John Chrysostom, On Judas's Betrayal

to eat the Passover? It was the Jewish Passover then; but when the sun has come, let the lamp no longer shine, when the truth has arrived, let the shadow henceforth be idle.

5. I say these things to the Jews, because they think they are celebrating the Passover, because with shameless mind the uncircumcised in heart set forth the unleavened bread. How, tell me, do you celebrate the Passover, O Jew? The temple has been demolished, the altar has been destroyed, the Holy of Holies has been trampled, every form of sacrifice has been abolished; for what reason, then, do you dare to do these lawless things? You once went to Babylon, and there those who took you captive said: 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion'; and you did not consent. And showing these things, David said: 'By the river of Babylon, there we sat and wept; on the willows in its midst we hung our instruments,' that is, psaltery, cithara, lyre, and the rest; for they used these in the old times, and through them they sang the psalms. And going into captivity, they took these, so that they might have a reminder of their life in their fatherland, not so that they might use them. For there, he says, 'those who took us captive asked us for the words of songs.' And we said: 'How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?' What are you saying? You do not sing the Lord's song in a foreign land, and you celebrate the Lord's Passover in a foreign land? Have you seen the folly; have you seen the lawlessness? When enemies were forcing them, they did not dare to even speak a psalm in a foreign land; but now of their own accord, with no one forcing or compelling them, they bring war against God. Do you see how unclean the unleavened bread is? how lawless the 49.380 feast? how it is not the Jewish Passover, There was once a Jewish Passover, but it has now been abolished, and the spiritual Passover has come, which Christ delivered then. For while they were eating and drinking, it says, taking bread, he broke it and said: 'This is my body which is broken for you for the remission of sins.' Those who have been initiated know what is said. And again the cup, saying: 'This is my blood, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.' And Judas was present, while Christ was saying these things. This is the body, which you sold, Judas, for thirty pieces of silver; this is the blood, for which a little earlier you made the shameless agreements with the foolish Pharisees. O the philanthropy of Christ! O the madness of Judas! O the insanity! For the one sold him for thirty denarii; but Christ even after this did not refuse to give that very blood that was sold for the remission of sins to the one who sold him, if indeed he had wished. For Judas was present, and he partook of the sacred table. For just as he washed his feet with the other disciples, so also he partook of the sacred table, so that he might have no pretext of defense, if he should persist in his wickedness. For he showed and brought forth all things on his part; but he remained, preserving his wicked intention.

6. But it is time now to approach this awesome table. Let us all, therefore, approach with fitting discretion and soberness; and let no one still be a Judas, let no one be wicked, let no one have poison, bearing one thing on the mouth, but another in the mind. Christ is present, and now he who adorned that table, this one also adorns this one now. For it is not a man who makes the offerings become the body and blood of Christ, but Christ himself who was crucified for us. The priest stands fulfilling a figure, uttering those words; but the power and the grace are of God. 'This is my body,' he says. This word transforms the offerings; and just as that voice that said: 'Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth,' was spoken once, but through all time it becomes a work, empowering our nature for childbearing; so also this voice, spoken once at each table in the Churches from that time until today and until his coming, accomplishes the perfected sacrifice. Let no one therefore be deceitful, no one of wickedness

φαγεῖν τὸ Πάσχα; Ἦν τὸ Ἰουδαϊκὸν Πάσχα τότε· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἡλίου ἐλθόντος, μηκέτι λύχνος φαινέτω, τῆς ἀληθείας παραγενομένης, ἀργείτω λοιπὸν ἡ σκιά.

εʹ. Ταῦτα πρὸς Ἰουδαίους λέγω, ἐπειδὴ δοκοῦσι Πάσχα ποιεῖν, ἐπειδὴ γνώμῃ ἀναισχύντῳ τὰ ἄζυμα προβάλλουσιν οἱ ἀπερίτμητοι ταῖς καρδίαις. Πῶς, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ Πάσχα ἐπιτελεῖς, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε; Ὁ ναὸς κατέσκαπται, ὁ βωμὸς ἀνῄρηται, τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων πεπάτηται, πάσης θυσίας εἶδος λέλυται· τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ταῦτα τολμᾷς τὰ παράνομα πράττειν πράγματα; Ἀπῆλθες εἰς Βαβυλῶνά ποτε, κἀκεῖ ἔλεγον οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύσαντές σε· Ἄσατε ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ᾠδῶν Σιών· καὶ οὐκ ἠνέσχου. Καὶ ταῦτα δεικνὺς ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἔλεγεν· Ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν Βαβυλῶνος, ἐκεῖ ἐκαθίσαμεν καὶ ἐκλαύσαμεν· ἐπὶ ταῖς ἰτέαις ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ἐκρεμάσαμεν τὰ ὄργανα ἡμῶν, τουτέστι, ψαλτήριον, κιθάραν, λύραν, καὶ τὰ λοιπά· τούτοις γὰρ ἐκέχρηντο τὸ παλαιὸν, καὶ διὰ τούτων τοὺς ψαλμοὺς ᾖδον. Καὶ ταῦτα ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἔλαβον, ἵν' ἔχωσι τὴν ὑπόμνησιν τῆς πολιτείας τῆς ἐν τῇ πατρίδι, οὐχ ἵνα χρήσωνται. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπηρώτησαν ἡμᾶς οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύσαντες ἡμᾶς λόγους ᾠδῶν. Καὶ εἴπομεν· Πῶς ᾄσωμεν τὴν ᾠδὴν Κυρίου ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας; Τί λέγεις; τὴν ᾠδὴν Κυρίου οὐκ ᾄδεις ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας, καὶ τὸ Πάσχα Κυρίου ἐπιτελεῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας; Εἶδες τὴν ἀγνωμοσύνην· εἶδες τὴν παρανομίαν; Ὅτε πολέμιοι ἦσαν οἱ καταναγκάζοντες, οὐδὲ ψαλμὸν εἰπεῖν ἐτόλμων ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας· νῦν δὲ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν, μηδενὸς ἀναγκάζοντος μηδὲ βιαζομένου, πόλεμον εἰσάγουσι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἀκάθαρτα τὰ ἄζυμα; πῶς παράνομος ἡ 49.380 ἑορτή; πῶς Πάσχα οὐκ ἔστιν Ἰουδαϊκόν, Ἦν Πάσχα Ἰουδαϊκόν ποτε, ἀλλ' ἐλύθη νῦν, καὶ ἐπῆλθε τὸ πνευματικὸν Πάσχα, ὃ παρεδίδου τότε ὁ Χριστός. Ἐσθιόντων γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ πινόντων, φησὶ, λαβὼν ἄρτον, ἔκλασε καὶ εἶπε· Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κλώμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἀμαρτιῶν. Ἴσασιν οἱ μεμυημένοι τὰ λεγόμενα. Καὶ πάλιν τὸ ποτήριον, λέγων· Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ αἷμά μου, τὸ ὑπὲρ πολλῶν ἐκχυνόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ παρῆν ὁ Ἰούδας, τοῦ Χριστοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος. Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμα, ὃ ἐπώλησας, Ἰούδα, τριάκοντα ἀργυρίων· τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ αἷμα, ὑπὲρ οὗ πρὸ μικροῦ τὰ ἀναιδῆ σύμφωνα ἐποίου πρὸς τοὺς ἀγνώμονας Φαρισαίους. Ὢ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ φιλανθρωπίας! ὢ τῆς τοῦ Ἰούδα παραπληξίας! ὢ τῆς μανίας! ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπώλησεν αὐτὸν τριάκοντα δηναρίων· ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐ παρῃτήσατο αὐτὸ τὸ αἷμα τὸ πραθὲν δοῦναι εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν τῷ πεπρακότι, εἴ γε ἠθέλησε. Καὶ γὰρ παρῆν Ἰούδας, καὶ μετεῖχε τῆς ἱερᾶς τραπέζης. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἔνιψε μαθητῶν, οὕτω καὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς μετέσχε τραπέζης, ἵνα μηδεμίαν ἀπολογίας ἔχῃ πρόφασιν, ἐὰν ἐπιμείνῃ τῇ πονηρίᾳ. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐπεδείξατο, καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν· ὁ δὲ ἔμεινε τὴν πονηρὰν διατηρῶν γνώμην.

ʹ. Ἀλλὰ καιρὸς λοιπὸν τῇ φρικτῇ ταύτῃ προσελθεῖν τραπέζῃ. Πάντες τοίνυν προσέλθωμεν μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης σωφροσύνης καὶ νήψεως· καὶ μηδεὶς ἔστω Ἰούδας ἔτι, μηδεὶς ἔστω πονηρὸς, μηδεὶς ἔχων ἰὸν, μὴ ἄλλα μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος φέρων, ἄλλα δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας. Πάρεστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ νῦν ἐκεῖνος ὁ τὴν τράπεζαν διακοσμήσας ἐκείνην, οὗτος καὶ ταύτην διακοσμεῖ νῦν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν τὰ προκείμενα γενέσθαι σῶμα καὶ αἷμα Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ σταυρωθεὶς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν Χριστός. Σχῆμα πληρῶν ἕστηκεν ὁ ἱερεὺς, τὰ ῥήματα φθεγγόμενος ἐκεῖνα· ἡ δὲ δύναμις καὶ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι. Τοῦτό μου ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμα, φησί. Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα μεταῤῥυθμίζει τὰ προκείμενα· καὶ καθάπερ ἡ φωνὴ ἐκείνη ἡ λέγουσα· Αὐξάνεσθε, καὶ πληθύνεσθε, καὶ πληρώσατε τὴν γῆν, ἐῤῥέθη μὲν ἅπαξ, διὰ παντὸς δὲ τοῦ χρόνου γίνεται ἔργῳ ἐνδυναμοῦσα τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἡμετέραν πρὸς παιδοποιίαν· οὕτω καὶ ἡ φωνὴ αὕτη ἅπαξ λεχθεῖσα καθ' ἑκάστην τράπεζαν ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι σήμερον καὶ μέχρι τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας, τὴν θυσίαν ἀπηρτισμένην ἐργάζεται. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ὕπουλος ἔστω, μηδεὶς πονηρίας