1

 2

 3

 4

 5

5

he was saying to the chief cupbearer: "Remember me, when it goes well for you." And I said to you at the beginning: "Remember me, when it goes well for you." But now I do not say "Remember me, when it goes well for you," but remember me, since it has gone well for you. And he said: "Remember that I have done nothing wrong." But I say: remember me, because I have done many wicked and evil things. Great boldness toward the emperor now for all of you; we send you as common ambassadors on behalf of the nature of men; you do not offer him a golden crown, but a crown of faith; he will receive you with great goodwill. Pray therefore for the common mother of all, that she may be unshaken and undisturbed; and for the high priest, through whose hands and voice you receive these good things. Speak much to him on behalf of the priests who sit with us, on behalf of the human race, that he may remit for us not arrears of money but of sins. Let the achievements be common; for you have great boldness before the master and he will receive you with a kiss.

175 But since I have mentioned the kiss, I wish now to speak to you about this also. When we are about to touch the holy table, we are commanded to love one another and to greet with a holy kiss. For what reason? Because we are divided in our bodies, we weave our souls together at that time through the kiss, so that our assembly becomes such as that apostolic one was, when of all who believed the heart and soul were one. For thus we must approach the holy mysteries, bound together with one another. Listen to what Christ says: "If you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, go first be reconciled to your brother, and then offer your gift." He did not say "first offer," but "first be reconciled and then offer." For this reason we also, when the gift is set forth, first being reconciled to one another, then approach the sacrifice. There is also another mystical reason for this kiss. The Holy Spirit has made us temples of Christ. Therefore, in kissing one another's mouths, we kiss the portals of the temple. Let no one, therefore, do this with a wicked conscience, with a deceitful mind; for the kiss is holy; for it says, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." Remembering all these things, let us always maintain these: the covenant, the renunciation, the boldness which the Lord now bestows on us, and let us keep it unstained and intact, so that with much glory we may meet the King of heaven and be deemed worthy to be caught up in the clouds and to appear worthy of the kingdom of heaven; may it be that we all attain it by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever. Amen.

5

τὸν ἀρχιοινοχόον ἔλεγε· "μνήσθητί μου, ὅταν εὖ σοι γένηται". κἀγὼ πρὸς ὑμᾶς παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶπον· "μνήσθητέ μου, ὅταν εὖ ὑμῖν γένηται". νυνὶ δὲ οὐ λέγω "μνήσθητέ μου, ὅταν εὖ ὑμῖν γένηται", ἀλλὰ μνήσθητέ μου, ἐπειδὴ εὖ ὑμῖν ἐγένετο. κἀκεῖνος μὲν ἔλεγε· "μνήσθητι, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐποίησα κακόν". ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω· μνήσθητέ μου, ὅτι πολλὰ καὶ πονηρὰ ἐποίησα κακά. πολλὴ παρρησία πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα νῦν ὑμῖν ἅπασι· κοινοὺς ὑμᾶς πέμπομεν πρέσβεις ὑπὲρ τῆς φύσεως τῶν ἀνθρώπων· οὐ χρυσοῦν στέφανον αὐτῷ προσφέρετε, ἀλλὰ πίστεως στέφανον· μετὰ πολλῆς ὑμᾶς δέξεται εὐνοίας. δεήθητε τοίνυν ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς ἁπάντων μητρός, ὥστε ἀσάλευτον εἶναι αὐτὴν καὶ ἄσειστον· καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, δι' οὗ τῶν χειρῶν καὶ τῆς φωνῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν τούτων τυγχάνετε. ὑπὲρ τῶν συνεδρευόντων ἡμῖν ἱερέων πολλὰ αὐτῷ διαλέχθητε, ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου γένους, ὥστε μὴ ἡμῖν χρημάτων λοιπάδας ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀφεῖναι. κοινὰ γενέσθω τὰ κατορθώματα· πολλὴ γὰρ παρρησία πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην ὑμῖν καὶ ἀπὸ φιλήματος ὑμᾶς δέξεται.

175 Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ φιλήματος ἐμνήσθην, βούλομαι καὶ περὶ τούτου νῦν ὑμῖν εἰπεῖν. ἐπειδὰν μέλλωμεν τῆς ἱερᾶς ἅπτεσθαι τραπέζης, φιλεῖν ἀλλήλους κελευόμεθα καὶ ἀσπάζεσθαι ἀσπασμὸν ἅγιον. τίνος ἕνεκεν; ἐπειδὴ τοῖς σώμασιν ἐσμὲν διῃρημένοι, τὰς ψυχὰς ἀλλήλαις συμπλέκομεν κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν διὰ τοῦ φιλήματος, ὥστε γενέσθαι τὸν σύλλογον ἡμῶν τοιοῦτον, οἷος ἦν ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀποστολικός, ὅτε πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία. οὕτως γὰρ δεῖ προσιέναι τοῖς ἱεροῖς μυστηρίοις συνδεδεμένους ἀλλήλοις. ἄκουσον, τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός· "ἐὰν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς, ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ, ὕπαγε πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου καὶ τότε πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου". οὐκ εἶπε "πρότερον προσένεγκε", ἀλλὰ "πρότερον διαλλάγηθι καὶ τότε προσένεγκε". διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, τοῦ δώρου προκειμένου, πρότερον ἀλλήλοις καταλλαττόμενοι τότε τῇ θυσίᾳ προσερχόμεθα. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἕτερος μυστικὸς λόγος τοῦ φιλήματος τούτου. ναοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐποίησε τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. φιλοῦντες οὖν ἀλλήλων τὰ στόματα, τὰ πρόθυρα τοῦ ναοῦ καταφιλοῦμεν. μηδεὶς τοίνυν μετὰ συνειδότος πονηροῦ, μετὰ ὑπούλου διανοίας τοῦτο ποιείτω· ἅγιον γάρ ἐστι τὸ φίλημα· "ἀσπάσασθε" γάρ φησιν "ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ". τούτων πάντων μεμνημένοι ταῦτα διὰ παντὸς διατηρῶμεν, τὴν συνταγήν, τὴν ἀποταγήν, τὴν παρρησίαν, ἣν νῦν ἡμῖν ὁ δεσπότης χαρίζεται, καὶ ἀκηλίδωτον καὶ ἀκέραιον διαφυλάξωμεν, ἵνα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δόξης ἀπαντήσωμεν τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ καταξιωθῶμεν ἐν νεφέλαις ἁρπαγῆναι καὶ φανῆναι τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἄξιοι· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.