through pleasure, or shoots with the desire for glory, or drags one to transgression through the love of money. Stripped, therefore, of his arrows, he then ceased from shooting; and Christ has rendered him naked of engines for us, having made his darts useless; He has made his deceits known, making him easy for men to overcome.
8. Let us then win the victory in these contests of the Lord; with Christ fighting, let us set up our own trophies. Let us not soil the tunic of faith, which grace has woven; do not dishonor for nothing what you have received from God; consider who gave it, and preserve what has been given. If you had been appointed the guardian of some pearl or of royal purple, would you not exhibit care for its keeping even to the point of death? But now, not only the care of a pearl, or of purple, or simply of royal property, but the body of the Lord itself has been committed to your trust; or rather, I say something more, you have become a Lordly body, you have become a member of Christ; you have put on Christ, according to Paul's voice: "For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. III, 27). Do not become a traitor to the members of Christ. You have been a dwelling-place of the Spirit, and you have become a member C of Christ.
of the Holy Spirit, and a member of the celestial King. Let us therefore honor the gift with virtues: let us become followers of temperance, let us practice humanity, let us distribute alms; let us shake off the venom of unbelief; let us turn away from deceit, the friend of the devil; let us hate falsehood, the instrument of our enemy. Let us imitate the blessed Paul, who, having been baptized, preached Him whom he had persecuted before his baptism. Let us imitate the eunuch of Ethiopia, who, having received baptism on the way, became a way himself for the Ethiopians who believed. Let us multiply the talent of grace, so that we may hear that most desired voice of the Lord saying: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your Lord." To Him be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen. B
A SERMON BY OUR HOLY FATHER ATHANASIUS ON THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
1. The memory of the resurrection gives to men victory over death; but the present solemnity leads man to heaven, and by exchanging the dwellings of earth, makes heaven accessible to men. For it was not fitting that the human race, which had overcome death, should again inhabit earthly places. Now, indeed, a great courage truly comes over me against the tyranny of the devil, when I see today the first-fruits of my race reigning in the heavens: now the strength of the enemy has fallen, C the devil’s machinations have failed. This is no longer paradise, O devil; nor is there the pleasure of a tree to lure to fraud, so that, having dissolved the fear of the law, you might establish death. I no longer hear: "You are earth, and into earth you shall return;" but, even if you are earth, by the clemency of Him who leads you upward, you shall ascend into heaven. I desert the region of sins, I concede the earth to you, in which I was born, in which I was raised; I pass over into heaven, free from your fraud. Long ago, indeed, a tree was enough for you to overcome Adam, when, having struck our first parent with the fruit of the wood, D you banished him from the pleasure of paradise. But now, even if you exhaust your whole quiver, you cast all your arrows upon yourself. Whither have they now gone for you, O dia-