Epiphanius of Salamis, Homily on Christ's Resurrection

This is the prefigurement of our Pascha; this is the shadowy passage of the things of the law. Thus understand the things of the feast; thus consider the things of Moses and the prophets concerning the day, that you may be persuaded of the resurrection. For all are covered with the veil of unbelief. It has many types, and indescribable ones, of the resurrection from the dead, and of the return to life. Of this a trustworthy witness is the slaughter of Isaac; of this a type is the pit of Joseph, into which he was cast by his brothers, from whence he came up immortal; of this a type is the pit of Jeremiah, from whence he once came up from corruption and from the mire. A type of Christ's resurrection is the great fish of Jonah, from which he came forth after three days. You have also another type of the prison in Hades, the prison of Joseph, where the adulterous synagogue shut him up, from which he came forth unharmed and after three years, as Christ after three days from the dead. 43.472 Along with these, Daniel also with the den of lions prefigures the tomb of the Savior, from which Jesus arose living, as one rescued from the lions of Hades, and of death. Through these things convict the Jews; through these things rebuke them; thus make your defense for the passion and resurrection of Christ. These weapons the word bestows upon you today for an alliance; these mysteries the feast teaches you. Then what after these things? Do we celebrate alone, or shall we also care for our neighbor? Shall we hold a festival, or is our discourse also about others? Necessarily, let there be some common groaning of the Church to God, both pleasing to God and acceptable to our feast, and let us remember our own brothers in distress, being tried in desert places by hardships. Let us be as those bound with the bound; let us be as those suffering with those who suffer affliction; for if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Let us then sympathize with our brothers, with our members; some through money, others through words, and others through good deeds, but all through supplication to God for them. Let there be a common intercession of all to God today, I beseech you, for our captivity is also common. Let the supplication be common, I beseech you, for our chastisement is common. Let us hear him who says, Pray for one another that you may be healed. Let us hear Christ saying, If two or three of you agree in prayer concerning any request they shall ask, it will be done for them. A great weapon, brothers, is the prayer of the Church; a great wall, brothers, to God is the prayer of agreement, and especially of a faithful people in captivity. Let no one dare to say that God does not hear sinners. He receives more the supplication of the humble, and especially of those who are wearied, scourged, imprisoned, afflicted, reproached by enemies for His name's sake, and have not denied the faith of Christ. Of whom there are many men and women in our present people of Christ who have become confessors, and are swiftly heard by Him. A great weapon, beloved, is their prayer; for Christ reveres all of them, for whom they are also in danger daily. Therefore, we, being bold in their prayers, and looking to their confidence toward God, let us pray commonly and earnestly for our brothers in distress, because often royal philanthropy in the feasts bestows pardon and redemption on many convicts. A great thing, I say again, brothers, is the prayer of the Church, and especially the faith of the captivity. 43.473 For a king also often respects the entreaty of the people, and grants favor to convicts for a beseeching crowd. Therefore we ask all your love to earnestly remember our brothers in distress; and at that most fearful hour, in which the priceless pearl of the body of Christ

Αὕτη τοῦ Πάσχα ἡμῶν ἡ πρότυπος· αὕτη τῶν νομικῶν πραγμάτων ἡ σκιώδης διάβασις. Οὕτω τὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς νόησον· οὕτω τὰ τοῦ Μωσέως καὶ τῶν προφητῶν περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας σκόπησον, ἵνα πεισθῇς τῇ ἀναστάσει. Ἀπιστίας γὰρ πάντες τὸ κάλυμμα περίκεινται. Ἔχει πολλοὺς τοὺς τύπους, καὶ ἀπεριγράπτους τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως, καὶ ἀναβιώσεως. Ταύτης μάρτυρ ἀξιόπιστος Ἰσαὰκ ἡ σφαγή· ταύτης τύπος ὁ λάκκος τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, ἐν ᾧ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐνεβλήθη, ἔνθεν ἀνῆλθεν ἀθάνατος· ταύτης τύπος Ἱερεμίου ὁ λάκκος, ὅθεν ἅπαξ ἐκ τῆς φθορᾶς, καὶ τοῦ βορβόρου ἀνῆλθε. Χριστοῦ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τύπος τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ τὸ κῆτος, ἐξ οὗ προῆλθε τριήμερος. Ἔχεις καὶ ἄλλον τοῦ ἐν ᾅδου δεσμωτηρίου τύπον τὸ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ δεσμωτήριον, ἔνθα αὐτὸν ἡ μοιχαλὶς συναγωγὴ κατέκλεισεν, ἐξ οὗ προῆλθεν ἀβλαβὴς καὶ τριετὴς, ὡς Χριστὸς τριήμερος ἐκ νεκρῶν. 43.472 Μεθ' ὧν καὶ ∆ανιὴλ τὸν τῶν λεόντων λάκκον προτυποῖ τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος τάφον, ἐξ οὗ ζῶν Ἰησοῦς ἀνῆλθεν, ὡς ἐκ λεόντων ῥυσθεὶς τοῦ ᾅδου, καὶ τοῦ θανάτου. ∆ιὰ τούτων Ἰουδαίους ἔλεγξον· διὰ τούτων αὐτοὺς ἐπιτίμησον· οὕτως ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πάθου, καὶ ἀναστάσεως ἀπολόγησαι. Ταῦτά σοι πρὸς συμμαχίαν σήμερον τὰ ὅπλα ὁ λόγος χαρίζεται· ταῦτά σε ἡ ἑορτὴ ἐπιδιδάσκει μυστήρια. Εἶτα τί καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα; Ἡμεῖς μόνοι ἑορτάζομεν, ἢ καὶ τοῦ πλησίον μεριμνήσομεν; Ἡμεῖς πανηγυρίσωμεν, ἢ καὶ περὶ ἄλλων ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος; Ἀναγκαίως τῆς ἡμῶν ἑορτῆς θεάρεστος ὁμοῦ καὶ εὐπρόσδεκτος γενέσθω τις κοινὸς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας στεναγμὸς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνάγκαις ἡμῶν ἀδελφῶν μνημονεύσωμεν, τῶν ἐν ἐρήμοις ἐνάγκαις ἐξεταζομένων ἰδίων ἡμῶν. Γενώμεθα ὡς συνδεδεμένοι τοῖς δεδεμένοις· γενώμεθα ὡς συμπάσχοντες τοῖς τὴν ἀνάγκην πάσχουσιν· ὅτι ἐὰν ἓν μέλος πάσχοι, συμπάσχει πάντα τὰ μέλη. Συμπαθήσωμεν τοίνυν τοῖς ἡμῶν ἀδελφοῖς, τοῖς ἡμῶν μέλεσιν· οἱ μὲν διὰ χρημάτων, οἱ δὲ διὰ ῥημάτων, καὶ ἄλλοι δι' εὐποιίας, πάντες δὲ διὰ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἱκεσίας. Κοινὴ πάντων, παρακαλῶ, σήμερον γενέσθω πρὸς Θεὸν πρεσβεία, ὅτι κοινὴ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ αἰχμαλωσία. Κοινὴ, παρακαλῶ, γενέσθω ἡ δέησις, ὅτι κοινὴ ὑπάρχει ἡ παίδευσις. Ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Εὔξασθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ὅπως ἐσθῆτε. Ἀκούσωμεν Χριστοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Ἐὰν δύο ἢ τρεῖς συμφωνήσουσιν εἰς εὐχὴν, περὶ παντὸς αἰτήματος οὗ αἰτήσονται, γενήσεται αὐτοῖς. Μέγα, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅπλον εὐχὴ Ἐκκλησίας· μέγα τεῖχος, ἀδελφοὶ, πρὸς Θεὸν εὐχὴ συμφωνίας, καὶ μάλιστα λαοῦ πιστοῦ αἰχμαλωσίας. Μηδεὶς εἰπεῖν τολμήσει, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούει ὁ Θεὸς ἁμαρτωλῶν. Πλεῖον δέχεται τὴν δέησιν τῶν ταπεινῶν, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καταπονουμένων, μαστιζομένων, φυλακιζομένων, θλιβομένων, ὑπὸ ἐχθρῶν ὀνειδιζομένων, καὶ τὴν πίστιν Χριστοῦ μὴ ἀρνησαμένων. Ἐξ ὧν ὑπάρχουσι πολλοὶ καὶ πολλαὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἡμῶν λαῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁμολογηταὶ γενόμενοι, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ ταχέως εἰσακουόμενοι. Μέγα ὅπλον, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἡ ἐκείνων εὐχή· αἰδεῖται γὰρ αὐτοὺς πάντας ὁ Χριστὸς, δι' ὧν καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν κινδυνεύουσι. ∆ιὸ ταῖς τούτων ἡμεῖς θαῤῥοῦντες εὐχαῖς, καὶ εἰς τὴν τούτων παῤῥησίαν πρὸς Θεὸν ἀποβλέποντες, κοινῶς καὶ ἐκτενῶς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνάγκαις ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν προσευξώμεθα, διότι πολλάκις φιλανθρωπία βασιλικὴ ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖ· πολλοῖς καταδίκοις ἄφεσιν καὶ ἀπολύτρωσιν χαρίζεται. Μέγα, πάλιν λέγω, ἀδελφοὶ, εὐχὴ Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ μάλιστα πίστις αἰχμαλωσίας. 43.473 Καὶ γὰρ καὶ βασιλεὺς πολλάκις αἰδεῖται παράκλησιν δήμου, καὶ χαρίζεται καταδίκους δυσωποῦντι ὄχλου. Οὐκοῦν δεόμεθα πᾶσαν τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην ἐκτενῶς μνημονεῦσαι τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν τῶν ἐνάγκῃ· καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐκείνην τὴν φρικωδεστάτην ὥραν, ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἀτίμητον μαργαρίτην τοῦ Χριστοῦ σώματος