Editorial Notice - To the Homily on Saint Barlaam the Martyr — English

John Chrysostom · PG 50 · cols 675–675 · machine translation (AI, from the page scans)

of the virtues, and feel a zeal for their labors. This brings no less pleasure to the martyrs than their own righteous deeds. And so that you may understand that they especially feel their goods are realized when they see us safely established, and that they consider that matter their highest honor, hear Paul saying: "Now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord" (1 Thess. 3:8). Indeed, even Moses before him said to God: "If you forgive them their sin, forgive; but if not, blot me out of the book which you have written" (Exod. 32:31-32). I do not perceive celestial honor, he says, because of the calamity of these people; for the assembly of the faithful is a certain connection and structure of the body: what profit is there in the head being crowned, while the feet are being tortured?

^A do they flee and blush? What pardon, I ask, will you obtain? Do you not hear a certain wise man warning and saying: "There is a shame that bringeth sin" (Eccli. 4:21)? But are you afraid that someone might rebuke you? Transfer the blame to me, who have said this; say that the teacher ordered it thus: I am prepared to argue and render an account with those who rebuke; nay, truly, no one will rebuke you or us, even if he be very shameless, but all will praise you, and will commend us for the sake of our care and zeal, not only in our own country, but also those who inhabit the neighboring cities, because there is such a power of love among us, such great ardor of brotherly affection. But why do I say men? The Lord of the angels himself will praise us. Since, therefore, you know of the reward proposed, let us not neglect the hunt, nor let us return alone tomorrow, but let each one arrive bringing his prey with him. If you come at that hour only, when each person having left his home sets out upon the road, and pass the time until the visitation of this place, there will be no difficulty thereafter; but after the passage of time yours will also have much grace, and all the others will praise and exalt you: and, which is the greatest of all, the Lord of the heavens will confer many rewards upon you for these things, and will increase this gain and praise. Turning these gains in your mind, let us all pour forth before the city and bring back our captured brothers, so that tomorrow even the theater may be rendered full for us, and the assembly may be perfect; so that because of this zeal and diligence of ours applied here, the holy martyr may receive us into the eternal Tabernacles with great confidence; which may it befall all of us to attain, through the grace and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the holy and life-giving Spirit, be glory, now and always, and for ages of ages. Amen.

ADMONITION

As Fronto Ducaeus notes, in a certain manuscript Menologion of the Greeks, the feast of S. Barlaam the martyr is dated to the 16th of November, just as it is in the Roman Martyrology. Other Greek Menologia refer this feast to the nineteenth of November. But that solemnity was celebrated at a far different season in the time of Chrysostom. For in the homily on that saying of the Apostle, "I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud," etc., which homily was delivered on the day following the feast of S. Barlaam [681], as Chrysostom says in the same place, the holy doctor explicitly says that winter has now passed and summer arrived: "We are delivered," he says, "from winter, and we enjoy the summer, with the zephyr softly blowing." Since these things can in no way square with the month of November, it follows from this that it was celebrated at a very different time of the year.

LAUDATION OF THE HOLY MARTYR BARLAAM

^A For this sacred solemnity and feast, the blessed Barlaam has convened us, not that we might praise him, but that we might emulate him; not that we might be hearers of praises, but that we might become imitators of his noble deeds (*). In secular affairs, indeed, those who are promoted to the highest magistracies would never wish to see others as sharers of the prerogative of the same honor: for envy and jealousy divide charity there; in spiritual matters, however, it is not so, but the contrary entirely happens: for then martyrs most especially feel the sense of their own honor, when they have seen their fellow-servants come to the communion of goods. Therefore, if anyone wishes to praise the martyrs, let him imitate the martyrs: if anyone wishes to celebrate the athletes of religion with declarations, let him emulate their labors; this will bring to the martyrs no less pleasure than their own right actions. And so that you may understand that they feel their own goods especially when they see us placed in safety, and that they consider that matter their greatest honor, hear Paul saying: "Now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord" (1 Thess. 3:8). And indeed, Moses before him was saying to God: "If you indeed forgive them their sin, forgive; but if not, blot me out of the book which you have written" (Exod. 32:31-32): I do not feel celestial honor because of their calamity; for the assembly of the faithful is a certain connection and structure of the body: what