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she who was wrapped in the purple, who travailed for us with this flower, what sort of pangs she endured a second time, in soul, not in body, when this her offspring was plucked away. Who passed by the suffering without a groan? Who did not lament the loss of life? Who did not shed tears over the suffering? Who did not mix their own voices with the common symphony of the lament? I saw an incredible sight, which would not come into belief for those who receive wonders by hearing; I saw a sea of people, in the density of those gathered, appearing to the eyes like some water in every part; the temple was full, the forecourt of the temple was full, the receiving square, the narrow streets, the cross-roads, the middle, the sides, the open space on the roofs; everything seen was a fullness of people, as if the entire inhabited world had run together to the same place because of the suffering. And a spectacle was laid out for all: that sacred flower being carried on a golden bier. How downcast were the faces of all who looked on. How tearful the eyes. Hands striking against each other. Groans along with these things revealing the heartfelt pain. It did not seem to me at that hour (and perhaps not to the others then present) that the gold gleamed with its natural grace. But also the rays of the gems and the fabrics of gold and the gleamings of silver and the light from the 9.464 fire, both great and abundant, extending along the sides on both hands by the succession of wax torches, all things were darkened by the grief and all shared in the common dejection. Then also the great David lent his own hymns to the laments, and instead of the bright choir, taking up the doleful and mournful one, he called forth laments with his melodies, and with all pleasure having been driven away from souls at that time, only the tear was a pleasure to the people.

Since, therefore, reason has been so overcome by suffering, it would be time for the weary mind to be restored as is possible through the counsel of reason. For there is no small danger that, by disregarding in this the voice of the Apostle, we be condemned with those who have no hope. For he says, as we have just heard from the reader, that one ought not to grieve for those who have fallen asleep; for this suffering belongs only to those who have no hope. But one of the more faint-hearted might say, I think, that the divine Apostle commands impossible things and that his precepts transgress nature. For how is it possible for one living in nature to be lifted above suffering and not be overcome by grief at such a sight, when death does not occur at its proper time in old age, but in the prime of life beauty is extinguished by death, the ray of the eyes is covered by the eyelids, the blush of the cheek changes to pallor, the mouth is seized by silence, the flower upon the lip grows dark, and this seems grievous not only to the parents, but also to everyone who looks upon the suffering? What then shall we say to these things? We will not speak our 9.465 own word, brethren, but we shall set forth the saying read to us from the Gospel. For you have heard the Lord saying: Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, even if the child has departed from you, yet she has run away to the master. To you she closed her eye, but to the eternal light she opened it. She has left your table, but has been added to the angelic one. From here the plant was plucked up, but in paradise it was planted. From kingdom to kingdom she was translated. She took off the flower of the purple, but she put on the robe of the kingdom above. Shall I tell you the material of the divine garment? It is not linen nor wool nor the threads from silkworms. Hear David, from where he says the garments for God are woven: Praise and majesty you have put on, wrapping yourself in light as with a garment. Do you see what things she has exchanged for what? Does the beauty of the body, no longer visible, grieve you, for you do not see the true of her soul

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τὴν περιειλημ μένην τῷ φοίνικι τὴν τὸ ἄνθος ἡμῖν τοῦτο ὠδίνασαν, οἵας ὑπέστη ἐκ δευτέρου πάλιν ὠδῖνας ἐν ψυχῇ, οὐκ ἐν σώματι, ὅτε αὐτῆς οὗτος ὁ βλαστὸς ἀπετίλλετο. τίς ἀστενάκτως τὸ πάθος παρέδραμεν; τίς τὴν τοῦ βίου ζημίαν οὐκ ὠλοφύρατο; τίς οὐκ ἐπαφῆκε τῷ πάθει δάκρυα; τίς οὐ κατέμιξε τῇ κοινῇ συνῳδίᾳ τοῦ θρήνου τὰς ἰδίας φωνάς; εἶδον θέαμα ἄπιστον, ὃ οὐκ ἂν εἰς πίστιν ἔλθοι τοῖς ἀκοῇ παραδεχομένοις τὰ θαύματα· εἶδον ἐξ ἀνθρώπων πέλαγος τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν συνεστώτων οἷόν τι ὕδωρ κατὰ πᾶν μέρος τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς προφαινόμενον· πλήρης ὁ ναός, πλῆρες τοῦ ναοῦ τὸ προαύλιον, ἡ ἐκδεχομένη πλατεῖα, οἱ στενωποί, τὰ ἄμφοδα, ἡ μέση, τὰ πλάγια, ἡ ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων εὐρυχωρία· πᾶν τὸ ὁρώμενον ἀνθρώπων πλήρωμα ἦν, ὥσπερ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης εἰς ταὐτὸν συνδραμούσης ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει. θέαμα δὲ προέκειτο πᾶσι τὸ ἱερὸν ἄνθος ἐκεῖνο ἐπὶ κλίνης χρυσῆς κομιζόμενον. πῶς κατηφῆ πάντων ἦν τῶν προσορώντων τὰ πρόσωπα. πῶς δεδακρυμένα τὰ ὄμματα. χεῖρες ἀλλήλαις συναρασσόμεναι. στεναγμοὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὴν ἐγκάρδιον ὀδύνην καταμηνύοντες. οὔ μοι ἔδοξε κατὰ τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην (τάχα δὲ οὐδὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις τῶν τότε παρόντων) τὴν ἐκ φύσεως χάριν ὁ χρυσὸς ἀποστίλβειν. ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ τῶν λίθων αὐγαὶ καὶ τὰ ἐκ χρυσοῦ ὑφάσματα καὶ αἱ τοῦ ἀργύρου μαρμαρυγαὶ καὶ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ 9.464 πυρὸς φῶς πολύ τε καὶ ἄφθονον κατὰ τὰ πλάγια ἑκατέρωθεν τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ κηροῦ λαμπάδων παρατεινόμενον, πάντα τῷ πένθει συνεμελαίνετο καὶ πάντα μετεῖχε τῆς κοινῆς κατηφείας. τότε καὶ ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ τὰς ἰδίας ὑμνῳδίας τοῖς θρήνοις ἔχρησε καὶ ἀντὶ τῆς φαιδρᾶς χοροστασίας μεταλαβὼν τὴν γοεράν τε καὶ πένθιμον ἐξεκαλεῖτο τοὺς θρήνους τοῖς μέλεσιν, πάσης δὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἡδονῆς τῶν ψυχῶν ἀπελαθείσης μόνον ἦν ἐν ἡδονῇ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὸ δάκρυον.

Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τοσοῦτον ἡττήθη τοῦ πάθους ὁ λογισμός, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη τὸ κεκμηκὸς τῆς διανοίας διὰ τῆς τῶν λογισμῶν συμβουλῆς ὡς ἔστι δυνατὸν ἀναρρώννυσθαι. κίνδυνος γὰρ οὐ μικρὸς παρακούσαντας ἐν τούτῳ τῆς τοῦ Ἀποστόλου φωνῆς συγκατακριθῆναι τοῖς ἀνελπίστοις. φησὶ γάρ, καθὼς τοῦ ὑπαναγινώσκοντος ἀρτίως ἠκούσαμεν, Μὴ δεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν κεκοιμημένων λυπεῖσθαι· μόνων γὰρ τοῦτο τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων ἐλπίδα τὸ πάθος εἶναι. ἀλλ' εἴποι τις ἄν, οἶμαι, τῶν μικρο ψυχοτέρων ἀδύνατα κελεύειν τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον καὶ ὑπερβαίνειν τὴν φύσιν τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασιν. πῶς γάρ ἐστι δυνατὸν ὑπεραρθῆναι τοῦ πάθους τὸν ἐν τῇ φύσει ζῶντα καὶ μὴ κρατηθῆναι τῇ λύπῃ ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ θεάματι, ὅταν μὴ καθ' ὥραν ἐν γήρᾳ συμπέσῃ ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ἡλικίᾳ κατασβεσθῇ μὲν τῷ θανάτῳ ἡ ὥρα, καλυφθῇ δὲ τοῖς βλεφάροις ἡ τῶν ὀμμάτων ἀκτίς, μεταπέσῃ δὲ εἰς ὠχρότητα τῆς παρειᾶς τὸ ἐρύθημα, κρατηθῇ δὲ τῇ σιωπῇ τὸ στόμα, μελαίνηται δὲ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους ἄνθος, χαλεπὸν δὲ μὴ μόνον τοῖς γεννησαμένοις τοῦτο δοκῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντὶ τῷ πρὸς τὸ πάθος βλέποντι; τί οὖν πρὸς τούτοις ἡμεῖς; οὐχ 9.465 ἡμέτερον ἐροῦμεν, ἀδελφοί, λόγον, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀναγνωσθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ῥῆσιν παραθησόμεθα. ἠκούσατε γὰρ λέγοντος τοῦ κυρίου· Ἄφετε τὰ παιδία καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἔρχεσθαι πρός με· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. οὐκοῦν εἰ καὶ σοῦ ἀπεφοίτησε τὸ παιδίον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην ἀπέδραμεν. σοὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἔκλεισεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ φωτὶ τῷ αἰωνίῳ διήνοιξεν. τῆς σῆς ἀπέστη τραπέζης, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀγγελικῇ προσετέθη. ἔνθεν τὸ φυτὸν ἀνεσπάσθη, ἀλλὰ τῷ παραδείσῳ ἐνεφυτεύθη. ἐκ βασιλείας εἰς βασιλείαν μετέστη. ἐξεδύσατο τὸ τῆς πορφύρας ἄνθος, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἄνω βασιλείας τὴν περιβολὴν ἐνεδύσατο. εἴπω σοι τὴν ὕλην τοῦ θείου ἐνδύματος; οὐ λίνον ἐστὶν οὐδὲ ἔριον οὐδὲ τὰ ἐκ σηρῶν νήματα. ἄκουσον τοῦ ∆αβίδ, ὅθεν ἐξυφαίνεσθαι λέγει τῷ θεῷ τὰ ἐνδύματα· Ἐξομολόγησιν καὶ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσω, ἀναβαλλόμενος φῶς ὡς ἱμάτιον. ὁρᾷς οἷα ἀνθ' οἵων ἠλλάξατο; λυπεῖ σε τὸ τοῦ σώματος κάλλος μηκέτι φαινόμενον, οὐ γὰρ ὁρᾷς αὐτῆς τὸ ἀληθινὸν τῆς ψυχῆς