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Once Mary also led the people, carrying the bones of Joseph, and sang a song; but she, when the Egyptians were drowned, and you, when the demons were suffocated; she, when Pharaoh was drowned, and you, when the devil was cast down; she holding cymbals, but you a mind and soul resounding more than a trumpet; she, when the Jews were freed, but you, when the Church is crowned; she leading out one people of the same tongue, but you countless peoples of different tongues. For you brought forth for us countless choirs, some striking up the songs of David in the Roman tongue, some in the Syrian, some in the barbarian, and some in the Greek voice; and it was possible to see different nations and different choirs all having one lyre, that of David, and crowning you with prayers. The joy of this feast also sought the most God-loving emperor, the one who pulls the plough of piety with you; but this also was of your wisdom, to keep him at home today, and to promise his presence for tomorrow. For so that neither the multitude of horsemen nor the clamor of armed soldiers should harm the virgins, aged women, and elderly men, and disturb the feast, doing things worthy of your own wisdom, you divided the festival. For if both had been present today, the feast would have ended today; but so that she might both effect quiet on the present day and lavish the joy with the addition of tomorrow, she divided the service with him, and having come herself today, she promised us his presence for tomorrow. For just as she shares in the kingdom with him, so also in piety, and she does not allow him to be without a share in the achievements, but everywhere takes him as a partner.

Since, therefore, our spiritual festival must be extended also to the coming day, let us show the same zeal again, so that just as today we saw this Christ-loving one with the city, so tomorrow we may behold the God-loving emperor arriving with the army, and offering the same sacrifice to God from reverence, from zeal, from faith; and taking the holy martyrs as sharers of our prayers, let us pray for them length of life, a ripe old age, children and children's children, and before all these things, for this zeal to be intensified, for reverence to be increased, and so to complete the present life, as also to reign with the only-begotten Son of God throughout the incorruptible ages; For if we endure, he says, we shall also reign with him; and may we obtain the eternal good things; of which may we all be deemed worthy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

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Προηγήσατό ποτε καὶ Μαρία τοῦ λαοῦ, τὰ ὀστᾶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἐπιφερομένη, καὶ ᾖσεν ᾠδήν· ἀλλ' ἐκείνη μὲν Αἰγυπτίων καταποντισθέντων, σὺ δὲ δαιμόνων ἀποπνιγομένων· ἐκείνη τοῦ Φαραὼ καταποντισθέντος, σὺ δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου κατενεχθέντος· ἐκείνη κύμβαλα ἔχουσα, σὺ δὲ διάνοιαν καὶ ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ σάλπιγγα ἠχοῦσαν· ἐκείνη Ἰουδαίων ἐλευθερωθέντων, σὺ δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας στεφανουμένης· ἐκείνη δῆμον ἕνα ἐξάγουσα ὁμόγλωττον, σὺ δὲ μυρίους δήμους ἑτερογλώσσους. Καὶ γὰρ μυρίους ἡμῖν ἐξήγαγες χοροὺς, τοὺς μὲν τῇ Ῥωμαίων, τοὺς δὲ τῇ Σύρων, τοὺς δὲ τῇ βαρβάρων, τοὺς δὲ τῇ Ἑλλάδι φωνῇ τὰ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἀνακρουομένους ᾄσματα· καὶ διάφορα ἔθνη καὶ διαφόρους χοροὺς ἦν ἰδεῖν μίαν κιθάραν ἅπαντας ἔχοντας, τὴν τοῦ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς σε στεφανοῦντας. Ἐπεζήτει τῆς ἑορτῆς ταύτης ἡ εὐφροσύνη καὶ τὸν θεοφιλέστατον βασιλέα τὸν μετὰ σοῦ τὸ ἄροτρον τῆς εὐσεβείας ἕλκοντα· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς σῆς ἐγένετο συνέσεως, τὸ κατασχεῖν αὐτὸν σήμερον οἴκοι, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὔριον ὑποσχέσθαι τὴν παρουσίαν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ τῶν ἱππέων τὸ πλῆθος μηδὲ τῶν ὡπλισμένων στρατιωτῶν ὁ θόρυβος λυμήνηται παρθένοις, γεγηρακυίαις, πρεσβύταις ἀνδράσι, καὶ διαταράξῃ τὴν ἑορτὴν, ἄξια τῆς ἑαυτῆς συνέσεως ποιοῦσα διενείματο τὴν πανήγυριν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀμφοτέροι σήμερον παρεγένοντο, σήμερον ἂν τέλος ἔλαβε τὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς· ἵνα δὲ καὶ ἡσυχίαν ἐργάσηται τῇ παρούσῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ τῇ προσθήκῃ τῆς αὔριον ἐπιδαψιλεύσηται τὴν εὐφροσύνην, διενείματο πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν λειτουργίαν, καὶ αὐτὴ σήμερον παραγενομένη, αὔριον ἡμῖν ἐπηγγείλατο τὴν ἐκείνου παρουσίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ κοινωνεῖ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῷ, οὕτω καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἐν τοῖς κατορθώμασιν ἄμοιρον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ συμμεριστὴν λαμβάνει.

Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἐκταθῆναι δεῖ τὴν πανήγυριν ἡμῖν τὴν πνευματικὴν, τὴν αὐτὴν σπουδὴν πάλιν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, ἵνα ὥσπερ σήμερον τὴν φιλόχριστον ταύτην μετὰ τῆς πόλεως εἴδομεν, οὕτως αὔριον τὸν θεοφιλῆ βασιλέα μετὰ τοῦ στρατοπέδου θεασώμεθα παραγινόμενον, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν προσάγοντα τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ζήλου, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως· καὶ λαβόντες τοὺς ἁγίους μάρτυρας κοινωνοὺς τῶν εὐχῶν, εὐξώμεθα αὐτοῖς ζωῆς μῆκος, γῆρας λιπαρὸν, παῖδας καὶ παίδων παῖδας, καὶ πρό γε τούτων ἁπάντων, τὸν ζῆλον τοῦτον ἐπιταθῆναι, τὴν εὐλάβειαν ἐπιδοθῆναι, καὶ οὕτως τὸν παρόντα διανύσαι βίον, ὡς καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἀκηράτους αἰῶνας συμβασιλεῦσαι τῷ μονογενεῖ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· Εἰ γὰρ ὑπομένομεν, φησὶ, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν· καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀξιωθῆναι, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.