John Chrysostom, Catechetical Homilies

to make the washing brighter, and to render the grace more radiant; just as Paul also did, increasing all the good things he had received by his subsequent labors and zeal and eagerness. And consider the providence of God: He has neither given you everything here, nor has He deprived you of everything, but has given some things and promised others. And why has He not given everything here? So that you might show your faith in Him, believing in the things not yet given from His promise alone. And why, again, did He not reserve everything for there, but gave also the grace of the Spirit and 49.233 righteousness and sanctification? So that He might lighten your labors, and from what has already been given and from what is to come, He might make you hopeful. For this reason you are about to be called newly-enlightened, because the light for you is ever new, if you are willing, and it is never extinguished. For this light, whether we will it or not, is succeeded by night, but that ray darkness knows not; For the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The world is not so bright, when the ray rises, as a soul is illuminated and becomes brighter, when it has received the grace from the Spirit. And learn more accurately the nature of things: for while night holds sway and there is darkness, often someone, having seen a rope, thought it was a snake, and fled a friend approaching as an enemy, and hearing some noise has become terrified; but when day comes, nothing of the sort could happen, but all things appear as they are. This is what also happens in the case of our soul. For when grace comes and drives out the darkness of the mind, we learn the exactness of things, and the things that were formerly fearful become easily despised by us. For we no longer fear death, having learned precisely from this sacred initiation that death is not death, but a temporary sleep and repose; not poverty, not sickness, not any other such thing, knowing that we are on our way to a better life, unblemished and incorruptible, and free from all such irregularity.

2. Therefore let us no longer remain gaping at the things of this life, not concerning the luxury of the table, nor concerning the costliness of garments; for you have a most great garment, you have a spiritual table, you have the glory that is above, and Christ becomes all things to you, both table, and garment, and house, and head, and root. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ; behold how He has become a garment to you. Do you wish to learn how He also becomes a table to you? He who eats me, He says, just as I live because of the Father, so he also will live because of me. And that He also becomes a house to you: He who eats my flesh abides in me, and I in him; and that He is a root, again He says: I am the vine, you are the branches; and that He is a brother, and friend, and bridegroom: No longer do I call you servants; for you are my friends. And Paul again: I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ; and again: That He might be the firstborn among many brethren. And not only His brothers, but we also become His children; For behold, He says, I and the children whom God has given me; and not only this, but also His members, and His body. For as if the things said were not enough to show the love and goodwill which He shows toward us, He added another thing greater and closer than these, calling Himself our head. Knowing all these things, beloved, repay your benefactor with the best conduct, and having considered the greatness of the sacrifice, adorn the members of your body. Consider what you receive in your hand, and never endure to strike anyone, nor disgrace with the sin of a blow that which has been honored by so great a gift; consider what you receive in your hand, and keep it pure from all covetousness and robbery. Reckon, that you not only receive it with the hand, but also bring it to your mouth, and keep your tongue 49.234 pure from shameful and insulting words, blasphemy, perjury, and all other such things. For it is destructive for the [tongue] which serves such most awesome mysteries,

τοῦ λουτροῦ λαμπροτέραν ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ τὸ χάρισμα φαιδρότερον ποιεῖν· καθάπερ οὖν καὶ Παῦλος ἐποίησε, τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα πόνοις καὶ τῇ σπουδῇ καὶ τῇ προθυμίᾳ αὐξήσας ἅπαντα, ἅπερ ἔλαβεν, ἀγαθά. Καὶ σκόπει Θεοῦ κηδεμονίαν· οὔτε σοι τὸ πᾶν ἔδωκεν ἐνταῦθα, οὔτε τοῦ παντὸς ἀπεστέρησεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἔδωκε, τὰ δὲ ὑπέσχετο. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ τὸ πᾶν ἐνταῦθα ἔδωκεν; Ἵνα σὺ τὴν πίστιν ἐπιδείξῃ τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν, τοῖς μηδέπω δοθεῖσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως αὐτοῦ μόνης πιστεύων. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν πάλιν οὐ τὸ πᾶν ἐκεῖ ἐταμιεύσατο, ἀλλ' ἔδωκε καὶ Πνεύματος χάριν καὶ 49.233 δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἁγιασμόν; Ἵνα σοι κουφίσῃ τοὺς πόνους, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἤδη δοθέντων καὶ ἐκ τῶν μελλόντων εὐέλπιδα καταστήσῃ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ νεοφώτιστος μέλλεις καλεῖσθαι, ὅτι νέον σοι τὸ φῶς ἀεὶ, ἂν ἐθέλῃς, καὶ οὐδέποτε σβέννυται. Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ, καὶ βουλομένων ἡμῶν, καὶ μὴ βουλομένων, διαδέχεται νὺξ, ἐκείνην δὲ τὴν ἀκτῖνα σκότος οὐκ οἶδε· Τὸ γὰρ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν. Οὐχ οὕτω γοῦν ὁ κόσμος ἐστὶ λαμπρὸς, ἀνισχούσης τῆς ἀκτῖνος, ὡς ψυχὴ καταυγάζεται καὶ λαμπροτέρα γίνεται, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος δεξαμένη χάριν. Καὶ μάνθανε τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκριβέστερον τὴν φύσιν· νυκτὸς μὲν γὰρ κατεχούσης καὶ σκότους ὄντος, πολλάκις καὶ σχοινίον ἰδών τις, ἐνόμισεν ὄφιν εἶναι, καὶ φίλον προσιόντα ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἔφυγε, καὶ ψόφου τινὸς αἰσθόμενος περιδεὴς γέγονεν· ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον γένοιτ' ἂν, ἀλλὰ πάντα οἷάπερ ἐστὶ φαίνεται. Ὃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς συμβαίνει τῆς ἡμετέρας. Ἐπειδὰν γὰρ ἡ χάρις ἐλθοῦσα τὸ σκότος ἀπελάσῃ τῆς διανοίας, μανθάνομεν τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκρίβειαν, καὶ γίνεται ἡμῖν εὐκαταφρόνητα τὰ πρότερον φοβερά. Οὔτε γὰρ θάνατον ἔτι δεδοίκαμεν, μαθόντες ἀκριβῶς παρὰ τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης μυσταγωγίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι θάνατος ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλ' ὕπνος καὶ κοίμησις πρόσκαιρος· οὐ πενίαν, οὐ νόσον, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν, εἰδότες ὅτι πρὸς βελτίονα ζωὴν ὁδεύομεν, ἀκήρατόν τε καὶ ἄφθαρτον, καὶ πάσης τοιαύτης ἀπηλλαγμένην ἀνωμαλίας.

βʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἔτι πρὸς τὰ βιωτικὰ μείνωμεν κεχηνότες, μὴ περὶ τρυφὴν τραπέζης, μηδὲ περὶ πολυτέλειαν ἱματίων· καὶ γὰρ ἔχεις ἱμάτιον μέγιστον, ἔχεις τράπεζαν πνευματικὴν, ἔχεις τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἄνω, καὶ πάντα σοι ὁ Χριστὸς γίνεται, καὶ τράπεζα, καὶ ἱμάτιον, καὶ οἶκος, καὶ κεφαλὴ, καὶ ῥίζα. Ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε· ἰδοὺ πῶς ἱμάτιόν σοι γέγονε. Βούλει μαθεῖν, πῶς καὶ τράπεζά σοι γίνεται; Ὁ τρώγων με, φησὶν, ὥσπερ ἐγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν Πατέρα, κἀκεῖνος ζήσεται δι' ἐμέ. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ οἶκός σοι γίνεται· Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ὅτι ῥίζα, πάλιν φησίν· Ἐγὼ ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα· καὶ ὅτι ἀδελφὸς, καὶ φίλος, καὶ νυμφίος· Οὐκέτι ὑμᾶς λέγω δούλους· ὑμεῖς γὰρ φίλοι μου ἐστέ. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος πάλιν· Ἡρμοσάμην ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ· καὶ πάλιν· Εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. Οὐκ ἀδελφοὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παιδία γινόμεθα· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγὼ, καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεός· οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέλη αὐτοῦ, καὶ σῶμα αὐτοῦ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἀρκούντων τῶν εἰρημένων ἐπιδεῖξαι τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν εὔνοιαν, ἣν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιδείκνυται, καὶ ἕτερον τούτων μεῖζον καὶ ἐγγύτερον ἔθηκεν, κεφαλὴν ἑαυτὸν ἡμῶν προσειπών. Ταῦτα δὴ πάντα εἰδὼς, ἀγαπητὲ, ἄμειψαί σου τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀρίστῃ πολιτείᾳ, καὶ ἐννοήσας τῆς θυσίας τὸ μέγεθος, καλλώπισόν σου τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος. Ἐννόησον τί δέχῃ τῇ χειρὶ, καὶ μηδέποτε ἀνάσχῃ τυπτῆσαί τινα, μηδὲ τὴν τοσούτῳ τιμηθεῖσαν δώρῳ καταισχύνῃς τῇ τῆς πληγῆς ἁμαρτίᾳ· ἐννόησον τί δέχῃ τῇ χειρὶ, καὶ καθαρὰν αὐτὴν πλεονεξίας καὶ ἁρπαγῆς πάσης διατήρησον. Λόγισαι, ὅτι οὐ τῇ χειρὶ δέχῃ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ στόματι προσάγεις καὶ καθαρὰν φύλαττε τὴν γλῶτ49.234 ταν αἰσχρῶν καὶ ὑβριστικῶν ῥημάτων, βλασφημίας, ἐπιορκίας, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων ἁπάντων. Καὶ γὰρ ὀλέθριον τὴν διακονουμένην μυστηρίοις οὕτω φρικωδεστάτοις,