2

So great is the power even of the ashes of the saints, not only dwelling within the relics, but also going forth beyond and driving out unclean powers, and sanctifying with great abundance those who approach with faith. For this reason indeed this Christ-loving woman followed the relics, continually touching them, and drawing the blessing upon herself, and becoming a teacher to all others of this good and spiritual commerce, and teaching all to draw from this fount which is always being drawn from, but never emptied. For just as the gushing streams of springs are not held within their own bosoms, but bubble up and overflow; so also indeed the grace of the Spirit which sits beside the bones and dwells with the saints, also goes forth to others who follow it with faith, and runs from soul to bodies, and from bodies to garments, and from garments to sandals, and from sandals to shadows. For this reason indeed not only the bodies of the holy apostles were working, but also the handkerchiefs and aprons; and not only the handkerchiefs and aprons, but also the shadows of Peter worked more powerfully than living men.

Somewhere also a sheepskin mantle, having been brought down upon the body of Elisha, brought down a double grace for him; for not only the body of Elisha, but also that garment was filled with grace. For this reason also in the case of the three youths; for the nature of the flame respected not only their bodies, 63.470 but also their sandals themselves; and in the case of Elisha, even though he was dead, thus death was undone, when another dead man was cast into the prophet's tomb. Thus indeed has it also happened today; for as the relics were being carried, burnings of demons, shrieks and wailings were raised from every side, as the ray from the bones leaped forth, and consumed the phalanx of the opposing powers.

b. For these things I leap and fly for joy, because the desolate city

you have made, having emptied the city; because you have shown us the wealth of the Church today. Behold how many sheep, and nowhere a wolf; how many vines, and nowhere a thorn; how many ears of grain, and nowhere tares. A sea has been stretched from the city to this present place, a sea free of waves, having no shipwreck, freed from reefs; a sea sweeter than any honey, more drinkable than potable waters. One would not be wrong in calling this sea also a river of fire; thus the torches, thick and continuous through the night, stretched out all the way to this shrine, gave the appearance of a river of fire to those watching. And these things were in the night; but when day appeared, other torches again appeared; for the rising sun hid those and made them dimmer, but it showed the ones in each person's mind to be brighter; for warmer than that visible fire was that of your zeal; and each carried a double torch, that of fire in the night, that of zeal both in the night and in the day; rather, I no longer even call that a night; for it competed with the day, bearing you, the sons of light, and revealing you to be brighter than ten thousand stars and the morning star.

For just as the drunk make the day night, so also do those who keep vigil and are watchful make the night day. For this reason indeed throughout the whole night I sang that prophetic saying: The night is my illumination in my delight; and that darkness shall not be darkened from You; and night shall be lighted as the day; as its darkness, so also its light. For what day was this night not brighter than, with all leaping in such an excess of joy, having a spiritual joy, with so many crowds poured forth, and flooding the road and the marketplace? Not even

2

τοσαύτη καὶ τῆς τέφρας τῶν ἁγίων ἡ δύναμις, οὐκ ἔνδον ἐγκαθημένη μόνον ἐν τοῖς λειψάνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ περαιτέρω προϊοῦσα καὶ τὰς ἀκαθάρτους ἀπελαύνουσα δυνάμεις, καὶ τοὺς μετὰ πίστεως προσιόντας μετὰ πολλῆς ἁγιάζουσα τῆς περιουσίας. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἡ φιλόχριστος αὕτη παρείπετο τοῖς λειψάνοις, συνεχῶς ἐφαπτομένη, καὶ τὴν εὐλογίαν ἐπισπωμένη, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι διδάσκαλος γινομένη τῆς καλῆς ταύτης καὶ πνευματικῆς ἐμπορίας, καὶ διδάσκουσα πάντας ἀρύεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς πηγῆς ταύτης τῆς ἀεὶ μὲν ἀντλουμένης, οὐδέποτε δὲ κενουμένης. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ νάματα τῶν πηγῶν βρύοντα, οὐκ εἴσω τῶν οἰκείων κόλπων κατέχεται, ἀλλ' ὑπερβλύζει καὶ ὑπερχεῖται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις ἡ τοῖς ὀστέοις παρακαθημένη καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις συνοικοῦσα, καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους πρόεισι τοὺς μετὰ πίστεως ἐφεπομένους αὐτῇ, καὶ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς εἰς σώματα, καὶ ἀπὸ σωμάτων εἰς ἱμάτια, καὶ ἀπὸ ἱματίων εἰς ὑποδήματα, καὶ ἀπὸ ὑποδημάτων εἰς σκιὰς ἐκτρέχει. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο οὐ τὰ σώματα ἐνήργει μόνον τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ σουδάρια καὶ τὰ σιμικίνθια· καὶ οὐ τὰ σουδάρια μόνον καὶ τὰ σιμικίνθια, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ σκιαὶ τοῦ Πέτρου τῶν ζώντων δυνατώτερα εἰργάζοντο.

Ἤδη που καὶ μηλωτὴ κατενεχθεῖσα ἐπὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου διπλοῦν αὐτῷ χάρισμα κατήγαγεν· οὐ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα Ἑλισσαίου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐκεῖνο τῆς χάριτος ἦν ἐμπεπλησμένον. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τριῶν παίδων· οὐ γὰρ τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν 63.470 ᾐδέσθη μόνον τῆς φλογὸς ἡ φύσις, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ὑποδήματα· καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου οὐδὲ τελευτήσαντος, οὕτως ἐλύετο θάνατος, εἰς τάφον τοῦ προφήτου ῥιφέντος ἑτέρου νεκροῦ. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ σήμερον γέγονε· τῶν γὰρ λειψάνων φερομένων, ἐμπρησμοὶ δαιμόνων, ὀλολυγαὶ καὶ κωκυτοὶ πανταχόθεν ᾔροντο, τῆς ἀκτῖνος τῶν ὀστῶν ἐκπηδώσης, καὶ τὴν φάλαγγα τῶν ἀντικειμένων κατακαιούσης δυνάμεων.

βʹ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα σκιρτῶ καὶ πέτομαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, ὅτι τὴν ἔρημον πόλιν

ἐποιήσατε, τὴν πόλιν κενώσαντες· ὅτι τὸν πλοῦτον ἡμῖν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὑπεδείξατε σήμερον. Ἰδοὺ πόσα πρόβατα, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ λύκος· πόσαι ἄμπελοι, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ ἄκανθα· πόσοι στάχυες, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ ζιζάνια. Θάλαττα ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος ἐξετάθη χωρίου, θάλαττα κυμάτων ἀπηλλαγμένη, ναυάγιον οὐκ ἔχουσα, σκοπέλων ἠλευθερωμένη· θάλαττα μέλιτος παντὸς γλυκυτέρα, τῶν ποτίμων ὑδάτων ποτιμωτέρα. Οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι τὴν θάλατταν ταύτην καὶ ποταμὸν πυρὸς προσειπών· οὕτως αἱ λαμπάδες αἱ διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς αἱ πυκναὶ καὶ συνεχεῖς μέχρι τοῦ μαρτυρίου τούτου διαπαντὸς ἐκταθεῖσαι, πυρίνου ποταμοῦ φαντασίαν παρεῖχον τοῖς ὁρῶσι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῇ νυκτί· τῆς δὲ ἡμέρας φανείσης ἕτεραι λαμπάδες πάλιν ἐφαίνοντο· ἐκείνας μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος ἀνίσχων ἔκρυπτε καὶ ἀμαυροτέρας ἐτίθει, τὰς δὲ ἐν τῇ ἑκάστου διανοίᾳ φαιδροτέρας ἐδείκνυ· τοῦ γὰρ πυρὸς ἐκείνου τοῦ φαινομένου θερμότερον τὸ τῆς προθυμίας τῆς ὑμετέρας ἦν· καὶ ἕκαστος διπλῆν ἔφερε λαμπάδα, τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ, τὴν τῆς προθυμίας καὶ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ νύκτα λοιπὸν ἐκείνην καλῶ· πρὸς γὰρ τὴν ἡμέραν ἡμιλλᾶτο, τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς ὑμᾶς περιφέρουσα, καὶ μυρίων ἀστέρων καὶ ἑωσφόρου λαμπροτέρους ἀποφαίνουσα.

Ὥσπερ γὰρ καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν νύκτα ποιοῦσιν οἱ μεθύοντες, οὕτω καὶ τὴν νύκτα ἡμέραν ἐργάζονται οἱ παννυχεύοντες καὶ ἐγρηγορότες. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο διὰ πάσης νυκτὸς ἐκεῖνο τὸ προφητικὸν ᾖδον· Νὺξ φωτισμὸς ἐν τῇ τρυφῇ μου· καὶ ὅτι σκότος οὐ σκοτισθήσεται ἀπὸ σοῦ· καὶ νὺξ ὡς ἡμέρα φωτισθήσεται· ὡς τὸ σκότος αὐτῆς, οὕτω καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς. Ποίας γὰρ ἡμέρας οὐ γέγονε φαιδροτέρα ἡ νὺξ αὕτη, ἐν τοσαύτῃ χαρᾶς ὑπερβολῇ σκιρτώντων ἁπάντων, χαρὰν ἐχόντων πνευματικὴν, τοσούτων ἐκχυθέντων δήμων, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐπικλυσάντων; Οὐδὲ