Days of the Church Calendar

Dear brothers and sisters!

Often, in times of sorrow and affliction, we turn to God with a plea for help. When we are prosperous and in good bodily health, we are little inclined to think about our soul, about salvation, or about giving thanks to God. That is why the Lord, in His most wise providence, sometimes sends us severe trials in life, so that we may remember and understand that God governs all things, calling us to come to true understanding and to find the faith that leads to salvation. Each time God answers our cry for help, our heart is filled with gratitude and joy that, out of His love and mercy, He has heard us. Yet after some time passes, we often forget this, and our faith grows weak.

Today’s Sunday Gospel reading gives us two striking examples of faith in the Savior’s help, through which miracles were wrought: the raising by the Lord of Jairus’s daughter and the healing of the woman with the issue of blood.

Let me recall the content of this Gospel.

When Jesus Christ left the region of the Gadarenes (whose inhabitants had driven Him away), He crossed to the other side of the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). A great crowd gathered around Him, eager to hear His teaching. At that moment, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came up, fell at the Savior’s feet, and begged Him to come and heal his only daughter, a girl of twelve, who lay dying. Jesus immediately set out for Jairus’s house. A large crowd followed and pressed around Him.

Among them was a woman who had suffered from constant bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all she had on physicians, but no one could help her. Hearing about Jesus, she was filled with faith and said to herself, “If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made well.” According to the Law of that time, a woman with this condition was considered unclean and was forbidden to touch anyone. Yet her faith in Jesus Christ was so great that she resolved to break the prohibition. And her faith was not in vain: the moment she touched the edge of His cloak, she was instantly healed.

Christ stopped and asked, “Who touched Me?” Everyone was silent. Of course, the Lord knew who had touched Him, but He asked so that the woman’s faith might be revealed for the instruction of all present. The Apostle Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround You and press in on You, and You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’” But the Lord replied, “Someone touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not remain hidden, came trembling and fell down before Him. In front of everyone she explained why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. By Jewish law she had committed an offense, being unclean, and she awaited condemnation and punishment. But the merciful Lord calmed her, saying: “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease” (Mark 5:34).

While He was still speaking these words, messengers came from Jairus’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any longer.” But Jesus, hearing this, said to Jairus, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be saved.” He continued to the house.

There, everyone was weeping and wailing over the dead girl. The Lord said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” The death seemed so obvious to those present that they laughed at Him in derision. Jesus allowed no one to remain in the room except Peter, James, and John, and the girl’s father and mother. He took the child by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” Her spirit returned, and she immediately stood up. He told them to give her something to eat, so that all might be convinced the resurrection was real. The parents were astonished, but Christ strictly charged them to tell no one what had happened—perhaps because He knew the crowd would not believe anyway and would only mock and demand further signs.

What lessons can we draw from today’s Gospel?

In the stories of the woman with the issue of blood and Jairus’s daughter, we see how God, having become man, walked the earth. Divine love and mercy responded to every human need: hunger, sickness, sorrow, and even death. When Jairus, a prominent and wealthy synagogue ruler, in anguish over his dying daughter, humbly fell at the Lord’s feet, Christ—knowing his faith—immediately responded to his heartfelt pain. The Lord set aside everything else He was doing to go to the dying child. In the Gospel He says, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Here is an example for us: when you encounter need, when you hear a cry for help or soul-pain—go. Leave your own affairs, because someone needs you.

Another truth this Gospel teaches is that only the one who believes can receive help from the Lord. “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). There is no sorrow, no calamity, that Almighty God cannot heal. No matter how dire our situation, we must not fall into despondency or despair, but place our hope in the power and mercy of the Lord who said, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 49:15). Faith is a gift of God. Even the apostles prayed, “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). Believing, we must turn to the Lord with all our heart, entrust ourselves to Him, humble ourselves under His mighty hand, and hold unshakable hope in His saving providence.

How often we resemble the people surrounding the dead girl! The Lord Himself comes and says, “She is not dead, but sleeps.” Yet the Gospel tells us they “knew” she was dead and laughed at the Savior’s words. While she was merely sick, they could still hope for a miracle; but now that she was dead, they thought it absurd to speak of hope for life. This is exactly how we often behave. The Lord lived, died, and rose again. He tells us that death is temporary, like sleep; that beyond this brief earthly life lies eternal life in which souls continue to live, and then the resurrection of the body at the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Yet we keep saying, “He died, she died.” The Apostle tells us, “I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13). We hear these words, yet we still weep inconsolably and “know” that the person lying before us is dead. Though the Lord raised four-day-dead Lazarus, assuring us there is resurrection, we still “know” there is only death and refuse to believe in eternal life. The stark obviousness of death blinds us to faith in life everlasting.

But for Christ there is no death—there is only life and falling asleep in the Lord. The Gospel account of Jairus’s daughter coming back to life is an affirmation of life over death, of bright hope over grim obviousness, of life-giving faith over soul-destroying unbelief. Let us entrust ourselves to the Lord with all our heart, and in our soul we will hear His confident voice: “Do not fear; only believe, and you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40).

Brothers and sisters! How often in temptations our faith wavers. How often, when we encounter obstacles, failures, or opposition to our good intentions, we are ready to despair and abandon what we have begun. May today’s Gospel word strengthen us: “Do not fear; only believe!” We must always place our hope in the mercy of our Savior, remembering His words: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt 7:7–8).

Jairus’s prayer for his dying daughter is an example of intercession for others. We must pray for our relatives, friends, for all who are near and far, for the living and the departed. Christians in the Church are bound together by the grace of the Holy Spirit with strong bonds of love, as the Apostle says: “You are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor 12:27), “for in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor 12:13). Even when we pray alone, we must realize that we pray together with the whole Church. Our prayer merges with the stream of prayers of our brothers and sisters in the faith. That is why the Lord taught us to pray “Our Father,” not “My Father”—that is, to pray as the Church, not merely as isolated individuals.

Sometimes, lacking true love for our neighbor, people turn away from one another, saying, “That person is dead to me; friendship or love has died.” The Lord tells us: it has only fallen asleep, it is only hidden, but it lives. Yet we refuse to believe and insist, “I know—everything is dead, dried up to the root.” By the parable of the fig tree that was tended for three years until it bore fruit, Christ reminds us that love and life do not die, that everything can be raised again by His word. Do not believe those who say, “All is lost.” Sometimes those around us gloomily declare, “We know nothing can be done; why bother trying to help—this person is spiritually dead, beyond repair.” Let us then remember the Savior’s words: “This person is not dead—he is only sleeping.” His soul has dozed off, grown cold. But if God speaks a living word and we come with love to help, it will awaken! And we are the ones called to speak that word of compassion.

From today’s Gospel we also learn how healing of our infirmities may be obtained. The reading speaks of bodily ailments—the girl’s mortal illness and the woman’s hemorrhage. Notice that in both cases the duration is twelve years. Perhaps this identical length of time points to a common root: the spiritual illnesses so characteristic of mankind.

Our soul is sick with sin. Sometimes it suffers in these sins like the woman with the issue of blood; sometimes it draws near to death without receiving healing—which the Gospel assures us is possible. Jairus and the suffering woman came and fell at Jesus’ feet. They humbled themselves before Him and begged, possessing deep faith. The woman did not even dare to ask aloud; she simply believed in her heart that if she touched Him she would be healed. In her silent prayer she uttered not a single word about healing, yet the Lord heard and answered. Knowing her faith, He said, “Your faith has made you well; go in peace.” If we likewise fall down before God, humble ourselves, and ask with firm faith, “Lord, cleanse me from my sins,” the Lord will surely heal our soul as well.

Sometimes we do not even feel the sickness of sin within us. Our soul has grown so accustomed to sin that we no longer distinguish where our immortal soul ends and sin begins. But the word of the Lord touches our heart, and it comes alive—conscience awakens, shame arises, a person realizes he has been going against God in sin. The voice of conscience grows louder, and he begins to see more and more of his sins; like the blind man, he receives sight. It sometimes happens that a person thinks, “When I was farther from the Church I seemed better, but now that I am closer I seem worse.” The truth is that earlier he simply did not see many of his sins, whereas now he sees more and more, just as in bright light we notice even small stains on our clothing.

Often at confession we repent year after year of the same sins and then repeat them. Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood were perhaps no less sinful before God than we are, yet they desired healing, asked the Lord for help—and received it. We, on the other hand, sometimes do not truly want to be delivered from our sins—that is, from eternal death. Though conscience points out the habits and circumstances that hinder our salvation, sin has become so familiar, attractive, close, and sweet that we forget the Kingdom of Heaven. With our mind we understand and acknowledge our sinfulness, sometimes confessing at the sacrament, yet in reality we lack firm resolve to be rid of sin; we lack determination and strength of will. We pamper ourselves and indulgently forgive ourselves. Yet we can turn to the Lord in prayer: “Lord, I hate this sin; I want to be free of it—help me!” And if, after such fervent prayer from the depths of the soul, we touch the Lord in Holy Communion, He will heal us by His grace.

Sometimes we merely list our sins at confession without true repentance—simply naming them. The sin remains in the soul, and then we partake of the Holy Mysteries unto judgment and condemnation. That is why the Apostle Paul says, “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died” (1 Cor 11:30). True repentance is a complete change of life, thought, habits, and attachments. If we acted in this way with strong desire, healing would come instantly, as it did for the woman with the issue of blood. That is what we must strive for. Yet often we strive more for outward well-being: to be healthy, secure, comfortable, to live an exciting and cheerful life. Years pass, and we spend our time without turning to God, enduring deprivation and spiritual suffering, wasting our substance on “physicians” for “twelve years” and more, unwilling to fall at the Lord’s feet in hope of healing.

Christianity, unlike other religions, is a painful and severe struggle against sin, tearing it out of one’s soul by the roots. It is voluntary suffering, the narrow path of moral transformation, the aspiration to pass from being a sinner to becoming a saint. Christianity demands sacrifice and ascetic labor. Not for nothing do we venerate the Cross—it is the image of crucifixion, the shedding of blood, suffering. Yet in our weakness we often long for a calm, peaceful life and try to avoid suffering. If there is no desire to fight sin, there is no genuine repentance, whose essence is a burning longing to be corrected, to cleanse and heal one’s soul from sins.

Brothers and sisters! If we continually beseech the Lord for the healing of our soul with the same intensity and fervor as Jairus for his dying daughter and the woman with the issue of blood for release from her long affliction, the Lord will grant healing. For He is unchanging in His desire to heal according to our faith, as it is written: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8). Therefore, following the teaching of today’s Gospel, let us implore His mercy for the healing of our souls. Amen.

(Luke 8:26–39 – The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

The Gospel account we heard today at the Divine Liturgy about the man possessed by demons may seem far removed from our everyday lives. Yet it is no accident that, in the yearly cycle of Sunday Gospels, this story of healing is read twice – so that we may once again be reminded of the destructive work of the enemy and of the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to withstand the wiles of the evil one. The Apostle Peter warns us that the adversary of the human race never sleeps: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Brothers and sisters! Christ’s Church is like a ship tossed about on the sea of life by many storms and tempests – both external and internal. In His all-wise providence, Christ sometimes permits us to endure storms in order to strengthen us in faith.

Today’s Gospel reading is preceded by the account of the stilling of the storm. One day our Lord Jesus Christ set out in a boat with His disciples across the sea toward the country of the Gadarenes. At night a great storm arose, while Christ was asleep. The disciples, still weak in faith, cried out to the Lord: “Teacher, we are perishing! Save us!” He arose, rebuked the wind and the waves, and there was a great calm. Then He said to them: “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Afterward the disciples said to one another in amazement: “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him!” Only when Christ later healed the demoniac in the land of the Gadarenes did they truly understand that He is the Son of God – exactly as we hear in today’s Gospel from Luke.

When the Lord, having stilled the storm, came ashore with His disciples in the country of the Gadarenes, they were met by a certain man possessed by demons. Seeing Jesus, the demon cried out with the man’s voice: “What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” The Lord asked him: “What is your name?” He answered: “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. The demons begged the Lord not to send them into the abyss, but to permit them to enter a herd of swine. The Lord allowed it. The entire herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned. The local people, having been told what happened by the swineherds, came to Jesus and asked Him to depart from their region. Jesus granted their request and sailed away. The man who had been healed begged to go with Him, but Jesus said: “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went throughout the whole city proclaiming what Jesus had done for him.

The man described as “possessed” was completely overcome by an evil power that had taken control of his mind, will, and body. No human effort could restrain him; he broke every chain they tried to bind him with, fled into the wilderness, and lived among the tombs – a place where nothing human remained.

Sometimes, brothers and sisters, we too are possessed by dark powers – when anger overtakes us. Though loved ones try to reason with us and stop our hostility and malice, we often resist, tear apart friendships, and turn away even from those closest to us. In today’s Gospel we see how Christ came to this wretched possessed man, and the demon cried through him: “Why have You come to me? What have we in common? Why do You want to torment me?” Jesus Christ commanded that evil, destructive power to depart from the man.

When we live without repentance, when our sins pile up over our heads, unclean spirits – by God’s permission – can take possession of us and strip away the bright garment of Baptism, in which we renounced the shameful works of Satan. Sometimes we resemble that demoniac who no longer lived in a house: through laziness and negligence we fail to visit God’s holy temple and instead dwell among the tombs – that is, in our passions and lusts – where demons seize our will and compel us to do lawless deeds. The holy Apostle John the Theologian teaches: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning” (1 John 3:8).

Yet we can become free from these evil powers. Let us look honestly into ourselves: what is it within us that darkens our hearts, clouds our mind, turns our will toward evil, and makes our words and actions destructive and dead? Let us approach Christ with humility – in confession, prayer, and Holy Communion – trusting in God’s help.

The Fathers and teachers of the Church bear witness that there exists a kingdom of Satan and the fallen angels, filled not only with hatred toward God but toward all people, and especially toward Christians, whom they strive in every way to harm. Yet a true Christian must resist them. The devil always tailors his temptations to the disposition of a person’s soul, for man has been granted freedom to choose between good and evil, between light and darkness, between God and Belial. In spite of all the enemy’s cunning, the great ascetics of the faith knew when and with what weapons to defend themselves against the fiery darts of the devil. The Savior Himself says: “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:21). Bodily labors, silence, patience, humility, and trust in God’s help and mercy were also weapons against the wiles of the devil.

Here is one example the Fathers give: the venerable Daniel related that a certain desert hermit was asked to cast a demon out of a possessed woman. As soon as he entered her house, the woman struck him on the cheek. Following the Lord’s commandment, the hermit turned the other cheek. The demon, tormented by this act of the saint, cried out: “What power! The commandment of Jesus Christ drives me out!” – and the woman was instantly healed.

The devil himself confessed to the venerable Macarius of Egypt that nothing overcomes him as much as humility. There is no stronger shield and no mightier weapon against demons in spiritual warfare than the name of Jesus, teaches Saint John of the Ladder. And Saint Simeon the New Theologian writes: “Just as no one dares approach or interrupt a person who is speaking with an earthly king, so demons dare not draw near to one who is conversing with God.” As long as a person remains in prayer and spiritual contemplation, the enemy cannot overcome him. Therefore, brethren, let us also take up the very weapons with which the saints fought against evil spirits. Following their example, we too shall emerge victorious from the struggle against the enemies of our salvation – that legion of the spirits of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Let us look at our contemporary life, let us examine its phenomena closely, and we shall see that the terrifying image of the Gadarene demoniac is repeated in it in thousands of forms. The evil and cunning enemy of the human race has achieved many successes in destroying the image of God in man – the crown of earthly creation, who in his perfection is “little lower than the angels” (Ps. 8:6). What has become of the God-like soul of man, created for eternal blessedness? Today man is possessed by many demons and reduced to the utmost degree of degradation. Like the demoniac who “wore no clothes,” modern sodomites are not ashamed to parade half-naked. The Lord says of the demoniac: “He lived not in a house but among the tombs.” Are not our apartments and homes today such tombs, where, instead of thoughts of God and prayer, demonic images from television and computers take up residence?

One would think that modern man, corrupted in flesh and spirit, would immediately fall at the feet of Jesus Christ, begging to be healed of demonic possession. After all, a single word from the Savior is enough, and the spirit of evil will depart from him forever. Yet what do we hear? “Depart from us! What have You to do with me? I beg You, do not torment me!” That is, like the Gadarene demoniac, man does not recognize his deadly condition and does not wish to part with his demonic slavery.

Today the devil does not work on us with crude force, but gradually, step by step, poisoning our soul with the venom of sinful passions, thereby undermining and weakening our will. Consider, for example, the wretched person possessed by the demonic affliction of drunkenness. A drunkard, by his very appearance, already resembles a demoniac, for he no longer gives account of his actions. He, too, needs restraining chains, since in his drunken state he is capable of any terrible crime. The drunkard loses every human likeness, does not realize his disastrous state, and does not wish to fight against the passion that is ruinous to his soul – for it is written: Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Yet the drunkenness continues.

Let us look closely at the life around us. Do we not hear today the very plea of the Gadarene inhabitants who lost their herd of swine: “Depart from us – with Your law, with Your teaching, with Your reminder of sin and hell; depart from our accustomed sinful way of life”? In discussions about modernity and freedom, we often hear the voice of a corrupt and impure heart that cannot bear to behold divine purity and truth.

Sin always wages war against holiness; the flesh seeks to enslave the soul – in other words, sin and the flesh strive to drive Christ out of their territory. When the Apostle Peter, in repentant prayer, said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8), he did so out of a sense of his own unworthiness, not daring to draw near to the holiness of Jesus Christ, desiring only from afar to gaze upon Him with reverence, beating his breast like the publican who stood at a distance, trembling and weeping over his sins. The Gadarenes, however, had no desire to change their sinful life, in which open lawlessness had become habitual – even the raising of swine in defiance of the Law of Moses – and they wished only to remove Christ from their midst, to forget Him forever, so that they might continue serving earthly passions and sinful attachments – those Gadarene swine. The presence of Christ’s holiness beside them disturbed their spiritual slumber. They had no need of the Word of God that reminds them of conscience, of retribution for sin, of God’s law and spiritual purity. No – it was better for them to live with the swine than with Christ. Hence their request, so insulting to the Lord: “Depart from us!” In essence, this very request is visible in the attitudes and actions of many people today.

Our saving refuge lies open before everyone’s eyes: it is the Church of God, and everyone who wishes may receive in her healing of soul, peace, and salvation. In the Book of Proverbs it is written: The Wisdom of God has built herself a house and cries aloud – “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” (Prov. 9:1, 4).

Faith is the expression of a healthy state of the soul. Burning and steadfast faith in God is the natural, saving condition of our soul. Yes, it is not easy; it is at once a gift of God (Gal. 5:22) and a human labor. On the other hand, unbelief or weak faith is an unnatural phenomenon; it is a sickness of the soul, a moral sickness, a crime against the will of God. Unbelief is deadly to the soul.

We see today that after the era of unbelief and atheism in the twentieth century, after spiritual wanderings, after bold challenges hurled at God, after proud declarations of faith in man and human reason – many modern Gadarenes who once rejected God are now returning to Him in anguish and despair, with a spiritual thirst. Today’s man, like the prodigal son of the Gospel, after the atheistic spiritual famine in a far country where he tended swine and shared their trough, after the tormenting emptiness and longing for the Father, desires to return to his Father’s house, so that, like the healed demoniac, he may sit at the feet of Jesus. And to those who have been healed of the demonic affliction of unbelief, our High Priest Jesus Christ commands that they remain among the Gadarenes who are still unhealed, in order to proclaim by word and deed the power and glory of the Savior.

May God help us to be healed of sin and to abide in eternal communion with Christ, glorifying and thanking Him for His boundless mercy toward us. Amen.

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On Palm Sunday, the Triumphal Entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem to suffer willingly. A homily by St. John Chrysostom.

Just as we have now crossed the deep sea of the fast, let us, O faithful, undertake with even greater zeal the struggle of this week, and pass on from the miracles of the Lord to still greater wonders, now that we have been illumined by the raising of Lazarus. With Mary and Martha, let us offer Christ, our Master, honor and praise as He cometh, and, like the children with branches, let us cry out together with one voice: “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord: God is the Lord, and hath shewed Himself unto us” (Psalm 117:26–27).

Tell us plainly, O prophet, who is this that cometh in the name of the Lord? Hearken, brethren, to the words of the prophet Isaiah, who speaketh of Him: “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive in her womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). He it is who came down from heaven, and for our sake became poor of His own will, that we through His poverty might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He it is who was begotten of the Father before all ages, and in the last times was born of the Virgin God-bearer. He it is who raised up Lazarus from the dead, though four days buried. He it is who came willingly to His Passion in the name of the Lord.

But the wicked Jews, moved by envy, conspired against Him in the very place of His glory, plotting not only to kill Him, but also Lazarus, because many, for his sake, believed on the Lord.

Today the whole earth is filled with joy at His coming: it streweth His path with fragrant flowers and gathereth people in gladness. And we, having prepared the branches of the garden of virtue, let us cry aloud in song: “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord!”—the God of our fathers, who cometh to trample the devil, to destroy death, to break the kingdom of hades, and to free those held in its bonds!

For this cause He came willingly to His Passion, desiring by the Cross to destroy the tormentor, and to bring life to those who had died. That same Cross hath He given us as a weapon against the devil and against our enemies. For by making the sign of it, we utterly destroy all the devil’s deceit. And therefore we say: “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord!”

He came to save the fasters and to reward each according to their labor. “For in My Father’s house,” saith He, “are many mansions” (John 14:2), assigned to each according to their works. Let us not lose them for the sake of the short-lived pleasures of this life, which pass away like a shadow, and vanish as smoke.

The coming of Christ draweth near. Let us hasten, brethren, while yet we have time, lest the doors of repentance be shut—that is, lest death overtake us. Let us now flee to repentance, lest we hear that fearful answer: “Now, wretched man, dost thou repent, when there is no longer time for repentance?”

Therefore, beloved, let us in this life cast from us the habit of wrath, let us quench the devil’s hatred, let us forsake fraternal enmity. Let us be merciful and generous to those in need. For no one departeth from this world with wealth or glory, but only with their deeds. Riches and glory remain behind, while our body entereth the tomb, to be consumed by worms, and the bones are laid bare.

Let us then rouse ourselves, brethren, unto good works, and complete this season of fasting without negligence—for the crowns are always given at the end to those who labor. If one beginneth a work and doth not complete it, he shall be put to shame. Let us then finish well, that we may receive the full reward.

But if one abstaineth from bread, yet beareth anger, such a one is like a beast—for the beast also eateth not bread. If one refraineth from drink and meat, and sleepeth on the bare earth, yet harboreth malice and worketh injustice, let him not boast—for he is worse than the beasts, which have neither wrath nor envy nor do unrighteousness.

Rather, let us, O faithful, restrain our bodily desires, that we may be made like unto the angels. Behold, the Passion of Christ approacheth—His willing suffering on our behalf. Let us cleanse soul and body and mind, that we may be made worthy partakers of His divine Supper, crying out unto Him and saying: “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord,” who came willingly unto His Passion for our sake, and shall again come from heaven to judge the living and the dead—that is, the righteous and the sinners—and to render unto every man according to his works.

To our God be glory.

Before the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven, He gave the apostles the commandment to go forth to preach, in order to convert the entire human race to the Christian faith: “Going, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28, 19). An unspeakably difficult task the Lord entrusted to His twelve disciples, whom He chose not from among the most wise and noble, but from fishermen—simple and little-educated people. But by the grace of the Holy Spirit, it was given to them to comprehend the Divine teaching and themselves to become teachers of others, to go to all ends of the earth and to conquer the unyielding hard-heartedness of the Jews, the reasoning of the Greeks, the crude power of the Romans.

What weapon, then, did Christ give to His disciples, sending them into the world for such a great battle? He wanted the apostles to take with them neither sword nor spear, and even neither bag nor staff; He commanded them to take with them the Holy Gospel and with it to pass everywhere: “Going into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16, 15). And their preaching was heard by the whole world, the Church of Christ was raised up, and faith in Christ shone forth. The heirs of the apostles—the teachers of the Church and the pastors—spread the Word of God to all ends of the earth: “Their sound went out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the universe” (Ps. 18, 5).

Thus, the only weapon by which impiety was conquered in the world and the knowledge of God was spread was the Word of God. The almighty Word, which was born from the Father of Wisdom, created everything: heaven and earth, the visible and the invisible. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1, 1). “By the word of the Lord the heavens were established and by the spirit of His mouth all their power” (Ps. 32, 6),—thus sings the prophet David. The Word of God is life, salvation, and resurrection for those who accept it with faith, as Christ says: “Amen, amen I say to you, that the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and having heard will live” (Jn. 5, 25). And so, we see that the Word of God is life and power, “The word of God is living and active” (Heb. 4, 12).

“I will open My mouth in parables,”—says the Lord through the prophet (Ps. 77). Simple examples of parables Jesus Christ brings in order to set forth hidden wisdom in simplicity. Parables are a treasury of reason, a source of the knowledge of truth. “The wise will listen and will increase knowledge, and the understanding will find wise counsels,”—it is said in the Bible about the parable (Prov. 1, 5). The parable makes the inaccessible accessible, the complex—simple, the secret—manifest. “Meditating in the law of the Most High, he will seek the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be instructed in prophecies. He will seek the hidden things of parables and will live in the enigmas of parables,”—says the wise Sirach (Sir. 39). The entire history of humanity is like a parable that shows the providence of God for our salvation. The Gospel parables give us instruction about eternal life, spiritual health, strengthening, and correction of the mind. Parables teach us high morality, humility, mercy, and other virtues.

But inattention to the Gospel word can be condemnation for us if, having heard the parable, we reject with a cold mind its wisdom and instruction and do not bring forth good fruit, as the Lord says: “He who has ears to hear let him hear” and “Take heed how you hear” (Mt. 23, 3). We hear the words of the Gospel with our ears, but does this word reach our heart? And if it reaches, then, touching it, does it revive us, bring some fruit, and will we live according to this Divine Word? After all, knowledge is not good in itself, but when it is applied in deed, it brings its useful fruit. “For not the hearers,”—it is said,—“but the doers of the law will be justified” (Rom. 2, 13). Today’s Gospel parable speaks to us about the various actions of the Divine Word on the hearts of people.

A sower went out to sow his seed. When he sowed, some seed fell by the way and was trampled, and birds flew in and pecked it; some fell on rocky places, where there was little earth, it sprang up at once and having sprung up withered, because it had no moisture and did not send roots deep; some fell among thorns, and weeds grew and choked the good shoots; some fell on good earth and brought abundant fruits. (Lk. 8, 5-8).

The Lord explained the meaning of this parable “About the sower”: the seed is the Word of God; the sower is Jesus Christ Himself and those who preach the Word of God; the earth is the human heart, a good heart is good earth, and an evil, impure one is barren earth.

Let us pay attention, brethren: the Lord did not say that He went out to plow the verbal fields, to harrow the earth or to pull out wild and weed grass, that is, to prepare our hearts and souls. The Lord expects from us that we ourselves will prepare our soul for the acceptance of the Word. Therefore the prophet John the Forerunner calls us: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Mt. 3, 3). Our preparation begins with repentance, confession, with abstinence from evil deeds. But to those who do not wish to prepare themselves in this way for sowing and bringing forth fruits, the Lord threatens judgment: “Every therefore tree that does not make good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 3, 10). These words are a sentence for those who live in sin, do not repent, and do not bring forth good fruits. Such will be uprooted from this life and the future one and sent to the unquenchable fiery hell.

Those listeners of the Word of God who listen to it only with bodily ears, without heartfelt attention, are likened by the Lord to the earth by the road. Usually the earth by the path is trampled and hard, and the scattered seeds do not sprout. These are those listening, to whom afterward comes the devil and takes away the word from their heart, so that they do not believe and are not saved. Why does he steal and carry away, since these seeds anyway lie on dead earth? The devil knows that the soul can come to life, come to itself, and the seed then can sprout. But the devil distorts true faith, clutters the seeds, mixing into them falsehood, which he introduces through heretics and various sectarians. So also the devil himself tried to tempt Jesus Christ with a word torn from the context of the Bible. When from the desert he lifted Jesus onto the roof of the temple and said: “Throw Yourself down from here,” for it is written: “He will command His angels concerning You to guard You, on hands they will bear You, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.” And if instead of the Lord there had been a person having in the soul thorns of pride, thirsting for flattery and praises, then he could be tempted and throw himself down. But the Lord answered the tempter: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Mt. 4, 7). Therefore we also will be “quick to hear,”—says the apostle—but mainly “to fulfillment” (Jas. 1, 19).

Further the Lord speaks about the seed sown on stone. To stony soil are likened the souls of people who are carried away by the preaching of the Gospel, sometimes even sincerely and pure-heartedly, find pleasure in listening to it, but they are not able to change their way of life, to depart from their favorite sins that have become habitual, to wage battle with temptations, to endure any sorrows and deprivations—in the battle with temptations they are tempted, fall in spirit and betray their faith and the Gospel commandments.

The heart hardened and stiffened in sinful habit is incapable of nourishing the root of the seed, which withers; and it is said: These have no root. The hearts of such people are not warmed by love for God; as with ice, they are bound by self-love and pride. And although such people can speak about virtue, but the Word of God cannot deepen into their hearts and bring good fruit, and the Word in the soul of the self-loving withers as soon as a sacrifice of truth, righteousness, and virtue is required. And in the first centuries of Christianity, and after the schism of the 17th century—the unsteady in faith and in love for Christ and truth, subjected to heavy persecutions and sufferings for the name of Christ, sometimes fell away from the faith. But our pious ancestors-Old Believers in firm faith brought and multiplied the fruits of the piety of Holy Rus. In the present time, when there are no open persecutions for faith, torments for the name of Christ, the spread false values, sinful customs, prejudices, frivolity, seductive entertainments and pleasures remove and tempt many Christians from the “narrow path” of following Jesus Christ and fulfilling His commandments. Brethren and sisters! Let us remember that, having decided to seek the Kingdom of God, we must not “turn back,” but to the end be faithful to the Lord Jesus.

And, finally, the obstacle to the fruit-bearing of the Word of God—thorns of vanity and worldly pleasures. “And other seed fell in the midst of thorns, and the thorns grew and choked it.” This happens from cares and wealth. But not the necessary worldly needs are called cares and condemned by the Savior, and not wealth is the cause of the fruitlessness of the Word of God. Both do not hinder either listening or preserving and fulfilling the word of the Lord. But only vain attachment to the earthly and temporal hinders, which fills and entangles, like thorns, our heart, suppressing in it the actions of the Word of God, chokes in it every good feeling, leaving no time and opportunity for satisfying spiritual needs. Even more dangerous thorns—these are our passionate attractions, which the Savior calls “pleasures of life.” Their root is found in the depth of our “fallen” nature, in the depth of the sinful human heart: “The law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and captivating me by the law of sin,”—says the apostle Paul (Rom. 7, 23).

The fruits of these thorns are the works of the flesh, about which the apostle says that those doing them “will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Gal. 5, 20). Those relaxing themselves with gluttony and excess in wine-drinking and entertainments vainly accept the Heavenly seed—the Word of teaching, because they will not be able to appear as a fruitful field for God. Saint Gregory Palamas writes: “We know that when there is much moisture in the fields, they are not able to bring fruit. So also the heart immersed in pleasure and intoxication, in fornication and impurity, is impossible to bring fruit worthy of God. Let everyone who because of a passionate and pleasure-loving life has nurtured thorns and weeds of sin, through repentance pull them out by the root and thereby prepare himself for the perception of the saving seed, and, having accepted it, grow and bring fruit—eternal life.”

Thus, it is obvious that for abundant fruit-bearing of the Word of God it is required not only to listen reverently and accept it, but also necessarily to prepare and cleanse one’s own heart, so that it is capable of cultivating fruits of holiness and righteousness. In the parable the Lord says: But other seed fell on good earth, and sprouted and brought fruit a hundredfold. And those on good earth, these are they who with good heart and good, having heard the word hold it and bring fruit in patience.

There are people whose heart is deep, which was plowed deeply—by suffering and compassion, mercy and love, grief and deprivations. In such a heart the seed of the Word of God takes root, as on good earth, it sends deep roots, which, like with moisture, are revived by the experience of the virtuous life of this person, sprouts and brings fruit.

One must not think that for good people the devil does not try to steal the treasure of the Word of God sown in their hearts, and would not want to cool their hearts with self-love, to choke with the thorn of vanity and fleshly lusts. Those about whom the Lord speaks as about good earth try to deepen in their heart the Gospel word, applying efforts for crushing the heart’s hardness with fear of death and God’s judgment, moisten the sown word with tears of contrition about their sins. They with attention and prayer reverently meditate on the Word of God, with repentance, the fire of love for God and fiery desire for eternal life in the Heavenly Kingdom burn in themselves unclean thorns of passionate desires and attractions to worldly vanity.

The Lord requires from the listeners of the Word attention: “He who has ears to hear let him hear.” But how many Christians today hear the Word of God, but do not attend to it, do not fulfill it and do not correct themselves. We must beware lest for contempt of the word of God that terrible spiritual hunger overtake us, which kills not bodies but souls, about which the prophet Amos says: “And I will send hunger on the earth, not hunger for bread, not thirst for water, but hunger for hearing the word of the Lord” (Amos. 8, 11).

Let us think about the words of Christ: “Take heed how you hear!”—let us reflect how we hear: is the seed sown in vain, not for judgment and condemnation for us—or for eternal life? Let us think what our soul represents? Where does the grain of the word of Christ fall? Into the thorn of worldly vanity, which chokes it and kills? On stone, where it grows and dies from sinful heat and heart dryness? Or by the road, whence the wind of little-faith and carelessness carries it away and where it will be plundered by the predator, the enemy of our salvation. Or will the seed fall into a good heart? And if our heart is not fruitful, then let us set before ourselves the question: how then to crush the stone of little-faith, how to revive the dried-up soul scorched by sin, how to warm the heart cooled by self-love?

Our life on earth is short, the time of sowing and bringing fruits is little. Our life will pass, and we will stand at the threshold of the judgment gates, and then it will be terrible to appear with nothing. The farmer who did not labor in time to cultivate the earth awaits hunger, for without labor there is no harvest. Every careless Christian who has done little good and has not labored for the salvation of his soul awaits a bitter fate. Let us fear the terrible consequences of laziness and carelessness. Let us in patience labor and learn, repent and pray, so that for the short days of our life to bring fruit a hundredfold, to reap for us eternal life and inherit paradise bliss according to the promise of the Lord, Who says: “Blessed are those hearing the word of God and keeping it” (Lk. 11, 28).

On Holy and Great Wednesday of Passion Week, concerning the most beautiful Joseph: how he revealed himself to his brothers, and how his father Jacob came to Egypt with all his household. When Potiphar, who had cast Joseph into prison, beheld that most glorious sight—how Joseph sat in Pharaoh’s chariot in great honor—he was greatly afraid. He withdrew in shame from the nobles and hurried home, trembling with fear. Entering his house, he said to his wife: “Knowest thou, O woman, what a wondrous sign hath occurred today, one that filleth us with great dread? Joseph, our servant, hath been made ruler over us and over all the land of Egypt! Behold, he sitteth with glory in Pharaoh’s chariot and is honored by all. I, for fear and trembling, could not appear before him, but quietly slipped away from the nobles.” Hearing this, Potiphar’s wife said to her husband: “Fear not, but I shall this day confess openly unto thee my sin, which until now I have hidden. I loved Joseph passionately. Therefore I adorned myself daily and hourly, seeking to entice him and draw him to myself. Yet I could not attain that wicked desire—for he rejected all my words and would not hearken unto me. I seized him, trying to force him to lie with me, but he fled outside. The garment I showed thee then was the one he left behind when he escaped from my hand and ran out into the street. And now I see that I have become the occasion of his power and great glory. For had I not loved Joseph, and had he not been thrown into prison, he would not have attained such honor. Therefore, I am now worthy to be praised by him, for I was the cause of his exaltation. Joseph is righteous and holy; he will not remember the evil that brought him good. Rise, then—go and bow before him together with the nobles.” Then Potiphar arose and went in shame and bowed before Joseph along with all the nobles. After this, the seven years of abundance came to an end, and famine began to spread across all the land. Jacob and his sons grew faint with hunger in the land of Canaan. When he heard that grain was being sold in Egypt, he said to his sons: “Why do ye look one upon another? Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down thither and buy for us a little food, that we may live and not die.” So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. And when they came, they bowed down before Joseph with their faces to the earth. When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them—but they did not recognize him. He spoke harshly to them and said: “From whence come ye?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” But he said to them, “Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land are ye come.” They replied, “Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all brothers, the children of one man. We were twelve in number; one of us was torn by wild beasts, being our father’s beloved, and our father still mourneth him to this day. The youngest remaineth now with our father.” Joseph said to them, “This is what I said unto you, that ye are spies. Ye shall not depart hence unless your youngest brother, of whom ye spake, be brought unto me. Then I will believe that ye are honest men and not spies.” So he cast them into prison for three days. Then, taking Simeon, he bound him before their eyes, and released the others. He commanded their sacks to be filled with grain, their money to be returned into their sacks, and provisions to be given them for the road. Thus he sent them away. When they had departed with their grain and found the money in their sacks, they were greatly afraid. Returning to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they reported to him all that had happened. Then Israel said, “Why have ye dealt so ill with me, as to tell the man that ye had yet another brother?” And they said, “The man questioned us straitly about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother?’ And we answered him according to the truth. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he alone is left. If mischief befall him on the way, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.” As the famine worsened, Jacob said to his sons: “Go again and buy us a little food.” But Judah answered him, saying: “If thou wilt not send our brother with us, we will not go. For the man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.’” Then Jacob said: “If it must be so, take gifts and double money with you, and take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man. And take back with you the money that was found in your sacks—it may have been an oversight. And may my God grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin.” So they arose and went down into Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw them, and Benjamin with them—his brother born of the same mother—he said to the steward of his house: “Bring these men into the house, and kill an animal, and prepare it, for these men shall dine with me at noon.” The steward did as Joseph had commanded and brought the men into Joseph’s house. When they saw that they were brought into the house, they were afraid and said: “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks before, they have brought us in, to lay an accusation upon us and to fall upon us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.” So they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door, saying: “O sir, we indeed came down before to buy food. But when we came to the lodging place and opened our sacks, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack—our money in full weight. And we have brought it back with us. And we have brought other money to buy food. We know not who put the money in our sacks.” But the steward said: “Peace be unto you, fear not. Your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money.” And he brought out Simeon unto them. Then he brought them water to wash their feet and gave fodder to their donkeys. They prepared their gifts until Joseph came at noon, for they had heard that they would eat there. When Joseph came into the house, they brought him the gifts which they had in their hands and bowed themselves to the ground. And he asked them: “Is it well with you? Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?” They answered, “Thy servant our father is in good health; he is yet alive.” And Joseph said, “Blessed be that man of God.” And bowing themselves again, they worshipped. Then Joseph lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin, his brother of the same mother, and said: “Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me?” And he said, “God be gracious unto thee, my son.” And Joseph’s heart was moved for his brother; his inward affections were stirred, and he sought a place to weep. He entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out, restraining himself, and said: “Set on bread.” And they set food before him by himself, and for them separately, and for the Egyptians who ate with him separately; for the Egyptians may not eat with the Hebrews, for that is abomination unto them. They sat before him—the eldest according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth—and the men marvelled at one another. Then he took portions from his own table and gave unto them. But Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and made merry with him. Then Joseph commanded his steward, saying: “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in the mouth of his sack. And put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest, along with his grain money.” And he did as Joseph had spoken. When morning dawned, the men were sent away with their donkeys. They had not gone far out of the city when Joseph said to his steward: “Arise, follow after the men, and when thou hast overtaken them, say unto them: ‘Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Why have ye stolen my silver cup? Is not this it from which my lord drinketh, and whereby he divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing.’” So the steward overtook them and spoke those words. And they said: “Why speaketh my lord such words as these? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing! Behold, the money which we found in our sacks’ mouths we brought again unto thee from the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of thy lord’s house? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” He replied, “Let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my slave; the rest of you shall be blameless.” Then they quickly laid down every man his sack and opened it. And he searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then they tore their garments, and Benjamin lifted up his voice with weeping, saying: “God of my father knoweth, beholding all things invisibly and searching the hearts, that I have not stolen the cup now found in my sack. Woe is me, woe is me, O Rachel my mother! What hath come upon thy child? Joseph, as they say, was devoured by beasts—and now I have been made a thief in a foreign land and shall remain in bondage.” Then each of them loaded his sack onto his donkey and they returned to the city. Judah and his brothers went in to Joseph and fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them: “What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?” And Judah said: “What shall we say unto my lord? or what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also with whom the cup is found.” But Joseph said: “God forbid that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.” Then Judah came near and said: “Let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant. Thou didst ask thy servants, saying, ‘Have ye a father or a brother?’ And we said: ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one, and his brother is dead. He alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.’ And thou saidst unto thy servants: ‘Bring him down unto me, that I may see him.’ And we said to my lord: ‘The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ But thou saidst unto thy servants: ‘Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.’ When our father sent us again to buy food, we said to him: ‘We will not go down, unless our youngest brother go with us.’ And he said: ‘Ye know that my wife bare me two sons. One went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since. And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’ Now I became surety for the lad to my father, saying: ‘If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.’ Now therefore, let me abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.” Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all that stood by him, and he cried: “Cause every man to go out from me.” And there stood no man with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud and said: “I am Joseph. Doth my father yet live?” And his brothers could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. Then Joseph said unto his brothers: “Come near to me, I pray you.” And they came near. And he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” Then he said: “Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, ‘Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not. And I will nourish thee—for yet there are five years of famine—lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty.’ Tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen. And bring him down quickly unto me.” And he fell upon the neck of Benjamin his brother and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Then Joseph gave them wagons according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. And to his father he sent likewise ten donkeys laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-donkeys laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. Then he sent his brothers away, and they departed. And he said unto them: “See that ye fall not out by the way.” They departed from Egypt and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father. And they told him, saying: “Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. Being pierced again with sorrow, he said: “Why do ye trouble my soul? That sorrow for Joseph, little quenched in me, ye would now stir up again?” But they told him all the words that Joseph had spoken to them. And when Benjamin came near and said to him: “Truly, these words are so,” Jacob saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob their father revived. And Israel said: “It is enough. Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.” And Israel rose up with all that he had and came into Egypt. When Joseph heard that his father was coming, he harnessed his chariot and went out to meet Israel his father. And when Jacob saw Joseph approaching, he cast aside the burden of old age and dismounted from his chariot. But Joseph came on foot, and all the nobles with him. And as he drew near to his father Jacob, he fell upon his neck and wept greatly. Then Israel said to Joseph: “Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.” And after seventy years, Jacob died in Egypt and was gathered to his fathers. Joseph fell upon his father’s face and wept bitterly over him, and kissed him. He commanded his servants, the embalmers, to prepare his father’s body for burial. The embalmers embalmed Israel, and forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are the days of embalming counted. And Egypt wept for him seventy days. When the days of mourning were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s household, saying: “If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying: ‘My father made me swear, saying, “In the grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me.” Now therefore let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’” Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.” So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as Joseph’s household, his brothers, and all his father’s house. Only their flocks and herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great company. And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation. And he made a mourning for his father seven days. And when the Canaanites saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said: “This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians.” Wherefore the name of that place was called Abel-Mizraim, which is beyond Jordan. His sons did for him as he had commanded them: they carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham bought as a possession for a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. Then Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. After the burial of their father, Joseph’s brothers, seeing that Jacob was dead, said among themselves: “Peradventure Joseph will remember the wrong we did him and will repay us for all the evil we did unto him.” So they came before Joseph and said to him: “Thy father did command before he died, saying: ‘So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil.’ Now therefore, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father.” And when Joseph heard these words, he wept. Then they came near again and said: “Behold, we are thy servants.” And Joseph said unto them: “Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you and your little ones.” And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. Thus Joseph and his brothers, and all his father’s house, dwelt in Egypt. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation, and also the children of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees. And Joseph said unto his brothers: “I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying: “God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.” So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old, and they embalmed him and laid him in a coffin in Egypt. To Christ, through all these things, be glory, with the Father and the All-Holy Spirit—to Him be honor and dominion, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On Holy and Great Tuesday of Passion Week, concerning that most beautiful Joseph: how the Ishmaelites sold him to Potiphar, and how he came to reign over Egypt. When Joseph’s brothers sold him, they brought a goat, slaughtered it, and dipped Joseph’s robe in the blood. They then sent it to their father Jacob, saying: “We have found this robe cast upon the mountains, and we have recognized it: this is the robe of Joseph, our brother, and we are all in sorrow because of him. Therefore, father, we have sent to thee this many-colored robe of Joseph, for we have not found our brother. Recognize it for thyself, whether it is thy son’s robe; for we have all recognized that it is Joseph’s.” When Jacob saw the robe of his son, he cried out with weeping and bitter lamentation, saying: “This robe is my son’s. A wicked beast hath devoured my son!” And with sobs he lamented: “Why was I not consumed in thy place, my son? Why did not that beast meet me instead, to be filled with my flesh, and leave thee alive, my son? Why did that beast not tear me apart? Why was I not its food? Woe is me! Woe is me! My womb is torn apart for Joseph’s sake! Woe is me! Woe is me! Where was my son slain, that I might go and tear my gray hairs for his beauty? I no longer wish to live, not seeing Joseph. I am the cause of thy death, my child. I, my child, have slain thee, having sent thee into the wilderness to visit thy brothers with the flocks. I shall now weep, my child, and mourn without ceasing, until I descend to the grave, my son. I shall place thy robe in the tomb with me, Joseph, ever before my tearful eyes. Behold, once again thy robe compels me to a new lamentation, my son: for it is whole and unharmed, and like a garment never worn. A beast hath not devoured thee, but thou wast stripped by the hands of men and beaten. For if, as thy brothers said, a beast had devoured thee, thy robe would have been torn to pieces, for a beast does not first undress its prey and then feed on its flesh. If, perchance, it had first stripped thee and only afterward devoured thee, then thy robe would have been left unbloodied. But on thy robe there is no sign of claw marks, nor of teeth—then whence is this blood upon thy robe? If there had been but one beast in the wilderness, I would have but one lamentation and one weeping: that I mourn for Joseph and weep over his robe. But now there are two griefs and two sorrows. I shall bitterly weep over the robe—how it was taken off, and how my child was devoured. Let me die, Joseph, my light and my support! Let thy robe descend with me into the grave, for I wish no longer to behold the light of this world, my son Joseph!” Meanwhile, the Ishmaelites, having taken Joseph, brought him diligently into Egypt, thinking that by his beauty they might gain much gold from some nobleman. And as they passed through the city, they were met by Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh and captain of the Egyptian guard. When he saw Joseph, he asked them, saying: “Tell me, merchants, whence is this young man? For he beareth not the same appearance as ye do—ye are all Ishmaelites, but this one is most comely.” They answered him, saying: “He is indeed of noble birth and exceedingly wise, this youth.” Then Potiphar, giving them the price they asked, bought Joseph from them with affection. He brought him into his house and tested him, desiring to know his way of life. Now Joseph was a true branch of the noble seed of the righteous Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He grew in virtue and was well-ordered in all things in Potiphar’s house. He lived with modesty—in sight, in speech, and in chastity—always keeping before his eyes the Holy God, the All-Seeing, the God of his fathers, who had delivered him from the pit of death and from the hatred of his brothers. Yet his heart remained sorrowful for his father Jacob. When Potiphar observed the conduct of the young man—his wisdom and faithful service—he entrusted everything he had into Joseph’s hands. He concerned himself with nothing in his household, save only the bread that he ate at his table. For his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that whatever he did, the Lord made it to prosper in his hands. And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph’s sake, and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had, both in the house and in the fields. But the wife of his master, seeing that Joseph was handsome and wise, was wounded in her heart by a devilish lust and longed greatly to be with him. She sought to drag that pure and living fountain of chastity into the pit of adultery. Every day she devised many schemes to seduce the young man—changing her garments at all hours, washing and anointing her face, adorning herself with jewelry, casting glances inspired by Satan, and laughing with shameless boldness, flatteringly speaking to the righteous man like a serpent. But she destroyed herself more than him with these wicked displays, attempting to entrap the soul of the innocent one. But Joseph, shielded by the fear of God, would not even entertain a thought of her. And when she saw that, despite all her beautifications, her efforts were in vain, she became all the more inflamed with desire and utterly consumed, not knowing what more to do. At last she resolved to approach him with shameless words, enticing him as the serpent did Eve, to pour out upon him the venom of impurity. She said without shame: “Lie with me; fear not anything, but be bold toward me, that I may delight in thy beauty, and thou in my charms. Many servants are at our disposal, and thou rulest over the whole household; none shall dare enter or overhear our deeds. But if it be for fear of my husband that thou dost refrain, then I shall kill him, giving him poison.” But he, unconquered in both soul and body, did not sink in the midst of this storm, but rejected her words outright, preserved blameless by the fear of God. To every such devilish snare, Joseph replied with noble and chaste words, and said with meekness: “I shall not commit this sin with thee, my lady: for I fear God. My master hath entrusted to me all his possessions—both in the house and in the fields—and there is nothing that is not under my authority, save thee, my lady. It would not be right to betray such great love from my master. And how can I do this evil thing and sin against God, who seeth the secrets of the heart?” These were the holy words Joseph spoke to his mistress, both teaching and forbidding her. But she did not heed the counsel of the righteous one. Instead, she burned all the more with the boiling passion within her, watching for the right hour and awaiting an opportune time to compel Joseph. Seeing the shamelessness of the woman, how she was determined to seduce him, Joseph lifted his eyes to the God of his fathers and often prayed, saying: “O God of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, deliver me from this beast! Thou seest, Lord, the madness of this woman—how she seeketh to destroy me through this secret and wicked act. O Master, Thou who didst deliver me from death at the hands of my brothers, deliver me now also from this wicked beast, that I may not be separated from my fathers, who greatly loved Thee, O Lord.” And opposing her impure desire, he cried out to Jacob: “O Jacob, my father, pray earnestly for me to God. Pray for me, father, for a great battle hath arisen against me—one that seeketh to separate me from God. This death from a woman is worse than that which was dealt to me by my brothers. That death destroyed the body, but this one would sever the soul from God. Yet I know that thy prayers, O father, have ascended to the Holy God on my behalf, and because of them I was delivered from the death of the pit. Now again pray to the Most High, that I may be delivered from this deadly pit now dug for thy son—by one who hath neither shame nor fear of God. To my brothers I went, and they were like wild beasts—like savage wolves they tore me away from thee and delivered me into Egypt by the hands of strangers. And now again a beast hath met me. Pray, O righteous one, for thy son Joseph, that I die not in soul before our God.” When Joseph would not obey his mistress’s desire to be with her, she shamelessly seized the chaste young man and tried to force him into sin. But seeing her brazen shamelessness, Joseph fled immediately out the door, leaving his garment in her hand. Thus he broke through all the snares of the devil, like some noble eagle who, seeing the hunter, flies up to the heights. So too did Joseph escape the trap, lest he perish through word and deed alike. But the woman, seeing that he had escaped, was seized with terror and became exceedingly wrathful. She began plotting how to slander the righteous man with wicked words to her husband, thinking that, if her husband heard these things, he would grow angry and put Joseph to death. She said within herself: “Far better that Joseph die and I be freed from this turmoil. I cannot bear to see such beauty in my house, especially when he has spurned me.” And so, calling the male and female servants, she said to them: “Did you see what this Hebrew slave of ours has done? My husband put him in charge of the entire house, and now he wishes to lie with me shamelessly. It was not enough for him to rule over the household—he even sought to take me away from my husband!” Then, when her husband came home from the palace, she took Joseph’s garment and showed it to him, pretending to be chaste and falsely accusing Joseph: “Was it thou who commanded thy Hebrew slave to mock and insult me, thy wife, and do such a thing unto me?” And her husband, hearing her words, believed the unjust slander of his wife and was enraged with fury. Taking Joseph, he cast him into prison—into the place where the king’s prisoners were kept—without remembering the blessings of God which had come upon his house and lands for Joseph’s sake, nor making any inquiry into the truth of the matter. Instead, he pronounced an unrighteous judgment against him at once. Yet the Lord was with Joseph, and He poured out mercy upon him, granting him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. And the jailer entrusted the prison into Joseph’s hands, along with all the prisoners held there: for all things were under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him. At that time, while Joseph was in prison, two men of Pharaoh’s household offended the king of Egypt: the chief baker and the chief cupbearer. Pharaoh grew angry with his servants and threw them into the same prison where Joseph was held. And after a few days passed, both men had a dream on the same night, each with its own meaning. In the morning, Joseph came to them and saw that they were troubled. He asked them: “Why are your faces so downcast today?” They answered him: “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” And Joseph said unto them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.” Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: “In my dream, there was a vine before me; and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, it blossomed and brought forth clusters of ripe grapes. And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into the cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” And Joseph said to him: “This is the interpretation: the three branches are three days. Within three days shall Pharaoh remember thy office and restore thee to thy former rank, and thou shalt once again place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, as thou didst when thou wast his cupbearer.” When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph: “In my dream, I beheld three baskets of bread upon my head. In the upper basket were all manner of baked goods that Pharaoh eats, and the birds of the air were eating them out of the basket on my head.” Joseph answered and said: “This is the interpretation: the three baskets are three days. Within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and hang thee on a tree, and the birds shall eat thy flesh from thee.” Then Joseph said to the chief cupbearer: “Remember me when it is well with thee, and show kindness unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this prison. For I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into this dungeon.” O holy seed! O chosen seed! O blessed one! Why seekest thou help from a man who shall die? Hast thou forsaken God and turned to man? Hast thou grown weary of God’s help? Why art thou faint of heart? It is God who giveth kingdoms and glory when He willeth. The more thou endurest tribulation, the greater shall be thy crown of victory. And it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants. And he remembered the chief cupbearer and the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his office again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph—he forgot him. After two full years, Pharaoh dreamed a dream: he stood by the river, and behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat in flesh, and they fed in the meadow. Then seven other cows came up after them, ugly and thin, and they fed beside the others, and devoured them. Then he saw a second dream: and behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, full and good. And then seven thin ears, blasted by the east wind, sprung up after them, and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. Pharaoh awoke in the morning, and his spirit was troubled. So he called for all the magicians of Egypt and all the wise men, and he told them his dreams, but none could interpret them for him. Then the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph, and said to Pharaoh: “As he interpreted to us—me and the chief baker—so it came to pass. Me he restored to mine office, and him he hanged.” Pharaoh sent for Joseph and brought him out of the dungeon, and said to him: “I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it. But I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.” And Joseph answered Pharaoh and said, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Pharaoh then told Joseph his dreams. And Joseph, having heard them, said to him: “Pharaoh’s dream is one and the same: what God is about to do He hath showed unto Pharaoh. The seven good cows and the seven good ears are seven years of plenty. And the seven lean cows and the seven thin ears are seven years of famine. The dream was repeated unto Pharaoh twice, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the produce during the seven plenteous years. Let them gather food under Pharaoh’s authority, and store it in the cities, to preserve it for the seven years of famine that shall come, that the land perish not through famine.” This saying pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto them: “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: “Forasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph: “See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.” And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen dyed in scarlet, and put a gold chain about his neck. He made him ride in the second chariot which he had, and they cried before him, “Bow the knee!” and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. To our God be glory, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

On the same Great Friday of Passion Week: a homily on the taking down of the Lord from the Cross, His burial, and the lamentation of the Most Holy Mother of God. Today let us praise the noble Joseph together with the myrrh-bearing women, for he ministered to the body of Christ after the Crucifixion. The Evangelist calls him a rich man, who came from Arimathea. “He also was a disciple of Jesus,” it says, “and waited for the kingdom of God.” And at the time of the voluntary and saving Passion of the Savior, having seen the terrible signs in creation—the darkening of the sun and the trembling of the earth—Joseph was filled with fear and wonder. Coming to Jerusalem, he found the body of Christ still hanging on the Cross, pierced, and with it His Mother Mary, standing there with the one disciple entrusted to her, wailing bitterly from the sorrow of her heart. And thus she cried aloud: “Creation mourns with Me, My Son, beholding Thy unjust death. Woe is Me, My Child, My Light and Fashioner of all creation—how shall I lament Thee now? Shall I weep for the blows to Thy cheek, the strikes upon Thy face and back, the bonds and prison, or the spittings upon Thy holy and righteous countenance, which were inflicted by the lawless in return for Thy good deeds? Woe is Me, My Child! Though innocent, Thou wast mocked, and hast tasted death upon the Cross. How did they crown Thee with thorns, and give Thee gall and vinegar to drink? And still more—they pierced Thy most pure side with a spear. Heaven was horrified, and the earth trembled, unable to bear the boldness of the Jews. The sun was darkened, the rocks were split open, revealing the stone-heartedness of the Jews. I behold Thee, My beloved Child, hanging naked upon the Cross, lifeless and without light, lacking form or beauty—and for this I am pierced with sorrow in My soul. I would have preferred to die with Thee; I cannot endure to see Thee lifeless. From this moment, joy shall never again touch Me, for My Light, My Hope, and My Life—My Son and My God—has been extinguished upon the Tree. Where now, My Child, is the glad tidings once spoken by Gabriel, when he said: ‘Rejoice, O thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee’? He called Thee King and Son of the Most High, the Savior of the world, the Life-Giver to all, and the One who taketh away sin. But now I see Thee numbered among criminals, crucified between two thieves, pierced in the side with a spear, and dead. Therefore am I crushed with bitter grief. I do not wish to go on living, but to go before Thee into Hades. For now I have been deprived of My Expectation, My Joy, and My Gladness—My Son and My God. Woe is Me! Not even at Thy wondrous birth did I suffer as I do now, O Master. My very womb is torn with pain as I behold Thy body nailed to the Tree. Glorious was Thy birth, O Jesus—but now terrifying is Thy death. Thou alone didst pass through the Virgin’s womb without corruption, preserving the seal of My virginity. Thou didst make Me the Mother of Thy Incarnation, yet didst also preserve Me a virgin even afterward. I know that Thou sufferest for Adam—but My soul is seized with sorrow, and I weep bitterly, marveling at the depth of Thy mystery. Hear, O heaven, and sea, and give ear, O earth, to the cry of My weeping: behold, your Creator suffereth at the hands of the high priests! The only Righteous One is slain as a lawless man for the sake of sinners. Today, the prophecy of Symeon has come upon Me: for now the spear pierces My soul, as I behold Thy torment at the hands of the soldier. Woe is Me—whom shall I call to weep with Me? With whom shall I share the outpouring of My tears? For all have abandoned Thee, Thy disciples and friends, who once rejoiced in Thy wonders. Where is the company of the seventy disciples? Where are the chief apostles? One of them betrayed Thee to the Pharisees for silver. Another, out of fear, denied Thee before the high priest, swearing an oath that he did not even know Thee as a man. Only I, Thy handmaiden, O my God, remain here weeping, standing with the guardian of Thy words and Thy beloved disciple. Woe is Me, O Jesus—Thy most precious Name! How can the earth even remain standing, bearing Thee as Thou hangest naked upon the Cross—Thou who didst lay its foundation upon the waters at the beginning? Thou who didst give sight to many blind men, who didst raise the dead by Thy word and by the movement of Thy divine power!” Come, and see the mystery of God’s providence—how the One who gives life to all was put to death by an accursed death. Hearing this, Joseph drew near to the Mother, who was weeping bitterly. When Mary saw him, she spoke to him tenderly: “Hasten, noble Joseph, go to Pilate, that lawless judge, and ask to take down from the Cross the body of thy Master—My Son and my God. Go quickly and precede Me, thou who sharest in Christ’s teaching, thou secret apostle, companion of the Kingdom of God, and ask for that lifeless Body which is nailed to the tree and pierced in the side.” “Suffer with Him,” she said, “faithful one, and for this thou shalt receive a double crown after the Resurrection of Christ: honor and veneration from the ends of the earth, and eternal life in heaven.” Joseph was moved to tears by her sorrowful words. He did not say, “The priests will rise up against me and persecute me; the Jews will stir up trouble and stone me; the Pharisees will plunder my wealth; I shall be cast out of the synagogue.” He said none of these things, but considered them as nothing. He paid no regard to his own life, that he might gain Christ. With boldness he entered and approached Pilate, and said, “Give me, O governor, the body of that Stranger Jesus, who was crucified between two thieves, slandered by the high priests out of envy, and mocked unjustly by the soldiers. Give me the body of that Jesus, whom the scribes called the Son of God, and whom the Pharisees named the King. It was He of whom thou didst command the inscription to be placed above His head, reading: ‘This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ O Pilate, give me the body of Him whose disciple betrayed Him to the priests for silver—the very One whom the prophet Zechariah foresaw and wrote of, saying: ‘Give Me My price, or refuse it’; and they set down thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value. I ask for the body of Him of whom Caiaphas prophesied that year, declaring it was better for one man to die for the whole world. His prophecy was not his own, but he was high priest that year. Of such men the prophet Jeremiah said: ‘Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard.’ And again David said of them: ‘The rulers of the people gathered themselves together against the Lord and against His Christ.’ Solomon, too, spoke of them: ‘They devised and were deceived, for their malice blinded them. They said among themselves: Let us capture the Righteous One, let us wear Him out with mockery and wounds, and condemn Him to a dishonorable death.’ I ask for the body of Jesus—the one who answered thy inquiry, saying: ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’; and, ‘Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above.’ It was because of Him that thy wife begged thee, saying: ‘Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.’ O Pilate, give me the body of the Crucified One, the One whom, when He entered Jerusalem, children met with palm branches, crying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ At the sound of His voice, even Hades trembled, and released the soul of Lazarus, who had already lain four days dead. It was of Him that Moses wrote in the Law: ‘Ye shall see your Life hanging before your eyes.’ I desire the lifeless body of Him whose Mother bore Him as a virgin, without knowing a man. Of Him the prophet Isaiah said to Ahaz: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel.’ Of Him also David prophesied, saying: ‘They pierced My hands and My feet; they numbered all My bones.’ Give me, O governor, the body of Jesus who died upon the Cross, of whom thou thyself didst say to the Jews who demanded His death: ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just person.’ Then thou washed thy hands and had Him scourged, and gave Him over to death. Of Him the prophet said: ‘I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.’ O Pilate, I ask for the body of that Nazarene—at whose name demons fled from the possessed, crying out: ‘What have we to do with thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?’ It was also of Him that God the Father Himself bore witness from heaven, when He was baptized in the Jordan, saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Of Him the Holy Spirit spoke through Isaiah: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter by lawless men, and was delivered up unto death.” O Pilate, give me His body to take down from the Cross. I desire to lay Him in my own tomb, in which no one has yet been laid. There is no benefit to you in a dead body. All that was prophesied of Him has now been fulfilled. “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows… and with His stripes we are healed.” He was “numbered with the transgressors,” and they said, “Let us destroy the memory of Him from the earth, and let His name be remembered no more.” Therefore, God desired to remove sorrow from His soul and to grant Him the inheritance of the strong. It is written of Him: “And by the blood of Thy covenant, Thou hast set free Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” When Pilate heard all these things spoken by Joseph, he marveled. He summoned the centurion and asked whether Jesus, who had been crucified, was already dead. Learning from the centurion that He was, he gave the body to Joseph to bury as he wished. Then Joseph bought a linen shroud and took down the body of Jesus from the Cross. Nicodemus also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight, and they anointed the body of Jesus and wrapped it in the linen. And Joseph cried aloud, saying: “O Christ, Sun that never setteth, Creator and Lord of all creation, how shall I touch Thy most pure body, which is untouchable even to the heavenly powers who minister unto Thee with fear? With what kind of linen shall I wrap Thee, who coverest the heavens with clouds and clotheth the earth in mist? What ointments shall I pour upon Thy most pure and holy body—Thou to whom Persian kings once brought gifts with fragrant offerings and fell down to worship as God, foreseeing Thy death for the whole world? What funeral hymns shall I sing at Thy departure, to Thee whom the Seraphim ceaselessly praise with silent voices on high? How shall I bear Thee in my mortal hands—Thou who invisibly bearest all creation, O Lord? How shall I lay Thee in my humble tomb—Thou who with a word didst establish the heavens, and who restest upon the Cherubim with the Father and the Holy Spirit? Yet, all of this Thou dost willingly endure by Thy providence. For Thou goest down to Hades in order to bring Adam and Eve, fallen through transgression, back into Paradise—and together with them, raise the dead by the power of Thy divinity. Therefore, proclaiming these things, I bury Thee, my merciful God, as I have been taught by the Holy Spirit: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.” And they laid Him in the tomb, and rolled a great stone before the entrance of the tomb. And the Pure Virgin wept, saying:

“From this moment, joy shall never again touch Me. For My Light and My Gladness has descended into the tomb. O women bearing myrrh, why do you stand still? Weep and lament bitterly with Me, for My Light and yours has been slain, and is now laid in the tomb. Now I have been deprived of My Hope, My Joy, and My Gladness—of My Son and my God. Woe is Me, My heart is pierced with sorrow. O Sun that never setteth, eternal God, Creator of all, and Fashioner of the world—how hast Thou entered the tomb? Didst Thou not speak Thy word unto Thy handmaiden, O Word of God? Wilt Thou not show compassion, O Lord, on the one who gave Thee birth? I think now that I shall never again hear Thy voice, nor behold the beauty of Thy countenance. Already Thou art hidden from My eyes, O My Son. I shall not depart from Thy tomb, O My Son, nor shall My tears cease to flow—I, Thy handmaiden. Why hast Thou left Me alone, O My Son? I shall go with Thee even into Thy little tomb. I beg Thee, O My Son and my God, heal the wound in My soul, O Child. Rise again on the third day, as Thou Thyself hast promised, and turn My bitter sorrow into joy—for Thou art able to do whatsoever Thou wilt, even though Thou hast willingly entered into the grave.”

And the Lord, in secret, answered her: “O My Mother, how could the depth of My compassion be hidden from Thee? I suffer this in order to save My creation.” Let us, then, as sinners, praise and glorify the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

I have often pondered within myself why our fathers, having passed by the prayer houses that stand within the city, ordained that today we should gather outside the city, and there hold the divine service. Surely they did not do this without cause or in vain. I sought the reason—and by the grace of God, I found one that is just, well-founded, and appropriate to the feast we now celebrate. And what is this reason? Today we commemorate the Cross, and He who was crucified upon it was crucified outside the city. Therefore, we too are led outside the city. “The sheep follow the shepherd,” it is said in Scripture; “where the king is, there also are his warriors,” and “where the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered” (cf. Matt. 24:28). That is why we gather outside the city. But let us confirm this more surely from the divine Scriptures, so that you will not suppose this is merely a conjecture of ours. I will bring Paul himself as a witness. What does he say concerning sacrifices? “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp” (Hebrews 13:11). “Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:12–13). Paul spoke this and commanded it; we obeyed and went out. Therefore, it is for this reason that we gather outside the city. But why specifically in this church of the martyrs, and not in another? By the grace of God, our city is surrounded on every side by the relics of saints. So why did the fathers appoint this particular church of the martyrs and not another? Because here there lies a multitude of the dead. Since today Jesus descended to the dead, therefore we too gather here. For this reason, the very place is called a cemetery (koimeterion, κοιμητήριον), that thou mightest know that those who have departed and lie here have not died, but rest and sleep. Before the coming of Christ, death was called by its proper name—death. “In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17); and again: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). David says, “The death of sinners is evil” (Psalm 33:22 LXX); and also, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 115:6 LXX). Likewise Job says, “Death is rest to a man” (cf. Job 3:23). And it was not only called death but also Hades. Listen to David: “But God will redeem my soul from the hand of Hades, for He shall receive me” (Psalm 48:16 LXX). And Jacob says, “Ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Hades” (Genesis 42:38). Such were the names given to our end before Christ came. But when Christ came and died for the life of the world, death was no longer called death, but sleep and repose. And that it is indeed called repose is evident from what Christ Himself said: “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth” (John 11:11). He did not say “he is dead,” although Lazarus was already dead. And to show that this name of sleep for death was not commonly used, look at how the disciples, upon hearing this, were confused and said, “Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well” (John 11:12). They did not yet understand the meaning of His words. Paul likewise says to some: “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (1 Corinthians 15:18). And elsewhere: “We which are alive… shall not prevent them which are asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:15). And again in another place: “Awake, thou that sleepest” (Ephesians 5:14). And to make clear that he speaks of the dead, he adds: “and arise from the dead.” Dost thou see how everywhere death is called sleep? Therefore, this place is called a cemetery, for even this name brings benefit to us and is full of spiritual wisdom. So then, when you bring a dead one here, do not despair, for you are not bringing him to death but to sleep. Let this very name be your consolation in sorrow. Know where you are bringing him—to a place of rest. And know when you bring him—after the death of Christ, when the bonds of death have been loosed. Thus, from both the place and the time you may draw great comfort. And above all, our words are meant especially for women, for this sex is more prone to deep emotion and melancholy. Yet for you too there is sufficient healing for sorrow—in the very name of this place. This, then, is why we gather here. Today our Lord passed through every region of Hades; today He “hath broken the gates of brass, and smitten the bars of iron in sunder” (Psalm 106:16; Isaiah 45:2). Mark well the precision of the words: it does not say that He merely opened the gates of brass, but that He broke them—that the prison might become useless. Nor does it say He removed the bars, but that He shattered them—so that the guards became powerless. Where there is neither door nor lock, none can be detained—not even if one should enter of his own accord. Therefore, when Christ hath shattered them, who shall restore them again? What God hath destroyed, who can rebuild? When kings wish to free prisoners, they do not act thus: they issue decrees, yet leave the prison doors and guards intact—implying that those same prisoners, or others in their stead, might one day return. But Christ did not act in this way. Desiring to show that death itself had come to an end, He destroyed its “gates of brass.” The prophet called them brass not because they were literally of metal, but to show the cruelty and unyielding harshness of death. And to convince you that “brass” and “iron” signify not the material, but the fierceness and inflexibility of death, listen to what the Lord says to a shameless man: “Thy neck is as an iron sinew, and thy brow brass” (Isaiah 48:4). Not that he possessed a literal iron neck or brazen forehead, but that his demeanor was obstinate, shameless, and hardened. Would you know just how stubborn and unyielding death was—like unto adamant? Through so many ages, none was ever released from its grasp, until the Master of angels descended and constrained it. First He bound the strong man, and then plundered his vessels; for this reason the prophet adds, “I will give thee the treasures of darkness… and hidden riches of secret places” (Isaiah 45:3). Though the words are similar, their meaning is twofold. There are, indeed, dark places that may become visible when light is brought in—but Hades was utterly without light or joy, never sharing in the nature of light. Thus, it is called “dark” and “hidden.” And indeed, it was dark—until the Sun of Righteousness descended there, enlightened it, and made Hades into heaven. For where Christ is, there also is heaven. He calls Hades “the treasures of darkness,” and rightly so: for a great treasure was stored therein. The entire human race, which is the treasure of God, had been plundered by the deceiver of the first man, and was delivered over to the bonds of death. And that mankind was a treasure unto God is expressed by Paul when he says, “The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him” (Romans 10:12). Just as when a king captures the chief of bandits—who had attacked cities, looted all, and hidden his plunder in a cave—and binds him, putting him to death, while transferring his treasure to the royal treasury, so likewise did Christ: the prince of robbers, the jailer—namely, the devil and death—He bound through His own death, and transferred all the treasure, that is, the human race, to the royal treasury. This also Paul declares: “He hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). And what is most marvelous of all: the King Himself came. No earthly king would ever deign to do this; they send their servants to release the prisoners. But here it was not so: the King Himself came to the captives and was not ashamed of them—for He will not be ashamed of that which He created. He broke the gates, shattered the bars, descended into Hades, rendered all its defenses powerless, and, having seized the jailer in bonds, thus returned to us. The tormentor was led away in chains, the strong man bound, death itself, having cast aside its weapons, came naked and trembling to the feet of the King. Dost thou behold this wondrous victory? Dost thou see the power of the Cross? Shall I tell thee something even more marvelous still? Consider the manner of the victory—and thou shalt be yet more amazed. With the very weapons by which the devil had prevailed, Christ overcame him; taking up the same arms, He triumphed over the adversary. And how did this come to pass? Hearken. A virgin, a tree, and death were the symbols of our defeat: the virgin was Eve, for she had not yet known man; the tree was that of Paradise; and death was Adam’s punishment. But now, again, a Virgin, a tree, and death—these same symbols of defeat—have become the signs of victory. Instead of Eve, there is Mary; instead of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Tree of the Cross; instead of Adam’s death, the death of Christ. Seest thou how the devil is vanquished by the very means with which he once prevailed? Through a tree, the devil struck down Adam; through the Cross, Christ overthrew the devil. That tree cast man down into Hades; this tree hath drawn the dead up from thence. That tree hid the naked prisoner; this tree from on high revealed to all the naked Victor. And as for death—by that death, those who lived thereafter were condemned; but by this death, those who came before were raised. “Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?” (Psalm 105:2) Through death we are made immortal—such is the work of the Cross. Hast thou now understood the victory? Hast thou grasped the manner of triumph? Then understand also how effortlessly this was wrought for us. We did not stain weapons with blood, we did not take our place in battle lines, we did not receive wounds, nor did we witness warfare—yet we received the victory. The combat belonged to the Master; the crown is ours. If then this victory is ours also, let us all lift up a cry of triumph like valiant soldiers. Let us sing unto the Master a hymn of victory, saying: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55) Behold what the Cross hath accomplished for us: the Cross is a trophy over demons, a weapon against sin, the sword by which Christ hath pierced the serpent. The Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of the Only-Begotten, the joy of the Spirit, the adornment of angels, the foundation of the Church, the boast of Paul, the stronghold of the saints, the light of the whole world. As when a house is darkened and someone lights a lamp and sets it high upon a stand, so that the darkness is driven out, so too hath Christ, in a world wrapped in shadow, lifted up the Cross like a radiant lamp, and raised it on high, and scattered all the darkness of the earth. And just as a lamp bears its light at the topmost part, so too did the Cross, on its summit, bear the radiant Sun of Righteousness. When the world beheld Him fastened thereto, it trembled; the earth quaked, the rocks were rent. Yet though the rocks were rent, the hardness of the Jews remained unbroken. The veil of the temple was torn asunder, but the veil of their impiety was not. Why was the veil torn? Because the temple could not bear to see its Lord being crucified. In the rending of its veil, it cried out as it were, saying: “Let now every man who will, trample the Holy of Holies. What use have I for it, when such a sacrifice is offered outside my walls? What use have I now for the covenant? What use for the Law? In vain and to no purpose have I instructed them for so many years.” This too did the prophet foretell, crying out: “Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?” (Psalm 2:1) They had heard: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). They had studied this prophecy for so long—and when the fulfillment came to pass, they did not believe. Dost thou see how “the people imagined vain things”? Therefore was the veil torn, to signify the desolation that was about to befall the temple henceforth, unceasingly. And now, as we prepare this very evening to behold Him who was crucified—like a lamb that is slain and offered in sacrifice—I exhort you: let us draw near with fear, with great reverence and awe. Do you not know how the angels stood by the tomb, even though it held not His body, even though it was empty? Because it had once contained the Master’s body in full, they rendered great honor even to that place. The angels, though surpassing our nature, stood before the tomb with such reverence and holy dread—shall we then approach, not an empty tomb, but the very table upon which the Lamb lies, and do so with noise and confusion? What excuse shall we have after this? I do not speak these words in vain, but because I witness many on this evening acting in disorder—clamoring, shouting, pressing one another, shoving, quarreling—and by this they prepare for themselves not salvation, but condemnation. That is why I address this exhortation to them. What art thou doing, O man? When the priest stands before the holy table, lifting his hands toward heaven, calling upon the Holy Spirit to descend and touch the gifts that lie before him—then there is profound silence, great stillness. And when the Spirit has bestowed His grace, when He has descended, when He has touched the holy gifts, when the Lamb is now slain and offered—at that very moment, dost thou begin to make noise? To stir up confusion, dispute, and shouting? How canst thou partake of this sacrifice while approaching the holy table in such turmoil? Is it not enough that we draw near bearing sins—must we also add sin in the very act of approaching? Truly, if we quarrel, if we cry out, if we wound one another with our tongues, how can we be without sin? Why art thou in haste, tell me? Why dost thou push your neighbor, when thou beholdest the Lamb who is slain? Even if thou were to gaze upon this sacrifice through the entire night, could such a vision ever grow wearisome? All the day thou didst wait; thou hast spent the greater part of the night—wouldst thou now lose so great a labor in the span of a single moment? Consider what lies before thee—and for whose sake. The Lamb is slain for thee, and thou regardest Him with indifference? “Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together” (Matthew 24:28). But we approach not as eagles, but as dogs—such is our shamelessness! Consider what was once poured out: this is blood—the blood that blotted out the handwriting of thy sins; the blood that cleansed thy soul, that washed away thy uncleanness; the blood that triumphed over principalities and powers. For “having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15). This trophy, says the Apostle, bears many signs of victory. Upon the summit of the Cross hangs the spoils of battle. As a valiant king, having completed a great war in triumph, displays on a high trophy the armor, shield, and weapons of the vanquished prince and his warriors, so too did Christ, victorious in His war against the devil, hang upon the lofty height of the Cross all of the enemy’s weapons—death and the curse—that all might see this trophy: both the powers above, in heaven, and men below, on earth, and even the vanquished demons themselves. Therefore, if we have received such a great gift, let us show ourselves, to the extent we are able, worthy of the blessings granted us—so that we too may be found worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory, honor, and dominion unto the Father, with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

By St. Gregory Palamas The eternal and ineffable Word of God, the Almighty and Omnipotent Son, could, even without taking on flesh, have delivered humankind from corruption, death, and bondage to the devil—for all things are upheld by the word of His power, and all creation is subject to His divine authority. As Job says, “Nothing is impossible for Him” (Job 42:2). For the power of the Creator cannot be withstood by any created force, and nothing is stronger than the Almighty. Yet the method chosen—namely, the Incarnation of the Word—was more fitting to our nature and weakness, and more appropriate for the One who accomplished our salvation, for it encompassed also the principle of divine justice, without which God accomplishes nothing. As the Psalmist proclaims, “God is righteous and loves righteousness, and there is no injustice in Him” (Psalm 10:7). Now man, having in the beginning justly been abandoned by God—since he was the first to abandon God and voluntarily ran to the prince of evil, the devil, trusting in his deceitful counsel which opposed the commandment of God—was justly handed over to him. Thus, through the envy of the evil one, and by the just permission of the Good One, death entered the world. This death, due to the excessive wickedness of the prince of evil, became twofold: it was not only natural but also, through his working, all death became violent. Therefore, since we were justly delivered into the bondage of the devil and of death, it was necessary that our restoration to freedom and life also be accomplished by God according to the principle of righteousness. Not only was man handed over to the devil through divine justice, but the devil himself, having cast away righteousness, became unlawfully desirous of power and dominion—or rather, tyranny—opposing justice and acting violently against man. It was fitting, then, that God should first bring low the devil through the principle of justice—since he had violated it—and only afterward by power, on the day of the Resurrection and of the Final Judgment. For this is the most fitting order: that justice precedes power, and that such is the mark of truly divine and good rule—not of tyranny, wherein justice may only follow power. There is, then, a kind of parallel: just as the devil, from the beginning a murderer of man, rose up against us through envy and hatred, so the Author of life was moved for our sake by the abundance of His love and goodness. As the one unlawfully sought the destruction of God’s creature, so the Creator desired strongly to save the work of His own hands. As the devil acted through injustice and deceit to gain a victory and bring about man’s fall, so the Redeemer, by righteousness and wisdom, achieved total victory over the prince of evil and brought about the renewal of His creation. So then, though God could have acted by sheer power, He did not do so, but instead acted in a manner befitting Himself—by the principle of justice. In this way, justice itself was glorified, precisely because it was preferred by the One who holds invincible power. And it was also fitting to instruct mankind, that they should now, in this present age of corruption, practice righteousness through their deeds, so that in the age of immortality, having received power, they might possess it unshakably. Moreover, it was necessary that the one who had been defeated should become the victor over the one who had conquered, and that the deceiver should be outwitted. For this, it was absolutely necessary that a man be without sin. But this was impossible. For Scripture says, “No one is without sin, even if his life be but a single day” (Job 14:4–5), and, “Who can say, I have made my heart clean?” (Proverbs 20:9). No one is without sin—except God alone. Therefore, the One who is from God, the Word of God—eternally begotten of the Father, and ever dwelling in Him (for it is impossible and inconceivable to imagine God ever without His Word), and one with Him, being truly God—just as sunlight is not a light from another source, but the light of the sun itself, and just as a ray is not the manifestation of another sun, but proceeds from this one—so too the only sinless One, the Son and Word of God, became the Son of Man: unchangeable in His divinity, blameless in His humanity. As Isaiah had foretold, “He did no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). Not only this, but He alone was not conceived in iniquity, nor carried in sin in the womb, as David testifies—not only of himself, but truly of every man (cf. Psalm 50:5). For bodily desire, being independent of the will and clearly hostile to the law of the spirit—though it can be subdued by the will in the chaste and allowed only for the purpose of procreation—nevertheless brings with it condemnation from the beginning, as it is corruption and is rightly called such. It generates us, indeed, for corruption, and is a passionate motion in man who has lost sight of the honor bestowed on our nature by God and has instead become like the beasts. For this reason, God not only became Man, but was born of a Holy Virgin—a Virgin who was higher than all impure thoughts arising from the flesh—as had been foretold by the Prophets. Her conception was not by the will of the flesh but through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; the cause of God’s indwelling was the Angelic Annunciation and the Virgin’s faith—not the consent or experience of passionate desire. For such a thing was utterly foreign to the All-Holy Virgin, who by her prayer and spiritual joy had utterly cast it far from her. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word,” said the undefiled Virgin to the angel who announced glad tidings, and so she conceived and gave birth—so that the Victor over the devil might be a Man who, being also God, took from humanity only the root, that is, human nature itself, but not sin. He alone was not conceived in iniquity nor carried in the womb in sin—that is, not in fleshly lust or the impure thoughts of a nature stained through transgression—but was in every sense perfectly pure and spotless. And this not because He Himself needed such purity, but because He wisely received it for our sake. Thus He was truly called the New Adam, utterly free from decay, who came to recreate the old Adam in Himself and through Himself, to preserve him forever in youthful vigor, having the power to utterly banish old age. For even the first Adam, at the beginning, was created by God pure and youthful, until, of his own will, he trusted the devil, turned to carnal pleasures, and fell into the defilement of sin. Then he grew old and entered a condition contrary to nature. Therefore, the Master did not merely renew him with His hand in a miraculous way, but united him to Himself—assuming not only human nature to save it from its fall, but fully clothing Himself with it in an incomprehensible way, joining it to Himself inseparably, being born both God and Man. He was truly born of a woman, in order to exalt that nature which He Himself had created, but which, through the malice of the evil one, had been stolen. And He was born of a Virgin in order to make a new man. For if He had come from the seed of man, then He would not have been the Author and Captain of a new and ever-youthful life. Being of the old stock, He would not have been able to receive in Himself the fullness of the pure Divinity, nor could He have made His flesh an inexhaustible source of sanctification. But by the superabundance of His power, He washed away the ancestral defilement and became sufficient for the sanctification of all those who would come after. Therefore, it was not an angel or a man, but the Lord Himself who willed, out of mercy, to save and recreate us—remaining unchangeably God, yet becoming fully Man in our likeness. Thus, He is born of the Holy Virgin, the only One from eternity free from sin, the only One truly worthy never to be forsaken by God. Before He had known evil, He chose the good, as the prophecy declares. He lived a wholly blameless life, being justly and deservedly free from ever being forsaken by God, for He Himself never forsook God, unlike the first Adam who, having transgressed the commandment, abandoned Him. Rather, He fulfilled every commandment of God, the entire Law of God, and thus was rightfully free from the devil’s dominion. And in this way, the devil, who once conquered man, is now conquered by a Man. The one who once triumphed over the nature made in the image of God, and in this pride gloried—he is now cast down from that pride. And behold, man rises again from both spiritual and true death—that death which he died immediately upon eating from the forbidden tree, the death with which God threatened Adam and Eve before their disobedience, saying: “On the day ye eat thereof, ye shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Therefore, after the transgression, we were also condemned to bodily death, as God then said to Adam: “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19). For just as the departure of the soul from the body is the death of the body, so also the departure of the soul from God—its separation from Him—is the death of the soul. Though the soul remains immortal in a different sense, when separated from God, it becomes putrid and repulsive—more so than a corpse. Yet it is not dissolved after death, like the body, because it possesses a being independent of the composition of elements. This is evident even in inanimate things: the simpler something is, the more enduring it tends to be. And so, when the rational soul is separated from God, it not only becomes inert in regard to good activity, but also becomes active in evil, wretchedly disordering everything—living still, even in its separation from the body—until, at the judgment, it will be delivered, together with the body in an unbreakable and unbearable union, to eternal torment prepared for the devil and his angels. For they too are dead—though active in evil—because they were justly rejected by God, who is Life itself. The first to undergo this death was Satan, who was justly cast off from God because of disobedience. Then, through wicked counsel, he drew us into disobedience as well, making us partakers of that same death. But Christ, through His life in the flesh, showing perfect obedience in all His deeds, freed our nature from that death. Yet it was fitting, not only that the human nature He had assumed be made immortal, but that the entire human race be raised to share in that Life which in time will also become the cause of eternal life for the body—just as, conversely, the soul’s death became the cause of bodily death. Therefore, it was both necessary and beneficial to display this economy of salvation, and to set forth His manner of life as an example for imitation. For God is presented to us not only for contemplation, but also as a model for imitation—both for man and for the good angels. But since we once fell down from the height of this contemplation, depriving ourselves of it by our own doing, the Most High God, in His exceeding love for mankind, descended to us—without in any way diminishing His divinity—and, living among us, offered Himself as an example of the return and ascent to life. And not only this: He also became our Teacher, showing us by word the path that leads to life, and confirming the words of His teaching with the greatest miracles. In this way, human nature is vindicated—demonstrating that evil (corruption) is not inherent in it. And God is also justified—as not being the cause or creator of any evil. For if the co-eternal Word of the Father had not become incarnate, then it would have seemed that sin was in man by nature, since from the beginning there was no man free of sin. Then it might be supposed that the blame lay with the Creator, as though He were not the Author of good or not Himself good, or worse—that He were an unjust Judge, having condemned man who, from his very creation, was destined for condemnation. Therefore, God assumed human nature to show to what extent it is free from sin—so pure that it could be united to Him hypostatically, and could coexist eternally with Him in indivisible union. Thus, He demonstrated in reality and for all to see, that God is good and just, the Creator of good and the Overseer (epoptēs) of righteous judgment. For although Satan and the angels who fell with him were cast down from heaven, yet by the example of the angels who remained faithful to their rank, it is evident that evil is not natural to angels. On the contrary, goodness is natural to them, and their Creator is by nature Good. It is by a righteous judgment that Satan is condemned to everlasting darkness—because by his own will, he became the cause of evil, having turned away from the Beautiful Good. And after Adam fell—having turned from good to evil—there appeared no one who remained unmoved by evil. Since Adam, no man was found free from sin. Thus appeared the New Adam—Christ—who, as Isaiah says, “did no sin” and did not even think sinfully; how much more, then, did He not speak sinfully, for “there was no deceit found in His mouth” (cf. Is. 53:9). The prophet does not say “from His lips,” but “in His mouth,” to indicate the blamelessness of His thoughts. Elsewhere, Isaiah says that “before He knew evil, He chose the good.” In this way, as mentioned earlier, God was justified and revealed as truly good and the Creator of good works, since man was originally created sinless—and the purity revealed in Christ was attributed by God to human nature itself. And so, since it was fitting to manifest and make known this ineffable dispensation, John—called symbolically the Forerunner—is sent by God from the wilderness. He baptizes those who come to him and proclaims that they must prepare to believe in the One coming after him, who, he says, “shall baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” This Coming One, John declares, is greater than himself—greater in the same measure that the Holy Spirit surpasses mere water. For He is the Lord, John testifies, the Maker of all, the Master of angels and men. All people are His spiritual field; the winnowing fan—that is, the ministering powers—are in His hand and under His authority. And the Forerunner does not speak merely from himself when he testifies that such is the Coming One, but he also brings forth Isaiah, who prophesied Him as the Lord, while declaring himself to be only a servant, sent to prepare His way and to exhort the faithful to make ready for His arrival. He says, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Lk. 3:4; Jn. 1:23). He further bears witness that even before he (John) was conceived and born, this One already was. “He who comes after me is made before me,” John says (Jn. 1:15), though Jesus was conceived and born after him. Therefore, if He existed before, it was not in the flesh, but prior to becoming flesh. John adds that He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” foretelling that He would be the sacrifice and offering for the remission of our sins. He also testifies that He is the Most High God, who came down from heaven, and that He is immeasurably powerful, receiving the Spirit from the Father not by measure. He promises eternal life to those who believe in Him, and threatens inevitable divine wrath upon those who do not. When asked by his disciples about himself, he said: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). And explaining why not only he himself, but all things, yield to Christ, he says, “He that comes from above is above all” (Jn. 3:31)—existing beyond all created ranks, and preserving in full the perfection of the Father as the Beloved Son. And again: “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:35–36). So Christ comes to be baptized—first, to fulfill obedience to the One who sent John, as He Himself said: “For thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15); second, for His manifestation; also, to inaugurate the saving path and make it trustworthy for those to follow and be baptized. Furthermore, He gave an example and showed that in baptism the Holy Spirit is bestowed, and that baptism was instituted by Him as a healing purification of the defilements we acquired through passionate birth and life. He Himself, even as Man, had no need of cleansing, being born of the All-Pure Virgin and remaining without sin throughout His life. But for our sake, He was born, and for our sake, He undergoes purification. Therefore, He is baptized by John, and as He comes up from the water, the heavens are opened, and behold: the voice of the Father is heard—“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17)—and the Spirit of God descends upon Him as a dove, bearing witness to those present of the One testified to from on high. In this way, the true Son is revealed; the Father is shown as the true Father; and the Holy Spirit is made manifest as proceeding essentially from the Father, yet resting by nature upon the Only-Begotten Son. And present also in the water of baptism is the grace of the Son, and of the Father, and of the Spirit—so that, according to this image, when this grace is later given to the baptized, it might divinely regenerate them, renew them, and mystically re-create them—not as children of the old Adam, from whom they had inherited the curse, but as those born from the New Adam, from whom they receive the blessing; no longer children of the flesh, but children of God, born “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn. 1:13). For although they are still burdened with the weight of this perishing flesh—for the sake of discipline, testing, correction, and understanding the vanity of this present age—yet they have clothed themselves in Christ, so that by striving, they may even here share in His way of life, and after departing hence, become partakers of His blessedness, His radiance, and His incorruptibility. For just as through one Adam, by physical descent, the penalty of death passed to his descendants, so through the one God-man, the Word, grace for eternal and heavenly life is given to all reborn through Him. Therefore, heaven is opened for them—prepared to receive them at the appointed time—if they are nourished by faith in Him and by righteousness that accords with that faith, and become heirs of God, receiving power to be co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His ineffable life and immortality, abiding with Him inseparably and delighting in His glory. For heaven had once been closed to us, and we were children of wrath—meaning, we had justly been forsaken by God because of our sin and unbelief. But now, because our nature in Christ is without sin and obedient to God, we have become children of favor, united with Christ, beloved sons. And heaven is opened for us, so that the Spirit of God may descend upon us and dwell within us, and that, in due time, we may be lifted up into heaven by Him—when He who raised Christ from the dead will also enliven our mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in us, transforming the body of our humility and conforming it to the body of Christ’s glory. Through Him we are enriched with immortality and called to the heavens, where our nature is seated at the right hand of Majesty, above every principality and power. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and love for mankind of God! How marvelously did He know to transform our transgression—freely chosen—into something far greater and more glorious, by His wisdom, His power, and His love! For had the Son of God not descended from heaven, our return to heaven would have been hopeless. Had He not become incarnate, suffered in the flesh, risen, and ascended for us, we would never have known the abyss of God’s love for us. And even when we were still ungodly, had He not taken flesh and suffered for our sake, we—who are now exalted to such a height through Him—would never have been kept from base pride. But now, since we have brought nothing of our own and yet are lifted up to the heights, we remain in humility. And beholding the greatness of the promise and the grace, we become ever more humble—for in this is our salvation. So then, the Son of God became man in order to show to what height He intends to raise us—so that we might not become proud, as though we had triumphed by our own strength. Being of two natures, He truly became the Mediator, uniting both (God and man) in Himself through each of His natures. He came to loosen the bonds of sin, to cleanse the defilement introduced through the sin of the flesh, to reveal God’s love toward us, to show the depth of evil into which we had fallen—so deep that God’s very Incarnation was necessary for our salvation. He came to become for us an example of humility, encompassing flesh and suffering, which is the healing remedy for pride; to demonstrate that our nature was created good by God; to be the Author and Guarantor of the Resurrection and of eternal life, destroying all hopelessness; to become the Son of Man and a partaker of mortality, that He might make men sons of God, partakers of divine immortality. He came to show how greatly the human nature, created in the image of God, surpasses all other created things—for it had such affinity with God that it could be united to Him in a single Hypostasis. He came to honor the flesh—even mortal flesh—so that arrogant spirits would no longer think themselves more worthy of honor than mankind, exalting themselves on account of their bodiless nature and apparent immortality. He came to reconcile and unite, by nature separated, God and mankind—by becoming Himself, in nature, the dual Mediator. And what need is there to say more? If the Word of God had not become incarnate, the Father would not have been revealed as truly the Father, nor the Son as truly the Son, nor the Holy Spirit—proceeding from the Father—nor God in His essence and hypostases. Rather, He would have appeared to creation merely as a Power, just as the foolish philosophers of old claimed, and now their spiritual heirs—followers of Barlaam and Akindynos—likewise blasphemously imagine. Thus the Lord manifested Himself and His dispensation to the extent that this could be revealed to us. He revealed the Father as truly the most high and eternal Father. He showed to those willing to receive it—both in that time and for generations to come—the path of ascent (or return) to the Father, urging and calling them, guiding them by His own life, His teachings, His miracles, and prophecies—or rather, by His truly divine and supernatural wisdom and knowledge, before whom nothing is hidden: neither the future, nor the present invisible movements in the depths of the heart. Therefore, it was necessary that those who hear Him be delivered from the bondage of the devil. And since man had experienced the wrath of God—which consisted in the fact that man had justly been abandoned by the Good—and was delivered into captivity to the devil, it was necessary that man be reconciled with his Creator. For otherwise, it would have been impossible to free him from that bondage. Thus, there was need for a sacrifice to reconcile us with the Most High Father, and to sanctify those who had been defiled through communion with the evil one. There was need for a purifying and spotless sacrifice—and also a need for a priest, likewise pure and sinless. Moreover, there was need for resurrection—not only a resurrection of the spirit, but also of the body, for the sake of future generations, in the resurrection that is to come at the appointed time. It was therefore necessary not only to grant us this deliverance and resurrection, but to guarantee it. And further, to bestow upon us restoration, elevation, and unending citizenship in the heavens. This was not only necessary for those living at that time or in the future, but even more so for the multitudes of people who had been born and died since the beginning of the world. For the number of people in Hades far exceeded those who would be born in the future—vastly more than those who would come to faith and be saved. For this reason, I believe, Christ came at the end of the ages. It was necessary that the Gospel be preached also in Hades, and that this great dispensation of salvation be made manifest even there—granting full liberation from the demons who had enslaved souls, sanctification, and the promise of what is to come. So Christ indeed had to descend into Hades—but all this according to justice and righteousness (meta dikaeosynēs), for without righteousness, God accomplishes nothing. Furthermore, it was just and necessary that the deceiver, the devil, be outwitted, and his hoarded wealth—acquired by deceit—be stripped away from him; that evil, in which he had pridefully reached his fullness, be conquered not by sheer divine force, but by wisdom and justice, lest he be humiliated merely by power and not truly defeated in a just way. Since all men, by deed or word or thought—or by all three, or by any two—had defiled the purity given to human nature by God, there was a need for sanctification. And from the beginning, sanctification is accomplished by an offering made to God by each person. But the offering had to be pure—and we had nothing pure to offer. Therefore, the one pure Christ appeared, and He offered Himself to the Father as a sacrifice for us and as the firstfruits, so that by looking to Him and believing in Him, and by being united to Him through obedience, we might stand before God, receive mercy, and all be sanctified. This is what the Lord Himself says in the Gospel: “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (Jn. 17:19). For not only the sacrifice, but also the one offering the sacrifice—the high priest—had to be pure and sinless, as the Apostle says: “Such a high priest became us—holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Heb. 7:26). Therefore, for the sake of these and such things, the Word of God not only became flesh and dwelt among us—visible upon the earth and living among men—but also took on the same kind of flesh that we have: though utterly pure, yet mortal and passible. And with this flesh, as a divinely wise “bait,” He caught the primeval, evil serpent by the Cross, and thereby freed the entire human race that had been enslaved to him. For when the tyrant fell, all who were tyrannized by him were released. This is precisely what the Lord Himself says in the Gospels: “The strong man is bound, and his goods are plundered.” What had been taken captive by Christ was set free, justified, filled with light, and enriched with divine gifts. For this reason David sings: “Thou art gone up on high” (that is, to the height of the Cross—or, if you prefer, to heaven), “Thou hast led captivity captive, and given gifts to men” (Ps. 67:19). Thus, through His Passion and flesh, He put the devil to flight, offering that same flesh to God the Father as a sacrifice, a spotless and all-holy offering. O unspeakable bounty! In so doing, He reconciled us to God, having made us of one kin with Himself, the God-man. And since He accepted the Passion by the will of the Father, He thereby became an example for us who, through our disobedience, had ruined ourselves, but who are saved by the obedience of Christ. He demonstrated that His death is far more precious than the so-called immortality of the devil, which is worse than ten thousand deaths and destined for eternal punishment. For His death became the cause of truly immortal life—not of a second or everlasting death. It now dwells with Him in the heavenly tabernacles. For He Himself, rising on the third day from the dead, and presenting Himself alive to the disciples, ascended into heaven and, being immortal, has granted to us resurrection, immortality, and an eternal, unshakable, and truly blessed life in heaven—making it certain and sure. By His one death in the flesh and His one resurrection, He has healed us from the double death of soul and body, and has freed us from the twofold captivity of soul and body. For the evil one became spiritually dead when, through willful and conscious sin, he was justly forsaken by God, who is True Life. As the fullness of evil, the prince of envy, lies, and malice, he could not bear that the life of man was spent in a place of delight—I mean Paradise. And by his ruinous counsel, he deceived mankind and made him a sharer in sin and death of the soul. And from this spiritual death, bodily death necessarily followed. In this way, the evil one, through his own single spiritual death, inflicted a twofold death upon us—and by casting us down even lower than himself, he, in his pride, appeared great and exalted, as one who had outwitted us by cunning and enslaved us, and who, being “immortal,” alas, appeared to us as a kind of god. Even after death, possessing our souls—which had been abandoned by God—he dragged them down to Hades and confined them in what seemed to be an unbreakable prison. But the God who created us, having compassion on this great disaster of ours, deigned to descend to where we had fallen, to summon us from there—He who alone appeared among the dead as free, who descended there in His living spirit. And more than that, He illuminated that place with divine light and radiated life-giving power, so as to enlighten those who sat in darkness and to enliven in spirit those in Hades who believed in Him—and at the appointed time, also to enliven their bodies, when He established that the entire human race should be raised and judged. As the Apostle teaches in his Epistle: “For this cause was the Gospel preached also to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (1 Peter 4:6). A little earlier in the same epistle, he shows who it was and how He preached the Gospel to the dead in Hades: “Christ also once suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, by which He also went and preached to the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18–19)—that is, to the souls of the dead from of old. So, just as the evil one, through his own single spiritual death, brought upon us a double death—of both soul and body—so the Good One, through His one bodily death, healed our double death. And through the single resurrection of His body, He granted us a twofold resurrection—of soul and of body—overthrowing by His bodily death the one who had held authority, through death, over our souls and bodies, and delivering us in both respects from his tyranny. The evil one took the form of a serpent to deceive man; the Word of God took on human nature to outwit the deceiver. He assumed this nature untouched by deception and pure, and preserved it as such to the end, offering it to the Father as a sacrifice and firstfruits for our sanctification—through our own human nature. For if the Word of God had assumed a body not subject to death or suffering, how could the devil—being, as he is, the very source of evil—have been deceived or come into contact with Him? Thus, the devil did not dare approach until he recognized that Christ had a body capable of suffering. For after Christ had fasted in the wilderness for forty days and did not hunger—for though He had a body capable of feeling pain, it would not have endured had the divine power, joined to that body, not permitted it—then, as the Gospel says, He afterward hungered. At that moment, for the first time, the evil one dared to approach and began to tempt Him, trying to probe His soul. But when he was strongly repelled, and again approached with temptations involving all the pleasures of the senses, he was mightily defeated. Weakened, shamed, and overthrown, he fled in retreat. Why was the tempter defeated, even though he dared approach because of the passibility of the God-man’s flesh? Because he tried to incite to sin the one sinless Man. Thus, he fled in shameful defeat. But Christ did not relent in His pursuit, driving him out from those possessed by him, healing the sick by His mere command, raising the dead—not only those who had recently died, but even those whose bodies had begun to decay. Moreover, He preached repentance, declared that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, led souls to faith and to a life opposite to that taught by the enemy. He converted and received sinners, and even gave His disciples power over demons. Could this be tolerable for Satan and the angels who had fallen with him? Would he not have tried to devise some way to destroy such a power, which opposed him? Could he endure the presence of such a Man—one who expelled him from men and overthrew his many-faced tyranny? Therefore, he raged against Christ. But since he had learned from experience that the God-man’s soul was invulnerable to any passion—the very passions which he himself had introduced into human nature—and that this soul was entirely inaccessible to death (for the devil had introduced death to mankind), and since Christ’s body alone was subject to suffering and death, he was not permitted to kill Him directly. So instead, he stirred up the souls of the unbelieving Jews to kill Him, provoking in them envy and unrestrained fury against Him—because Christ rebuked and rejected them as evildoers. Thus, he incited and agitated them to murder Him, to sentence Him to a shameful death reserved for evildoers and the ungodly, hoping thereby to remove Him from the earth and make His very name a reproach. He arrogantly presumed that when Christ died, His soul—like the souls of all who had died from the beginning—would be held captive in Hades. Thus, the deceiver was himself deceived: attacking Christ’s flesh, seeing it as subject to suffering and death, he—against his will—brought Light into the dark and long-desired depths of the underworld, and presented the Giver of life to souls tyrannized by him through spiritual death. Not only this, but he also mixed the Body—the very source of resurrection and immortality—with the dead, hastening to hand it over to death and the grave. Yet the Lord could, in truth, have overthrown even these wicked plans of his, but instead, He willed all the more to undergo the Passion for our sake—this being the very reason He became man. For had He not become man, He could not have suffered; and if He were not God, remaining impassible in His divinity, He could not have taken on such a death in the flesh for our sake—through which He granted us resurrection and immortality. And had He not been God, it would not be believed that He truly could have suffered voluntarily—but because He was God, He freely willed to suffer. Thus, He demonstrated that His humility was for our liberation and uplifting, and by His actions taught that one must struggle for righteousness even unto death, proclaiming to the faithful the power of immortality—an immortality not merely of endless existence, but of existence immune from eternal perdition, that fearful punishment prepared for the devil—existence instead in everlasting fellowship with the holy angels, in the enjoyment of the beautiful and unending Kingdom. For this reason, He subjected Himself to death, which He did not owe, in order to free us—who were subject to death by obligation—from bondage to the devil and death. And by death, I mean both spiritual and bodily death, both temporal and eternal. For on our behalf—guilty because of sin—He offered His own innocent Blood as a ransom, and thus redeemed us from guilt, forgiving our sins and blotting out the record written against us, nailing it to the Cross, and redeeming us from the tyranny of the devil. For the devil, being deceived and opening his mouth wide, hastening to pour out the Master’s Blood—which is our ransom—not only innocent but full of divine power, gained nothing from it; rather, he found himself bound tightly, mocked openly by the Cross of Christ. In this way, we were snatched from his slavery and transferred into the Kingdom of the Son of God—we who were once vessels of wrath, but through Him became vessels of mercy. He bound the strong man (strong only by comparison with us), the devil, and plundered his goods. And having been unjustly put to death at the devil’s instigation, He justly reigned over us—defeating the evil one by divine justice, openly displaying almighty power, conquering death in the flesh, rising on the third day, ascending into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of the Father in that same flesh which He bore for our sake and in which He died. In this He confirmed the resurrection of the dead, the return to heaven, and the inheritance of the Kingdom—provided we too, imitating Him, conquer the prince of sin through righteousness, repelling his assaults and temptations to wicked passions, and courageously enduring his malicious plots. This is why, though the Lord has regenerated us through divine baptism and sealed us with the grace of the Holy Spirit on the day of redemption, He has nonetheless left us with a mortal and passible body. Though He cast out the prince of evil from human souls, He allows him to attack from without, so that man, being renewed according to the New Covenant—that is, the Gospel of Christ—living in virtue and repentance, scorning worldly pleasures, enduring suffering, and growing strong under the assaults of the enemy, might prepare himself in this life to receive incorruption and those future blessings suited to the age to come. Therefore, the faithful should rejoice in hope; and since this present life will come to an end, he ought wisely and faithfully to await the blessedness that the next life will contain without end. By the understanding of faith, he must patiently endure the hardship that this life carries as a deserved punishment, and must, resisting sin—even unto blood if need be—stand firm against the enemy, the ally of sin and the architect of cunning snares. For apart from sin, nothing in this life—not even death itself—is a misfortune, even though it may appear to be one. For this reason, the company of the saints inflicted suffering on their own bodies. The martyrs transformed the violent deaths inflicted on them by others into great glory, into the gateway of life, glory, and the eternal heavenly Kingdom—courageously and in a way pleasing to God, they made use of death. For this very reason, after abolishing death by His Resurrection, Christ allowed it still to remain for His faithful ones, and along with it allowed other tribulations in this world: so that a person, fighting for Christ amid these circumstances and upholding the Truth in both way of life and doctrines of the New Covenant, might be prepared for that coming, new, and incorruptible age. Thus, even sufferings benefit those who endure them with faith—for the remission of sins, for training, for testing, for a real understanding of the misery of this life, for the fervent stirring of spiritual thirst and for the constant seeking after the adoption, redemption, and truly new and blessed life that abides forever. And since our adoption and renewal in Christ—in both soul and body—is manifold, having a beginning, a middle, and a fulfillment: as its beginning, He has given us the grace of baptism, which grants forgiveness of all sins and the penalty resulting from the curse, and is called the “washing of regeneration.” As its fulfillment, He grants the resurrection—the resurrection hoped for by the faithful, and the life promised in the age to come. And between these lies life according to the Gospel of Christ, through which a person who is growing in God is nourished and matures day by day into the knowledge of God, into righteousness, and into sanctification, little less than the state of the angels, casting off attachment to base things and transferring his longing from the visible, carnal, and temporal to the intellectual, spiritual, and eternal. These three stages of renewal in Christ are set forth by Paul, the beholder of unspeakable mysteries, the chosen vessel, in his epistle to the Romans: “As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death. Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death” (Rom. 6:3–4). This is the beginning of our renewal, for Christ tore up the record of our sins on the Cross and, through baptism, buried us with Him and made us guiltless. Listen also to what he says about the middle, which follows the beginning: “That just as Christ was raised from the dead, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). And he adds the fulfillment of our renewal: “For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Rom. 6:5). Then, more clearly showing both the beginning and the type of renewal and adoption, he says: “And not only they, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption” (Rom. 8:23). He calls “the firstfruits of the Spirit” the sanctification and grace of the Spirit that we receive in divine baptism, being freed from sins and renewed, and justified freely by the grace of Christ—for this is the beginning of the blessings to come. And by “waiting for the adoption,” he shows that he does not speak of the adoption through baptism, but of that future, perfect, and enduring adoption. He adds: “the redemption of our body”—that is, deliverance from passions and corruption. For here, adoption often fails; but that which comes in the regeneration and the resurrection of the dead is perfect and truly unshakable. In his Epistle to the Philippians, Paul sets forth even more clearly the fulfillment—the final goal—of this renewal, saying: “We look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall transform the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:20–21). For just as Christ died in weakness and dishonor of the body, yet rose again in divine power and glory, so too those who lived in Christ are sown into death—let us again use Paul’s own words—in weakness and dishonor, but shall rise in power and glory, receiving a glorified and pure body such as Christ Himself had after the Resurrection, having become the Firstborn from the dead and the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. But this renewal of the body is, for now, seen only by faith—not yet by sight, not in actual form, but in hope. This renewal begins, as was said, in divine baptism through the forgiveness of sins, and it is strengthened and grows through righteousness in faith, being ever more renewed in the knowledge of God and the virtues that accompany it. It will receive its fulfillment in the future, in the face-to-face vision of God; for now we see, as it were, through a glass, darkly. Therefore the one greatly beloved by Christ, John the Theologian, combining both renewals—that of the soul and that of the body—says: “Beloved, now are we the children of God” (1 John 3:2). This is the beginning of adoption. But—“it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” This is the fulfillment of the adoption given to us by Christ, the renewal granted in God. And again, in the Gospel, the same John says: “Christ gave power to those who believe in His Name to become the children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13). For by saying that we are not born of flesh but of God, he points to the regeneration and adoption that come through divine baptism, which he also affirms in the epistle when he says: “Now we are the children of God.” Yet in saying that He gave us the power to become children of God—as though we are not yet fully such—he shows the final completion of adoption. For just as a newborn child possesses by nature the power to become wise, and is potentially wise, so also, as the years pass and the conditions conducive to growth are present, the child may actually become wise—so too the one reborn through divine baptism has truly received the potential power to become conformed to the body of the glory of the Son of God. And if he walks in newness of life, living according to Christ and His Gospel, then at the Resurrection—by the power proceeding from that life toward perfection—he shall receive, not just in faith and hope, but in truth and reality, a glorified and most pure body, like that which the Lord Himself had after His Resurrection. The bodies of the ungodly also shall rise, but not in heavenly glory, for they shall not be conformed to the body of Christ’s glory. They shall not behold that vision of God promised to the faithful, which is also called the Kingdom of God. For it is written: “Let the ungodly be taken away, that he may not see the glory of the Lord” (Isaiah 26:10). But those who have been born in Christ and nourished in Him, and who have attained, as far as possible, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, shall be blessed to partake of divine radiance. As it is written, they shall shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. This divine radiance and light-bearing glory was what Adam possessed before his transgression—he was, in truth, clothed in a robe of glory, and was not naked, nor ashamed of his nakedness. Rather, he was adorned with such splendor that it cannot be described—more glorious by far than those now crowned with gold and precious stones. Our nature, once shamefully stripped of this divine brightness and radiance through transgression, was taken up in mercy by the Word of God through His love for mankind. And on Mount Tabor He showed to the chosen of His disciples that same divine glory clothing Him even more powerfully than we once possessed it, clearly revealing what we, who believe in Him and attain perfection in Him, shall be in the age to come. You will find that the pledges of this perfection—granted to those who live in Christ—have already, even in this life, been bestowed upon the saints of God, who have tasted in advance the good things of the age to come. Moses, for instance, bore a reflection of it—his face shone so that the children of Israel could not gaze upon it. And after him, the Lord Himself revealed it even more fully when He shone forth on the mountain with the radiance of divinity, so brightly that even the chosen disciples, though they had received spiritual strength, could not endure the sight. As it is written, the face of Stephen appeared as the face of an angel, and looking up from the earth beyond the heavens, he saw the glory of God above the heavens, where Christ is seated at the right hand of Majesty. And how many more could be named—those who already here, in this life, received pledges of the blessings to come, and were blessed to taste that divine radiance and glory? May we, too, receive it by the grace and love for mankind of Him who for our sake became incarnate, suffered, was buried, rose again, and exalted our nature to the heavens—honoring it with enthronement at the right hand of the Father: Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory, honor, and worship with His Unoriginate Father and the Most Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. source

What is this? Why is there such deep silence upon the earth today, and such stillness? It is because the King is at rest. The earth grew silent with awe, for the Lord has fallen asleep in the flesh, and has raised up those who have slept from ages past. The Lord died in the flesh, and Hades trembled. The Lord slept but a little while, and awakened those who had been sleeping in Hades from of old. Where now, O ungodly ones, are those loud and furious voices that once cried out against Christ? Where has the crowd gone, the conspiracies, the spears and staves? Where are the kings, the priests, and the judges worthy of condemnation? Where are the lanterns, the swords, the chaotic cries? Where has the frenzied mob gone, and the shameful guard? Truly, “the people imagined a vain thing” (cf. Psalm 2:1). They stumbled against the cornerstone—Christ—and they were broken. They struck against the solid Rock and shattered themselves. Their waves turned to foam. They bound the great Samson, but He burst the eternal bonds and destroyed the lawless foreigners. God, the Sun—Christ—went down beneath the earth and left the Jews in perpetual darkness. Today salvation has shone forth to those who dwell on the earth and to those who from of old were in the underworld. Today salvation has shone forth both to the visible and the invisible world. Christ has come with a double visitation: a double descent, a double work of love, a double building of salvation. He has descended from heaven to earth, and from earth into Hades. The gates of Hades are opened. O ye who have died from of old, rejoice! And ye who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, receive the great light! The Master among slaves, God among the dead, Life among mortals; the Innocent among the guilty; the Light without evening among those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; the Liberator among the captives; He who is above the heavens among those who dwell in the depths. Christ is on earth, and we have believed. Christ is among the dead—let us also go down with Him into Hades and behold the mysteries that take place there. Let us understand the hidden wonders that are wrought beneath the earth by the Hidden One—Christ. Let us learn how the Gospel was proclaimed even to those in Hades. But what then? Does God, having descended into Hades, save all without distinction? No. There too He saves only those who believe. Yesterday He showed forth the works of His humanity, and today the works of His Lordship. Yesterday, the deeds of weakness; today, of omnipotence. Yesterday, the deeds of manhood; today, of Divinity. Yesterday, He was struck on the cheek; today, He shakes the dwellings of Hades with the splendor of His Godhead. Yesterday, He was bound; today, He binds the tyrant with unbreakable chains. Yesterday, He was condemned; today, He grants freedom to the condemned. Yesterday, the servants of Pilate mocked Him; today, the keepers of Hades tremble at His sight. But listen to the essential cause of Christ’s suffering. And having heard it, sing, glorify, and proclaim the great wonders of the Lord. Behold how the Law gives way to grace, how types pass away and shadows vanish, how the Sun fills the whole world, how the Old Covenant is worn out, and the New is established—how “the old things are passed away” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and the new has blossomed! At the time of Christ’s Passion, there were two peoples in Zion—the Jews and the Gentiles; two kings—Pilate and Herod; two high priests—Annas and Caiaphas; two Passovers were being celebrated: the Old, which was coming to its end, and the New, which was just beginning. That same evening, two sacrifices were offered, for salvation was accomplished both for the living and the dead. The Jews, binding the Lamb for slaughter, still looked toward the shadow; the Gentiles turned to the Sun of Righteousness—God. The former, having bound Christ, passed Him from one to another; the latter received Him eagerly. One sacrifice was of a beast (κτηνοθυτον); the other of Him who is God in the flesh (θεοσωμον). The Jews remembered their departure from Egypt; the Gentiles proclaimed their deliverance from delusion. And where did all this occur? In Zion, the city of the great King, where He worked salvation in the midst of the earth. “In the midst of two living beings” (Habakkuk 3:2), Jesus the God-man was made known, the Fountain of life between the two Fountains of life—the Father and the Spirit, life from life; born in a manger among angels and men; lying as the cornerstone among two peoples; preached in the midst of the Law and the Prophets; revealed on the mountain between Moses and Elijah; crucified between two thieves, and confessed to be God by the penitent thief. As the eternal Judge, He sits between the life that now is and that which is to come. In the midst of the living and the dead, He has now accomplished a double life and salvation—I speak of birth and rebirth. Hear of Christ’s double birth, and clap your hands at the wonders. An angel announced to Mary His birth from her; an angel declared to Mary Magdalene His dreadful rebirth from the tomb. At night, Christ was born in Bethlehem; at night in Zion He is reborn. At His birth, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes—here, He is wrapped in a winding sheet. At His birth, myrrh was brought to Him; with myrrh and aloes He is now prepared for burial. There, Joseph was the betrothed of Mary; here, Joseph of Arimathea is the caretaker of our life—Christ. The manger of Bethlehem served as His cradle; and in the tomb He lay as in a manger. At His birth, the first to proclaim Him were shepherds; and the first to declare His resurrection from the dead were also shepherds—the disciples of Christ. There, an angel said to Mary, “Rejoice!” Here, “the Angel of Great Counsel”—Christ—says to the women, “Rejoice!” Forty days after His first birth, Christ entered the earthly Jerusalem and the temple and, as the firstborn, offered to God two turtledoves. And forty days after His resurrection, He ascended to the heavenly Jerusalem—to the true Holy of Holies—and as the incorrupt Firstborn from the dead, He offered to God the Father our soul and body as two spotless turtledoves. And there, the Ancient of Days—the God and Father—received Him inexpressibly into His bosom, just as the aged Simeon once received Him into his arms in the earthly temple. If you think this is a fable and listen with unbelief, the seals of the Lord’s tomb will condemn you—those seals that remained unbroken after Christ’s resurrection. For just as He was born of the Virgin and did not destroy the signs of her virginity, so also He rose, not breaking the seals of the tomb. But let us now listen to the sacred narratives: when, and by whom, was Christ—our Life—laid in the tomb? “Now when the evening was come,” says the Scripture, “there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus” (Matthew 27:57–58). A mortal came to a mortal, asking permission to receive the God of mortals; dust approached dust, requesting to take the Fashioner of all things; hay asked hay to grant the Heavenly Fire; a tiny drop reached out to receive the Sea. Who has ever seen or heard anything like this? A man gives over to a man the Creator of men; a lawbreaker promises to deliver the Righteous One and the Giver of the Law; an unrighteous judge hands over the Judge of judges, as if He were condemned, to be buried. “When the evening was come, there came a rich man named Joseph.” Truly he was rich, for he received the entire composite nature of the Lord. Truly rich, for from Pilate he received the double essence of Christ. Rich, for he was counted worthy to receive the priceless Pearl. Truly rich, for he carried the Treasure-house filled with Divinity. How can he not be called rich, who obtained the Life and Salvation of the world? How can Joseph not be rich, who received as a gift Him who feeds all and reigns over all? “When the evening was come,” for the Sun of Righteousness had already descended into Hades. Therefore, “there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was a secret disciple for fear of the Jews.” Nicodemus also came, the one who had come to Jesus by night. O mystery of mysteries, most hidden! Two secret disciples come to hide Jesus in the tomb—by their concealment teaching the hidden mystery of the God who was concealed in the flesh and now in Hades! One of them surpassed the other in zeal for Christ: Nicodemus won praise for his generosity in bringing myrrh and aloes, and Joseph—for his boldness and courage before Pilate. For he, having cast off fear, “boldly went in unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” See what prudence Joseph displays before Pilate to obtain his request; with what humility he speaks, lest by provoking him he lose what he seeks. He does not say: Give me the body of Jesus, who darkened the sun, split the rocks, shook the earth, opened graves, and tore the temple veil. No—he puts forth the smallest and humblest of requests. “Governor,” he says, “I have come to ask something small of you: permit me to bury the dead body of that Jesus of Nazareth whom you condemned—Jesus, poor, without home, hanged, naked, despised; Jesus, the son of the carpenter; Jesus, who was bound, who had no dwelling, a stranger unknown, rejected by all. Give me this Stranger, for what profit does His body bring to you? Give me this Stranger, for He came from a far country to save strangers; He descended into the dark region to lift up the stranger. Give me this Stranger, for He alone is truly a Stranger—whose homeland is unknown to us strangers. Give me this Stranger, whose Father is unknown to us strangers. Give me this Stranger, whose place, birth, and manner of life are unknown to us strangers. Give me this Stranger, who lived as a stranger among strangers. Give me this Stranger of Nazareth, who had nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). Give me this Stranger, who, like a stranger in a foreign land, had no dwelling place, and was even born in a manger. Give me this Stranger, who even from the manger had to flee from Herod. Give me this Stranger, who, even when wrapped in swaddling clothes, had to find shelter in Egypt. He had no city, no village, no home, no dwelling, no kin, and He lived in a strange land. Give me, O governor, this naked One hanging on the tree. I will cover Him—I will cover Him who covered my nakedness. Give me this dead man who is also God. I will cover Him, for He has covered my lawlessness. Give me, O governor, this dead man, who in the Jordan buried my sin. I plead for the dead man who endured insult from all: who was sold by a friend, betrayed by a disciple, pursued by His brethren, and struck by a servant. I plead for the dead man who was condemned by those He freed from bondage. I ask you, O governor, for this dead man, who has no father on earth, no friend, no disciple, no relative, no one to bury Him. He alone is the only-begotten of the one Father—God in the world—and there is no other beside Him.” When Joseph thus spoke to Pilate, the latter gave orders to release to him the all-holy body of Jesus. And Joseph, having come to Golgotha, took down from the tree God in the flesh and laid Him upon the earth. And so He lay outstretched upon the ground—He who draws all things upward. Life and Breath became breathless for a little while. The Creator of the many-eyed was rendered sightless. The Resurrection of all was cast down to the earth. God, who raises the dead, was slain in the flesh, and the thunder of the Word of God was silenced. He who holds the heavens in the hollow of His hand is now carried by hands. Tell me, tell me, O Joseph: how is it that thou performest the dread burial of the body of Jesus? Art thou not afraid to bear in thine arms Him whom the cherubim tremble to behold? With what awe dost thou unwrap His divine flesh? Dost thou not quake as thine eyes gaze upon the unveiled nature of the flesh of the God who is beyond nature? Tell me, O Joseph: how wilt thou lay to rest facing east the One who is Himself the East of all Easts? How shalt thou close with thy fingers the eyes of Jesus, who with His immaculate fingers opened the eyes of the blind? How shalt thou shut the mouth of Him who loosed the tongue of the mute? How shalt thou fold the hands of Him who healed the withered hand? How shalt thou bind the feet of Him who strengthened the cripple? How shalt thou lay upon a bed the One who said to the paralytic, “Take up thy bed and walk” (Matthew 9:6)? How wilt thou anoint with ointment the heavenly Myrrh, who poured Himself out and sanctified the world? How wilt thou wipe clean the side of Jesus that still pours forth blood—He who healed the woman with the issue of blood? How wilt thou wash the body of God, who washed and purified all? What lamps wilt thou light for the true Light, who enlighteneth every man? What funeral hymns shalt thou sing for Him whom the heavenly hosts ceaselessly glorify? How wilt thou mourn Him who wept for Lazarus and raised him on the fourth day? How canst thou weep for Him who granted joy to all and destroyed the sorrow of Eve? I bless thy hands, O Joseph, for they touched the hands and feet of Jesus still streaming with blood. I bless thy hands, for they handled the wound still flowing. I bless thy lips, which touched the lips of Jesus and drew forth the Holy Spirit. I bless thine eyes, which gazed into the eyes of Jesus and drank the true light from them. I bless thy face, which drew near to the face of God. I bless thy shoulders, which bore Him who beareth all. I bless thy head, upon which Christ—the Head of all—rested. I bless thy hands, by which thou didst carry Him who carrieth all things. I bless Joseph and Nicodemus, for they bore God before the cherubim did, and ministered to God before the six-winged hosts. Not with wings, but with a linen shroud they covered the Lord. Joseph and Nicodemus bore upon their shoulders Him before whom the cherubim tremble, and all the ranks of the bodiless powers are filled with awe. “Joseph came with Nicodemus” (John 19:38–40), and so the whole divine host of angels gathered there. The cherubim preceded them. The seraphim assembled. The thrones bore Him. The six-winged covered Him. The many-eyed trembled, beholding Jesus with sight extinguished. The powers veiled themselves. The principalities chanted. The dominions were filled with dread. All the armies of the exalted powers stood in awe and asked one another in amazement: What is this strange and incomprehensible sight? Mortal men freely look upon the God whom we bodiless ones dare not gaze upon! Joseph and Nicodemus freely bury Him before whom the cherubim stand with trembling! How has He who is in the bosom of the Father come forth? How has He who filleth all things come to earth? How has He who is hidden from all been revealed? The perfect God, who abideth above with the Father, now appears below with His Mother as a perfect mortal. He who was never seen before—how is He now seen by men? And as a man—and yet as the God who loveth mankind! How has the Invisible become visible? How has the Immaterial taken on flesh? How has the Passionless One suffered? How has the Judge stood before the judgment seat? How has Life tasted death? How is the Uncontainable contained in a tomb? How does He who is in the bosom of the Father dwell in a grave? (cf. John 1:18). How does He who opened the gates of Paradise enter the door of a cave? He who did not break the seal of the Virgin’s womb now breaks open the gates of Hades. How did He appear to the disciples with the doors shut? (cf. John 20:19). How did He open the gates of the heavenly kingdom for men, yet leave intact the seals of the tomb? How is He counted among the dead—He “who is free among the dead”? (Psalm 87:6 LXX). How does the Light that knows no evening appear in the darkness and shadow of death? For what purpose does He descend into Hades? Could it be that He has come to raise up the condemned Adam? Indeed! He has come to seek the first-formed one, like a lost sheep. Indeed, God, the Son of Eve, comes to deliver the captive Adam, and together with him, the captive Eve, from torment. Let us go down with Him and rejoice! Let us make haste and sing praises! Let us hasten to behold how God is reconciled with man—how the all-good Lord frees the condemned. For He who is by nature the Lover of mankind comes with power and authority to bring forth from the depths those held captive from of old, and to number among the citizens of heaven those whom bitter and insatiable death had swallowed up and cut off from God. There, in Hades, was Adam—the first-created, the first to be condemned. There was Abel, the first to die and the first righteous shepherd, a type of the unjust slaughter of the Shepherd Christ. There was Noah, a type of Christ, the builder of the ark—the great Church of God—which saved the wild-beast-like Gentiles from the flood of ungodliness, through the dove—the Holy Spirit—and sent forth the black raven. There was Abraham, the forefather of Christ, who offered to God a sacrifice without slaughter. There was Isaac, whom Abraham bound for sacrifice as a figure of Christ. There was Jacob, who sorrowed in Hades just as he once sorrowed on earth for Joseph. There was Joseph, the prisoner, who was cast into prison in Egypt as a type of Christ—and in the end became lord of all. There was Moses—in the same darkness as when he was laid in the little ark. There was Daniel in the pit of Hades, once thrown into the lions’ den. There was Jeremiah, who had once been cast into the miry pit. There was Jonah, who had been in the belly of the whale, a figure of the eternal and pre-eternal Christ. There also was the godly David, from whom Christ was born in the flesh. But why speak only of David, Jonah, or Solomon? In the dark womb of Hades was the great John—the greatest of the prophets—who proclaimed Christ to all those dwelling there, thus becoming a double Forerunner: a preacher to the living and to the dead. From the prison of Herod, he was sent to the universal prison of Hades, where from ages past the righteous and the unrighteous had been confined. But the prophets and all the righteous continually cried out to the Lord from there, entreating Him to deliver them from their sorrows and the night of eternal darkness. One said, “Out of the belly of hell cried I, and Thou heardest my voice” (Jonah 2:3); another, “Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice” (Psalm 129:1 LXX); one said, “Shew the light of Thy countenance, and we shall be saved” (Psalm 79:4); another, “Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, appear” (Psalm 79:2); another said, “Stir up Thy strength, and come to save us” (Psalm 79:3); another, “Let Thy tender mercies speedily go before us, O Lord” (Psalm 78:8); one said, “Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell” (Psalm 85:13); another, “O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave” (Psalm 29:4); one said, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell” (Psalm 15:10); and another, “Let my life rise up from corruption unto Thee, O Lord my God” (Jonah 2:6). The all-merciful Lord Christ, hearing them, did not consider it just to make only those who lived during His time on earth or those who would live after Him partakers of His lovingkindness, but also those who before His coming had been held in Hades, who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. Therefore, to those living in the flesh, He appeared in an animate body, and to the souls separated from the body, He manifested Himself with His divine and most pure soul—which, though separated from the body, was never separated from the Godhead. Let us hasten then in spirit to descend into Hades, to behold how there He overcame the strong tyrant by His strength and disarmed the immortal powers without weapon, by His mere radiance; how He shattered the gates and opened the doors with the Tree of the Cross; how He trampled the serpent and hung up his head; how He destroyed the dividing wall, raised up an unconquerable trophy, slew death, dissolved corruption, and restored man to his original dignity. Yesterday, He rebuked Peter and rejected the aid of angels, saying, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). But now, in divine authority, as Conqueror and Master, He descends even into Hades and death, accompanied by the bodiless hosts and the invisible orders—not merely twelve legions, but tens of thousands of thousands and myriads of angels, dominions, thrones, six-winged and many-eyed beings, in order to destroy the tyrant through His death. These ranks followed Him—not as co-workers, but with reverence, as attendants upon their Lord and King. For the almighty Christ has no need of assistance; but it is their duty, and their burning desire, to stand before their Lord and God. Therefore, at a single nod, they rush to fulfill His commands and are ever ready for battle with the enemies and lawless. So now too, they descended with the Lord their God into Hades and the nethermost dwellings, to those held captive from of old, that they might in strength bring forth the prisoners. And when the radiant coming of the Lord, with His divine host, shone forth upon the well-guarded, dark, and unknown dungeon and prisons of Hades, the Archangel Gabriel was first to go before all and proclaim to the hostile powers the following command: “Lift up your gates, O ye princes!” Then Michael cried aloud: “And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors!” (Psalm 23:7). After them the powers said, “Stand aside, ye lawless gatekeepers!” And finally the dominions, with dominion, proclaimed, “Be loosed, ye unbreakable bonds!” Think not that the Lord who has come is unable to pass through closed doors. He commands you, as runaway slaves, to lift up the everlasting gates—that is, to break them down. “Lift up your gates, O ye princes,” for Christ stands before you—the Door of heaven. Make straight the path for Him who approaches the western realm of Hades. His name is the Lord. His going forth is through the gates of death. You made entrances, but He has come to make an exodus. Therefore, delay not—lift up the gates and hasten! Lift them up without delay! And if you hesitate, we will command the gates themselves to lift up without hands: “And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors!” After these words of the heavenly powers, the gates were lifted, the bonds were loosed, the bolts fell away, and the foundations of the prison were shaken. The hostile powers fled. Casting away their authority, they cried aloud: “Who is this King of glory?” (Psalm 23:8). Who is this who works such wonders in Hades? Who is this who brings forth the dead from ages past? Who is this who breaks our power and leads away those long bound in the prison of hell? Meanwhile, the Lord approached even unto the very depths of Hades, where especially guarded in bonds was the first-created Adam. And the Lord, taking him by the hand, raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14). I am thy God, and by My authority I command the prisoners to come forth, those in darkness to be enlightened, the dead to arise. Therefore to thee also I say: Arise, O sleeper! For I did not create thee to be held in Hades. Arise from the dead! I am the Life of the dead. Arise, O My image, fashioned after My likeness. Arise, let us go hence. Thou art in Me, and I am in thee; together we are one undivided person. For thee I, thy God, became thy son. For thee I, the Lord, took the form of a servant. For thee, I, who am higher than the heavens, descended to the earth and even beneath the earth. For thee, O man, who art free among the dead, I became as a man. For thee, who wast cast out of the garden, I was delivered up to the Jews in a garden and crucified on a tree. Behold the spittle on My face—it was for thee, that I might restore to thee thy original dignity. Behold the blows upon My cheeks—I endured them that I might refashion thy disfigured image into My own. Behold My scourged back—I accepted stripes that I might lift the burden of sin from thy shoulders. Behold My hands nailed to the Cross—for thee they were stretched out. Behold My feet pierced—for thee, who ran to the tree of transgression. I suffered to restore thee and to open Paradise for thee once more. For thy sake I tasted gall—to heal the bitterness of thy sin acquired through that sweet fruit. I drank vinegar—to destroy the power of that bitter cup that brought death upon thee. I accepted the sponge—that I might blot out the handwriting of thy sins. I accepted the reed—that I might sign the freedom of mankind. My side hath healed the wound in thine. My sleep hath awakened thee from the sleep of death in Hades. The spear that pierced Me hath turned away the sword aimed at thee. So arise, let us go hence! The enemy led thee out of Paradise; I restore thee not to Paradise, but to the heavenly throne. I forbade thee once to reach out to the symbol of the tree of life—but lo! now I, the true Life, am joined to thee. I set the cherubim to guard the gate of Paradise; now I command the cherubim to serve thee. Once thou didst hide from God because of thy nakedness—now I have hidden Myself in thee, O true God, clothed in thy nature. Thou didst wear garments of skins in shame—but I, thy God, have clothed Myself in thy flesh, the robe of blood. So arise, let us go hence— from death into life, from corruption into incorruption, from darkness into eternal light. Arise, let us go hence— from sorrow into joy, from slavery into freedom, from captivity into the delight of Paradise, from earth unto heaven. For I died for this, and I arose again: that I might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Arise, let us go hence! For My heavenly Father awaits the lost sheep. The ninety and nine sheep—that is, the angels—await their fellow-servant Adam, to see when he shall rise, when he shall return and ascend to God. The cherubic throne is prepared. Those who are to lift you into the heavens are swift to obey. The mansions of heaven are made ready. The treasuries of blessings are opened. The kingdom of heaven, prepared from before the ages, stands ready. Such good things await mankind as “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man” (1 Corinthians 2:9). At the word of the Lord, Adam rises with Him and in Him—joined to Him. Eve rises too, and many other bodies of the righteous who from ages past had died in faith arose, proclaiming the Lord’s glorious three-day Resurrection. This Resurrection we too, who believe, shall greet with brightness. We shall behold it with joy and embrace it, rejoicing with the angels, exulting with the bodiless hosts, and glorifying Christ, who raised us from corruption and gave us life. To Him be glory and dominion, with His unoriginate Father, and with the All-Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. source

After the Only-begotten Son of God became incarnate for our sake from the Virgin, and by His life in the flesh fulfilled and completed the Law given through Moses, and introduced the Law of Grace for us to keep, and in relation to the Church replaced that ancient Law—since then the Jewish people have been expelled from the holy Church, and in their place we, chosen from among the Gentiles, have been brought in. The Lord has united us to Himself and to the Father, making us kin as sons and brothers, and even as His own Parents (O inexpressible love for mankind!). For He says: “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother” (Matt. 12:50).

Yet today in the Church we celebrate the memory of the Forefathers, most of whom were Jews. Why is this? It is so that all may know that it was not unjust, unreasonable, or unworthy of God who effected this change and brought about such a replacement—that the Jews were expelled and the Gentiles adopted as sons. Rather, just as among the called Gentiles only those who obey (Christ’s teaching) are reckoned as kin to God, so too with regard to the people of Israel and those from Adam down to that people—and there were a great many such—only those are true Israelites who lived among them according to God’s will. To them belonged the prophecies; through them were given the types and shadows; to them were made the promises. And only they are the true Fathers and Forefathers—first of the Virgin who bore Christ, the God of all, according to the flesh, and then, through Him, ours as well (they are Forefathers and Fathers).

These Fathers and Forefathers have not been cast out from Christ’s Church, and today we boldly celebrate their feast as those who belong to the company of the fulfilled saints. For in Christ there is neither old nor new: “There is neither Greek nor Jew, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (cf. Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). A “Jew” is not one who is such outwardly, nor is “circumcision” that which is outward in the flesh; but a true “Jew” is one inwardly, and true circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter (cf. Rom. 2:28–29). All who have this circumcision are one in it—whether ancient or new—those who pleased God by living in a manner pleasing to Him, whether before the Law, under the Law, or after the Law in the Gospel of Grace.

Thus, if anyone carefully examines God’s entire dispensation toward the human race from beginning to end, he will see that it is consistent and coherent with itself. For just as now the chosen are selected from every nation—only the worthy are renamed (as God’s own), while the unfit are cast out (“for many are called, but few are chosen,” as the Lord said, Matt. 20:16)—so too in the time of those ancient people, and afterward among the Jewish people, and even among those who were renamed, only the chosen are accepted, while the great multitude of the unfit are cast out from their number as well.

Thus, among the descendants of Seth, called “sons of God,” those who lusted after the daughters of men, as Scripture says (Gen. 6:2), became rejected. There was also an unfit multitude among the Jews—not only among the proselytes living in their midst, but even among the native-born Jews. For example, Esau, the very brother of Jacob, the first called “Israel” (Gen. 32:28), who was disobedient to his parents (Gen. 26:34–35; 27:46), and Absalom, the son of the Prophet and King David who ruled Israel immediately after Saul, who plotted against his father’s life—both proved alien to the sacred lineage.

So too among us: not all who are named after Christ—as not all those formerly named after Israel—are reckoned in Christ’s lineage, but only those who live according to His will and keep His commandments, making up what is lacking through repentance. Judas Iscariot was not only among the called, but among the Apostles—and not merely among the Apostles, but among the Twelve, the very chief ones. Yet having estranged himself from kinship with Christ, he became the most alien of all from the name that speaks of kinship. Why did this happen? Because he had no zeal for the proclaimed Kingdom of Heaven, nor did he take to heart the astonishing works and teaching of the Savior. For the signs and works of God that are beheld lead those who desire to see them to faith; hearing the sacred teaching, together with truth in God, reveals a life pleasing to God. Through both, despising all that is fleshly and earthly, we direct our thoughts toward the hope prepared in heaven.

But Judas desired none of this; he looked to the earth and saw the meaning of life in theft, in earthly and base gain, in the supposed material benefit he imagined would come to him from it. He loved things repeatedly and most strongly forbidden by the Father, Master, and Teacher of all. Thus he was no fellow-apostle of Christ, but kin to those to whom the Lord said: “You seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26). For just as those, though they saw the signs, ate the bread, and heard the words of the Self-subsistent Word incarnate for us, later cried out to Pilate, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him” (John 19:15)—so too Judas, having seen with his own eyes (and to a greater degree than others), having experienced the greatness and divinity of the Lord, later betrayed Him to the murderers.

Yet He endured (O unspeakable magnanimity!) “even death, death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8), for the victorious sign over the originator of evil, and to teach us patience and show that temptations and afflictions bring us benefit. For the Prophet says: “In affliction we remembered You” (cf. Isa. 26:16 or 26:18 in some versions); and: “I will bear the indignation of the Lord” (Mic. 7:9); and: “Your chastening will receive me” (cf. Ps. 17:36 LXX), that is, it raised up and persuaded me, bent as I was toward bodily cares and bodily things, to look only to You.

But if even in time of affliction you do not turn to God, if you are not corrected by His chastisement, then what time or what event will ever contribute to your correction? Someone may object: “But does not the body need food and other necessities?” Indeed, very much so! How could it be otherwise? Therefore, if you possess all things—having received them, of course, from God (for as the Apostle says: “What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Cor. 4:7)—give thanks to the Giver, rendering Him gratitude through deeds: just as He obeyed your will and fulfilled your desire, so too draw near, listen, learn what His will is, obey it, and act accordingly, that, like a prudent man, you may be praised. For the Lord says: “Whoever hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man” (cf. Matt. 7:24). And consequently, not only in regard to passing and earthly things, but also in regard to future, abiding, and heavenly things, you will have Him as a generous Benefactor. For He says: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21).

If at present you suffer material want or fear impending ruin, again draw near to Him, again entreat Him, again show Him obedience. For it is written: “Be subject to the Lord and entreat Him” (Ps. 36:7 LXX). Again, His good servant is known by deeds; for He is the One who, according to the Psalm, “gives food in due season, opening His hand and satisfying all living things with favor” (cf. Ps. 144:15–16 LXX). He is the One who said: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5). He is the One who says: “My servants shall eat,” but to those who are not His servants: “You shall be hungry” (Isa. 65:13).

Why do you imitate in irrational animals that which is harmful to you—namely, their bent posture toward the belly and their inability to rise from earthly things—although you were created upright, so that you might have thoughts of the higher things and seek what is above? Why, like that woman bowed down whom Satan had bound for eighteen years, do you yourself wish to remain bound, although this Word of Life, who released her, desires and is able easily to loose you, if only you draw near to Him, listen to Him, and obey—rather than stopping your ears, fleeing away, and resisting?

Why do you imitate in irrational creatures what harms you, but not what would benefit you? Hear the Prophet speaking of how the young lions, when in need of food, roar and seek it from God, and receive it to seize as prey. For it is said: “The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God” (Ps. 103:21 LXX). In speaking of young lions, he abundantly provides those who have understanding the opportunity to draw a conclusion about all other animals as well: for if the lion—of all beasts the most voracious, predatory, and powerful in hunting—cannot seize food for itself unless God gives it, what can be said of the other, weaker animals?

This is what Christ Himself sets forth in the Gospel using the example of birds: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matt. 6:26). What need I say of land animals, flying creatures, sea-dwellers, or amphibians? For Christ says: “And if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven—not toiling, not watching—will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (cf. Matt. 6:30).

Brethren, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33)—and not only will you inherit this inalienable kingdom of God forever, being justified by His grace, but “all these things will be added to you” as well. But if you seek chiefly not the kingdom of God and His righteousness, but rather what feeds and pampers this corruptible body, then you will not obtain even that—unless you fall into still greater evil for the sake of the same body, thereby bringing condemnation and harm upon your eternal soul. This is seen in the example of the Rich Man (from the Lord’s parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus), who hears from Abraham: “You received your good things in your lifetime” (Luke 16:25).

Once the people of Israel craved meat in the wilderness, and God gave them quail in countless numbers: “And they ate and were well filled, for He gave them what they craved” (Ps. 77:29 LXX)—“but while the meat was still in their mouths, the wrath of God rose against them, and He killed the strongest of them and struck down the chosen men of Israel” (Ps. 77:30–31 LXX). Why “the strongest of them”—that is, why did God’s wrath strike many from the multitude? Because they fearlessly grumbled and blasphemed against God and against Moses, who by God’s command was their leader. And why did He strike down “the chosen men of Israel”? Because they did not restrain the multitude from inclining toward evil.

Behold, such are those who are cast out from the holy Church and the kingdom of God, whether they be from among the ancient people or from the New Israel. This is what the Lord showed in the Gospels when He said: “Many will come from east and west and north and south and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness” (cf. Matt. 8:11–12; Luke 13:28–29).

Who are these “sons of the kingdom” who will be cast into the outer darkness? They are those who, though they confess faith with their lips, deny God by their deeds—abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work (cf. Titus 1:16). And who are those who will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven? They are those who, with right faith, follow the Law or the teaching of Grace and manifest their faith through works.

If anyone desires to be numbered with them, to escape the outer darkness, and to be counted worthy of the never-setting light of the kingdom of God, and to dwell eternally with the saints in heaven—let him “put off the old man who is corrupted according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22)—which are drunkenness, fornication, adultery, uncleanness, greed, love of money, hatred, anger, slander, and every evil passion—and “put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (cf. Col. 3:10), in love, brotherly affection, purity, self-control, and every kind of virtue. Through these Christ dwells in us, reconciling us to Himself and to one another, to the glory of Himself and of His beginningless Father and of the co-eternal and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On the 25th day of the month of December, the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The merciful God, seeing the human race tormented by the devil and having compassion on it, sent His angel Gabriel to say to the God-bearer: “Rejoice, O full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” And by the word He was conceived—the Son, the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ—in her honorable womb. When nine months had passed from the conception, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to conduct a census throughout the entire empire. Cyrenius was sent to Jerusalem and Bethlehem to carry out the decree for the census of the people. And Joseph, the guardian of the Virgin, came from Nazareth to be enrolled with her in Bethlehem. But the time had already come for the Virgin to give birth, and they found no house where they could stay, because there were very many people in the city. They entered a poor stable, and there she gave birth to our incorruptible Lord Jesus Christ, swaddled as an infant the Creator of all, and laid in a manger for cattle Him who was to deliver us from irrationality.

On the same day, the adoration of the Magi: Melchior, Balthasar, and Gaspar.

In ancient times, when the servant of God Moses was leading the people of Israel out of Egypt through the land of Persia, there was in the Persian land a magus named Balaam, and many of his divinations came true. Seeing Israel, he prophesied: “A star shall come forth out of Jacob, a man shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the princes of Moab and plunder the sons of Seth.” And the magi among the Persians recorded this prophecy 1400 years before the Nativity of Christ, and every Persian who became a magus learned of it. This prophecy reached also those magi who were over all the magi of the king of Persia. There were three of them: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar. They watched for when they would see such a star, for it did not move from east to west like the other stars, but went toward the south, and they understood that it announced the birth of a great king. They followed the star, found Christ God, fell down before Him, worshiped Him, and offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, by the command of an angel, they returned to their own land with joy.

On the same day, Joseph the Betrothed of the Virgin received tidings in a dream from God’s angel to flee to Egypt.

The Jewish king Herod, having learned from the magi that a great King had been born who was to conquer the whole world, summoned the magi to him and said to them: “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I too may go and worship him.” But he said this in order to learn where He was and send men to kill Him. Then he summoned the scribes and asked them: “What does Scripture say: where is the Christ to be born?” They answered: “In Bethlehem of Judea.” He then ordered that in Bethlehem all male infants up to two years of age be killed. Then an angel was sent from God and said to Joseph: “Rise, take the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt.” Joseph did so, took the child and His mother, and went to Egypt. At that time Christ was two years old.

On the same day, a homily on the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Come, brethren and children, listen with understanding; I will explain to you the power and glory of this day, on which took place the visitation and renewal of the human race that had fallen into the devil’s deception and into corruption because of the transgression of God’s commandment. Adam was deprived of the food of paradise and, abiding in mortal corruption of life, begot us. And when the enemy saw that the glory of God had been stripped from us, he began by many deceptions to seduce man, in order to steal them away from God—by robbery, theft, fornication, every kind of evil idolatry—so as to make us enemies of God. But our merciful Lord God, unable to endure seeing us fallen into such misfortunes, did not forget the works of His hands, but bowed the heavens and descended for our deliverance, clothed Himself in our flesh, desiring to deify it by His divinity. And He is swaddled in swaddling clothes as an infant—He who covers the earth with darkness—and lies in a manger for cattle—He who rests eternally upon the shoulders of the cherubim—in order to deliver us from a beast-like life. For this reason the invisible became visible, the uncontained was contained in His own creation, the intangible became tangible, the Son of God became the Son of a Virgin; without forsaking His divinity He became man, yet perfect God and perfect man. Hiding His divinity in the flesh, He descended to seek us, and finding the lost sheep He took it upon His shoulders and brought it to the Father—that is, human nature, which had previously been lost—and called together a joyful feast, summoning the angelic powers, saying: “Rejoice with Me, for I have found My sheep which was lost.” Therefore, brethren, we too must honor His descent and always keep His commandments, honoring one another in love, as He Himself wrote, commanding us in the law: “You shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, love your neighbor as yourself”—not only the one who is near by kinship, but every person living in the faith of Christ. Feeding the hungry, receiving the stranger, clothing the naked, showing honor to the servants of God—for they watch vigilantly over our souls. In church striving day and night—for here we are cleansed from sins. In full sobriety, with a pure conscience, let us approach the Body and Blood of God, harboring enmity toward no one, not merely pretending outwardly to love but loving in the heart and outwardly honoring one another, that we may be sons of the Most High and partakers of the heavenly kingdom, to which Christ came to call us—He who is the true Son of God and our God, dual in nature, glorified equally with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

On the same day, a homily on the Nativity of Christ. From the Gospel according to Matthew.

“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying: ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’”

Bethlehem is translated “house of bread,” and Judea means “confession.” Let us also, brethren, by the power of our confession become houses of the spiritual bread, Christ, our true God. For He said: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” The Evangelist says “in the days of Herod the king” so that we may understand and learn that from the Jewish race and from the tribe of Judah princes, kings, and rulers had ceased, as Job prophesied: “The prince shall not fail from Judah, nor the leader from his thighs, until He comes for whom it is reserved, and He is the expectation of the nations.” Since kings, princes, and leaders of the Jews had ceased, Herod reigned, and the expectation of the nations—Christ—came. He came of necessity, at the fitting and proper time. Herod, however, was not a Jew but an Idumean, the son of Antipater by an Arabian wife.

“And behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem.”

The first to worship Christ are the magi—a foreign people, strangers to the promises and the law of God—to the condemnation of the Jews. For the magi, who offered sacrifices to idols and were strangers to the promises, believe and worship. What answer, then, can the Jews now give, who had the law and the prophets, who had always been in the faith, yet despised and rejected the Lord? Truly they deserve reproach and condemnation. But the glory of Christ shines forth and is revealed, for not His own people but strangers and foreigners worship Him and bear witness to the great power of the One born. The testimony of enemies is especially worthy of attention. It is said of these magi that they were the first disciples of the magus Balaam. Since they found his writing that says: “A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a man shall arise out of Israel,” they learned and understood the mystery of Christ. Seeing a strange and unusual star that appeared so exceedingly bright and wondrous, they arose, set out, searched, and cared greatly to see Christ and worship Him. This star was not like those we see in the heavens; it was a certain divine and angelic power that appeared in the form of a star. And since the magi studied the stars, the Lord led them through their customary occupation—just as later He led the apostle Peter when, by a catch of fish in Christ’s name, he brought in a great multitude, by which Christ amazed Peter and caused him to follow Him. Because this star was an angelic power, it is clear that it shone brightly even by day. When the magi traveled, the star moved; when they rested, it stood still. From the eastern lands, such as Persia, it traveled toward the southern lands, to Jerusalem—stars never move from north to south. Truly the magi possessed great virtue and wisdom, as their deed shows: having resolved in a foreign land and in Jerusalem to worship Christ, they had such faith, cared so deeply, and labored so earnestly that, all the more in their own homeland of Persia, they openly and boldly proclaimed the greatness of God, His miracles, and His mysteries!

“Hearing this, King Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Herod was troubled and feared for his kingdom, lest he lose it. The Jews were troubled because of the wonders, though in truth they ought to have rejoiced and been glad, since from their race a king arises and Persian kings worship Him. Truly, malice, envy, and wickedness are irrational: they darken the human mind and prevent it from seeing clearly. They slander many good deeds so that they do not appear good to those whose heartfelt discernment is not kept undisturbed and attentive.

“And gathering all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.”

The scribes were the teachers of the people. It is ordained by God that we ask those whom we regard and call teachers and scribes, expecting from them a true answer. For this reason those who crucified the very Lord whom the prophets foretold and whom their own first teachers and scribes confessed when questioned will be condemned.

“They told him: ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet’”—the prophet Micah—“‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah.’”

The city of Bethlehem was small, insignificant, lowly; many despised it. But now, since Christ came forth from it, it is wondrous, known to all, and glorified. For people from every corner of the earth come to worship in this holy Bethlehem.

“‘For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

The prophet says “come forth”: indeed, Christ did not remain in Bethlehem after His birth but, coming forth from Bethlehem, dwelt chiefly in Nazareth. And “will shepherd My people Israel rightly”—not oppress or devour them. Other kings were not shepherds but wolves and oppressors; Christ, however, is the good and faithful Shepherd, as He Himself says: “I am the good shepherd; I know My own, and My own know Me.” By “people” He means Israel—both those of the Jews and of other nations who have believed. Israel is translated “mind that sees God”; therefore all who see God, believe in Him, and keep His holy commandments are Israelites, even if they descend from the Gentiles.

“Then Herod, secretly calling the magi, learned from them exactly the time the star had appeared.”

Herod summons the magi secretly: he feared the Jews and thought they would greatly desire to preserve the child’s life, since He was to free them from bondage. He inquired precisely and learned when the star had appeared. The star appeared to the magi before the Lord was born. It appeared to them in advance so that they might worship Christ while He was still in swaddling clothes.

“And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: ‘Go and search diligently for the child.’”

He did not say “search for the king” but “for the child,” for he did not wish to acknowledge Him as king, refused to call Him such, and was filled with rage against Him.

“‘And when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.’ Having listened to the king, they departed.”

The magi, being neither deceivers nor cunning nor spies, supposed that Herod spoke and gave them this charge honestly, without guile and simply.

“And behold, the star which they had seen in the east went before them.”

For a time the star was hidden while the magi inquired of the Jews and Herod was troubled, so that the truth might appear all the more manifest and pure. When the magi left Jerusalem, the star appeared to them again, guiding them.

“Until it came and stood over the place where the child was.”

From this it is clear that the star was a divine power. Thus a most wondrous and extraordinary miracle occurs: the star descended from the heights, drew near to the earth, and showed the magi the place. If it had appeared to them from on high, how could the magi have known precisely the place where Christ was? Stars are visible from everywhere: one person sees the moon over his own house, and to another it seems to stand over his house. Each thinks the moon or another star stands over him. That appearing star would not have revealed Christ unless it had truly descended and stood over the head of the infant.

“Seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.”

Since the magi were not deceived but found what they sought, they rejoiced with great joy and glorified God who works such great wonders.

And we, brethren, let us receive this great joy into our hearts, let us exult, worship with the magi, glorify with the shepherds, and rejoice with the angels, for today a Savior is born to us, who is Christ the Lord: “The Lord God has appeared to us.” Let no one be slack in soul, let no one be ungrateful; rather, let all rejoice, be glad, and be illumined today in these new and most glorious things. For this feast is common and universal, the feast of all creation, bringing a joy and salvation greater than any from the beginning of the world. The Son of God, born of a Virgin, has come to us. Can anything be more blessed throughout all generations, more wondrous among all the miracles God has wrought from eternity? Today the condemnation of Adam and Eve is lifted, and we all are freed from the curse. Let us celebrate, brethren, today the salvation of the world; let us celebrate the birth of our Savior Christ. Let the voice of gladness and joy resound; let us all sing a new song and cry aloud: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men!” Moreover, let us all adorn ourselves with virtues, I beseech you; let us take care to keep the divine commandments and live spiritually, brethren—not in gluttony and drunkenness, offenses, injustice, thefts, fornication, and other impurities. For he who lives in impurity and wicked intemperance, abiding in malice and wrongdoing, is abominable to God. He who sows in corruption will reap corrupt fruit; he who sows in the spirit will inherit eternal life. Let us come, brethren, with zeal to this spiritual Bethlehem, the church of God; let us enter as into the divine cave, into the noetic and holy altar; let us gaze with fear and trembling upon the spiritual manger and mystical table, beholding Him who for our sake became an infant, swaddled and lying there—our Lord Jesus Christ, who was once slain for us and is offered each day in the bloodless sacrifice. Let us receive Him with faith and love, with a pure conscience and the promise of heartfelt purity, partaking worthily of the fearful and holy mysteries, that we may become heirs of eternal life and enjoy incorruptible blessings, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On the same day, a reading for the Nativity of Christ.

Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, has today shone forth from the Virgin, most pure and holy; the darkness of impiety has fled, light has been granted to those who believe faithfully, the ice of unbelief has melted, the fruit of piety has blossomed, and the true Star has risen for all. Today even the physical light has received an increase, and the spiritual has shone forth: “For the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” Today a Son is born without a father, and all creation brings Him gifts: the earth—a manger; stones—a cradle; rocky mountains—a cave; cities—Bethlehem; winds—obedience; the sea—submission; whirlpools—fish; rivers—the Jordan; birds—a dove; the magi—gifts; women—Martha; widows—Anna; the barren—Elizabeth; virgins—the God-bearer Mary; children—boxwood; shepherds—praise; priests—Simeon; the people—Paul; sinners—the tax collector; the woman with the issue of blood—faith; the harlot—myrrh; oaks—Zacchaeus; the tree—the cross; the cross—the thief; the east—the star; heaven—angels; Gabriel—the greeting, saying: “Rejoice, O highly favored one, the Lord is with thee.” And we, the lowly, rejoicing today, let us say to her: O most glorious God-bearer, today thou openest paradise to Adam our forefather, which Eve closed through disobedience; O Holy Virgin, today thou givest birth to the Giver of all, the Creator of all. Come, O lands, and behold: a womb wider than the heavens—He who could not be contained in the heavens was contained in her; by His birth He scattered all bonds and granted freedom to human nature, which had been in bondage from the first man until this moment, that now we may glorify Him who came to His own and rejoice in Him.

And the king-prophet David, who possessed the law of God, seeing the ark of the covenant returned from the foreigners, rejoiced and exulted, thereby showing what love he had for God. But we today, beholding Him who gave the law Himself, shining forth from the Virgin as through the ark, let us glorify and rejoice and with all our strength praise the Bestower of blessings. That ark served in the law as a type, threatening punishment to those who transgressed the scriptures; but here is He by whom the law was fulfilled, who redeemed us from the curse imposed by the law, who grants righteousness and life to all. Let us greet this honorable and glorious day as one that brings much good. For on this day the Invisible became visible in the flesh to the whole world; on this day Hope came to all creation; on this day the King revealed Himself to people tormented by demons; on this day deliverance came to us captives, riches to the poor, light to the darkened, a path to the lost. Let us praise, brethren, this radiant feast: for on this day freedom came to slaves, forgiveness to sinners, cleansing to the defiled, healing to the sick; He came giving eyes to the blind and hearing to the deaf; health came to the lame, swiftness to the paralyzed, cleansing to lepers, rising to those who lay down, satisfaction to the hungry, consolation to the sorrowful, wisdom to the ignorant, life to the dead. Let us glorify God who came for our sake: He came who slew Satan and freed Adam; He came who destroyed corruption; He came who grants eternal life and immortality; He came who clothes us in the robe of incorruption and arrays us in the garment of glory; He came—the praise of the righteous and the joy of all creation; He came—the Son of God and Helper of mankind; He came—the Creator of this life; He came—the Renewer of the worn-out; He came who makes men equal to angels; He came who makes men children of God; He came who grants to all the kingdom of heaven. Therefore today the angelic hosts triumph on earth, crying out: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” For they beheld a wondrous and fearful miracle: they saw the Lord of all taking the form of a servant; they saw the Infant shining who forms all infants in the womb; they saw the Creator of Adam accepting infancy to free Adam from evil; they saw the great mystery being accomplished today in Bethlehem: God and man born of a woman; they saw the Virgin herself nursing the Infant, having given birth yet remaining a Virgin; they beheld her become a Mother yet knowing no man; they beheld a new and most glorious wonder: an unsown ear of grain, an unplanted cluster of grapes, an Infant without a father.

What then shall I say? How shall I explain that this Son of the Mother is in truth the Creator of His Mother? A twofold divine birth: one utterly indescribable, the other describable yet scattering fire upon the tongue of the speaker—one before the ages, the other in the latter times; one from God the Father, the other from the Virgin and sole Mother. Without father on earth, without mother in heaven: neither there a mother nor here a father was required for the birth. Above, the angels tremble; below, men reproach Him. Above, the cherubim are His throne; below, a cave and manger are His place. Above, He is clothed in indescribable glory; below, He is swaddled in cloths. Above, the seraphim dare not gaze upon Him; below, the harlot clings to His feet. Above, the heavenly powers dare not approach; below, He eats with sinners. Above, He is King over emperors; below, a pauper “who has nowhere to lay His head.” Above, Judge of all creation; below, He accepts judgment without sin from Pilate. All this He did for our race, all this for us poor people sitting in the darkness of ignorance. Precisely when we had fallen most deeply into impiety, committed the most wicked deeds, become His adversaries, fled from Him, and deserved to receive fierce judgment, then we received from the Master and Lord great mercy and love for mankind.

What among created things did we not honor as God? To what demons did we not pray and serve? What evil, defilement, and impiety did we not commit and honor? Besides the one true God, we called all things gods: heaven and earth, sun and moon and stars, mountains and hills and oaks, rivers and springs, stones and all manner of beasts—we called all these gods. Moreover, murder, theft, and fornication—ignorant of the truth, we honored all these as gods. Thus Satan deceived us, causing us to worship every defiled deed. Yet even though we were such, the God who bestows grace did not despise us, did not abandon us to suffer in that defilement, but “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,” and the grace He gave overcame our enmity. In His generosity and great mercy, He Himself came down from heaven to us sinners, healing our wounds, hiding His divinity in the flesh as in a valley of death, taking our nature, and thus accomplishing salvation for mankind—extinguishing death, destroying impiety and unbelief, binding the ranks of demons, enlightening us who were darkened, granting us the vision of truth, transforming our whole life for the better and for immortality, transforming even our thinking so that we look not to earth but to heaven; and equipping us with His commandments, He gave us the heavenly kingdom and made us equal to the angels.

Therefore we triumph and rejoice: for today our King and Deliverer has shone forth and come. All this we celebrate on this day; rejoicing, let us praise with all our strength our Benefactor, let us adorn ourselves with good deeds and not with garments, let us be filled with praises and not with wine, let us offer all gifts, like the magi, to the glorious King. Let us who believe not be worse than those Persians. They brought gold, honoring Him as king—for gold is offered to a king. Let us also bring in place of gold a faith undefiled and the true law. They brought frankincense, whose fragrance indicated His divine nature—for fragrant incense is offered in honor to God. Let us also bring in place of frankincense a life fragrant with pleasing God. They brought myrrh, pointing to the Lord’s death for all—for in ancient times the dead were anointed with myrrh. Let us also bring the mortification of our members and no longer return to defiled deeds. Having received tidings from the angel, the magi returned to their people by another way, leaving Herod in confusion; but we, guided by the Master and the angel, having escaped the admixture of sin, let us walk the path that leads to the mercy of God. In Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion with the beginningless Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On the same day, for the Nativity of Christ: the tale of Ephroditian concerning the miracle that occurred in the land of Persia. Father, bless.

The Persians were the first to learn of Christ: nothing can be hidden from their scribes, for they constantly labor over the study of books preserved in golden chests in the royal chambers. I speak of what I have heard, and also of those priests in their idol-temples—one of which was dedicated to Hera—on the other side of the royal court. It is attested that the king built it with every honor, placed in it gods—images of gold and silver—and adorned them with precious stones. But I will continue my account without describing the ornaments further.

The tablets written in those days relate: the king entered the idol-temple to receive an interpretation of dreams, and the priest Prupius said to him: “I rejoice with thee, O sovereign, for Hera has conceived in her womb!” The king, smiling, said to him: “Can one who is dead conceive in her womb?” He replied: “Yes, the dead one has come to life.” The king said: “What is the meaning? Tell me.” The priest answered: “Truly, O sovereign, the time has come. All night long the images rejoiced—both male and female—saying to one another: ‘Come, let us rejoice together with Hera.’ And they said to me: ‘Prophet, come, rejoice with Hera, for she is beloved.’ I said: ‘Who will love her who no longer exists?’ They replied: ‘She has come to life and is no longer called Hera but Urania, for the great sun has loved her.’ The female images spoke to the male ones, as if praising the deed, that the fountain is beloved—for Hera was not betrothed to a carpenter. And the male images said: ‘It is truly a fountain, but her name is Mary, and she bears in her womb, as in the sea, a ship laden with many goods. If she is a fountain, let it be understood thus: a fountain of water eternally pours forth a fountain of spirit. In it is one fish caught by God’s hook, which feeds the whole world—as though living in the sea—with its flesh. It is rightly said that she gives birth to a carpenter not from a husband: there is a hidden Carpenter, and the Carpenter who is born is the Son of the Chief of carpenters—triply composed—who with wise art made the heavenly vault over the three parts of the whole universe, fixing the rafters with the word.”

Then the images, disputing about Hera and the fountain, said in chorus: “The day will end, and we shall all know everything.” And the priest said: “Now, O sovereign, remain here for the rest of the day: this matter will be fully revealed, for what has happened is no small thing.” The king remained there and gazed upon the idol-images. The harpists began to play upon harps and sing all their songs. And as many four-footed beasts and birds as there were—silver and golden—each sang with its own voice. The king was frightened, filled with terror, and wished to depart, unable to endure such noise. But the priest said to him: “Wait, O king. The final manifestation is already at hand; the God of all has willed to appear to us.” And while they were speaking thus, the ceiling opened, a radiant star entered and stood over the image of the fountain. And a voice was heard: “O Fountain! O Lady! The great sun has sent me to announce to thee and also to serve the undefiled Birth. I serve thee, elder mother of all ranks, who art becoming the bride of the tri-named single Divinity. The unsown Infant is called beginning and end: beginning of salvation, end of perdition.”

And when this voice sounded, all the idols fell on their faces, and only the fountain remained standing; upon it was placed a royal crown with ruby and emerald stones. And the star stood above the fountain.

The king commanded that all the wise interpreters of signs throughout his realm be gathered. Those summoning them sounded trumpets, and behold, they all assembled in the idol-temple. When they saw the star over the fountain, the starry crown with its stones, and the idols lying in the dust, they said: “O king, the divine royal root has bowed, revealing the image of the heavenly and earthly King. The fountain Karin is the daughter of the land of Bethlehem, and the crown is the image of the King proclaiming the miracle taking place on earth. From Judah has arisen a kingdom that rejects the memory of the Jews; and that the gods have fallen means the end of their worship. For He has come who, by reason of His age, is worthy of greater honor—how then can the worship of younger ones endure? Now, O king, seek in Jerusalem, and thou shalt find the Son of the Almighty in a body, upon a woman’s bodily arms.”

And that star remained over the fountain called heavenly until the magi set out from Persia; then it went with them. Later in the evening, Dionysus appeared to a certain man in the same idol-temple with a banner and said to the idols: “The fountain is now not one of you but above you, renewing human nature by union with God. Prup the priest, why sittest thou here? The deed foretold has come upon us, and we shall be convicted by the majestic Person that we lied in our fantasies, held power, and shall prophesy no more. Worship has been taken from us; we are now without glory and honor—there is only One who has reclaimed all honor for Himself.” They say to him: “Do not panic! The Persians will no longer demand tribute neither earthly nor aerial: He who cancels it has come in the Spirit, intending to offer tribute to Him who sent Him, changing the first image and renewing the new. Heaven rejoices together with earth, and earth boasts, receiving the praise formerly given to heaven: He who was not above is below, seen by the noetic powers. To those He threatens flame, but to these dew has come. Karin, the well-paired fountain, has given birth in Bethlehem. What grace of the fountain that it is beloved of heaven and knows it! The Savior has come to strangers and foreigners; rest is granted to the weary.” Likewise the female images triumph, saying: “O Lady fountain that givest drink, become mother of the heavenly luminary, O cloud that shelters the whole world from the heat—remember thy servants, O beloved lady!”

The king compelled the magi under his authority to set out with gifts, and the star showed them the way. When they returned, they told him everything. Afterward they wrote upon a golden tablet thus: “When we came to Jerusalem, we told them of all the signs that occasioned our journey. And the Jerusalemites said: ‘What is this, that the wise Persians have come with an appearing star?’ The Jewish elders asked us about the future and concerning Him for whose sake we had come. We answered: ‘He whom ye call Messiah is born.’ They grew anxious and dared to object. They said to us: ‘Since ye know the judgment of heaven, tell us what ye have understood.’ We replied: ‘Ye are sick with unbelief and have no faith either in what is confirmed by oath or without oath, but follow your own senseless reason. For Christ, the Son of the Most High, is born, destroying your law and your assembly; yet ye practice sorcery only to avoid hearing His name—so suddenly has He fallen upon you.’ They, after consulting among themselves, begged us to take a gift and conceal it: they feared lest the law pass to other lands. But we answered: ‘We have brought gifts in His honor to proclaim the heavenly miracle in our land that accompanied His birth and His greatness. How then do ye say that we should take back the gifts and hide what has been revealed to us by the God of heaven, and transgress the command of our king? Have ye still not understood how God punished you with the Assyrians?’ They were afraid but let us go.

“And when the Jewish king summoned us to himself, he spoke with us and inquired; we told him the same things, and he was greatly troubled. We departed from him without obeying him, as though he were no ruler. We came to the place to which we were directed and saw her who had given birth and Him who was born; the star itself pointed out to us the Infant Lord. We said to the mother: ‘What is thy name, O most glorious mother?’ She answered: ‘Mariam.’ ‘Whence the child?’ She said: ‘I was only betrothed. Before the marriage rite took place, when it was the Sabbath and the sun had just risen, an angel came announcing a certain birth. I was troubled and cried out: “Let this not be with me, my lord, for I know no husband!” And he told me that it was God’s will that I should give birth.’ We said: ‘O great mother! All the Persian gods called thee blessed! Great is thy praise: thou art exalted above all people!’ The Child sat upon the ground and appeared as though He were going on two years old. He Himself spoke and was somewhat like in face to her who bore Him. She herself was tall; her skin was dark and shining; her face round; her hair bound up. And we brought to our land images of both of them. They were placed by our hands, as was foretold, and it was written thus: ‘In the idol-temple of Zeus, to the Sun God, the great king, the Persian empire inscribed.’ And each of us took the Infant, held Him in our arms, worshiped Him, and kissed Him. We gave Him gold, myrrh, and frankincense, saying to Him: ‘With love we render thee honor, O heavenly Jesus! It could not have been arranged otherwise unless Thou hadst come. Otherwise the higher could not have united with the lower unless Thou hadst come. Affairs are not so well accomplished by sending a servant as by coming oneself. Rightly by such wise cunning dost Thou outwit the adversaries.’ And the Child laughed and wept, hearing the praise in our words. We bowed to His mother, and she showed us honor; we glorified her and went to the place where we were lodging. When evening came, a youth, fearful and terrible, came to us and said: ‘Depart quickly, lest some evil design be formed against you.’ In terror we answered: ‘Who would plot evil against the great powers and captains of God?’ He said: ‘Herod. But arise at once and go, saved in peace.’ Having heard this, we mounted our fleshly horses and hastened to depart from there. We related all that we had seen in Jerusalem. This is how much we have told you concerning Christ. I know that Christ is our Savior. To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On the same day, the Oration of Saint Gregory the Theologian on the Nativity of Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ is born—glorify Him! Christ comes from heaven—meet Him! Christ is on earth—be exalted! “Sing to the Lord, all the earth.” And I will say both together: “Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad”—for the Heavenly One who is now earthly. Christ is in the flesh—with trembling and joy rejoice: with trembling because of sin, with joy because of hope. Christ comes from a Virgin: women, live in virginity that you may become mothers of Christ. Who does not bow before Him who is from the beginning? Who does not glorify the One who is without end?

Again darkness is dispersed, again light is established. Again Egypt is punished with darkness, again Israel is illumined by a pillar. “The people who sat in darkness” of ignorance, let them “see a great light” of knowledge. “The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The letter yields, the spirit abounds, shadows pass away, truth arrives. Melchizedek is brought forward as an example: he appears without mother and without father—without mother in the first case, without father in the second. The law of nature is broken. It is fitting that a higher order be established. Christ brings joy—let us not refuse it. “Clap your hands, all you peoples,” “for a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us, whose government is upon His shoulder”—for He takes up the cross—“and His name is called Angel of Great Counsel”—He who proclaims the Father. Let John cry out: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” I will sing the power of this day! The Bodiless One is embodied for me, the Word becomes thick, the Invisible becomes visible, the Intangible is touched, the Timeless begins, the Son of God becomes the Son of Man: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.” Let the Jews be scandalized, let the Greeks mock, let the tongues of heretics ache. They will believe when they see Him ascending to heaven; and if not then, at least when He comes from heaven and sits as Judge.

But that will be later. Today we celebrate the Theophany—that is, the Nativity: the feast has two names, but both refer to one thing. For God has appeared to men through birth—He who is, who is always, proceeding from Him who always is, above cause and reason: for there is no reason above the Reason. But for our sake He became something new, that He who gave us being might give us well-being. Moreover, after we, through malice, fell away from good being, He raises us back to Himself through incarnation. The name that speaks of manifestation is Theophany; that which speaks of birth is Nativity.

This is our feast; today we celebrate God’s coming to man, that we might go forth to God—or rather, return to Him—so that, putting off the old man, we may put on the new; and as we died in Adam, so we may live in Christ, being crucified with Him, buried with Him, and rising with Him. It was fitting that a good reversal occur: that sorrows come from good things, and good things from sorrows. “For where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,” so that if one tasting of the fruit brought such condemnation, how much more has Christ’s crucifixion brought justification! Let us celebrate, then, not festively but divinely; not in a worldly manner but supra-worldly; not our own things but those that belong to Him who came to us, the Eternal One; not the infirm but the healing; not creation but the Creator.

How shall we do this? Let us not adorn our porticos, nor arrange dances, nor decorate the streets, nor feast the eyes, nor enchant the ears with flutes, nor weaken the sense of smell with perfumes, nor wander in taste, nor give touch an evil and sinful direction, nor clothe ourselves in soft and flowing garments useless in their beauty, nor adorn ourselves with gleaming stones or shining gold, nor paint our faces, doubting natural beauty—for this invention is against the image of God in man—nor become drunk, which always leads to falsehood and fornication: for if the teacher is evil, evil is his teaching, and the earth will bring forth evil fruit from evil seed. Let us not set up lofty couches for belly-pleasing feasts. Let us not honor fragrant wines, costly dishes, or worldly luxuries. Let earth and sea not bring us as a gift esteemed corruption—for such is luxurious food and drink. Do not strive to outdo one another in intemperance: intemperance, in my view, is everything superfluous and unnecessary—especially when those formed of the same clay and mixture hunger and lack necessities.

Let us leave all this to the Greeks and their pompous celebrations: those who call gods beings that rejoice in the smoke of sacrifices follow their gods in pleasing the belly. They fashion images of cunning and malicious demons, participate in their mysteries, and lead others to them. But we who worship the Word, if we feast, let us feast on the Word, on the divine Law, and on the narratives—including today’s gathering—that we may be nourished by what is our own, not foreign to the Creator. Or do you wish me to set before you a banquet and, as host, richly and generously entertain you, good guests, with discourse, that you may learn how a stranger can feed citizens, a wanderer the wealthy, a poor homeless man those who feast and shine with possessions? I will begin from here—but purify for me your mind, your hearing, and your thoughts, since you feast on the divine word about God, that you may truly be satisfied and not hunger again. And this word will be both full and brief, that neither the simple be burdened nor you overindulge in its sweetness.

God always was. “Was” and “will be” belong to our divided time and flowing nature, but “He who is” belongs to the Eternal One—and He so names Himself when appearing to Moses on the mountain. That which is encompasses all, having neither beginning nor end—like an ocean of essence, boundless and infinite, surpassing every thought, time, and nature. The mind can only sketch faint and unclear outlines, not of God Himself but of what surrounds Him, gathering from various sources a true image that flees before the mind can grasp it: flashing upon our mind, if purified, like a swift bolt of lightning. It seems to me this happens so that what is partially comprehended may draw us upward—what is wholly incomprehensible inspires no hope and is inaccessible—while what is not fully understood excites wonder; wonder kindles greater desire; desire purifies; purification makes godlike; and when we become such, He converses boldly with gods, uniting with them and being known by them—perhaps as much as He knows those who know Him. The Godhead is incomprehensible, hard to grasp: one thing alone is well known—its incomprehensibility. Though some think a simple nature must be either wholly unknowable or fully knowable. But what is a simple nature? Let us consider. Simplicity itself is not its nature, any more than complexity is the nature of the composite.

The boundless has neither beginning nor end—for it is precisely the absence of these that makes it boundless. When the mind gazes into the supernal depth, finding no place to rest or foothold in its conceptions of God, it calls the boundless and incomprehensible “without beginning.” When it looks the other way, it calls it immortal and indestructible. When it unites both, it calls it eternal. For eternity is neither time nor a part of time—it is immeasurable. But as we measure time by the sun’s motion, so for the ever-living, eternity—extending with them—has a kind of movement and interval. But enough of philosophizing about God. This is not the moment, for I speak not of theology but of the economy of salvation. When I speak of God, I mean Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—lest anyone think God has other sons and we introduce popular gods, or that the Persons are fewer than three, and we be condemned for making God too poor. We must avoid both Jewish monarchianism and Greek polytheism. Though opposites, they harbor similar evil. This is the Holy of Holies, veiled by the seraphim, glorified in thrice-holy proclamation, converging in one Lordship and Godhead—concerning which others before us have philosophized better and more loftily.

But since it was not enough for Goodness to be moved only by contemplation of itself, but goodness ought to overflow and extend, that many might partake of its benefits—for this is the mark of goodness—[God first conceived the angelic and heavenly powers—added from the Greek text.] And the thought became deed, fulfilled by the Word and perfected by the Spirit. Thus arose the second splendors, ministers of the First Light, whose nature is to be understood as intelligent spirit or immaterial and bodiless fire—or something close to this. I would say they are immovable toward evil, moved only toward good—for they surround God and first receive illumination from Him, while we receive the second. But I am compelled to think and call them not immovable but difficult to move toward evil by him who, because of his brightness, was called Light-bearer, yet through pride became and was called Darkness, together with the powers that followed and fell with him—who, after rejecting good, became inventors of evil and teach us the same.

Thus, and for this reason, the noetic cosmos was formed—as far as I can philosophize, measuring the great with small words. Since the first cosmos pleased Him, He conceived a second—material and visible. This is the harmonious whole composed of heaven, earth, and what is between them—admirable for the beauty of each part, but especially for the perfect harmony of each with each and all with all in one world-order. To show that He can create not only beings akin to His nature but also utterly different. Akin to the Godhead are the noetic and intellectually apprehensible; utterly different are the sensible. Of these, most different are the soulless and motionless. But what is this? someone especially fond of festivals might say. Drive the chariot to the goal. Philosophize about the feast and why we are gathered. So I shall—though I began somewhat afar, compelled by love and the word.

Mind and sense, thus separated, remained within their bounds, bearing the majesty of the Creator-Word and, though silent, praising the great work and brightly proclaiming it. There was as yet no union of both, no mixture of opposites in which wisdom would shine even more. Not all the great works of nature were yet known, nor all the richness of goodness. Desiring to manifest this, the skillful Word makes from both—from invisible and visible nature—one living being: man. Taking a body from already-created matter, He breathed into it life from Himself—establishing another cosmos, great in small, placing on earth another angel, a worshiper of mixed nature, contemplator of visible creation, initiate into noetic mysteries, king of earthly things yet ruled by the Most High, earthly yet heavenly, temporal yet immortal, visible yet noetic, midway between greatness and lowliness. This is spirit and flesh: spirit by grace, flesh to be exalted; that he might endure and glorify the Benefactor, while it suffers and, suffering, remembers and learns how greatly man is loved and honored by God. A living creature cared for here by God, then transplanted elsewhere—and (the culmination of the mystery)—deified by inclination toward God. For this reason light is given here in measure, that we may behold and receive the divine radiance worthy of Him who binds, looses, and binds again more highly.

He settled him in paradise—whatever paradise may be—and honored him with free will, that good might belong no less to the chooser than to the Giver of the seed: to cultivate immortal plants—that is, divine thoughts, simple and most perfect—naked in simplicity and artless life, without covering or barrier. Such was fitting for the one who appeared at the beginning. He gave him, as free, a law. The law was the commandment concerning which trees he might eat and which he must not touch. This was the tree of knowledge—not planted originally evil nor forbidden by God out of envy (let not those who contend against God, imitating the serpent, loose their tongues). But it was good if received at the proper time. Contemplation—this, as I understand, was the plant—to ascend to which without stumbling only the most perfect in character can; for the simple and self-indulgent it is not yet good, as solid food is not beneficial for infants who need milk. But through the devil’s envy and woman’s cunning—which is characteristic of the weaker, and to which she drew Adam as one skilled in persuasion (O my weakness! For what belongs to my father is mine)—he forgot the commandment given him, fell through bitter tasting from the tree of life, from paradise, from God; was driven out for sin, clothed in leather tunics—that is, coarse, mortal, stubborn flesh. Then he first knew shame and hid from God. Here he gained death, lest sin become immortal, lest evil be endless—punishment thus a mark of love for mankind, for so—I am convinced—God punishes.

First He subjected him to many corrections according to the many kinds of sin sprouting from the evil root for various reasons and at different times—by word, law, prophets, benefits, threats, plagues, waters, fires, wars, victories, defeats, signs from heaven, air, earth, sea, men, cities, nations, sudden changes—all aimed at eradicating evil. But stronger medicine was needed as the disease worsened: men murdered one another, committed adultery, and worst of all—idolatry, transferring worship from Creator to creature. He who needed greater help received more. This was the very Word of God—eternal, invisible, incomprehensible, beginning from the Beginning, light from Light, source of life and immortality, express image of archetypal beauty, immovable seal, undistinguished image, definition and word of the Father—who comes to His own image, puts on flesh for flesh, unites with rational soul for my soul, purifying like with like, becomes in all things man except sin. Born of a Virgin, purifying soul and body beforehand by the Spirit—for both birth and virginity must be honored. God descends, taking human nature, becoming one from two opposites—flesh and Spirit—one of which deified the other. O wondrous mixture! O glorious union! The Existing One begins, the Uncreated is created, the Uncontainable is contained through the mediation of rational soul between Godhead and gross flesh. The Enricher becomes poor: He impoverishes Himself in my flesh that I may be enriched by His Godhead. The Full One empties: for a time He relinquishes His glory that I may partake of it fully. What wealth of goodness! What mystery is wrought for me! I received the image but did not preserve it: He takes my flesh to save the image and immortalize the flesh. He enters into a second communion, far more glorious than the first. Then He gave the better; now He takes the worse. This seems higher to those who have mind!

What will the slanderers say to this—caviling critics of the Godhead, blaming what is praiseworthy, dark in light, untrained in wisdom, for whom Christ died in vain, ungrateful creatures, works of the evil one? Do you reproach God for His benefit? Count His weakness that He became poor for you? That “the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep” sought the lost on mountains and hills where you sacrificed, found the wandering one, placed it on His shoulders—as the wood—and carried it to heavenly pasture, joining it to those who remained? That He kindled His flesh as a lamp, sweeping out the sinful cosmos, seeking the drachma bearing the royal image lost in the heap of passionate rubbish? And finding it, calls His beloved powers to share the joy, as He earlier shared the mysteries of His providence? After the lamp comes bright light. After the voice, the Word; after the forerunner who prepares the bride, the Bridegroom. He prepared a special people, purifying them beforehand with water for receiving the Spirit. Is He displeasing to you because He girds Himself with a towel and washes the disciples’ feet, showing the way of exaltation—heavenly humility? Because He descends to the buried earth to raise with Himself those bowed down by sin? Why do you not recall that He eats with publicans and at publicans’ houses, teaching publicans, that He too might gain something? What is this? The salvation of sinners! Let the accuser blame the physician for visiting the sick, enduring stench to grant health; or the merciful one who bends to the pit to draw out the fallen beast according to the law.

He was sent—but as man. He was dual. He toiled, hungered, thirsted, grew weary, wept—according to the law of the body. But if as God—how? He Himself describes His mission: sent by the Father to do His will. He honors the timeless Origin and does not wish to be taken for another god. He says “I am betrayed,” yet also “I lay down My life Myself”; raised and exalted by the Father, yet He raised and exalted Himself. On one side—by the Father’s good pleasure; on the other—by His own power. You speak of what humbles, but pass over in silence what exalts. You consider that He suffered, but do not add that He willed it. Thus the Word suffers even now! One honors Him as God but confuses Him with the Father; another condemns the flesh and separates Him from unity with the Father. Against whom will He be more angry? Whom will He sooner forgive—those who wrongly unite or those who divide? Neither: for the one ought not divide, the other not confuse. The error is in number for one, in Godhead for the other. Do you stumble at the flesh? Like the Jews. Call Him Samaritan? I say nothing. Disbelieve the Godhead? Like the demons. You are worse than demons, more foolish than Jews! For the Jews, hearing the voice calling Him Son, thought it summoned them to render equal honor to the Father; the demons simply knew He was God—how could they not believe, since they suffered so from Him! Yet you deny equality, confess not the Godhead! Better for you to be circumcised and possessed (a jest) than, whole and sound, to be so malicious and godless.

Soon after, you see Jesus purifying with the Jordan my purification—more precisely, purifying the waters’ purity, for He who “takes away the sin of the world” needed no cleansing. You see the heavens rent, the kindred Spirit bearing witness of Him, He tempted yet overcoming temptation, angels ministering to Him, healing every disease and infirmity, raising the dead—shall you not now mortify unbelief?—driving out demons both Himself and through disciples, feeding multitudes with few loaves, walking upon the deep, betrayed, crucified—and there crucifying my sin: led as a lamb, yet leading Himself as healer; buried as man, rising as God; ascending likewise with His glory. What feast for me is each mystery of Christ! Their aim is one: my perfection and restoration, return to the first Adam.

Accept His birth and dance in His honor—if not like John in the womb, then like David before the ark. Reverence the enrollment: through it you are enrolled in heaven. Honor the nativity: through it your birth-bonds are loosed. Honor little Bethlehem that led you to paradise. Worship the manger: through it you, once irrational, are fed with the Word. “Recognize, like an ox, Him who found you”—Isaiah bids you—“and, like a donkey, the manger of your Lord.” Whether you are of the clean, under the law, “chewing the cud” of the word, fit for sacrifice, or of the unclean, unfit—Gentiles. Run with the star and, with the magi, bring gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh—as to King, God, and One dead for you. Glorify with shepherds, sing with angels, triumph with archangels. Let the celebration be shared with heavenly powers! I believe they too rejoice and feast today, being lovers of mankind—as David described angels ascending with Christ from the Passion, meeting Him, and bidding one another “lift up the gates.”

Of all connected with Christ’s birth, hate only Herod’s slaughter of the children. Yet even this you should reverence: Christ’s peers offered themselves, anticipating the wondrous sacrifice. If He flees to Egypt, flee willingly with Him: it is good to be persecuted with Christ! If He lingers in Egypt, call Him forth—lest He be too well worshiped there. In all things walk purely in Christ’s age and powers, as His disciple. Remove the swaddling that covered you at birth; then teach in the temple, drive out the temple-traffickers, be stoned if the occasion fits. I know you will vanish in their midst, as God—for the Word is not stoned. If brought before Herod, answer little: he will be more shamed by your silence than by long speeches. If struck, endure more. Taste gall for the first tasting; drink vinegar; let them spit, strike your cheek, beat you with a reed. Be crowned with thorns—sharp as God’s life; clothe yourself in scarlet robe; take the reed; receive mockery from those who play with truth. Finally, be crucified, die, be buried willingly—that you may rise with Him, be glorified and reign with Him, seeing God as He is and seen by Him—whom we glorify and worship in Trinity, and whom we beseech today to manifest Himself to us as far as possible for those bound in flesh, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

On the same day, a discourse on the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Narrative of Saint James the Apostle, the Brother of the Lord according to the flesh. Bless, Father.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus himself to enroll the whole world; and all had to come to be enrolled who were in Bethlehem of Judea. And Joseph said: “Behold, I will enroll my sons, but what shall I do with this maiden? I see no way to enroll her. As my wife? But I am ashamed because of the first manifestations that the angel revealed. As my daughter? But the sons of Israel see that she is not my daughter.” And he said: “Behold, the day of the Lord—it will do what it wills.” And saddling a donkey, he seated her upon it; his son led the donkey, and Joseph followed behind them. And when they reached the third halting place, Joseph turned and saw Mary sorrowful, and said to himself: “Perhaps that which is within her presses her, desiring to come forth?” And Joseph turned again and saw Mary laughing, and said to her: “Mary, what is this? I see your face now sorrowful, now laughing!” And Mary says: “I see before me two peoples: some weeping, others rejoicing; and I weep with the weeping and rejoice with the rejoicing.” And they had gone half the way when Mary said to Joseph: “Take me down from the donkey, for that which is in me presses me, desiring to come forth.” And he took her down and said to her: “Where shall I lead you and cover your shame, for the place here is desolate?” And he found there a cave, led her into it, left his son with her outside the cave, and went himself to seek a Hebrew midwife in the land of Bethlehem.

But I, Joseph, walked and walked—walking yet not advancing. And looking up to heaven, I saw the vault of heaven standing still; looking at the air, I saw the air disturbed and the birds of heaven silent. And looking upon the earth, I saw a trough standing, workers standing with their hands in the vessel—those chewing did not chew, those taking food to their mouths did not eat, but the faces of all were turned upward. And I saw sheep being driven to the stream, yet the sheep stood still, not drinking. The shepherd raised his staff to strike, but his hand remained aloft. And I looked at the flowing stream and saw kids with their mouths touching the water, yet they did not drink—all were as though driven by touch and current yet motionless.

And I saw a certain woman descending from the mountain, and she said to me: “Where are you going, man?” And I said: “I seek a Hebrew midwife.” And she says to me: “Are you from Jerusalem?” I say: “From there.” She says: “Who is giving birth in the cave?” “Mary,” I say, “raised in the Holy of Holies, betrothed to me.” And she says to me: “Is she not your wife?” And I say: “She was given to me by lot as wife, yet she is not my wife but has conception from the Holy Spirit.” And the midwife said: “Is this true?” And Joseph said to her: “Come and see.” The midwife came and stood at the cave. And a bright cloud overshadowed the cave, and such a brilliant light shone in the cave that our eyes could not bear it. And the midwife said: “My soul is magnified today, for my eyes have seen glorious things—salvation has been born to Israel.” And immediately the cloud withdrew. As it lifted from the cave, a great light appeared within it, so that my eyes could not endure it. And little by little that light withdrew. And then the Infant appeared, came forth, and took the breast of His mother Mary. The midwife cried out, saying: “Great is this day for me, for I have seen a new wonder.” And the midwife went out from the cave. And Salome met her, and the midwife says to her: “Salome, Salome, I wish to tell you of a new wonder: a virgin has given birth, though her body did not permit it.” And Salome says: “As the Lord my God lives, unless I examine with my own investigation and put in my hand and verify, I will not believe that a virgin has given birth.”

And Salome entered to her and said to Mary: “Open yourself, for I am greatly concerned about you.” And entering, Salome put her hand to her, and her hand withered. And weeping, she said: “Woe to me, wretched one, for I have tempted the living God! Behold, my hand burns like a brand in fire and falls away from me.” And she bent her knees before the Lord of all, weeping, and says: “God of our fathers! Remember me, for I am the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not expose me before the sons of Israel, but restore me whole to them. Grant health to my hand, O poor one, as Thou knowest, O Master—for I did not do this out of malice; in Thy name I received healing and my reward from Thee.” And behold, an angel of the Lord approached and says to her: “Salome, the Lord has heard your prayer; touch the Infant with your hand, worship Him, carry Him in your arms, and you shall be healed, and there shall be for you hope of salvation.” Salome, receiving the joyful tidings, took the Infant, carried Him in her arms, and says to the Infant: “Heal me with Thy hand.” And she worshiped the Infant with the words: “Thou who art born of a Virgin, King of Israel.” And as she carried Him further, He healed her; she went out from the cave justified. And behold, a voice came to her, saying: “Salome, tell no one how many glorious things you have seen today until the Child comes to Jerusalem.”

And behold, Joseph prepared to depart from Judea. For magi were coming from the east, saying: “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” Hearing this, King Herod was troubled and sent servants to the chief priests, questioning them in his palace, saying: “Where is it written concerning Christ among you?” They said: “In Bethlehem of Judea, so it is written.” And he dismissed them. Calling the magi, he asked them: “What sign did you see concerning the newborn King?” The magi said: “We saw a great star shining among the stars in heaven and eclipsing all the stars so that they gave no light. And we understood that the King of Israel was born and came to worship Him.” And Herod said to them: “Search and find exactly where the newborn Infant-King is; and when you see, tell me, that I too may go and worship Him.” And the magi went out, and behold, the star they had seen in the east led them further, brought them to the cave, and stood over the head of the Infant. The magi saw the Infant with His mother, knelt, and worshiped Him. Having received tidings from an angel not to return to Herod, they went to their country by another way. Seeing that the magi had outwitted him, Herod sent his soldiers with the command: “Kill the infants from birth to two years old”—according to the time of the star’s appearance, which he had learned from the magi. But Mary, hearing that the infants were being killed, was afraid, took the Infant, swaddled Him, and hid Him in a manger for cattle. And an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and says: “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and go to Egypt until I come to you again.” And Elizabeth, hearing that they sought John, fled to the hills, seeking where to hide, but there was no secluded place. Then sighing, Elizabeth said: “Mountain of God, receive me with my child.” For Elizabeth could not climb the mountain, and the mountain split and received her with her child. Light shone for them in the mountain, and an angel guarded them.

And Herod sought John. He sent servants to the altar of the Lord to Zachariah, asking: “Where have you hidden your son?” And Zachariah answered: “I am a servant of God, abiding in His temple, and I have not seen where my son is.” The servants went and told Herod. And Herod grew angry and said: “His son is to become king over the sons of Israel.” And the king sent his servants again to Zachariah, saying: “Tell me the truth: where is your son? Do you not know that your blood is in my hands?” And the servants came and told him all this. And Zachariah said: “The Lord my God is my witness! If you shed my blood, the Master will receive my spirit, for you shed innocent blood before the doors of the Lord’s temple.” And in response, Zachariah was slain by the soldiers.

And the sons of Israel did not know he had been killed. But at the hour of greeting they came, yet Zachariah did not meet them with blessing as was customary. And the priests lined up before Zachariah, awaiting greeting and glorification of our God in prayer. But since he delayed, all were afraid. And daring, one of them entered the sanctuary and saw before the Lord’s altar a pool of blood speaking: “Zachariah has been killed, and his blood shall not be wiped away forever until his avenger comes.” Hearing these words, he was afraid, went out, and told the priests what he had seen and heard. And all dared, entered, and saw blood on the church steps and on the foundation of the temple. And they cried out, rent their garments, found no body but only blood upon the stone. And they feared, went out, and told that Zachariah had been killed. Hearing this, all the tribes of Israel mourned him three days and three nights. And afterward the priests consulted whom to appoint in Zachariah’s place. And the lot fell on Simeon: to him it had been revealed by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he beheld the Lord’s Christ in the flesh.

And I, James, wrote this narrative. When Herod died, there was tumult, and I hid in a desert place until the tumult in Jerusalem ceased, glorifying God and Master of all, who gave me such wisdom to write these mysteries. To our God be glory, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On the same day, a discourse on the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today the Sun of Righteousness has shone upon us—existing before the rising sun, eternal by nature—and has enlightened all: I am freed from darkness yet cannot bear its rays; light is born to me, yet I am darkened by fear. I rejoice in the Nativity, yet the manner troubles me: I see a new fountain flowing while the ancient flees. I see the born Infant and heaven bowed in worship to Him; a Mother giving birth to the Creator from her womb without opening it; the Infant sealing the birth, the birthgiver without husband, the Son without father—the very throne of heaven born, while cattle drive away the cherubim from attending Him. I see the appearing luminary, a prophetic wonder; angels rejoicing, shepherds prophesying, magi singing praises, priests blaspheming God, Herod falling, death destroyed, Adam unbound, hell bound, Eve exulting, the serpent weeping. Captives are freed, tormentors in torment; the Infant suckles milk and nourishes her who nurses Him, is carried in arms by her who carries Him in arms. Behold, I marvel, trembling before the mystery. Let me have faith in Gabriel and drive away fear. He spoke words to Mary, proclaiming wonders: “Rejoice, O highly favored one, the Lord is with thee.” Rejoice, transformed into joy, temple of God and of the soul. Rejoice, highly favored, dwelling of the Creator for heaven and earth. Rejoice, full of grace, field of the untilled ear. Rejoice, full of grace, true vine’s unfailing Virgin Mother. Rejoice, full of grace, worthy sanctuary of the irrevocable Godhead. Rejoice, full of grace, spacious habitation of the gracious and uncontainable. Rejoice, unsullied bride for the widowed world. Rejoice, full of grace, who wove the hand-unmade crown of all creation. Rejoice, full of grace, dwelling of the divine fire. Rejoice, full of grace, who drowned in thy womb the death of the foremother. Rejoice, full of grace, straight path back for the erring universe. Rejoice, highly favored, inexhaustible storehouse for the nature starving to death.

But she, troubled by these words, trying not to look at him, stood as though in the form of a cross—her feet as if resisting what the angel said; she dared neither flee nor stand. Seeing the bodiless one standing as a man, she was ashamed to remain, honoring virginity, yet dared not ask, beholding the bodiless. And the Virgin’s face was a mirror of fear, and she said within herself: “What is this greeting? Who has greeted me? For he shines brighter than the sun—yet converses with dust. He stands forth from heaven—yet greets a maiden. Unclothed in body, he stands before a woman, walking the earth as with wings for feet. What does he want from one of earth? An angel appears to me and speaks with me as a man! From the holy bodiless ones he offers me words brighter than the sun, fairer in face than snow, clad in white raiment. I see a youth unclothed in flesh; he walks the earth—yet leaves no footprints; has no tongue—yet utters greeting; his lips move not—yet he proclaims joy. I know not how to understand this fearful vision. If I comprehend not the sent one—how shall I know the Sender? How much stranger is He! If this angel has so illumined me that my mind is darkened, how shall I bodily cover the Sun of Righteousness? If creation terrifies me, how shall I bear its Creator? If I fear the servant, how shall I give birth to the Master?”

And the angel said to her: “Fear not, Mary—there is no madness here. Fear not, Mary: I have announced to thee truth, not falsehood. Fear not, Mary: I called thee God-bearer, yet call thee not equal to God. Fear not, Mary: I brought thee joy, not seeking to deceive. Fear not, Mary: thou shalt not stumble as Eve. From her came death, from thee the life-giving cross; from her deception, from thee love; from her separation for men, from thee ineffable union; from her darkened sleep for hell, from thee bright lamp for the whole world; from her curse, from thee blessing; from her condemnation, from thee forgiveness; from thee the light of faith; from her tears, from thee the river of living water; from her sweats, from thee rest; from her earth overgrown with thorns, from thee Trinal life; from her hatred toward brethren, from thee love for mankind; from her the flood, from thee the bath of immortality; from her the murderer, from thee resurrection; from her twelve tribes full of hatred, from thee twelve apostles united in love; from her death spread through the world, yet reaching thee it falls; from her fall, from thee rising. ‘Fear not, Mary, thou hast found grace with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive a Son in thy womb.’ Thou shalt bear Him who is—the Son more eternal than Adam; thou shalt bear a Son older than I; thou shalt bear a Son higher than the heavens; thou shalt bear a Son above the cherubim; thou shalt bear a Son, Creator of the ages; thou shalt bear a Son co-beginningless with the Father; thou shalt bear a Son to whom all bow; thou shalt bear a Son whom they hymn unseen; thou shalt bear a Son whose form I behold not; thou shalt bear a Son before whom I stand in trembling.”

Tell me, O Jew: did a virgin give birth or not? Tell me—if she did, why deceive Herod? He asked you: “Where is Christ born?” You answered him: “In Bethlehem of Judea.” Behold, I see Isaiah speaking of God’s birth: “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel.” Were it not you who, knowing the truth, told all about Him? Are we the Jewish people? Both before she gave birth she is Virgin, and after birth she remains Virgin. Were it not you who, answering Herod’s question, brought the testimony of the prophet Micah to support your words? For he said: “And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, art not least among the rulers of Judah: out of thee shall come a Prince who shall shepherd My people.” Well did the prophet say: “Out of thee shall come forth”—He came forth from you, today came to the nations as God and yet man: as man shepherding men, as God saving the whole world. O kindly adversaries! O merciful slanderers! You revealed the God hidden in Bethlehem! Do you see the perplexity of the teachers? They teach the ignorant, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, enrich the poor—yet themselves hunger. Come, let us celebrate; come, let us triumph; come, let us rejoice in the Lord—for fearful is His nativity. “When Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, behold, magi came from the east to Jerusalem, saying: ‘Where is the newborn King of the Jews?’” Where is He born who sent the star before Him? Where is He who told of Himself? Where is He who holds the universe in His hand? Where is He who is everywhere yet hidden in flesh? Where is He who frees from deception and leads us to grace—that is, the Angel who appeared under the oak in Trinity? Where is He who burned not the bush yet scorched the womb? Where the Invisible from the Father, the Undefiled from the mother? Where He who dried up the Red Sea, yet suckled with milk? Where He who struck Pharaoh, yet hiding from Herod? Where He who bound the serpent, yet lying in swaddling clothes? Where is He whom angels have not seen, yet men behold? “And behold, the star which they saw in the east went before them until it came and stood over where the Child was.” To Him be glory with the Father and with the Most Holy and Good Spirit who quickens all things, now and ever and unto the ages. Amen.

On the same day, a discourse of our holy father Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, on the Nativity of Christ.

The Nativity of Christ in its proper sense—the first, pertaining solely to the Godhead itself—let it be honored with silence. Let us forbid even our thoughts to attempt to comprehend or investigate it. There was neither time nor eternity, nor form conceived by the mind, nor one beholding; there is no witness to how a dream veils the mind. How shall the tongue serve thought? But the Father was, and the Son was born. Do not say: when? Let the question pass by. Do not ask: how? The answer is powerless. This “when” pertains to time, and “how” immediately compels one to think in a carnal and bodily manner. I will say from Scripture: as radiance from light, and as image from archetype. But since your curiosity will not be satisfied with such words, I will remind you of the indescribability of the glory and confess the unknowability of how the divine birth occurred—for thoughts it is inexpressible, and for human words ineffable. Do not say: Since He was born, He did not exist before. Do not burden with wickedness of words a mind already unskilled in good, destroying truth and defiling theology with images from this world. I say “was born” to show that He has origin and cause, not to indicate a later temporal origin of the Only-begotten. Let not your mind take a false step, thinking that ages arose before the Son—there were none then, nor did they arise. How can creatures be older than their Creator? But I have forgotten what I wished to avoid in my discourse and am drawn back to it by the very sequence of words. Let us leave, then, words about this eternal indescribable nativity, having remembered it—for the mind is less than this subject, and the word even less sufficient to express what can be understood.

One must carefully discern which part of truth is reflected in the word. For the mind cannot approach to contemplate the nature of the incomprehensible, and to find fitting expressions to describe the nature of the Word is impossible. God on earth, God among men—not with fire, trumpet, smoking mountain, darkness, or storm terrifying the souls of those hearing, as when the law was given—but gently and quietly conversing with His kin in a body. God in the flesh—not acting from afar as through the prophets, but uniting and joining humanity to Himself, raising it to Himself through flesh akin to us. How, one will say, did enlightenment come to all through one? How did the Godhead appear in flesh? As fire in iron: not moving from place to place but imparting its properties. Fire does not flow into iron but, remaining in place, imparts its power: it is not diminished by being shared, yet wholly fills that which partakes of it. Thus the Word of God did not depart from Himself when “He dwelt among us,” nor undergo change. “And the Word became flesh,” yet heaven was not deprived of Him who contains it, nor emptied; earth received the Heavenly One in her bosom. Do not conceive of a descent of the Godhead—for It does not move from place to place like bodies. Do not think the Godhead changed by becoming flesh. The Immortal did not transform. How, one will say, did the Word of God not become filled with bodily weakness? We answer: as fire does not acquire the properties of iron. Iron is black and cold, yet when heated it takes on a fiery appearance—that is, it is filled with light, but fire does not become black; it is heated, but the flame is not cooled. So too the Lord’s human flesh: it partakes of the Godhead, but does not transmit its weakness to the Godhead. But if you imagine this mortal fire acts as the Godhead does, then you think passionately of the impassible according to human weakness and wonder: how could corruptible nature receive incorruption through communion with God? Understand the mystery. God was in the flesh precisely to slay the death nesting therein. As healing draughts, assimilated by the body, overcome what causes corruption; and as darkness filling a temple disperses when light is kindled—so the death that violently ruled human nature vanished without trace at the coming of the Godhead. As ice in water prevails while night and shadow last, but melts under the sun’s rays when it shines—so death reigned until Christ’s coming. But since “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared” and “the Sun of Righteousness has risen,” “death is swallowed up in victory,” unable to endure the advent of life. O depth of God’s grace and love for mankind! By Thy great love Thou freest all from bondage. Men seek to know why the Word came to men, but it befits them to worship His goodness.

What shall we do with you, O man? When God dwelt on high, you sought Him not; and when He descended to you and partook of flesh—you accept Him not. Yet you seek the reason why God became akin to you. Understand: He was in the flesh that the flesh which was cursed might be sanctified, the enfeebled strengthened, that alienated from God might become His own, that fallen from paradise might be raised to heaven. In what workshop was this providence wrought? In the Virgin’s body? From what did this birth arise? From the Holy Spirit and the overshadowing power of the Most High. But hear what the Gospel itself says: “When His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” She was a maiden, betrothed to a man, and God deemed her needed for the service of His providence—that virginity might be honored and marriage not dishonored. Virginity was chosen as most worthy of sanctification. Moreover, a witness to Mary’s purity was needed—a man close to her—so that he might not expose her to slanderers as having defiled her virginity; therefore Joseph was given to her as betrothed and guardian of her life. There is another matter I wish to mention, equally important: the time had come, long foreordained and destined from the creation of the world, fitting for the Lord’s incarnation, when the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High were to form this God-bearing flesh. But since Mary’s lineage was not as worthy of honor as her purity to receive the Spirit’s action, Joseph’s lineage was borrowed through betrothal, and thus the blessed Virgin was chosen—her virginity in no way harmed by the betrothal. One of the ancients offered another consideration: the betrothal to Joseph was devised to hide from the prince of this world. The outward rite of betrothal was used to deceive the evil one, for from of old he lay in wait for the Virgin after hearing the Prophet’s words: “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son.” The hater of virginity was deceived by the betrothal—for he saw that his rule would end with the Lord’s coming in the flesh.

“Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” And fearing to be called husband of such a woman, “he wished to put her away secretly”—not daring to accuse her. But “he was righteous” and received revelation of the mystery. “While he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife.” Lest you think one may remain with such monstrous suspicions and conceal transgression. You are called righteous, but to cover lawlessness with silence is the act of the unrighteous. “Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife.” Here it is shown that he did not resent or disdain, but feared her as filled with the Spirit: “For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” And from this it becomes clear that the formation of the Lord’s flesh was not according to the common law of nature. That which was born was immediately perfect in flesh, not formed gradually—as the words prove. For it is not said “created” but “conceived.” The flesh borrowed from the holy one thickened and was worthy to unite with the divine Word. “She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.” We have seen that names given intentionally indicate the nature of the named—for example, Abraham, Isaac, Israel. Each of these names points not so much to bodily traits as to virtues accomplished. Therefore now He is called “Jesus”—that is, “salvation to men”: the mystery established before the ages, proclaimed of old by the prophets, was being fulfilled. “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which is translated ‘God with us.’” This ancient name reveals the whole meaning of the mystery: God among men—for Emmanuel is translated “God with us.” Let no one be corrupted by Jewish temptation: they say the Prophet has not “virgin” but “young woman”—“Behold, a young woman shall conceive.” First, it is most senseless to regard as a sign from the Lord something utterly ordinary and natural. For what does the prophet say? “And the Lord continued to speak to Ahaz, saying: Ask a sign for yourself, either in the depth or in the height. But Ahaz said: I will not ask, nor will I tempt the Lord.” And further: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive.” Since Ahaz would not ask a sign in depth or height, that you may know that “He who descended” “into the lower parts of the earth” “is the same who ascended far above all heavens,” the Lord Himself gave the sign. A sign is something most glorious and wondrous, greatly differing from the common course of nature—for example, a woman becoming mother while remaining virgin, abiding in the sanctuary of virginity and inheriting the blessing of childbearing. And if some translator rendered the word from Hebrew as “young woman,” this in no way harms the word. For we see in Scripture that virgin is often called “young woman”—for example in Deuteronomy: “If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels.”

“And arising, he took his wife Mary.” He regarded her as wife in love, affection, care—all that those living together undertake—yet abstained from marital acts: “He knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn Son.” These words give some suspicion that, after she purely served the Lord’s nativity accomplished by the Holy Spirit, Mary did not abstain from lawful marital acts. Far be it! No one well-versed in the Scriptures can think thus. Their testimony suffices us; as for the words “he knew her not until she had brought forth her Son,” the word “until” in many places seems to indicate a limited time, yet in fact denotes eternity—for example, in the Lord’s words: “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He does not say that after this age ends He will no longer be with the saints; promising something in the present is not denial of it in the future. We say that here too “until” must be understood thus. As for “firstborn,” it does not always mean another was born after, but firstborn is he who first opens the womb. The account of Zachariah proves that Mary was ever-virgin. There is a tradition handed down to us: that after the Lord’s birth, Zachariah placed Mary among the virgins, and for this he was slain by the Jews between the temple and the altar—accused by men of wishing to point to this most glorious and oft-sung sign: a virgin who gave birth yet lost not virginity.

“When Jesus was born,” continues the Evangelist, “in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, saying: ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?’” The magi were of the Persian people, practiced sorcery and enchantment, knew natural antidotes, and observed heavenly phenomena. Balaam was involved in such sorcery: sent by Balak to curse Israel with words. In his fourth oracle he speaks thus of the Lord: “I see Him, hear the words of God, know the knowledge of the Most High, and have seen the vision of God in sleep; his eyes are open. A Star shall rise out of Jacob, and a Man shall arise out of Israel.” Remembering this ancient prophecy, they learned where the Jews dwelt and came to inquire “where is He who has been born King of the Jews.” Or perhaps after the Lord’s appearing the hostile power weakened, and they felt their magical acts powerless, thus bearing witness to the great power of the One born. Therefore, finding the Infant, the magi—a people foreign to God and strangers to the covenant—worshiped Him with gifts; they were granted to worship first, for testimonies from enemies are especially credible. Had the Jews worshiped first, it would be thought they honored a kinsman; but now utter strangers worshiped Him as God. They watched the movements of heavenly bodies, not merely chancing upon the heavenly vision—a new and unusual star that shone at the Lord’s birth.

And let no one attempt to explain the star’s appearance by astrological calculations. Those explaining its origin from existing stars believe their conjunctions determine what happens in each person’s life. But here no preexisting star signified a royal birth. The appearing star was not ordinary. Those creatures made in the beginning are either always immovable or have constant motion. But of this appearing one, both are evident: it moves and stands still. Of those already existing, the fixed stars never move, and planets never stand still. Yet this one had both: motion and rest. Therefore it belongs to neither. It moved, going from east to Bethlehem, and stood over “where the Child was.” Thus the magi came from the east, following its direction, arrived in Jerusalem, disturbed the whole city with their coming, and terrified the Jewish king. Finding Him whom they sought, they honored Him with gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—perhaps following Balaam’s prophecy in this too, for he said of Christ: “He couched and lay down as a lion and as a lion’s whelp. Who shall rouse Him? Those who bless You shall be blessed, and those who curse You shall be cursed.” The lion’s image indicates royal dignity, couching—sufferings, and blessing—the power of the Godhead. Following this prophecy, they brought gold to the King, myrrh to Him who would die, and frankincense to God. Nor can we agree with those who curiously inquire about the nativity and think this star resembled comets that stand in the sky, as is thought, signifying change of kings. They are mostly immovable, being ignition in a certain place. Comets—in form of pillar or pit—have various shapes and names. They arise thus: when air near earth increases and pours into the ether, the dense and turbid rising from here burns like wood set afire, and a sensible phantom appears, star-like. But that which appeared from the east and moved the magi to seek the born One was invisible until it appeared again to them in Judea when they were perplexed—so they might learn whose it was, whom it served, and for whose sake it appeared. For it came and stood where the Child was. Seeing this, the magi rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Let us also receive this joy into our hearts. This joy the angels announce to the shepherds. Let us worship with the magi, glorify with the shepherds, triumph with the angels—“for unto us a Savior is born, who is Christ the Lord.” “The Lord God has appeared to us”—not in the form of God, lest He terrify the weak, but in the form of a servant, that He may free the enslaved. Who is so slack in soul, so ungrateful, as not to rejoice, be glad, and be illumined by these events? This is the common feast of all creation. To the world is given what is above the world. Angels are sent to Zachariah, to Mary; they form a choir singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Stars descend from heaven, magi come from the nations, earth receives the Guest in a cave. No one is useless, no one ungrateful. Let us also utter words of joy. Let us call our feast Theophany; let us celebrate the salvation of the world, the birthday of mankind. Today Adam’s condemnation is lifted. No longer “dust you are, and to dust you shall return,” but united with the heavenly, you shall be raised to heaven. No longer shall Eve “bring forth children in sorrow”: for blessed is she who conceived Emmanuel and nursed Him at her breast. Therefore “unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, whose government is upon His shoulder.” My heart blossoms, my mind gushes like a fountain, but tongue is small and word feeble to convey such great joy. Understand the Lord’s incarnation as befits the Godhead. The most pure and undefiled Godhead, even entering material nature, corrects the passionate but is not filled with passion. Do you not see that the sun, shining even on mud and filth, acquires no stench? Rather, if it lingers long upon something, it dries up the pus. Why then do you fear that the immortal, incorruptible nature will receive defilement from us? He was born for this—that you might be purified by what is akin to you. For this He grows—that you may gradually become accustomed to Him and become His own. O depth of God’s goodness and love for mankind! Because of the greatness of the gifts we disbelieve the Benefactor; because of the Master’s great love we flee His work. O absurd and wicked malice! The magi worship, yet Christians inquire how God is in flesh, in what flesh, wholly or not wholly did He assume man. Join those who joyfully receive the Lord from heaven. Understand: shepherds are made wise, priests prophesy, women rejoice—when Gabriel taught Mary to rejoice, and John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb. Anna proclaimed, Simeon took Him in his arms, worshiping the great God in the small Infant—not despising the visible but glorifying the greatness of His Godhead. As light through transparent glass, the divine power shone through human flesh, visible to those whose eyes of the heart are purified. May we also be among them, beholding the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, transformed “from glory to glory.” For to Him belong glory and dominion, honor and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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By Met. Korniliy (Titov) Dear brothers and sisters! In the profoundly rich and spiritually meaningful service for the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the significance and meaning of the sacrificial death on the Cross, which the Lord offered for the redemption of the sins of the human race, are revealed. After this sacrifice, the life-giving wood of the Cross becomes an all-strengthening power for the struggle against sins. Let us recall the words of the festal troparion: “Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance”—the Lord acknowledges us, sinful people, as His inheritance, for us the Savior shed His divine blood on the Cross. “And preserving Thine own by Thy Cross”—the life-giving Cross is the protector of all Orthodox Christians, the foundation of our life according to Christ’s commandments. The Cross is given to every Christian at Holy Baptism and accompanies our entire life. The Cross overshadows the final resting place of man—the grave mound. Great is the power of the life-giving Cross! In the church hymns of today’s feast, the honorable and life-giving Cross is praised as “the glory of angels, the adornment of apostles, the strength of the righteous, the praise of the faithful, the beauty of priests, the victory of the pious, the door to paradise, the haven of salvation, the hope of Christians, the guide to the lost, the refuge for the storm-tossed, the healer of the weak, the resurrection of the dead, the scourge of demons, the guardian of the whole universe, the invincible weapon, the victory in battles, the beauty of the Church, whereby the power of death was destroyed and abolished, and we are raised from earth to heaven.” In praising the Lord’s Cross, the Holy Church calls us to kiss the holy Cross with joy and fear—fear because of our sins, for we are unworthy of its holiness, and joy because of the salvation granted to the world through the voluntary sacrifice of our Savior on the Cross. Today is both a sorrowful and a joyful day. It is sorrowful because we see the Lord Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross, enduring the most painful and shameful death. It is joyful if we understand why Jesus Christ died on the Cross. We know that every person is born with original sin and then commits many sins of their own. Yet nothing impure, nothing sinful, can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Before Christ’s coming, no one could enter the Heavenly Kingdom; all were destined to perish in Hades. This would have been so forever if Jesus Christ had not suffered and died for us on the Cross. We could never atone for our guilt on our own. “With His blood He washed away our sinful defilement.” Jesus Christ not only offered a sacrifice on the Cross for our sins but also granted us grace and strength to preserve ourselves from new sins. When a rich man forgives a poor man’s debt, which he cannot repay, he does a good deed. But he does an even greater good when, beyond that, he gives the poor man money to restore his livelihood and live without dependence on others. Look upon the Cross: is not Jesus Christ that compassionate rich man? Did He not give even Himself, His life-giving blood and life, so that we might receive grace from God and begin a new life? If Jesus Christ had not died on the Cross, we would not have baptism, nor confession, through which the sins committed after baptism are forgiven. If Christ had not offered His most pure Body in sacrifice on the Cross, we would not have the sacrament of Communion, in which we are united with Christ. Much more could be said about what we owe to Christ and what we have thanks to the death of Christ the Savior on the Cross. What does Jesus Christ require of us for His sufferings? Only that we live according to His teaching and His commandments. The Holy Church today solemnly celebrates the finding of the honorable Cross of the Lord. This feast was originally established by the Church in honor of the joyful event that occurred, as is known, three centuries after the Lord’s Resurrection. According to ancient Christian historians, the finding of the Lord’s Cross was accomplished by the holy Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother, Helena. Having deep reverence for the Cross, through which Emperor Constantine achieved many victories, he desired to build a church on Golgotha. To fulfill this desire, his pious mother Helena traveled to Jerusalem with a firm resolve to find the Lord’s Cross, the location of which had been lost during times of persecution against Christians. It was difficult for the Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helena to find the Cross, for Jews and pagans, intolerant of worship of the Crucified One, sought to erase the memory of the Lord’s Cross. Along with the crosses of the thieves crucified with Christ on Golgotha, the Lord’s Cross was buried in the ground, and a pagan temple was built over the site. By divine inspiration, an elderly Jew revealed the location of the Cross. When they began to dig, a wondrous fragrance filled the air, and then three crosses were uncovered. Identifying the Lord’s Cross was difficult, as the tablet with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” lay separately. Thus, a higher, divine testimony was needed to confirm the Lord’s Cross, not a human one. Saint Macarius, then Patriarch of Jerusalem, by divine inspiration, ordered the crosses to be placed upon a deceased maiden. The touch of two crosses produced no effect, but upon the touch of the third Cross, the maiden came to life. All saw that this miracle was wrought by the power of the life-giving Cross, which grants resurrection and life. The found Cross was solemnly carried to the Jerusalem temple, where Empress Helena joyfully bowed and kissed the honorable Cross. The fame of the miracle of the Cross’s finding drew crowds to the temple. Due to the multitude, not all could see the honorable Cross. Then Patriarch Macarius took the Cross, stood on an elevated place, and raised it, showing it to the people, who in joyful rapture ceaselessly cried out, “Lord, have mercy!” From that time, the Holy Church established the annual celebration of the Finding and Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. In memory of this event, the Holy Church performs the rite of the exaltation of the cross during the festal service, when the bishop, in the center of the church, blesses all four directions of the world with the cross, lowering it downward and raising it upward, symbolizing the bitter fall of humanity and its rising with Christ from the depths of Hades to the Kingdom of God, from death to eternal, blessed life. Thus, the cross, once an instrument of shameful execution, became the instrument of our salvation from sin. On it, our Savior was nailed by His divine, holy will and love for us. The Cross of Christ thus became a symbol not of evil and shame but of honor and the greatest good for all humanity. Christ said to His disciples before His death: “No man taketh My life from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:18). The Lord, of His own free will, gave Himself to death so that others might live eternal life with God. Christ voluntarily gave His life, enduring the horror of abandonment, betrayal, and suffering for each of us, because each of us is precious to Him, loved by Him. We distance ourselves from God through our sins, self-love, and lack of faith. Therefore, for the salvation of each of us, He would endure again the horror of death on the Cross, as He revealed to the Apostle Peter in a wondrous vision during his flight from Rome. Thus, the Cross is an image of Christ’s love for us, His followers, and at the same time a sign of our reciprocal love, devotion, and fidelity to the Savior, tested not by words but by complete dedication of our lives to God, through sacrificial love on the Cross, which can grant life to others. We venerate the Cross, which for us signifies victory over evil and death. This is why we must make the sign of the cross with special reverence, for it is the sign before which all dark forces tremble, vanquished by the weapon of the Cross. The saving power of the Cross, sprinkled with the blood of the Lord, has extended to the entire human race. Let us point to at least a few of the countless examples of the power of the honorable and life-giving Cross. According to the account of Saint Prochorus, a disciple of John the Theologian, the holy apostle healed a sick man lying by the wayside through the sign of the Cross (Life of St. John the Theologian, September 26). A certain pious man named Ir, following the instruction of the holy Apostle Philip, traced the image of Christ’s Cross with his hand upon the afflicted limbs of the sick Aristarchus—and immediately the withered hand was healed, the eye regained sight, the ear was opened, and the sick man became whole (Life of the Holy Apostle Philip, November 14). When Saint Epiphanius, still unbaptized in his childhood, was thrown down by a furious donkey and severely injured his thigh, a certain Christian who found him made the sign of the Cross over him three times and thereby healed the youth (Life of St. Epiphanius of Cyprus, March 12). But the wonder-working Cross of Christ not only heals ailments; it also renders the human body unharmed by fire, wild beasts, deadly poisons, and other mortal dangers. Thus, Saint Thecla, the righteous, made the sign of the Cross over “a multitude of wood and kindling gathered beneath her for her burning”—and the fire dared not touch her body (Life of St. Thecla, September 24). The holy martyr Basilissa of Nicomedia protected herself with the sign of the Cross and stood “for many hours in a burning furnace” without any harm (Life of the Holy Martyr Basilissa, September 4). Condemned to be torn apart by beasts, the holy martyrs Abdon and Sennis shielded themselves with the holy Cross, and the ferocious animals, like gentle lambs, kissed the feet of God’s servants (Life of the Holy Martyrs Abdon and Sennis, July 1). Under the influence of the healing power of Christ’s Cross, even deadly poisons were rendered harmless. Thus, Saint Bishop Julian, having traced the holy Cross on a cup offered to him by evildoers, drank the deadly poison and felt no harm in his body (Spiritual Meadow, Chapter 3). Similarly, the venerable Benedict made the sign of the Cross over a glass vessel containing poison, and the poisonous container shattered as if struck by a stone (Life of St. Benedict, March 12). For those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and acknowledge the power of His suffering on the Cross for sinful humanity, the sign of His Cross is a great strength and protection against all evil and misfortune, against the schemes of the enemy of our salvation—the devil. After this, brothers and sisters, we cannot but turn to our conscience and ask it whether we believe and live as befits a Christian, called to become an heir of eternal life, redeemed by the blood of the Son of God. In times of persecution, Christians always cherished the treasures that the pagan world threatened to take from them. The Holy Church prescribes that every Christian should protect themselves with the sign of the Cross throughout their life. But how is this instruction actually fulfilled? Observing how some Christians make the sign of the Cross, one is sometimes astonished, even horrified, by the carelessness with which it is done. Holy Scripture pronounces a curse for negligence toward holy things: “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully” (Jer. 48:10). Consider the correctness of making the sign of the Cross, by which we, as it were, declare: “I am a Christian, I believe in Christ, in Him I was baptized, in Him I hope and trust.” The sign of the Cross is the mark by which God turns His merciful attention to us, pouring out His saving grace. How greatly do those sin who, instead of making the sign of the Cross properly and devoutly, perform something resembling neither a cross, nor a bow, nor a prayer—merely a mechanical motion of the hand, the meaning of which they themselves do not understand. Such waving “maketh the demons rejoice.” But of those who make the sign of the Cross devoutly, the writings of the holy fathers say: “And whoso maketh the sign of the Cross rightly, placing their hands upon their forehead, their belly, their right shoulder, and then their left, the angels, beholding, rejoice, seeing the true Cross imaged upon their faces.” What explains this lamentable negligence toward the sign of the Cross? Most likely, such careless waving of the hand occurs because negligence and distraction reign in the soul. This suggests that such a person has weakened in faith itself, forgetting the Savior crucified on the Cross and His sufferings, which freed us from the power of the devil and granted us eternal life. Christ calls all Christians: “Take up thy Cross, and follow Me.” Thus, the apostles, martyrs, and venerable saints followed Christ with joy. They willingly sacrificed for the Lord all the blessings of the world, even their very lives, and were not deceived in their hope, inheriting the eternal and blessed Kingdom, as the Apostle Paul says: “If we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified together with Him” (Rom. 8:17). We, Old Believers, cannot but recall the example of the courageous bearing of the Cross by the confessors of ancient Orthodoxy—Lady Theodosia Morozova, her sister Princess Evdokia, and those who suffered with them. Thus, Protopope Avvakum describes their feats: “They, putting aside womanly weakness, took upon themselves manly wisdom and went to suffer torments for Christ’s sake.” When their tormentors offered them to renounce the old faith, they replied: “For the faith of our fathers, we are ready to die. Even if we die, we shall not betray the true faith!” Thus did the great zealots of ancient piety fulfill the words of the Gospel: “Take up thy Cross, and follow Me.” They were co-crucified with Christ, and the world was crucified to them, as the Apostle says. Why, then, do most people today not follow Christ? Perhaps it is due to unbelief or weak faith, attachment to the fleeting blessings of temporal life, pride, sloth, spiritual ignorance, or negligence toward salvation. In his time, Saint Cyprian wrote of this: “Christians have given themselves over to the spirit of the world. Peace has lulled their faith to sleep. All have begun to care for worldly and temporal things. These bonds, these chains, have suppressed faith, bound the soul, and made it prey and food for the serpent, who treads the earth by God’s judgment” (On the Fallen). The words of Saint John Chrysostom speak of the same: “If someone from outside came to us and thoroughly knew both Christ’s commandments and the disorder of our lives, I do not know how they could imagine enemies of Christ worse than us, for we walk a path as if resolved to go against His commandments” (Homily on Repentance). Bishop Michael Semenov, in his homily “On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Lord’s Cross,” reflects on the inner strength of Christians in times of persecution: “It is said that in Old Belief, since the eight-pointed Cross, which was once removed even from prayer houses, began to be solemnly raised on bell towers, zeal for the faith, love, and mercy have diminished—not to mention that men have disfigured their beards. Whether this is so, I do not know, nor do I wish to engage in rebuke. I only wish to say that the external exaltation of the ‘Cross’—gold, jewels, flowers on the sign of the Son of Man—does not yet signify the true triumph of Christianity. The highest place a person can give to the Cross is in their soul and upon their shoulders, following the first Cross-Bearer. And this Cross is constantly in danger; in outwardly peaceful times, even more so than ever. Great attention and vigilance of will and spirit are required to bear this Cross high and preserve it from desecration.” “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself,” teaches the Lord. To deny oneself, according to the Savior’s commandment, means to overcome passions, sinful inclinations, and attractions to sin and all evil. All people, including the greatest saints, were not free from the temptations of passions and were in many ways like us. But they did not allow passions to rule over them, subduing and suppressing them in time. If, due to their natural weakness, they fell in the struggle with passions, they quickly rose and, with renewed strength and experience, re-entered the battle until they overcame them. Thus, they ascended higher and higher, rightly called ascetics and valiant, angel-like warriors. In the bitter lot of earthly life, all experience sorrows and burdens. Yet some, through the Cross of earthly deprivations, griefs, and sorrows, ascend to heaven, to paradise, like the wise thief who endured torments with repentance and called upon Christ. Others, like the second, wicked thief, enduring the Cross of temporal sorrows and torments, descend to Hades for eternal torments, for they do not repent of their sins or follow Christ. But Christ’s followers must not only bear their Cross in His footsteps but also be crucified upon it, as the Apostle says: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). For since man transgressed God’s commandments, sin dwells in him, like a heavy stone weighing down his heart, all his feelings, and darkening his mind. In man, there is a ceaseless struggle between the immortal spirit, which the eternal God “breathed” into him, and the flesh, which must be nailed to the Cross for salvation. This does not mean tormenting or mutilating our body. No, the body itself does neither evil nor good. We must crucify the evil that lives in our flesh—we must “mortify,” as the Apostle teaches, “our members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). All passions, all evil impulses, are enemies living in our flesh, warring against God’s laws. These we must conquer with God’s help. To do this, as the Apostle says, we must “put on the whole armour of God, the breastplate of righteousness, and take the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:11), that is, we must arm ourselves with virtues. For example, armed with humility, we overcome pride; with temperance, we cast down fornication and lust; with fasting, we mortify gluttony and drunkenness. Above all, we must arm ourselves with Christian love, which, as the Apostle says, is “the bond of perfectness” (Col. 3:14), for love directs us to do what is truly beneficial for our salvation and to faithfully fulfill our duties to God and neighbor. Thus, brothers and sisters, let us strive to crucify our flesh with its passions and lusts, boldly fighting against sins, that we may, even here on earth, taste the sweetness of the blessedness God has prepared for those who love Him. But if we serve sin and do not crucify our flesh, know that it will crucify us; if we give free rein to passions, they will become our tormentors and destroyers, leading us, in the end, to the grave, for “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), and from the grave to the abyss. Such is the outcome of earthly sufferings if a person does not repent in life. “By many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God,” which is “within us.” The first step is repentance, the turning of our will from evil and sin to good. A constant, often painful struggle with passions is necessary, which raises us to the Cross of co-crucifixion with Christ. A Christian must be united with the tree of life, rejecting self-pity, entering the battle with passions, and crucifying themselves. Wondrous is this path—it takes away, yet in taking gives; it cuts off, yet in cutting grafts; it kills, yet in killing gives life. Great is the blessing and labor of Christ’s Cross, by which death is trampled and life is granted. Let us pray to the Lord to send us resolve and strength in the feat of spiritual warfare, delivering us from passions. Let us look with faith and hope upon the life-giving Cross, repeating: “By the power of Thy Cross, preserve us, O Lord.” Brothers and sisters! Bearing our Cross, let us follow the Lord under the banner of His Cross, serving the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who granted us salvation through His divine mercy, love for mankind, and redemptive death on the honorable and life-giving Cross. Let us bear our Cross with humility, patience, and gratitude, that in the day of our passing we may hear the joyful voice of Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven: “Where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour” (John 12:26). source

The Exaltation of the Lord’s Cross is a great, non-moveable feast of the Lord, celebrated on September 27 (September 14 in the Old Style). This day not only commemorates the finding of the Cross on which the Savior was crucified but also glorifies the Cross as the instrument of our salvation. As the first Adam, representing all humanity, fell into sin by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree growing in the midst of Paradise, so through the tree of the Lord’s Cross, on which Christ—the Second Adam—was crucified, we received salvation. If the first tree brought death, the second served to restore life to the entire human race. The Cross is repeatedly prophesied in the Old Testament. Thus, while in bondage in Egypt, the Hebrews were spared from the tenth plague (the death of the firstborn) by anointing their doorposts with the sacrificial blood of lambs. The blood prefigured Christ’s sacrifice, and the threshold and doorposts symbolized the crucifixion on the Cross (its top, bottom, right, and left sides). During the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses raised his staff, making a vertical motion, and the waters parted. After crossing the sea on dry ground, he raised his staff again, this time horizontally, and the waters closed, drowning the pursuing Egyptians. This act revealed a prophecy of victory over the enemy of the human race through the Cross. During their journey through the desert, the Hebrews encamped in the shape of a cross, placing the tabernacle at the center. In the battle against the Amalekites, Joshua led the army while Moses stood on a hill with his arms outstretched in the form of a cross, prefiguring Jesus Christ’s victory over the devil through the Cross. When venomous snakes attacked, the Lord commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent, and those who looked upon it were healed. The bronze serpent also prefigured Christ’s crucifixion: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). All these and other prefigurations directly pointed to the future instrument by which Christ trampled death. Thus, the cross, once an instrument of cruel, torturous, and shameful execution, became the instrument of our salvation and sanctification. If Christ is the sacrifice for sin, the Cross became the altar on which that sacrifice was offered. After Christ’s crucifixion, His Cross, according to the custom of the time, was buried along with two others near the place of execution. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, a temple of Venus was built on the site of the crucifixion. In 312, on the eve of the decisive Battle of the Milvian Bridge, the future Emperor Constantine the Great beheld a vision of the Cross. At the same time, he heard a voice saying, “By this sign, thou shalt conquer.” Ordering the image of the cross to be placed on his soldiers’ shields, Constantine indeed defeated his rival Maxentius. Having become emperor and declared Christianity the state religion, Constantine, in gratitude, resolved to find the Lord’s Cross. However, being occupied with state affairs, he could not undertake the search himself, so his mother, Empress Helena, took up the task. According to Tradition, a local Jew named Judas indicated the place where the instruments of the Crucifixion were buried, beneath a pagan temple. Excavations uncovered all three crosses, but the Lord’s Cross was identified only through a miracle. By applying each cross in turn to a gravely ill woman, the Life-Giving Cross was found when it granted her healing. According to another account, the Cross raised a deceased person being carried past. Consequently, Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem raised (exalted) the Lord’s Cross above the crowd eager to witness the miracle. By Emperor Constantine’s decree, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built in 335 on the site of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Since the Cross was found shortly after the feast of Pascha, its discovery was initially celebrated on the second day after Christ’s Resurrection. However, after the construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the day of the Cross’s finding and exaltation was linked to the second day of celebrations for the church’s consecration. Knowing that Christ was transfigured shortly before His crucifixion, the Exaltation of the Cross was also aligned with the fortieth day after the feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration. Thus, according to the Jerusalem church’s typikon, the Exaltation of the Cross was originally a post-feast of the consecration (renewal) of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. However, as the center of the Christian world shifted to Constantinople, this local Jerusalem celebration gave way to the universal Christian veneration of the Lord’s Cross, and September 14 transformed from a post-feast into an independent solemn feast. The iconography of the Exaltation of the Lord’s Cross has been known since the ninth century. However, its subject is not based on the moment of the Cross’s discovery by Empress Helena but on the annual rite performed in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Thus, the cross held by Bishop Macarius appears small, like a table cross. This rite was established after Emperor Heraclius recovered the Lord’s Cross in 628 from Persian captivity, where it had been taken after the Persians plundered Jerusalem and carried away many sacred relics, including the Cross. In icons, Bishop Macarius is depicted standing on a raised platform of steps, blessing the worshippers with the cross. Nearby are deacons assisting the bishop. Among the worshippers and chanters, recognizable by their pointed hats, stand Empress Helena, sometimes holding a dish with the nails found near the Cross, and Emperor Constantine. From around the sixteenth century, the cross began to be depicted larger than human height, aligning the image more closely with the historical events. The canon for the feast of the Exaltation was composed by Saint Cosmas of Maiuma, an eighth-century hymnographer and foster brother of Saint John of Damascus, who authored many canons for the twelve great feasts. A distinctive feature of this canon is the inclusion of two ninth odes. On this feast, the Rite of Veneration of the Cross is performed, and in cathedral churches, a special solemn Rite of the Exaltation of the Cross may be conducted. The day of the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross is a fast day, with only food prepared with vegetable oil permitted. source

Luke, reading 54, ch. 10:38–42, ch. 11:27–28 Dear brothers and sisters! Today, the Holy Church celebrates the Nativity of our Most Holy Lady, the God-bearer and Ever-Virgin Mary. This is the first Great Feast of the Twelve in the church year. With it begins the history of the granting of paradisiacal bliss to the perishing human race, the economy of our salvation. The church year begins with the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer not by chance, for this event heralded the coming salvation of humanity. For the transgression of the first humans in Paradise, the Lord imposed a punishment upon them. This punishment was expressed in the expulsion of our foreparents from Paradise and the deprivation of divine grace, which led to sorrows and calamities, even unto the death of mankind. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). But the merciful Creator did not abandon His creation—man—to destruction, nor did He condemn him to eternal torment. Instead, He gave a promise that He would deliver the entire human race from the bondage of sin and the curse of death. To fulfill this promise, the Lord chose the Hebrew people, to whom He promised through the patriarch Abraham that from his seed would be born the Redeemer of the world. Therefore, every family held the hope that among its descendants might be born the Savior of the world, and a family without children considered itself rejected by God and was despised even by its kin. Shortly before the Nativity of Christ, in Israel, in the small town of Nazareth, there lived a righteous man named Joachim, descended from the lineage of King David. He had a pious wife named Anna, who came from the lineage of the high priest Aaron, dedicated to the service of God. The couple lived righteously and God-fearingly; they were modest and humble people, yet they had no children. Old age was approaching, and with it, their hope of having children was fading. This greatly distressed the couple, for in those times, childlessness was considered a punishment from God. Heavy was the sorrow of the aged Joachim and Anna, yet they did not murmur against the Lord but called upon Him with hope. Saint Andrew of Crete says: “The holy couple was wounded by the sting of childlessness, they grieved, sorrowed, and were afflicted, bearing the reproach of their barrenness. Joachim and Anna lamented that they had no heir of their lineage, they grieved and sorrowed, but the spark of hope had not yet entirely faded in them: both sent up prayers to God for the granting of a child, they did not depart from the temple, fervently beseeching God that He might grant fruit to the barren.” Sacred history recounts how deeply barrenness was felt by women in those times. How many tears, both in secret and within the walls of the temple, were shed by the childless Anna! Heavy, too, was the sorrow of Joachim. It became many times heavier when, on the day of the Passover feast, his offering to God was not accepted in the temple. The high priest, unwilling to receive his gift, said: “It is not meet to accept gifts from thee, for thou hast no children, and therefore hast no blessing of God. Surely, thou hast some secret sins, and thou wilt not repent of them.” From sorrow and public shame, Joachim went straight from the temple to the mountains, to a desolate place, and there he remained long in prayer and fasting, unable to show himself before others. Word of what happened in the temple reached Anna. Great was her sorrow, for she considered herself the cause of their family’s disgrace. Weeping, she withdrew from others, saying: “Now I am more wretched than all: rejected by God, scorned by men, and forsaken by my husband! For what should I now weep: for my widowhood or for not being deemed worthy to be called a mother?” Those close to her tried to console Anna, but her sorrow did not lessen. Once, as Tradition relates, while secluded in her garden for prayer, she saw a nest in a tree where a bird tended to its fledglings. Weeping bitterly, Anna began to lament: “Woe is me, childless! Surely, I am the most sinful, for I alone among all women am so humbled. Woe is me! To whom shall I liken myself? Neither to the birds of the air nor to the beasts of the earth, for even they bring forth their fruit unto Thee, O Lord God, while I alone am barren. O Lord, Thou knowest the reproach of childlessness; cease the sorrow of my heart, open my womb, and make me, the barren, fruitful, that we may offer the child born of me unto Thee, blessing, singing, and glorifying Thy mercy.” And Tradition has preserved the account of how Anna suddenly heard words addressed to her: “Anna, Anna! Thy prayer is heard; thy tears have appeared before God, and thou shalt conceive and bear a daughter, and through her shall all the tribes of the earth receive blessing, and salvation shall be granted to the whole world. Her name shall be Mary,” which in Hebrew means “lady” and “hope.” Hearing these words, Anna rejoiced in her heart, went to the temple, and vowed to dedicate her child to God’s service. At the same time, a voice came to Joachim in the wilderness: “Joachim! God hath heard thy prayer and is pleased to grant thee His grace; thy wife Anna shall conceive and bear thee a Daughter, whose birth shall be a joy to the whole world.” With great joy, Joachim returned home, joyful was their meeting with his wife, and joyful was their fervent prayer of thanksgiving to God. In fulfillment of God’s promise, a Daughter was born to the righteous Joachim and Anna, whom they named Mary, who later became the Mother of the Savior of the world. Thus were the bonds of barrenness loosed, and from barren parents, through their fervent prayer, sprang the Fruit—the Most Pure Virgin. In the Holy Gospel, it is said: “When the time cometh for a child to be born, there is sorrow; but when it is born, there remaineth only joy, for a new life hath entered the world… And when a child is born, those around marvel: what shall be the fate of this child?” People rejoice at the birth of a new person, though they know not what this child will become or what it shall bring into the world, yet all hope that the newborn shall bring goodness into the world. How great, then, was the joy of the aged parents Joachim and Anna and their kin, when not only was their barrenness resolved, but it was proclaimed to them that through their Daughter, salvation would be granted to the world. “Thy Nativity, O Virgin God-bearer, hath proclaimed joy to the whole universe…” Saint John of Damascus says: “The day of the Nativity of the God-bearer is a feast of universal joy, for through the God-bearer the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of our foremother Eve was transformed into joy.” The Virgin Mary was born, as the Gospel says, not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man; she came into the world as the fruit of prayer, as a gift from God! Her appearance was like the final link in a long chain of righteous ones who, throughout human history, in humility upheld purity, faith, and devotion to God. They worshipped Him in spirit and truth with all fidelity and love. In this long line of people, there were sinners and saints, but all shared one common trait—humility and repentance. Throughout their lives, they struggled in God’s name—not against others, but against themselves—to purify their souls so that God might triumph within them. Gradually, from generation to generation, they prepared the Heiress of their lineage, who chose purity from the very beginning and lived wholly in fidelity to her great calling. Saint Nicholas Cabasilas writes in his “Homily on the Nativity of the God-bearer”: “All preceding generations ascended to Her, either because the ancient relates to the new as a shadow receives its form and shape from the body, or because She was the common adornment even before Her coming into the world. She alone, among all people from the beginning of time to the last days, stood against all evil and sin and returned to God, unblemished, the beauty she had received from Him.” In the Nativity of the God-bearer, the earth, which until that time bore the corruption of sin with thorns, truly “gave her fruit” (Ps. 66). Now all creation felt itself filled with greater beauty and light when the common Beauty shone forth. Having vowed to dedicate their child to God’s service, the pious elders Joachim and Anna rejoiced in their parental consolation for only three years before presenting Mary to God as an honest gift, leading her into the Jerusalem Temple. There, the pure and spotless Virgin dwelt in silence and prayer, studying the Holy Scriptures, engaging in handiwork, growing in wisdom, and the grace of God was with her. With all her thoughts, feelings, and deeds, she was, without a shadow of doubt, wholly devoted to the Lord. Today we celebrate the Nativity of the Mother of God, with whose coming into the world began the overcoming of the separation that existed between God and man since the Fall. As it is sung in the words of the festal troparion: “For from thee hath shone forth the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, who hath broken the curse and given blessing.” Through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, the curse was broken, and divine love began to pour forth upon mankind. This was preceded by the Nativity of the God-bearer, who became the Bridge between heaven and earth, the Door of the Savior’s Incarnation opened to heaven, the Mother of God and the Mother of all Christians. She is the God-bearer through the wondrous birth of the Son of God in virginity and the Mother of Christians through adoption. We Christians, by God’s mercy, are called by the Lord His brethren (Heb. 2:11), and thus we may be called the sons of the God-bearer. As the Mother of God, she has the boldness to possess the grace befitting a mother toward her son. As the Mother of Christians, by virtue of maternal love, she shows boundless and unending mercy to Christians, such as a mother can show to her children. Brothers and sisters, let us offer worthy gifts to our Mother for the boundless sea of her mercies granted to us. What gift can we offer in return, and wherein lies our reverence for the Holy Virgin? It lies in keeping our thoughts and feelings in purity and repentance, in abstinence and humility, in prayer and fasting—examples of which the Most Holy Virgin has shown us. “Thus, the first purity in the course of time was presented to the human race by the Mother of God,” writes Saint Nicholas Cabasilas. “In her, man with great advantage demonstrated the ability to contend with sin. The Blessed Virgin, through restraint of mind, uprightness of will, and greatness of soul, from beginning to end cast out all defilement.” Our prayer of gratitude to her must always be with contrition of heart and tears, with repentance and compunction, with hope and trust in her intercession. Saint Gregory Palamas, in his discourse “On the Saving Nativity of the God-bearer,” writes: “Offer to the Virgin honored today the most beautiful and most fitting gift—your sanctification and purity of body, acquired through abstinence and prayer. Behold, all of you, how chastity—fasting and contrite prayer coming together—revealed Joachim and Anna as the parents of the chosen Vessel of God. And if we hold fast to virtues and prayers, diligently and constantly abiding in God’s temple, we too shall find purity of heart, which contains and reveals God to us. Let us turn from evil, through good deeds turn to God, and strive through the path of abstinence and prayer to erase our evil habits and transform our inner thoughts into better ones, having as our helper Her who, for the prayers and God-pleasing life of her parents, was granted to us today.” The Holy Virgin drew much from her “root”—her virtuous ancestors—and surely her purity and holiness were strengthened by her parents, the God-bearers Joachim and Anna. The parents of the Virgin Mary possessed an essential spiritual quality—a profound degree of humility. They did not murmur against the Lord for the dishonor they innocently endured as childless. They bore the reproach of those around them with humility, not for a year or two, but for decades, and for their longsuffering, they received God’s grace, which is given only to the humble, for this is a quality of the Lord Himself, who says: “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29). For the meekness and humility that the Virgin Mary embodied, she was chosen by the Holy Spirit, who overshadowed her. She alone, among all the human race, was the embodiment of deep and sincere humility, declaring at the Annunciation: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). She alone could bring forth the Fruit of her womb, through whom salvation came into the world by His humility and obedience to the will of the Heavenly Father. For our sake, Christ came into the world: “Taking upon himself the form of a servant, being made obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). Thus, the foundation of the miracle of the Nativity of the God-bearer and the coming of the Savior into the world was the humility of the Virgin Mary. On humility, which cleanses man from sin and raises him to heavenly heights, much has been written by the holy fathers. Thus, the Venerable Isaiah wrote: “Humility is to think of oneself as a sinner and that one does nothing good before God.” He instructs that we should not be vainglorious, even when we succeed in doing something good, but attribute that good to God, who works His good deeds through us sinners. We must strive to live so as not to grieve anyone, to help all, to be kind and courteous to everyone, to refrain from returning evil for evil, and, as the Apostle instructs, to “live peaceably with all men” (Rom. 12:18). We must treat each person with care and mercy as an image of God. Though we may not attain the highest sanctity, through humility alone we can reach the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, let us acquire humility, which will guide us along the salvific path paved by the feat of humility of the God-bearers Joachim and Anna and the Most Holy God-bearer herself. Brothers and sisters! Let us honor the memory of the God-bearers Joachim and Anna and offer gifts worthy of their feats and prayers. Saint Andrew of Crete writes of this: “Let us offer a worthy gift to this present celebration. Parents—let them emulate fruitfulness; the barren—barrenness of sin. If any of you is a father, let him imitate the father of the Most Holy Virgin. A mother who nurtures her children, let her rejoice with Anna, raising the child granted to her through prayer. A virgin living purely, let her be a mother of the word, adorning the beauty of her soul with the word. Together, rich and poor, young man and maiden, elders with youths (Ps. 48), let them rejoice today in honor of the young Mother of Christ our God.” In the hymns of today’s feast, triumphant words resound, calling us to spiritual joy: “This is the day of the Lord, rejoice ye people! Today is the proclamation of universal joy! Thy Nativity, O Virgin God-bearer, hath proclaimed joy to the whole universe.” What happiness and joy for the entire human race, which lost Paradise through the fall of our foreparents, that with the Nativity of the Most Pure God-bearer, hope entered the world to draw near to Heaven and regain the lost paradisiacal grace! This day is the beginning of our salvation, when the hope for deliverance from spiritual death was born for every person. The God-bearer appeared as the helper and intercessor of the human race, of all Christians who keep God’s commandments. Therefore, let us, brothers and sisters, keep these commandments that lead us to salvation, and the Lord will abide with us and aid us in this holy work, for it pleased Him to give us a comforting promise: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). And surely, our first Helper, the Most Pure Virgin Mary, who granted the world unending eternal joy, is always with us. Day and night, she prays to her Divine Son for the granting of the joy of salvation to us in place of sinful sorrow. With this hope, let us always turn to the intercession and protection of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, repeating the words of the church hymn: “O unashamed Intercessor of Christians, unwavering Mediatrix before the Creator, despise not the voices of sinners’ supplications, but hasten as one good to aid us who faithfully cry unto thee: hasten to prayer and speed to intercession, ever protecting, O God-bearer, those who honor thee.” To our God be glory, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, amen! source  

The Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer is a fixed Great Feast of the Twelve. Though the Holy Scriptures do not speak of the birth of the Virgin Mary, none would dispute the reality of this event. Nevertheless, the Old Testament is replete with many foreshadowings, proclaiming not only the coming birth of the Savior of the world but also of His Mother. These include the ladder seen by Jacob in a dream, the bush from which the Lord spoke to Moses, the blossoming rod of Aaron, the gate from Ezekiel’s prophecy, and others. The parents of the Virgin Mary, the holy and righteous Joachim and Anna, were of royal and high-priestly lineage. Though of noble descent, their family had fallen into poverty, yet they led a righteous life, overshadowed by one sorrow: they had no children. In Old Testament Israel, childlessness was considered a grave misfortune. Every Israelite sought to leave offspring in Israel, hoping that, if not they themselves, their children might serve the coming of the awaited Messiah. If a person had no children, it was commonly believed to signify grave sins, for which the Lord punished them with barrenness. Holy Tradition recounts how, on one occasion, the righteous Joachim, bringing an offering to the temple during the Feast of Dedication, was publicly insulted by the high priest Issachar, who refused to accept his offering due to his supposed sinfulness, inferred from his lack of children. Joachim was pushed aside, deemed unworthy to offer a sacrifice to God before those who had heirs in Israel. Joachim departed to the wilderness, where he remained in fasting and prayer for forty days. The righteous Anna, at home and hearing of what had befallen her husband, suffered greatly, blaming herself for their inability to bear a child. Seeking some solace, she went into the garden, but upon seeing a nest with fledglings in a laurel tree, she fell into even greater distress. “Even a bird can embrace its young, but I cannot,” she exclaimed, vowing to dedicate her child to God if He would hear her prayer and grant her a child. Suddenly, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her, announcing that the Lord had heard her plea and would grant her a daughter. The Archangel also appeared to Joachim in the wilderness with the same tidings. Rejoicing, Joachim and Anna hastened to the temple, where, without prior arrangement, they met at the Golden Gate. Soon after, Anna conceived and gave birth to a girl, whom the parents named Mary, who would later become the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer marks the beginning of the New Testament feasts. It is the first feast both in the church year and in the entire Gospel narrative. The event of the Virgin Mary’s birth is extolled in the sermons of Saints John Chrysostom, Epiphanius of Cyprus, Blessed Augustine, and Jerome. However, a distinct feast of the Nativity of the God-bearer did not emerge until at least the first half of the fifth century. The most ancient part of the liturgical texts still in use today is the troparion of the feast, composed in the fifth to seventh centuries, modeled on the troparion of the Nativity of Christ. We know that Saint Romanos the Melodist wrote a kontakion for this feast, but sadly, it has not survived. The remaining liturgical texts for the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer were composed in the eighth and ninth centuries. Their authors include many holy men, such as Saint John of Damascus, who wrote the first canon of the feast, and Saint Andrew of Crete, who composed the second canon. Other authors include Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople, Anatolius, Bishop of Thessalonica, Stephen and Sergius of the Holy Mountain, and Joseph the Hymnographer. The Virgin Mary is glorified not only as the Mother of Jesus Christ, who was deemed worthy to give birth to the Savior of the world, but also as the Intercessor and Advocate for the entire human race. The chief characteristic of the iconography of the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer is its depiction of the viewer’s intimate participation in a joyful family event that nonetheless carries universal significance. At the center, we see the righteous Anna, reclining or seated on a couch, having just given birth to her Daughter. The Newborn is held by a midwife and a servant, who bathe Her in a font, symbolizing the future cleansing and purification of the entire human race. Young women bearing gifts greet the newly delivered mother. On one hand, this reflects an ancient tradition in which noble court women congratulated Byzantine empresses on the birth of a child. On the other hand, the gifts themselves symbolize the God-bearer, as richly celebrated in Byzantine hymnography. These are not mere cups and pitchers but represent the vessel of virginity that contained God, Whom the whole world cannot contain, “the jar bearing the manna, delighting the senses of all the pious.” At the same time, the maidens bearing gifts are perceived as those who have come to the Source of Life, ready to draw living water with their vessels, opening the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. In ancient icons, the figure of Saint Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary, is depicted either in a window of a small tower or in a doorway, but not beside Saint Anna, as men could not be present with their wives during childbirth. From around the late thirteenth century, icons of the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer began to include a separate scene known as the “Caressing of Mary.” In this scene, the righteous Joachim and Anna hold their newborn Daughter, gazing at Her as if unable to look away. This scene recalls the vow made by the parents to dedicate their Daughter to God, knowing they would soon have to part with Her. In church frescoes, scenes depicting the birth of the Virgin Mary are typically placed in the northern part of the altar, near the prothesis table, where the proskomedia, or preparation for the liturgy, is performed. Just as the life of the righteous Joachim and Anna and the birth of their long-awaited Daughter were a preparation for the Gospel events, so too the prosphora, from which the Lamb is taken for consecration during the Divine Liturgy, symbolizes the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. source

The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, the God-bearer and Ever-Virgin Mary, is the first of the twelve great feasts of the Orthodox Church year. It is first both in the chronology of New Testament events and in the Church calendar, which begins in September and is thus called in liturgical hymns “the beginning of our salvation.” The birth of the Mother of God fulfilled prophecies that Christ, the Savior of the world, would soon come to earth. The Church celebrates the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer annually on September 21 (September 8 by the old calendar), a fixed feast with one day of forefeast and four days of afterfeast.

The Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer: The Event of the Feast

From the Gospel, we learn only the principal events of the God-bearer’s life, but it does not mention the circumstances of Her birth or Her later life. These details are conveyed to us through Church Tradition, including ancient narratives, ecclesiastical-historical writings, and the hymnographic liturgical heritage, that is, the texts of the Church’s services. The parents of the Most Holy God-bearer, Joachim and Anna, are called “God-parents” by the Church. Joachim was a descendant of King David, and Anna came from the lineage of the high priest Aaron. They led a righteous and pious life. Tradition states that they kept only a third of their income for themselves, giving the rest to the needy and the temple. Having reached old age, the couple remained childless. It must be noted that childlessness was considered among the Jewish people a punishment for sins, and thus Joachim and Anna endured unjust accusations of secret sins. Yet they did not despair but hoped in God’s mercy and believed that the Lord could grant them a child even in their old age, as He once did for Abraham and Sarah.

On one of the great Jewish feasts, Joachim went to the Jerusalem Temple to offer a sacrifice to God according to the Law of Moses. But the high priest rejected Joachim’s gifts, accusing him of sins for which God punished him with childlessness. Grieved, Joachim did not return home but went into the wilderness where his flocks were grazing. Anna, learning what had happened in the temple, was also deeply saddened. However, they did not murmur against the Lord but prayed fervently, beseeching His mercy. Their prayer was heard by the Lord. According to Tradition, an angel appeared to Joachim in the wilderness and to Anna in the garden, bringing the joyful tidings that they would have a daughter. Both immediately set out for Jerusalem and met at the Golden Gate. In due time, they had a daughter, whom they named Mary. Joachim and Anna gave thanks to the Lord with joy and vowed to dedicate their child to God’s service. The date of the Nativity of the God-bearer is exactly nine months from the Orthodox feast of the Conception of Saint Anna (December 22).

The Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer in History

One of the earliest references to the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer is found in the fifth century in the writings of Saint Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople (439–446). Among the Jacobites and Nestorians, who separated from the Orthodox Church in the fifth century, September 8 is also observed as the feast called “Nativity of the Lady Mary.” By the seventh and eighth centuries, the feast was celebrated with great solemnity in the Greek Church. Its official establishment in the Byzantine Empire is attributed to Emperor Maurice.

The Liturgical Service for the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer

The service for the feast includes works by Saint John of Damascus (eighth century)—the first canon; Saint Andrew of Crete (seventh century)—the second canon; Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople (eighth century)—stichera at the versicles; Anatolius, Bishop of Thessalonica (ninth century)—certain stichera at the litia; and Stephen and Sergius of the Holy City (ninth century)—stichera at “Lord, I have cried” and some at the litia and versicles. The stichera for the Nativity of the God-bearer contain the doctrinal teaching that through the Virgin Mary, the Lord prepared for Himself an earthly Throne and a Royal Chamber; that the Mother of God surpasses all women in Her greatness because from Her was born the Son of God; that by resolving the barrenness of the Mother of God’s parents, the Lord can also resolve our spiritual barrenness, that is, grant us the strength to do good. At the same time, these stichera invite all people, both Old Testament and New Testament (those present in the church), to rejoice and glorify the Mother of God, for through Her, heaven was united with earth, hell was put to shame, the gates of paradise, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven, were reopened to mankind, and we were renewed and “deified,” that is, made partakers of God’s grace.

In the readings appointed for the feast of the Nativity of the God-bearer, the first (Genesis 28:10–17) speaks of Jacob’s vision of the ladder, which prefigured the Mother of God, who united heaven with earth; the second reading (Ezekiel 43:27; 44:1–4) contains Ezekiel’s prophecy, which called the Mother of God the gate through which passed the Holy Ancient of Days and the Holy Steward; the third (Proverbs 9:1–11) speaks of the House prepared by the Hypostatic Wisdom, that is, Jesus Christ (this House, built by Wisdom, is the Mother of God, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, in whom the Lord dwelt).

The thoughts of the canon for the feast are closely aligned with those of the stichera. In the Epistle reading (Philippians 2:5–11), it is said that the Son of God humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant and humbling Himself even unto death on the cross, and for this, He was exalted above every name. In the Gospel reading (Luke 10:38–42; 11:27–28), it is told of Christ’s stay in the house of Martha and Mary. The most ancient hymn of the feast, likely composed between the fifth and seventh centuries, is the troparion:

“Thy nativity, O Virgin God-bearer, hath proclaimed joy to the whole universe: for from thee hath shone forth the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, who, having broken the curse, hath given a blessing, and, having abolished death, hath granted us life eternal.”

The kontakion of the feast:

“Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death by thy holy nativity, O Most Pure One. This is celebrated by thy people, delivered from the burden of sin, who loudly cry unto thee: the barren one beareth the God-bearer and the nourisher of our Life.”

The Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer: Folk Traditions

The feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy God-bearer is also called “Little Most Pure” or “Asposov Day.” According to folk tradition, the time around this day was called Ospozhniki, Spozhinki, or Gospozhinki. The scale of the festive celebrations depended on the harvest of the new year. With a good harvest, Gospozhinki was celebrated for an entire week: the more bountiful the summer, the longer the feast. Village “feasting,” aligned with the Church’s festal cycle, took place from the Dormition of the God-bearer to the Protection of the Most Holy God-bearer. The feast was conducted with all the laws of hospitality: beer was brewed according to the number of guests, a sheep or ram was slaughtered, dishes were prepared from beef, the head and legs of the bull were used for aspic, fish was taken from kulebyaka, and, although the feast day was not a fast day, a pie was baked from homemade wheat flour mixed with purchased fine flour. A day or two before the feast, children invited relatives to the celebration, giving preference to those who would host a feast in return. An exception was made for sons-in-law, especially young ones: neither the father-in-law nor the mother-in-law overlooked inviting them, even if they did not expect a reciprocal invitation. It was very important that good relations existed between sons-in-law and the parents of their wives, as expressed in the proverb: “Not for the son-in-law dog, but for the dear child.”

The matchmakers of the son’s parents were the most honored guests at the table of the daughter’s parents, seated in the front corner under the icons. Village merriment was broader and more varied in places where there were churches dedicated to the Nativity of the God-bearer, and in these villages, fairs were held in connection with the feast.

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“Together with the Word, let us now ascend the lofty mountain of the Transfiguration, casting off the material and dark garments of worldly life and clothing ourselves in those woven from above, shining with the rays of rational virtues,” calls St. Andrew of Crete to the faithful on this great feast day. “And it is pleasing to Christ Himself, Who is the pure Beginning of all and the pre-eternal Word of the Father, Who for our sake descended from heaven and, out of love for mankind, took on our frail flesh, that we should make this ascent with Him, since we are already clothed in white garments through our life and word, and are uplifted by the pure thoughts of the Spirit” (Sermon on the Transfiguration of the Lord). By “white garments,” the saint refers to the grace of baptism, which cleanses the stain of sins, and by “pure thoughts of the Spirit,” he means, first, the holy truths of faith that we read in the Holy Scriptures and hear in church, and second, the gift of heartfelt acceptance of these truths, granted through the Holy Spirit, the true and life-giving Lord, who guides us into all truth. Inviting us to this spiritual ascent, the saint places us, though sinful and weak, alongside the apostles who were deemed worthy of witnessing the divine revelation of Christ on Mount Tabor. The Church echoes this in its festive hymns: “Come, let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of our God, and we shall behold the glory of His Transfiguration, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father; let us receive Light with light and, transformed by the Spirit, let us sing praises to the consubstantial Trinity forever” (sticheron at the litia). “Come, O people, having heard, let us ascend to the holy, heavenly mountain, and stand immaterially in the city of the Living God, and mentally behold the immaterial Divinity of the Father and the Spirit, shining forth in the Only-Begotten Son” (Canon, Ode 9). Thus, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is a celebration of spiritual ascent, divine contemplation, and godly vision. Though our bodies are far from Tabor, there are no barriers for our spirit to be there; moreover, the Church calls each of her children to the contemplation once granted only to the three chosen disciples of the Lord. The Gospel recounts that shortly before His Passion (about forty days prior), the Lord Jesus Christ took with Him three of His closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—and ascended a mountain to pray. Church tradition unanimously holds that this was Mount Tabor, located near Jerusalem. “And as He prayed, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothing became white and dazzling,” writes the Evangelist Luke (Luke 9:29), while the Evangelist Matthew adds, “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2). Beside the Lord, the apostles saw the prophets Moses and Elijah: “They appeared in glory and spoke of His departure, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31). Seeing this, the Apostle Peter, in a state of rapture and “not knowing what he said,” addressed the Lord: “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles (that is, three shelters or booths—Ed.): one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Mark 9:5). Peter felt such extraordinary bliss and joy that he did not wish to return to ordinary earthly life; he desired the contemplation to last forever. “While he was still speaking,” continues the Evangelist Luke, “a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son; listen to Him’” (Luke 9:34–35). Immediately after, “looking around, they saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, He ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead” (Mark 9:8–9). This wondrous vision is rightly called the Tabor Theophany by the holy fathers. In it, the apostles were granted, for the strengthening of their faith, to see a “faint dawn” of the divine nature of the Savior, to be convinced that He is the true Son of the eternal Father, equal to Him in power and glory. It is no coincidence that the prophets of the Old Testament appeared with Him, especially those who were zealous for the glory of the One God and were granted unique gifts: Moses received the Law given by God on Sinai, and Elijah, without experiencing the death common to all, was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. Who better than they could testify before the apostles that Jesus, to whom they now stood in reverent worship, is the very God who spoke to Moses amid thunder and lightning, and who descended from heaven as fire upon the sacrifice offered by Elijah? Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed Himself—not only in word but in deed—as existing inseparably and unconfusedly in two natures: divine and human; as the One who is eternal and immortal in His divinity, yet in His humanity came into the world to taste sacrificial death for the salvation of His fellow human beings. “What could be more significant or awe-inspiring than to behold God in human form, His face shining, radiant like the sun and more than the sun, ceaselessly emitting rays, pointing with His most pure finger to His countenance and saying to those present with Him in that place: ‘Thus shall the righteous shine in the resurrection, thus shall they be glorified, transformed into this My likeness, changed into this glory, conformed to this form, this image, these features, this light, this blessedness, becoming conformed and enthroned with Me, the Son of God,’” exclaims the holy ascetic, preacher, and theologian Anastasius of Sinai, indicating that in the Transfiguration, Christ revealed not only His own likeness but also ours—that is, the likeness of all who, at His second coming, will attain resurrection into eternal glory and the life of the age to come. “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:43) — so our Savior Himself proclaimed. Thus, we understand why, on this day, both the sermons of holy theologians and the festal hymns so insistently call us to share in the apostles’ wonder of contemplation. For the dazzling vision of Jesus’ face, shining brighter than the sun, and His radiant garments is a recognition of our own destiny, to which we are called by Christ’s holy Gospel. Christ is the image of saved and deified humanity. Amid the multitude of calamities, injustices, and wrongs committed daily on earth by those who forget their divine calling, let us behold this radiant face and, without doubting, believe that God’s will—“that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4)—remains and will remain unchanging until the end. The darkness of vice and falsehood, with which the adversary, the devil, seeks to defile the image of God in humanity, is powerless before the victorious radiance of the rays of the coming King of Glory. At Great Vespers, at “Lord, I Have Cried,” Stichera, Tone 4: The mountain, once dark and smoky, is now honorable and holy, for thereon, O Lord, did Thy feet stand. The eternal hidden mystery was at last revealed, Thy dread Transfiguration shown to Peter, John, and James. Unable to bear the radiance of Thy countenance and the brightness of Thy garments, they fell prostrate upon the earth, and, seized with awe, they marveled, beholding Moses and Elijah speaking with Thee of the things that were to befall Thee. And a voice from the Father bore witness, saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him!” Who granteth the world great mercy. At the Litia, Stichera, Tone 2: Thou who with Thy light dost sanctify the whole universe, wast transfigured on the lofty mountain, O Good One, revealing to Thy disciples the glory of Thine own, that Thou dost deliver the world from transgression. Wherefore we cry unto Thee: O merciful Lord, save our souls. Thou who wast transfigured in glory on Mount Tabor, O Christ our God, and didst show to Thy disciples the glory of Thy divinity, illumine us also with the light of Thy knowledge, and guide us in the path of Thy commandments, for Thou alone art good and lovest mankind. source  

The name of this feast can be confusing for modern people, who might think it refers to the origin of the wooden pieces of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Church interpreters of Scripture and theologians have long viewed a passage from the Book of Isaiah as a prophecy about the Lord’s Cross: “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, cypress, pine, and cedar together, to adorn the place of my sanctuary, and I will glorify the place where my feet rest.” Based on this, a tradition arose among Christians that the Cross was made from three types of wood: cypress, pine, and cedar. This belief is reflected in church hymns, such as: “Upon cypress, pine, and cedar were you lifted up, O Lamb of God, to save those who worship your voluntary crucifixion.” There are also interpretations, found in various manuscript collections, that connect the wood of the Cross to Old Testament figures like Abraham, Lot, or King Solomon and the temple he built. These stories cannot be proven or disproven. The wood of the Cross, found during the time of Empress Elena—almost three centuries after Christ’s crucifixion—on Golgotha, alongside the crosses of the thieves crucified with Him, had no distinguishing features. It was identified only through a miracle: touching the Lord’s Cross brought a deceased girl back to life. Thus, the importance lies not in the material of the Cross, nor in who handled it or how it was used before, but in the fact that Christ sanctified it with His blood, shed for the world’s salvation. The feast of the Origin of the Precious Cross has a specific meaning. Here, “origin” refers to a solemn procession with crosses and holy icons, which began in Constantinople on August 1 during the time of Patriarch Photius. In August, seasonal fevers (malaria) killed thousands in southern regions each year, so a custom was established to hold intense prayers before the Precious Cross in the city streets to protect Christians from this disease. On the eve of the feast (July 31), the Precious Cross was taken from the imperial treasury and placed on the holy altar of Hagia Sophia, the Church of Divine Wisdom. From August 1 until the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy God-bearer, the Cross was carried through streets and squares in processions. Wells and springs were blessed, and clergy sprinkled homes and public buildings with holy water. In Russian liturgical books, this day also includes a solemn service to the All-Merciful Savior, which is why the feast is popularly called the “First Savior” (the second and third being the feasts of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Transfer of the Holy Mandylion, respectively). According to the Prologue, this feast was established because, in 1164, Grand Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky marched from Vladimir against the Volga Bulgars, a Muslim people living along the middle Volga, while Byzantine Emperor Manuel campaigned against the Saracens (Seljuk Turks). The Prologue states that before the battles, both Christian armies witnessed the same sign, which their leaders saw as a message of God’s favor and coming victory. From the icons of Jesus Christ and the Most Pure God-bearer, carried before the armies, rays of divine light shone, illuminating the Christian ranks. Inspired by these sacred signs, both armies defeated their enemies, and this display of God’s power was established as a church feast. There is another reason to celebrate this day. Chronicles record that on August 1, 988, Prince Vladimir and his retinue were baptized in the city of Korsun (Chersonese). While military victories are fleeting, and defeats often follow triumphs (as with Rus, which, seventy years after Andrey’s victories, suffered a devastating Tatar invasion and two centuries of their rule), the baptism of Rus is a victory with eternal fruits, found in Christ’s eternal Kingdom, opened to generations of Russian Christians. This may be the primary reason to offer grateful prayers on the feast of the All-Merciful Savior. Reflecting on this event—a great victory of Christ on earth—Metropolitan Hilarion of Kiev, one of the early figures of the Russian Church, addressed Prince Vladimir in his famous Sermon on Law and Grace with heartfelt praise: “What name shall we give you, lover of Christ? Champion of truth, vessel of wisdom, haven of mercy! How did you come to believe? How were you set ablaze with love for Christ? How did a mind greater than earthly scholars enter you, so that you loved the Invisible and reached for the heavenly? How did you seek Christ, how did you surrender to Him? […] Where did you catch the scent of the Holy Spirit? Where did you drink from the sweet cup of the life to come? Where did you taste and see that the Lord is good? You didn’t see Christ, you didn’t follow Him—how then did you become His disciple? Others saw Him and still didn’t believe. But you, without seeing, believed. Truly, the blessing of the Lord Jesus, spoken to Thomas, was fulfilled in you: ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ […] The Savior Himself called you blessed, for you believed in Him and were not offended by Him, as He truly said: ‘…and blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’ Those who knew the Law and the prophets crucified Him. But you, who honored neither Law nor prophets, worshipped the Crucified. […] How did the fear of God enter you, how were you filled with love for Him? You saw no apostle come to your land to humble your heart. You saw no demons cast out in the name of Jesus Christ, no sick healed, no mute speaking, no fire turned to cold, no dead rising—seeing none of these, how did you believe? What a marvel! Other kings and rulers, seeing these things done by holy men, did not believe but instead subjected them to torment and suffering. But you, blessed one, without witnessing any of this, ran to Christ, understanding through clear reasoning alone that there is One God, Creator of the invisible and visible, of heaven and earth, and that He sent His beloved Son into the world for its salvation. […] What seems foolishness to others became for you the power of God.” With joyful wonder, speaking of the prince’s conversion as a great miracle, Saint Hilarion marvels at the mystery of gaining faith, which is always a miracle and a gift of grace—for the great and the small, the worthy and the unworthy. The seed of God’s word, as the parable says, grows differently on stones, among thorns, and in fertile soil, producing different fruits, but the seed itself is always divine, even when human hearts reject it or accept it superficially. Let us be good soil for the Divine Sower, and whether we inherited the Christian faith from our ancestors long ago or found it recently, let us see in its truths and commandments an ongoing miracle of boundless, saving mercy. Tropar, Tone 8: Beholding from on high, receiving the lowly, look down, O Saviour, and visit us who are afflicted with sins, O Master All-Merciful, through the intercessions of the God-bearer, grant unto our souls great mercy. Kondak, Tone 4: Of all defilement, O All-Merciful Saviour, I have been a worker, and into the pit of despair have I fallen. Yet from my heart I groan, and unto Thee, O Word, I cry: Hasten, O Bountiful One, and make speed to our aid, for Thou art merciful. Ikos: Having Thee, O All-Merciful Saviour, as a mighty stronghold, and Thy Most Pure Mother as a wall unshaken, we fear not ever the assaults of foes. For by Thy wisdom invisible we are kept and covered, vanquishing enemies both seen and unseen. Having Thy Most Pure Mother as our succour, we escape the wiles of foes as from a snare. With joy we sing, O Most Joyous One: Hasten, O Bountiful One, and make speed to our aid, for Thou art merciful. source