John Chrysostom, On Holy Easter

Is this clear? Hear him saying: With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you; and if he desired to eat the Passover, then clearly also to celebrate the feast together. Therefore, when you see not only the angels and the host of all the heavenly powers, but also the very Lord of the angels celebrating with us, 52.769 what is left for you then for a reason for gladness? Let no one, therefore, be downcast today because of poverty; for it is a spiritual feast. Let no rich man be puffed up because of his wealth; for he cannot bring anything from his money to this feast. For in the case of external feasts, I mean worldly ones, where there is much pomp both of outward attire and of luxury at the table, there it is likely that the poor man will be in despair and dejection, while the rich man is in pleasure and cheerfulness. Why is that? Because the one puts on splendid clothing, and sets forth a richer table; but the poor man is prevented by his poverty from showing the same generosity. But here there is nothing of the sort, but all this inequality is removed, and there is one table for both rich and poor, and for slave and free.

Even if you are rich, you have no advantage over the poor man; even if you are poor, you will have nothing less than the rich man, nor are the things of your spiritual feasting diminished on account of poverty; for grace is divine, and it has not seen a distinction of persons. And why do I say that the same table is set for rich and poor? Even for the one who wears the diadem, and has the purple robe, who has taken up the authority of the world, and for the beggar who sits asking for alms, one table is set. For such are the spiritual gifts; it does not divide communion according to ranks, but according to purpose and will. With the same boldness and honor both the king and the beggar rush to the enjoyment and communion of these divine mysteries. And why do I say, with the same honor? Often the poor man with greater boldness. Why is that? Because the king, being surrounded by the cares of state, and encompassed by many circumstances, being as if in the sea, is thus from all sides sprinkled by successive waves, and many sins are attached to him; but the poor man, being delivered from all these things, and caring only for his necessary food, and pursuing a quiet and tranquil life, sitting as if in a harbor and a calm, approaches the table with much reverence.

4. And not only this, but also from many other things various discouragements

are born for those occupied with worldly feasts. For again there the poor man is in dejection, and the rich man in cheerfulness, not only on account of the table and the luxury, but also on account of the bright garments, and the pomp of the attire. What they suffer then concerning the table, this they also endure concerning their garments. Therefore, when the poor man sees the rich man clothed in a more expensive robe, he is struck with pain, he considers himself wretched, he utters a thousand curses. But here this very discouragement has been removed; for there is one garment for all, the garment of salvation; and Paul cries out, saying: As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Let us not therefore disgrace such a feast, I beseech you, but let us take up a mindset worthy of the things that have been given to us by the grace of Christ. Let us not give ourselves over to drunkenness and gluttony, but considering the generosity of our Master, and that he honored rich and poor, slaves and free alike, and poured out his common gift to all, let us repay the benefactor for his goodwill toward us; and a sufficient repayment is a pleasing way of life, and a sober 52.770 and watchful soul. This feast and festival does not require money, nor expense, but only purpose and a pure mind.

τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα τοῦτο τὸ Πάσχα φαγεῖν μεθ' ὑμῶν· εἰ δὲ τὸ Πάσχα ἐπεθύμησε φαγεῖν, καὶ συνεορτάσαι δηλονότι. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς μὴ μόνον ἀγγέλους καὶ πάν των τῶν οὐρανίων δυνάμεων τὸν δῆμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ∆εσπότην τῶν ἀγγέλων ἡμῖν συνεορτάζοντα, 52.769 τί σοι λείπεται λοιπὸν εἰς εὐφροσύνης λόγον; Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ἔστω κατηφὴς σήμερον διὰ τὴν πενίαν· ἑορτὴ γάρ ἐστι πνευματική. Μηδεὶς πλούσιος ἐπαιρέσθω διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν χρημάτων εἰσενεγκεῖν εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν ταύτην δύναται. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἑορτῶν, τῶν βιωτικῶν λέγω, ἔνθα πολλὴ ἡ φαντασία καὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν περιβολῆς, καὶ τῆς ἐν τῇ τραπέζῃ πολυτε λείας, εἰκότως ἐκεῖ ὁ μὲν πένης ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ καὶ κατ ηφείᾳ ἔσται, ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν ἡδονῇ καὶ φαιδρότητι. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ὁ μὲν λαμπρὰν ἐσθῆτα περιβάλλεται, καὶ πλουσιωτέραν παρατίθεται τὴν τράπεζαν· ὁ δὲ πένης ὑπὸ τῆς πενίας κωλύεται τὴν αὐτὴν φιλοτι μίαν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ πᾶσα αὕτη ἡ ἀνωμαλία ἐκποδὼν, μία δὲ τράπεζα καὶ πλουσίῳ καὶ πένητι, καὶ δούλῳ καὶ ἐλευθέρῳ.

Κἂν πλούσιος ᾖς, οὐδὲν πλεονάζεις τοῦ πένητος· κἂν πέ νης ᾖς, οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἕξεις τοῦ πλουσίου, οὐδὲ διὰ τὴν πενίαν ἐλαττοῦταί σου τὰ τῆς εὐωχίας τῆς πνευ ματικῆς· θεία γάρ ἐστιν ἡ χάρις, καὶ οὐκ εἶδε προσ ώπων διαφοράν. Καὶ τί λέγω, πλουσίῳ καὶ πένητι ἡ αὐτὴ τράπεζα πρόκειται; Καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ τὸ διάδημα περικειμένῳ, καὶ τὴν ἁλουργίδα ἔχοντι, τῷ τὴν ἐξου σίαν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀνῃρημένῳ, καὶ τῷ πτωχῷ τῷ πρὸς τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην καθημένῳ, μία τράπεζα πρό κειται. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ δῶρα τὰ πνευματικά· οὐ τοῖς ἀξιώμασι διαιρεῖ τὴν κοινωνίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ προαι ρέσει καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ. Μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς παῤῥησίας καὶ τιμῆς καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ πτωχὸς πρὸς τὴν ἀπόλαυ σιν καὶ κοινωνίαν τῶν θείων τούτων μυστηρίων ὁρ μῶσι. Καὶ τί λέγω, μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς τιμῆς; Πολλάκις ὁ πένης μετὰ πλείονος τῆς παῤῥησίας. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς κυκλούμενος πραγμάτων φρον τίσι, καὶ ὑπὸ πολλῶν περιστάσεων περιστοιχιζόμε νος, ὥσπερ ἐν πελάγει τυγχάνων, οὕτω πανταχόθεν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπαλλήλων κυμάτων περιῤῥαντίζεται, καὶ πολλὰ προστρίβεται τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· ὁ δὲ πέ νης, πάντων τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένος, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀναγκαίας μόνης φροντίζων τροφῆς, καὶ τὸν ἀπρά γμονα καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον μετιὼν, ὥσπερ ἐν λιμένι καὶ γαλήνῃ καθήμενος, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐλαβείας τῇ τραπέζῃ πρόσεισι.

δʹ. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρων πολλῶν ἀθυμίαι διάφοροι

τίκτονται τοῖς περὶ τὰς βιωτικὰς ἑορτὰς ἠσχολημένοις. Πάλιν γὰρ ἐκεῖ μὲν πένης ἐν κατηφείᾳ, ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν φαιδρότητι, οὐ διὰ τὴν τράπεζαν μόνην, καὶ τὴν πολυτέλειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ φαιδρὰ, καὶ τῆς ἐσθῆτος τὴν φαντασίαν. Ὅπερ γοῦν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης πάσχουσι, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἱματίων ὑπομένουσιν. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃ τὸν πλούσιον ὁ πένης πολυτελεστέραν περιβεβλημένον στολὴν, ἐπλήγη τῇ ὀδύνῃ, ἐταλάνισεν ἑαυτὸν, μυρία ἐπηράσατο. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ἀθυμία ἀνῄρη ται· ἓν γὰρ ἅπασίν ἐστιν ἱμάτιον τὸ ἔνδυμα τὸ σω τήριον· καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος λέγων· Ὅσοι εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε. Μὴ τοίνυν καταισχύνωμεν τὴν τοιαύτην ἑορτὴν, παρακαλῶ, ἀλλὰ ἄξιον φρόνημα τῶν δεδωρημένων ἡμῖν παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος ἀναλάβωμεν. Μὴ μέθῃ καὶ ἀδηφαγίᾳ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδώσωμεν, ἀλλ' ἐννοήσαντες τοῦ ἡμετέρου ∆εσπότου τὴν φιλοτιμίαν, καὶ ὅτι καὶ πλουσίους καὶ πένητας ὁμοίως ἐτίμησε καὶ δούλους καὶ ἐλευθέρους, καὶ εἰς πάντας κοινὴν τὴν δωρεὰν ἐξέχεεν, ἀμειψώ μεθα τὸν εὐεργέτην τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς εὐνοίας· ἀμοιβὴ δὲ ἀρκοῦσα πολιτεία ἀρέσκουσα, καὶ ψυχὴ νήφουσα 52.770 καὶ διεγηγερμένη. Αὕτη ἡ ἑορτὴ καὶ πανήγυρις οὐ χρημάτων δεῖται, οὐ δαπάνης, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσεως μό νης καὶ διανοίας καθαρᾶς.