John Chrysostom, On the Confession of the Precious Cross

opened the closed doors of our forefathers, this quenched deadly poisons, this neutralized the power of hemlock, this healed the bites of venomous beasts. For if it opened the gates of Hades, and unfolded the vaults of the heavens, and renewed the entrance to paradise, and cut the sinews of the devil, what wonder is it, if it overcomes deadly poisons and beasts, and other such things? Therefore engrave this in your mind, and embrace the salvation of our souls. For this cross converted the world, drove out error, brought back the truth, made the earth heaven, and fashioned men into angels. For this reason the demons are no longer fearsome, but contemptible; nor is death, death, but sleep. For this reason all things that war against us have been cast to the ground and trampled. If then someone says to you, "Do you worship the crucified one?" say with a cheerful voice, and a joyful face, "I both worship him, and I will never cease to worship him"; and if he laughs, weep for him, because he is mad. Give thanks to the Master, because he has bestowed such benefits on us, which no one can learn without revelation from above. For this is why he laughs, because "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit"; since children also experience this, when they see something great and wonderful; and if you bring a child into the mysteries, he will laugh. To these children the Greeks are indeed similar, or rather they are even more imperfect than these, and for that reason more wretched, because not at a tender age, but at a mature one they experience the things of children, for which reason they are not even worthy of forgiveness. But let us with a clear voice, crying out loud and high, shout and say, and if all the Greeks are present, let us say with greater boldness, that "Our boast is the cross, and the sum of all good things, and our confidence and our entire crown." I wished that I could also say with Paul, "The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world"; but I am not able, being held by various passions. Therefore I exhort both you and, before you, myself to be crucified to the world, and to have nothing in common with the earth, but to love the fatherland above, and 52.843 the glory from there, and the eternal good things; for we are soldiers of a heavenly king, and we have put on spiritual armor. Why then do we adopt the life of peddlers and charlatans, or rather of worms? For where the king is, there must the soldier also be. For we have become soldiers, not of those far off, but of those near. For a king on earth would not endure for all to be in the palace, nor beside his flanks; but the King of the heavens wishes for all to be near the royal throne. And how is it possible, he says, for those who are here to stand beside that throne? Because Paul too, being on earth, was where the Seraphim were, where the Cherubim were, and this man was nearer to Christ than these shield-bearers are to the king. For these men cast their eyes about in many directions; but nothing distracted him, nor drew him away, but he had his whole mind intent upon the king and Lord.

3. So if we wish, this is possible for us too. For if he were distant in place, you would rightly be at a loss; but if he is present everywhere, he is near to the one who is earnest and intent. For this reason the prophet also said, "I will fear no evil, for you are with me." And God himself again: "I am a God at hand, and not a God afar off." Therefore, just as sins separate us from him, so also do righteous acts bring us to him. For "While you are still speaking," he says, "I will say, 'Behold, I am here.'" What father would ever so obey his offspring? What mother is so prepared and constantly standing by, in case her children should ever call her? There is no one, not a father, not a mother. But God stands by continually, waiting, if ever one of his servants should call him, and he has never failed to hear us when we have called as we ought.

τῶν προγόνων ἡμῶν θύρας ἀνέῳξε κεκλεισμένας, τοῦτο δηλητήρια ἔσβεσε φάρμακα, τοῦτο κωνείου δύναμιν ἐξέλυσε, τοῦτο θηρίων δήγματα ἰοβόλων ἰάσατο. Εἰ γὰρ ᾅδου πύλας ἀνέῳξε, καὶ οὐρανῶν ἁψῖδας ἀνεπέτασε, καὶ παραδείσου εἴσοδον ἀνεκαίνισε, καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ νεῦρα ἐξέκοψε, τί θαυμαστὸν, εἰ φαρμάκων δηλητηρίων καὶ θηρίων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων περιγίνεται; Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐγκόλαψον τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ σῇ, καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν περίπτυξαι τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν. Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ σταυρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπέστρεψε, τὴν πλάνην ἐξήλασε, τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὴν γῆν οὐρανὸν ἐποίησε, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀγγέλους εἰργάσατο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οἱ δαίμονες οὐκ ἔτι φοβεροὶ, ἀλλ' εὐκαταφρόνητοι· οὐδὲ ὁ θάνατος, θάνατος, ἀλλ' ὕπνος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάντα ἔῤῥιπται χαμαὶ καὶ πεπάτηται τὰ πολεμοῦντα ἡμῖν. Ἂν τοίνυν εἴπῃ σοί τις, Τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον προσκυνεῖς; εἰπὲ φαιδρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ γεγηθότι προσώπῳ, Καὶ προσκυνῶ, καὶ οὐ παύσομαί ποτε προσκυνῶν· κἂν γελάσῃ, δάκρυσον αὐτὸν, ὅτι μαίνεται. Εὐχαρίστησον τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, ὅτι τοιαῦτα ἡμᾶς εὐεργέτησεν, ἃ μηδὲ μαθεῖν δύναταί τις χωρὶς τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀποκαλύψεως. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος γελᾷ, ὅτι Ὁ Ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ παιδία τοῦτο πάσχει, ὅταν τι τῶν μεγάλων ἴδῃ καὶ θαυμαστῶν· κἂν εἰς μυστήρια παιδίον εἰσαγάγῃς, γελάσεται. Τούτοις δὴ καὶ Ἕλληνες ἐοίκασι τοῖς παιδίοις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τούτων εἰσὶν ἀτελέστεροι, διὸ καὶ ἀθλιώτεροι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ἀώρῳ ἡλικίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν τελείᾳ τὰ τῶν παιδίων πάσχουσιν, ὅθεν οὐδὲ συγγνώμης ἄξιοί εἰσιν. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ μέγα βοῶντες καὶ ὑψηλὸν, κράζωμεν καὶ λέγωμεν, κἂν πάντες παρῶσιν Ἕλληνες, μετὰ πλείονος τῆς παῤῥησίας εἴπωμεν, ὅτι Τὸ καύχημα ἡμῶν ὁ σταυρὸς, καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων, καὶ ἡ παῤῥησία καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἅπας. Ἐβουλόμην δύνασθαι καὶ μετὰ Παύλου λέγειν, ὅτι Ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ· ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι, ποικίλοις πάθεσι κατεχόμενος. ∆ιὸ παραινῶ καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ πρό γε ὑμῶν ἐμαυτῷ σταυρωθῆναι τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ μηδὲν κοινὸν ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἄνω πατρίδος ἐρᾷν, καὶ 52.843 τῆς ἐκεῖθεν δόξης, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν· καὶ γὰρ στρατιῶται βασιλέως ἐσμὲν οὐρανίου, καὶ ὅπλα ἐνδεδύμεθα πνευματικά. Τί τοίνυν καπήλων καὶ ἀγυρτῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ σκωλήκων βίον μεταχειρίζομεν; Ὅπου γὰρ βασιλεὺς, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸν στρατιώτην εἶναι δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ στρατιῶται γεγόναμεν, οὐ τῶν μακρὰν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐγγύς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιτο πάντας εἶναι ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, οὐδὲ παρὰ τὰς αὐτοῦ πλευράς· ὁ δὲ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἅπαντας ἐγγὺς εἶναι βούλεται τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ. Καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν ἐνταῦθα ὄντας, φησὶ, παρ' ἐκεῖνον ἑστάναι τὸν θρόνον; Ὅτι καὶ Παῦλος ἐπὶ γῆς ὢν, ὅπου τὰ Σεραφὶμ ἦν, ὅπου τὰ Χερουβὶμ, καὶ ἐγγυτέρω οὗτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἢ οὗτοι οἱ ἀσπιδηφόροι τοῦ βασιλέως. Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ πολλαχοῦ τὰς ὄψεις περιφέρουσιν· ἐκεῖνον δὲ οὐδὲν ἐφάνταζεν, οὐδὲ περιεῖλκεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ Κύριον τεταμένην εἶχεν.

γʹ. Ὥστε ἐὰν βουληθῶμεν, δυνατὸν καὶ ἡμῖν τοῦτο. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τόπῳ

διειστήκει, καλῶς ἂν ἠπόρεις· εἰ δὲ πανταχοῦ πάρεστι, τῷ σπουδάζοντι καὶ συντεταμένῳ πλησίον ἐστί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν, Οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακὰ, ὅτι σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ. Καὶ αὐτὸς πάλιν ὁ Θεός· Θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥω. Ὥσπερ οὖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διιστῶσιν ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ, οὕτως καὶ αἱ δικαιοσύναι συνάγουσιν ἡμᾶς πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἔτι γὰρ λαλοῦντός σου, φησὶν, ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Ποῖος πατὴρ οὕτως ἂν ὑπακούσειέ ποτε τοῖς ἐγγόνοις; ποία μήτηρ οὕτως ἐστὶ παρεσκευασμένη καὶ διηνεκῶς ἑστηκυῖα, εἴ ποτε καλέσειεν αὐτὴν τὰ παιδία; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, οὐ πατὴρ, οὐ μήτηρ. Ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς ἕστηκε διηνεκῶς ἀναμένων, εἴ τις ποτὲ καλέσειεν αὐτὸν τῶν οἰκετῶν, καὶ οὐδέποτε καλεσάντων ἡμῶν ὡς δεῖ, παρήκουσε.