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wiping off the sanctification, she placed a crown of glory on her own head, not composed of corruptible and earthly matter, but flashing forth the splendors of the divine radiance.

23 If, then, according to Moses, "everyone who touches the altar will be sanctified," what might one say about her who touched the Lord of the altar Himself, with what words shall we adorn the unanimity of these siblings? Yes, the works of these surpass all praise. The confession of Christ is sufficient for you, Martha, as a crown of glory; it is sufficient for you, Lazarus, to be called the friend of Christ, for an abundance of glory; the vote from God is more than enough for you, Mary. "For Mary," He says, "has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her;"

24 Mary, the lover of stillness, the distinctive bee, who flies through the meadows of divine contemplations, who became a sojourner and an emigrant from the tumultuous life and arrived at the untroubled and divine life fitting for the peaceful. "Where there is a gentle breeze, there also is the Lord," according to the oracle of Elijah; from which springs knowledge of things both divine and human, as it is written that "be still and know that I am God;" the pure dove, who gently took up her wings and came to rest in the tranquil and blessed harbor of calm, through whom were initiated the things desired by prophets and righteous men. Jacob, having fled a troublesome spear, in God's good time met Him, and anointed a pillar of remembrance, as has often been said; and Mary, being separated far from mixed thoughts and the confusion of flight which somehow roughen the most transparent cell of the intellect and mind, undisturbed heard the blessings of God, and was deemed worthy to hold the uncontainable one through the flesh.

25 But the Jew in his blindness leaps upon the argument and says: do not blaspheme, Christian, for it is written: "no one will see my face and live, says the Lord." Indeed, O foolish one, in your own law it is written that Jacob said: "I have seen God face to face, and my soul was saved;" for sight is the life of man. And this being so, I will neither nullify your word, nor will I leave my own word without witness; for to comprehend the essence of God is impossible and impracticable, but for God to be known by men is easy for Him who is able to do all things and who reveals Himself to the worthy as He wishes, for it is written: "I multiplied visions, and I was represented by the hands of the prophets."

26 Therefore Jacob saw God, and he did not lie, but he saw as the one who appeared was pleased to be seen; for God knows how to reveal Himself as He wishes, and there is nothing hindering or preventing Him according to His will, even if not even the highest beings can bear His utmost glory; so also Mary saw God become man unchangeably and upon His holy and co-worshipped temple she poured a libation of sweet fragrance, that is, upon Himself, for the union is indivisible and the mystery of piety is unconfused and the confession of the one Lord of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, is undivided.

27 But you, O beloved, do not be surprised hearing something strange and discordant from those who are strangers to the truth; for they are brothers of the blind and treacherous Judas, who foolishly found fault with such a God-pleasing purpose at the supper. But what is the impartial vote against this man? It convicts Judas as a thief, but accepts her as a lover of God, and proclaims what was done a good deed and sets itself against those who attack it, and says these things also through Matthew the evangelist: "why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for me." And I weigh in balance against the love of such a work eternal remembrance; "for wherever this is preached

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ἐκμάσσουσα τὸ ἁγίασμα, στέφανον δόξης τῇ οἰκείᾳ περιέθηκεν κεφαλῇ, οὐκ ἐξ ὑλῆς φθαρτῆς καὶ γεώδους συγκείμενον, ἀλλὰ τῆς θεϊκῆς λαμπρότητος τὰς μαρμαρυγὰς ἀπαστράπτοντα.

23 Εἰ τοίνυν κατὰ Μωϋσέα «πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἁγιασθήσεται,» τί ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τῆς ἁψαμένης αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, ποίοις λόγοις κατακοσμήσομεν τῶν ἀδελφῶν τούτων τὴν ὁμόπνοιαν; Ναὶ, τούτων τὰ ἔργα νικᾷ πάντα ἐπαινόν. Ἀρκεῖ σοι, Μάρθα, ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁμολογία εἰς στέφανον δόξης· ἀρκεῖ σοι, Λάζαρε, τὸ φίλον Χριστοῦ κληθῆναι εἰς περιουσίαν δόξης· ἐξαρκεῖ σοι, Μαρία, ἡ παρὰ θεοῦ ψῆφος. «Μαρία γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο, ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἐξ αὐτῆς·»

24 Μαρία ἡ φιλήσυχος, ἡ ἰδιότροπος μέλισσα, ἡ παρὰ τοὺς λειμῶνας τῶν θείων θεωρημάτων διϊπτα μένη, ἡ μέτοικος καὶ μετανάστις ἀπὸ τοῦ πεφυρμένου βίου γενομένη καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀτάραχον καὶ εἰρηνικοῖς πρέποντα βίον θεῖον καταντήσασα. «Ἔνθα αὔρα λεπτὴ καὶ ἐκεῖ Κύριος» κατὰ τὸν χρησμὸν Ἡλίου· ἐξ οὗ πηγάζει γνῶσις θείων τε καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων, καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι «σχολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεός·» ἡ ἀκέραιος περιστερὰ, ἡ ἀναλαβοῦσα ἠρέμα τὰς πτέρυγας καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἤρεμον καὶ εὐδαίμονα τῆς γαλήνης λιμένα καταπαύσασα, δι' ἧς ἐμυήθη τὰ προφήταις καὶ δικαίοις ἐπιθύμητα. Ἰακὼβ ἀποδράσας λόγχην εὐτάραχον ἐν εὐκαιρίᾳ θεοῦ ἐπέτυχεν, καὶ στήλην μνημοσύνου, ὡς πολλάκις εἴρηται, ἤλειψεν· καὶ Μαρία πορρωτάτω διαζευχθεῖσα μιγάδων λογισμῶν καὶ συγκλύδων ἀποδρομῆς τραχυνόντων πως [τὸ] διανοίας τε καὶ νοῦ διειδέστατον κέλλιον, ἀθόλωτος θεοῦ μακαρισμῶν ἤκουσεν, καὶ τὸν ἀκράτητον κρατῆσαι διὰ σαρκὸς ἠξιώθη.

25 Ἀλλ' ἐπιπηδᾷ τῷ λόγῳ ὁ ἐν τυφλώσει Ἰουδαῖος καί φησι· μὴ βλασφήμει, χριστιανὲ, γέγραπται γάρ· «οὐδεὶς ὄψεταί μου τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ζήσεται, λέγει Κύριος.» Μενοῦν γε, ὦ ἄφρων, ἐν τῷ σῷ νόμῳ γέγραπται ὅτι εἶπεν Ἰακώβ· «εἶδον θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐσώθη μου ἡ ψυχή·» ζωὴ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ὅρασις. Καὶ τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων, οὔτε τὸν σὸν ἀκυρώσω, οὔτε τὸν ἐμὸν ἀμάρτυρον ἐάσω λόγον· οὐσίαν γὰρ θεοῦ κατανοῆσαι ἀδύνατον καὶ ἀμήχανον, θεὸν [δὲ] γνωρισθῆναι ἀνθρώποις ῥᾴδιον αὐτῷ τῷ πάντα δυναμένῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανίζοντι ὡς βούλεται, γέγραπται γάρ· «ἐγὼ ἐπλήθυνα ὁράσεις καὶ ἐν χερσὶ τῶν προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην.»

26 Εἶδεν τοιγαροῦν θεὸν ὁ Ἰακὼβ, καὶ οὐκ ἐψεύσατο, εἶδεν δὲ ὡς ὁ ὀφθεὶς ηὐδόκησεν ὀφθῆναι· οἶδεν γὰρ θεὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανίζειν [ὡς] βούλεται καὶ τὸ κώλυον αὐτὸν καὶ διεῖργον τὸ κατὰ γνώμην οὐκ ἔστιν, κἂν μὴ χωροῦσιν οὔτε οἱ ἀνώτατοι φέρειν αὐτοῦ τὴν εἰς ἄκρον δόξαν· οὕτω καὶ Μαρία εἶδεν θεὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα ἀτρέπτως καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον καὶ συμπροσκύνητον αὐτοῦ ναὸν σπονδὴν εὐωδίας ἔσπεισεν τουτ' ἔστιν αὐτὸ ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, ἀμέριστος γὰρ ἡ ἕνωσις καὶ ἀσύγχυτον τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον καὶ ἀδιαίρετος ἡ εἰς τὸν ἕνα τῆς Τριάδος Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὁμολογία.

27 Σὺ δὲ, ὦ ἀγαπητὲ, μὴ ξενίζου ἀκούων ξένον τι καὶ ἀπηχὲς παρὰ τῶν ξένων τῆς ἀληθείας· ἀδελφοὶ γάρ εἰσι τοῦ τυφλοῦ καὶ προδότου Ἰοῦδα, ἐπιμεμψαμένου ἀφρόνως τὴν θεά ρεστον τοιαύτην πρόθεσιν ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ. Ἀλλὰ τί πρὸς τοῦτον ἡ ἀδέκαστος ψῆφος; Τὸν μὲν Ἰοῦδαν ἐξελέγχει ὡς κλέπτην, τὴν δὲ ἀποδέχεται ὡς φιλόθεον, καὶ εὐεργεσίαν τὸ τελούμενον ἀναγορεύει καὶ τοῖς ἐπιφερομένοις ἀντιπαρατάττεται, καί φησι καὶ ταῦτα διὰ Ματθαίου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ· «τί κόπους παρέχετε τῇ γυναικί· ἔργον γὰρ καλὸν εἰργάσατο εἰς ἐμέ.» Καὶ ἀντιταλαντεύω τῇ ἀγαπήσει τῆς τοιαύτης ἐργασίας τὴν αἰώνιον μνήμην· «ὅπου γὰρ ἂν κηρυχθῇ τὸ