John Chrysostom, On Saint Droside Martyr

Christ Himself with His invisible hand holding the holy head of the martyr, and as if in water, baptizing her with fire. O wondrous pyre! what a treasure it held within, that dust and those ashes, more precious than all gold, more fragrant than all myrrh, more valuable than all precious stones! For what wealth and gold cannot do, that the relics of martyrs can do. For gold has never driven away sickness, nor has it put death to flight, but the bones of martyrs have accomplished both of these things, some in the time of our forefathers, and some even in our own. And not only we, but also the righteous who lived before the coming of Christ know how to philosophize about these things with exactness, when, as everyone was leaving Egypt, and some were carrying gold and others silver, Moses, instead of any wealth, took the bones of Joseph and carried them, bringing home with him a very great treasure, full of countless blessings. 5. But perhaps someone might say: And for what reason was he transported from 50.690 Egypt to Palestine? For in the memory of martyrs it is most necessary to examine such things. For many, being scrupulous about their burial, and instructing their relatives that even if they should happen to die elsewhere, they should bring them home and bury them there, and then being mocked by us for this on account of their faintheartedness, would bring up this story to us, and when we said that it makes no difference whether one happens to be buried at home or in a foreign land, they would say: So for what reason, if it makes no difference, did Moses take the bones of Joseph from Egypt and carry them to Palestine? But I will say something even greater, that not only did Moses take them, but that he himself, when dying, commanded it. For this is the greater point: For God will surely visit you, he says, and you shall carry up my bones. For what reason, then, did the one speak, and the other obey? For what is said is worthy of inquiry. What do you say? The patriarch who scorned even this present life and looked down on all things, of whom the world was not worthy, the stranger and sojourner, who envisioned the things in heaven each day, who looked toward the Jerusalem above; this man, when he was alive, for the fear of God fell from his country and his freedom, and dwelt in a prison, and was not turned aside by those plots; but when he was about to die, did he become so petty as to make such a great effort for the transportation of his bones, and command that his remains be brought up from such a great distance? And who would say these things? For what was the profit, or what the benefit to the deceased from the transfer of his bones? For what reason, then, did he command it? Not because he was concerned for his bones, but one might say, that it was also because he feared the impiety of the Egyptians. For since he had accomplished many great good things, and had become their nourisher and protector, and found a very great relief for the famine, and what had been clear to no one, these things he first and alone unfolded and brought to light, and by interpreting the dreams not only foretold the famine, but also provided a sufficient remedy for it beforehand, thus filling the storehouses of Egypt, so that no one felt its presence; therefore, lest he be considered a god after his death because of the greatness of his benefaction, since those barbarians easily make gods out of men, removing every pretext for impiety, he commanded that his bones be carried away home. This, then, is one reason; but it is also possible to state another, an indisputable one; for it is possible to confirm it from the Scriptures. Which one is this? He knew, having heard from his father, who had learned the word handed down to him from his grandfather, that for many years the Egyptians would enslave and mistreat them. For your seed shall be a sojourner in a foreign land, and they shall enslave it,

αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀοράτῳ χειρὶ τὴν ἁγίαν τῆς μάρτυρος κατέχοντος κεφαλὴν, καὶ καθάπερ ἐν ὕδατι βαπτίζοντος αὐτὴν τῷ πυρί. Ὢ θαυμαστῆς πυρᾶς! οἷον εἶχεν ἔνδον θησαυρὸν τὴν κόνιν ἐκείνην καὶ τὴν τέφραν παντὸς χρυσίου τιμιωτέραν, πάντων μύρων εὐωδεστέραν, πάντων λίθων τιμαλφεστέραν! Ὅσα γὰρ οὐκ ἰσχύει πλοῦτος καὶ χρυσίον, τοσαῦτα ἰσχύει μαρτύρων λείψανα. Χρυσίον μὲν γὰρ οὔτε νόσον ἀπήλασε πώποτε, οὔτε θάνατον ἐφυγάδευσε, μαρτύρων δὲ ὀστᾶ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα εἰργάσατο, τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων τῶν ἡμετέρων, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐχ ἡμεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενόμενοι δίκαιοι μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἴσασι φιλοσοφεῖν, ὅτε πάντων ἐξελθόντων Αἰγύπτου, καὶ τῶν μὲν χρυσίον, τῶν δὲ ἀργύριον ἐπιφερομένων, ὁ Μωσῆς ἀντὶ πλούτου παντὸς τὰ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ὀστᾶ λαβὼν ἐπεφέρετο, θησαυρὸν μέγιστον καὶ μυρίων γέμοντα ἀγαθῶν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ κομίζων οἴκαδε. εʹ. Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἄν· Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐξ 50.690 Αἰγύπτου μετεφέρετο εἰς Παλαιστίνην; ἐν γὰρ μαρτύρων μνήμῃ τὰ τοιαῦτα μάλιστα ἐξετάζειν ἀνάγκη. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ περὶ ταφῆς ἀκριβολογούμενοι, καὶ τοῖς προσήκουσιν ἐπισκήπτοντες, ὅπως κἂν ἀλλαχοῦ τύχωσι τελευτήσαντες, οἴκοι κομίσαντες ἐκεῖνοι αὐτοὺς κατορύξωσιν, εἶτα ἐπὶ μικροψυχίᾳ διὰ τοῦτο παρ' ἡμῶν σκωπτόμενοι, ταύτην ἡμῖν προεβάλλοντο τὴν ἱστορίαν, καὶ λεγόντων ἡμῶν ὅτι οὐδὲν διαφέρει, ἄν τε οἴκοι τις, ἄν τε ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας τύχῃ ταφῆς, ἔλεγον· Οὐκοῦν τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰ μηδὲν διαφέρει, ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὰ ὀστᾶ λαβὼν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνην ἐκόμισεν ὁ Μωσῆς; Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ μεῖζον ἐρῶ, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ὁ Μωσῆς ἔλαβεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι κἀκεῖνος τελευτῶν ἐνετείλατο. Τὸ γὰρ δὴ μεῖζον τοῦτό ἐστιν· Ἐπισκοπῇ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπισκέψαι ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀνοίσετε τὰ ὀστᾶ μου. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν κἀκεῖνος εἶπε, καὶ οὗτος ἐπήκουσε; καὶ γὰρ ἄξιον ζητήσεως τὸ λεγόμενον. Τί λέγεις; ὁ πατριάρχης ὁ καταφρονήσας καὶ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς καὶ πάντων ὑπεριδὼν, οὗ οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος, ὁ ξένος καὶ παρεπίδημος, ὁ τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καθ' ἑκάστην φανταζόμενος τὴν ἡμέραν, ὁ πρὸς τὴν ἄνω βλέπων Ἱερουσαλὴμ, οὗτος ἡνίκα μὲν ἔζη διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον καὶ τῆς πατρίδος καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐξέπεσε, καὶ δεσμωτήριον ᾤκησε, καὶ οὐκ ἐπεστράφη πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς ἐκείνας· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔμελλε τελευτᾷν, οὕτω μικρολογεῖται, ὡς τοσαύτην ποιήσασθαι σπουδὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ὀστῶν μετακομιδῆς, καὶ ἐκ τοσούτου διαστήματος κελεύει τὰ λείψανα ἀνάγεσθαι; Καὶ τίς ἂν ταῦτα εἴποι; τί γὰρ τὸ κέρδος ἦν, ἢ ποῖον τὸ ὄφελος τῷ κατοιχομένῳ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ὀστῶν μεταθέσεως; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐπέσκηψεν; Οὐχὶ τῶν ὀστῶν φροντίζων, ἀλλ' ἔστι μὲν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τὴν ἀσέβειαν δεδοικώς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα εἰργάσατο ἀγαθὰ, καὶ τροφεὺς αὐτῶν καὶ προστάτης ἐγένετο, καὶ τοῦ λιμοῦ παραμυθίαν εὗρε μεγίστην, καὶ ἃ μηδενὶ γέγονε δῆλα, ταῦτα πρῶτος καὶ μόνος ἀνέπτυξε, καὶ εἰς μέσον ἤγαγε, καὶ τὰ ὀνείρατα διαλύσας οὐ μόνον προεδήλωσε τὸν λιμὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φάρμακον ἱκανὸν αὐτῷ προαπέθετο, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ταμεῖα τῆς Αἰγύπτου πληρώσας, ὡς μηδένα αὐτοῦ τῆς παρουσίας αἰσθέσθαι· ἵν' οὖν μὴ θεὸς νομίζηται μετὰ τελευτὴν διὰ τὸ τῆς εὐεργεσίας μέγεθος, τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκείνων εὐκόλως ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ποιούντων θεοὺς, πάσης ἀσεβείας ἀναιρῶν ὑπόθεσιν, ἐκέλευσεν ἀπενεχθῆναι οἴκαδε τὰ ὀστᾶ. Μία μὲν οὖν αὕτη πρόφασις· ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν εἰπεῖν ἀναμφισβήτητον· καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν αὐτὴν πιστώσασθαι ἔνι. Ποίαν δὴ ταύτην; Ἤδει παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀκούσας, ἐκείνου παρὰ τοῦ πάππου λόγον εἰς αὐτὸν κατενεχθέντα μαθόντος, ὅτι πολλὰ ἔτη δουλώσονται καὶ κακώσουσιν αὐτοὺς οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι. Ἔσται γὰρ τὸ σπέρμα σου πάροικον ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ, καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτὸ,