6. See, I pray thee, how great a dignity Jesus bestows on thee. Thou wert called a Catechumen, while the word echoed  29  S. Cyril plays upon the word “Catechumen,” which has the same root as “echo.” round thee from without; hearing of hope, and knowing it not; hearing mysteries, and not understanding them; hearing Scriptures, and not knowing their depth. The echo is no longer around thee, but within thee; for  the indwelling Spirit   30  Rom. viii. 9, 11. henceforth makes thy mind a house of God. When thou shalt have heard what is written concerning the mysteries, then wilt thou understand things which thou knewest not. And think not that thou receivest a small thing: though a miserable man, thou receivest one of God’s titles. Hear St. Paul saying,  God is faithful   31  1 Cor. i. 9. . Hear another Scripture saying,  God is faithful and just   32  1 John i. 9. . Foreseeing this, the Psalmist, because men are to receive a title of God, spoke thus in the person of God: I said,  Ye are Gods, and are all sons of the Most High  33  Ps. lxxxi. 6. . But beware lest thou have the title of “  faithful ,” but the will of the faithless. Thou hast entered into a contest, toil on through the race: another such opportunity thou canst not have  34  Compare xvii. 36. . Were it thy wedding-day before thee, wouldest thou not have disregarded all else, and set about the preparation for the feast? And on the eve of consecrating thy soul to the heavenly Bridegroom, wilt thou not cease from carnal things, that thou mayest win spiritual?

Βλέπε μοι πηλίκην [σοι] ἀξίαν ὁ Ἰησοῦς χαρίζεται. Κατηχούμενος ἐλέγου, ἔξωθεν περιηχούμενος: ἀκούων ἐλπίδα, καὶ μὴ εἰδώς: ἀκούων μυστήρια, καὶ μὴ νοῶν: ἀκούων γραφὰς, καὶ μὴ εἰδὼς τὸ βάθος. Οὐκ ἔτι περιηχῇ, ἀλλ' ἐνηχῇ: τὸ γὰρ ἔνοικον Πνεῦμα, λοιπὸν οἴκους θείους τὴν διάνοιάν σου ἐργάζεται. Ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τὰ περὶ τῶν μυστηρίων γεγραμμένα, τότε νοήσεις ἃ μὴ ᾔδεις. Καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι μικρὸν πρᾶγμα λαμβάνεις: ἄνθρωπος ὢν οἰκτρὸς, Θεοῦ λαμβάνεις προσηγορίαν. Ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος: Πιστὸς ὁ Θεός: ἄκουε ἄλλης γραφῆς λεγούσης: Θεὸς πιστὸς καὶ δίκαιος. Τοῦτο προβλέπων ὁ Ψαλμῳδὸς ἔλεγεν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπειδὴ μέλλουσιν ἄνθρωποι Θεοῦ προσηγορίαν λαμβάνειν: Ἐγὼ εἶπα, θεοί ἐστε, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες: ἀλλὰ βλέπε, μὴ πιστοῦ μὲν ἡ προσηγορία, ἀπίστου δὲ ἡ προαίρεσις. Εἰσῆλθες εἰς ἀγῶνα, κάμε τὸν δρόμον: ἄλλον καιρὸν τοιοῦτον οὐκ ἔχεις. Εἴ σοι γάμων ἡμέραι προέκειντο, οὐκ ἂν κατεφρόνησας πάντων, καὶ περὶ τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν τῆς ἑστιάσεως ἐγένου; μέλλων δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν καθοσιοῦν τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ νυμφίῳ, οὐκ ἀργήσεις σωματικῶν, ἵνα ἄρῃς πνευματικά;