as well. Then, through sin death reigned; now, conversely, righteousness receives the empire through life. Then, one gave place for death to enter; through one, now, life is also introduced. Then, through death we fell away from life; now, by Life, death is destroyed. Then, for shame we hid ourselves under the fig tree; now, through glory we approach the tree of life. Then, on account of disobedience we were cast out of paradise; now, through faith we are admitted into paradise. Once again, the fruit of life is spread before us for our enjoyment at will. Once again, the fountain of paradise, divided fourfold by the evangelical rivers, irrigates the entire face of the Church, so that even the furrows of our souls—which He who sows the seed of the word has cut with the plow of doctrine—are inebriated, and the seedlings and fruits of virtue are multiplied. What, then, is it fitting to do in view of these things? What else, but to imitate B the prophetic mountains and the hills in our leaping? For the mountains, he says, leaped like rams, and the hills like lambs of the flock. Come, therefore, let us exult in the Lord, who has broken the strength and power of the enemy and has raised up the great trophy of the cross for us in the ruin of the adversary. Let us shout; for a shout, or jubilance, is a propitious and joyful acclamation made by the victors against the vanquished. Since, therefore, the enemy’s battle line has been laid low, and that very one who held the empire of the wicked army of demons has perished, has been blotted out, and has now passed into non-existence, let us say that the Lord is a great God and a great King over all the earth, who has blessed the crown of the year of His goodness, and has led us into this C spiritual choir and assembly through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
ORATION V. On the illustrious and holy resurrection of our Lord and God.
Blessed be God. Let us speak good words, and let us celebrate today the only-begotten Son of God, the true Creator of the heavenly hosts: He who emerged from the hidden recesses of the earth and covered the whole world with His most brilliant rays. Let us celebrate today the burial of the Only-Begotten, the resurrection of the Victor, the joy of the world, and the life of the nations of the world. Let us celebrate today Him who put on our sin. Let us celebrate today the Word of God, D who convicted the world’s wisdom, confirmed the prediction of the prophets, connected the bond of the apostles, and unfolded the calling of the Church and the grace of the Spirit. For behold, we who were once strangers to the knowledge of God have acknowledged God, and what was written long ago is fulfilled: All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord: and all the families of the nations shall worship in His sight.
A What will they remember? The ancient fall, the new resurrection, the primal transgression, and the later correction; the death of Eve, the birth from the Virgin, the restoration of the nations, the forgiveness of sinners, the prophecy of the prophets, the preaching of the apostles, the regeneration of the font, the indwelling of paradise, the return to the heavens, the Creator arising, He who laid aside indecency, He who by divine magnificence exchanged the corruptible for incorruption. And what indecency did He lay aside? That which Isaiah spoke of in these words: *And we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness. But His appearance was dishonored, failing beyond the sons of men.* When was He dishonored? When He consorted with the wicked Jews, and was called a Samaritan and one possessed by a demon; when Judas Iscariot and the offspring of darkness laid hold of Him for slaughter, Him whom no place can contain. Not without reason did John say to them: *Offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?* For truly the wrath of God shall remain upon them. B When was He dishonored? When the bud of meekness received a blow, and when, amidst oaths, they interrogated Him who is the judge of oaths. When was He dishonored? When the Judge was being judged, and the Arbiter of the world was being condemned; when the servant questioned, and the Master was silent; when the Light rested, and the darkness exulted; when the creature acted boldly, and the Creator endured. When was He dishonored? When the bulls were horning and the calf stood by; when the lion roared and the bulls acted proudly, as it is written: *Many bulls have encompassed me, fat bulls have beset me round. They have opened their mouth against me, as a ravening and a roaring lion.* When was He dishonored? When the dogs barked, and the Lord did endure; when the wolves tore, and the sheep stood by; C when a robber was called to life, and the Life of the world was dragged to death; when they shouted that disordered and fatal cry: *Take him away, take him away, crucify him! His blood be on us and on our children!* The slayers of the Lord, the slayers of the prophets, the fighters against God, the haters of God, the despisers of the law, the enemies of grace, the strangers to the faith of the fathers, the advocates of the devil, the offspring of vipers, the whisperers, the backbiters, those darkened in their minds, the leaven of the Pharisees, the council of demons, the reprobates, the utterly base, the stone-throwers, the haters of virtue. For they cried out with reason: *Take him away, take him away, crucify him!* For the visitation of the divinity in the flesh was a burden to them, and the manner of His reproofs was grievous; D for it is the habit of sinners to hate the presence of the righteous. When was He dishonored? When they scourged Him, and tortured His holy body, which willingly bore the passion, that He might heal the ancient weals of our own sins; when the wood of the
cross was carried upon His shoulders as a trophy against the devil. A When they placed a crown of thorns upon Him who crowns those who trust in Him; when they clothed in purple Him who bestows incorruptibility upon those who are regenerated through water and the Holy Spirit; when they nailed to the wood the Lord of life and death. When was He inglorious? When the soldiers, mocking the commander of the heavenly host, led Him in triumph. When was He ignominious? When they attached a sponge to a reed, and soaking it in vinegar, gave Him a drink, and offered gall to Him who had rained down manna upon them in abundance; when the rocks were rent and the veil of the temple was torn, stunned by the audacity of the wicked; when the sun mourned and put on darkness like sackcloth, lamenting the ruin of the Jews. For the day itself lamented the hardships of the Jews, when Life hung in the midst of thieves; the one reviling and speaking against Him, while the other with repentance plundered paradise. When was He inglorious? When His body was given over to burial. When was He ignoble? When soldiers guarded Him, and the earth hid Him who had founded the earth upon the waters; when the apostles hid themselves, unable to bear the magnitude of the temptations. But see, beloved, the miracles of God, and after the passion, the success and progress of joy. The ignoble was changed into the glory of splendor, and the immortal joy of the world has been raised with the body. Then the earth travailed, and the day conceived, and death spewed forth the life of all. For it was not possible for Him who holds all things by His word to be held by death. C Let us therefore celebrate the resurrection that took place on the third day, the reconciler of eternal life. For just as Mary the Theotokos, with virginal and unwedded pangs not loosened, by the will of God and the grace of the Holy Spirit gave birth to the Creator of the ages, God the Word from God; so too did the earth, having loosed the pangs of death from its own depths, spew forth at the command the Master of the Jews; for it could not contain the body which had become the vehicle of immortality. Therefore, when the prophet David considered the restoration of beauty, the dissolution of death, and the freedom of those who were once slaves, he cries out and says: "The Lord has reigned, He has clothed Himself with beauty." What beauty did He clothe Himself with? Incorruption, immortality, the assembly of the apostles, the crown of the Church. No longer does Judas betray; no longer does Caiaphas threaten; no longer does Pilate judge, nor do the Israelites prevail. For what was corruptible has become incorrupt, and He who was esteemed by them as mere man D is demonstrated to be true God. Therefore we also cry out: "Where, O death, is thy sting? Where, O Hades, is thy victory?" The Lord has reigned, He has clothed Himself with beauty; the Lord has clothed Himself with power, and girded Himself. By power he means the dispensation of salvation through the flesh. For since nothing was stronger than that, through the body the Incorporeal cast down the demons; through the cross He laid siege to the opposing powers. For since the first things shook the
sin, having risen, our Lord Jesus Christ, just as He foretold, strengthened it with the wood of the cross, so that it might no longer walk toward the slide of perdition, nor be tossed about by the storms of error. A Let us bring forward as a witness to this word the blessed Paul, who says simply: "For this corruptible thing must put on incorruption." Therefore, the Psalmist also says: "Thy throne is prepared from then; Thou art from eternity." And, "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which shall not be corrupted." And again, "Thy kingdom is the kingdom of all ages." And again, "The Lord hath reigned; let the earth rejoice, let many islands be glad." For to Him belong glory and power. Amen.
BY THE SAME
ON THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST
WHICH IS CALLED BY THE CUSTOM OF THE CAPPADOCIANS
THE FESTIVAL CELEBRATION.
C How sweet a companion of human life is the prophet David, being found in all the paths of life, and being aptly mingled with all spiritual ages, assisting every order of those who are progressing! D He plays with those who are infants in God, he struggles alongside men, he instructs the youth, he supports old age; he becomes all things to all men—the armor of soldiers, the trainer of athletes, the wrestling school for those who compete, the crown of the victors, the merriment at feasts, the consolation at funerals. There is no part of our life that is devoid of this grace. What power of prayer is there in which David does not participate? What festal joy is there which the Prophet does not brighten? This is what we are able to see even now; as he makes the festival, which is great in itself, even greater through his own presence, by fittingly adding to the subject the [words] from the psalms