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having set out, and entering even into the court of Caiaphas with the bound redeemer; he who also denies is pardonable, and who repents is wonderful. For he is not so much worthy of blame for the denial, as of blessing for his repentance. For even in his stumbling he is beneficial to us, because by weeping quickly he washed away his fault, and having been shaken for a little while, he was found to be the eternal foundation of the faithful. For if you consider, beloved, that time of opportune cowardice, you would not find Peter very much liable to blame.

For when the sun fled, the heaven was hidden, the earth was shaken, the rocks were shattered, unable to bear the outrage against the creator; then Peter faltered, then the chief denied; and he found the irrational messenger of the day to be an immediate proof of the foretold denial; Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. But though the first to deny, he was the first to run to the tomb, the first to see the life-giver of the dead risen, learning from Mary what the angel sitting upon the stone did not dare to tell him. But let there come after him into our midst Paul, the all-wise orator of the world, the lamb from a wolf, the grape-cluster from thorns, the wheat from tares, the friend from an enemy, who from the Hebrews remains a Hebrew, who among them was Saul, breathing out threats and murder, but among us Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ, the theologian from a blasphemer, the evangelist from a persecutor, the pilot from a pirate, the soldier from a traitor; he who with Peter was allotted Rome for his burial, and with him not overlooking this Shechem; he who like Benjamin was Joseph's brother, and like Thecla both a father and a teacher of children; who before Damascus was blind, and in every city of his preaching was an eye; who was called from heaven, and was caught up into heaven; who beheld paradise before his departure from here, and who while still striving received the crown of victory, and again, as he says, owed it.

For what does he say? Which the Lord will award to me on that day. Paul, the first from the last, the perfect man from one untimely born, who even when persecuting was pleasant, and when persecuted was sweet; the Roman, and Pharisee, and who for the sake of faith became all things to all people. For Christ who said to Peter, You must suffer, also said concerning Paul, how many things he must suffer for His name's sake, so that the one being crucified, and the other 59.497 being beheaded, having preached one faith, having finished one course, might be true witnesses of the resurrection of the one who suffered and was buried and rose again, as he saw, and who reached the bosom of the Father, whom he had never left. To whom the Master himself speaks prophetically: Encircle this new Zion, and encompass her; that is, Guard her, wall her, fortify her with your prayers, so that, when I am seasonably angry, and I shake the universe, seeing your unending tomb, and the marks which you willingly bear for my sake, I may conquer my wrath with compassion, and I may anticipate your intercession on this account. For when I see the priesthood and 59.498 the kingdom weeping, I am immediately bent toward pity as one who is compassionate, and I remember that voice of mine: I will defend this city for the sake of David my servant, and Aaron my holy one; who, like you, having been of one mind in the faith, and having covered their dignities with voluntary humility, and having shown in their vesture the humility of their soul, brought to me many myriads of disciples, bearing me, and asking from me propitiation for the world. For I said, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find. To Him be the glory and the power, now and always, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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προθέμενος, καὶ μέχρι τῆς αὐλῆς τοῦ Καϊάφα τῷ δεδεμένῳ λυτρωτῇ συνεισερχόμενος· ὁ καὶ ἀρνούμενος συγγνωστὸς, καὶ μεταμελόμενος θαυμαστός. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μέμψεως τοσοῦτον διὰ τὴν ἄρνησιν, ὅσον μακαρισμοῦ διὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἄξιος. Ἡμῖν γὰρ καὶ σφαλλόμενος ὠφέλιμος, ὅτι ταχὺ δακρύσας τὸ πταῖσμα κατέκλυσε, καὶ πρὸς μικρὸν σαλευθεὶς, εἰς αἰῶνα τῶν πιστῶν εὑρέθη θεμέλιος. Ἂν γὰρ σκοπήσῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, τὸν τότε καιρὸν τῆς εὐκαίρου δειλίας, οὐκ ἂν εὕροις πολὺ τὸν Πέτρον πρὸς τὴν μέμψιν ὑπεύθυνον.

Ὅτε γὰρ ἥλιος ἔφυγεν, οὐρανὸς ἐκρύπτετο, γῆ ἐσαλεύετο, πέτραι διεθρύπτοντο, οὐ δυνάμεναι φέρειν τὴν ὕβριν τοῦ κτίσαντος· τότε Πέτρος ὤκλασε, τότε ὁ κορυφαῖος ἠρνήσατο· καὶ τὸν ἄλογον τῆς ἡμέρας ἄγγελον, ἔλεγχον εὐθὺς εὗρε τῆς προῤῥηθείσης ἀρνήσεως· Πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι, ἀπαρνήσῃ με τρίς. Ἀλλὰ πρῶτος ἀρνησάμενος, πρῶτος ἐπὶ τὸν τάφον ἔδραμε, πρῶτος εἶδεν ἀναστάντα τὸν ζωοδότην τῶν νεκρῶν, παρὰ Μαρίας μαθὼν ὅπερ αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐθάῤῥησεν ὁ ἐπάνω τοῦ λίθου καθήμενος ἄγγελος. Ἀλλ' ἔλθῃ μετ' αὐτὸν εἰς μέσον Παῦλος ὁ πάνσοφος τῆς οἰκουμένης ῥήτωρ, ὁ ἀπὸ λύκου ἀμνὸς, ὁ ἐξ ἀκανθῶν βότρυς, ὁ ἐκ ζιζανίων σῖτος, ὁ ἀπὸ ἐχθροῦ φίλος, ὁ ἀπὸ Ἑβραίων μένων Ἑβραῖος, ὁ παρ' ἐκείνοις Σαῦλος ἐμπνέων ἀπειλῆς καὶ φόνου, παρ' ἡμῖν δὲ Παῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κλητὸς ἀπόστολος, ὁ ἀπὸ βλασφήμου θεολόγος, ὁ ἀπὸ διώκτου εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὁ ἀπὸ πειρατοῦ κυβερνήτης, ὁ ἀπὸ προδότου στρατιώτης· ὁ μετὰ Πέτρου τὴν Ῥώμην λαχὼν εἰς ταφὴν, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ταύτην μὴ παρορῶν τὴν Συχέμ· ὁ κατὰ τὸν Βενιαμὶν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἀδελφὸς, καὶ κατὰ τὴν Θέκλαν καὶ τῶν παίδων πατὴρ καὶ διδάσκαλος· ὁ πρὸ τῆς ∆αμασκοῦ τυφλὸς, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην πόλιν τοῦ κηρύγματος ὀφθαλμός· ὁ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κληθεὶς, καὶ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἁρπαγείς· ὁ θεωρήσας τὸν παράδεισον πρὸ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἀφίξεως, καὶ τὸν στέφανον τῆς νίκης ἔτι παλαίων λαβὼν, καὶ πάλιν, ὡς λέγει, χρεωστούμενον.

Τί γάρ φησιν; Ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι Κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. Παῦλος ὁ ἐξ ἐσχάτων πρῶτος, ὁ ἀπὸ ἐκτρωμάτων τέλειος ἀνὴρ, ὁ καὶ διώκων ἡδὺς, καὶ διωκόμενος γλυκύς· ὁ Ῥωμαῖος, καὶ Φαρισαῖος, καὶ πάντα τοῖς πᾶσι διὰ πίστιν γενόμενος. Ὁ Χριστὸς γὰρ ὁ εἰπὼν Πέτρῳ, ∆εῖ σε παθεῖν, εἶπε καὶ περὶ Παύλου, ὅσα αὐτὸν ἔδει ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ παθεῖν, ἵνα ὁ μὲν σταυρούμενος, ὁ δὲ 59.497 τὴν κεφαλὴν τεμνόμενος, μίαν πίστιν κηρύξαντες, ἕνα δρόμον τελέσαντες, μάρτυρες ἀληθεῖς τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἔσωνται τοῦ παθόντος καὶ ταφέντος καὶ ἀναστάντος, ὡς εἶδε, καὶ εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρὸς φθάσαντος, ὅνπερ οὐδέποτε καταλέλοιπε. Πρὸς οὓς αὐτὸς ὁ ∆εσπότης προφητικῶς διαλέγεται· Κυκλώσατε τὴν νέαν ταύτην Σιὼν, καὶ περιλάβετε αὐτήν· τουτέστι, Φυλάξατε, τειχίσατε, ταῖς εὐχαῖς ὀχυρώσατε, ἵνα, ὅταν εὐκαίρως ὀργίζωμαι, καὶ σαλεύω τὴν σύμπασαν, βλέπων τὸν ὑμῶν ἀτελεύτητον τάφον, καὶ ἅπερ ἑκουσίως δι' ἐμὲ βαστάζετε στίγματα, νικῶ τὸν θυμὸν εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ, καὶ προλαμβάνω τὴν ὑμῶν διὰ ταύτην πρεσβείαν. Ἱερωσύνην γὰρ καὶ 59.498 βασιλείαν ὅταν ἴδω δακρύουσαν, εὐθὺς πρὸς οἶκτον ὡς συμπαθὴς ἐπικάμπτομαι, καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ἐκείνης φωνῆς ἐπιμέμνημαι· Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης διὰ ∆αυῒδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου, καὶ Ἀαρὼν τὸν ἅγιόν μου· οἵτινες ὡς ὑμεῖς ὁμονοήσαντες τῇ πίστει, καὶ τὰς ἀξίας αὐθαιρέτῳ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ καλύψαντες, καὶ τῇ στολῇ δείξαντες τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ταπείνωσιν, πολλάς μοι τῶν μαθητῶν μυριάδας προσήνεγκαν, ἐμὲ φερούσας, καὶ παρ' ἐμοῦ τῷ κόσμῳ τὸν ἱλασμὸν αἰτούσας. Εἶπον γὰρ, Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.