Gregory of Nazianzus, On Holy Easter

of the biting serpents, not as a type of the one who suffered for us, but as an antitype; and it saves those who look upon it, not because it is believed to be alive, but because it has been put to death, and puts to death with itself the powers under it, having been destroyed, as was fitting. And what is the fitting epitaph for it from us? O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? You have been cast down by the cross, you have been put to death by the life-giver. Breathless, dead, motionless, powerless, and, even if you preserve the form of a serpent, you are held up to shame on high.

23. But we shall partake of the Pascha, for now still 36.656 in a typical manner, even if more clearly than the old one (for the Pascha of the law, I dare to say, was a fainter type of a type); but a little later, more perfectly and more purely, when the Word drinks it new with us in the kingdom of the Father, revealing and teaching what he has now shown in a measure. For what is now being made known is always new. And what is this drink and this enjoyment, it is for us to learn, and for him to teach, and to communicate his word to his own disciples. For teaching is food, even for the one who feeds. But come, let us also partake of the law evangelically, not according to the letter; perfectly, not imperfectly; eternally, not temporarily. Let us make our head, not the Jerusalem below, but the mother city above; not the one now trodden down by armies, but the one glorified by angels. Let us sacrifice, not young calves, nor lambs bearing horns and hooves, in which there is much that is dead and without feeling; but let us offer to God a sacrifice of praise, upon the altar above, with the choir of angels on high. Let us pass through the first veil, let us approach the second, let us look into the Holy of Holies. Let me say what is greater, let us sacrifice ourselves to God; or rather, let us sacrifice every day and every movement. Let us accept all things for the sake of the Word, let us imitate the passion by our sufferings, let us honor the blood by our blood, let us ascend the cross with eagerness. Sweet are the nails, even if they are very painful. For to suffer with Christ and for Christ, is more to be desired than to revel with others.

24. If you are Simon of Cyrene, take up the cross, and follow. If you are crucified with him as a robber, as a good man, acknowledge God; if he was numbered among the transgressors for you and your sin, you become law-abiding for his sake. Worship him who was hung for you, even while you are hanging; gain something even from your wickedness; purchase salvation by your death; enter paradise with Jesus, so that you may learn from what you have fallen; Behold the beauties there; leave the murmurer to die outside, with his blasphemy. And if you are Joseph of Arimathea, ask for the body from the crucifier; let the cleansing of the world become yours. And if you are Nicodemus, the nighttime worshipper of God, bury him with spices. And if you are a Mary, or the other Mary, or Salome, or Joanna, weep early in the morning. Be the first to see the stone taken away, and perhaps the angels too, and Jesus himself. Say something; hear a voice. If you hear, 36.657 "Do not touch me," stand afar, reverence the Word, but do not be grieved. For he knows to whom he will appear first. Inaugurate the resurrection; help Eve, who was the first to fall, to be the first to embrace Christ and make him known to the disciples. Be a Peter or a John; hasten to the tomb, running against one another, running with one another, contending in the noble contest. And if you are outrun in speed, conquer by your zeal not by stooping to look into the monument, but by going inside. And if, like Thomas, you are left behind when the disciples are gathered to whom Christ appears, when you see him, do not disbelieve; and if you do disbelieve, believe those who tell you; but if not even them, be convinced by the prints of the nails. If he descends into Hades, descend with him. Know also the mysteries of Christ there, what is the economy of the double descent, what is the reason; does he save all by his appearance without distinction, or there too only those who believe.

τῶν δα κνόντων ὄφεων, οὐχ ὡς τύπος δὲ τοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθόντος, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀντίτυπος· καὶ σώζει τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν ὁρῶντας, οὐχ ὅτι ζῇ πιστευόμενος, ἀλλ' ὅτι νενέκρωται, καὶ συννεκροῖ τὰς ὑπ' αὐτὸν δυνά μεις, καταλυθεὶς, ὥσπερ ἦν ἄξιος. Καὶ τίς ὁ πρέ πων αὐτῷ παρ' ἡμῶν ἐπιτάφιος; Ποῦ σου, θά νατε, τὸ κέντρον; Ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νῖκος; Τῷ σταυρῷ βέβλησαι, τῷ ζωοποιῷ τεθανάτωσαι. Ἄ πνους, νεκρὸς, ἀκίνητος, ἀνενέργητος, καὶ, εἰ τὸ σχῆμα σώζεις ὄφεως, ἐν ὕψει στηλιτευόμενος.

ΚΓʹ. Μεταληψόμεθα δὲ τοῦ Πάσχα, νῦν μὲν 36.656 τυπικῶς ἔτι, καὶ εἰ τοῦ παλαιοῦ γυμνότερον (τὸ γὰρ νομικὸν Πάσχα, τολμῶ καὶ λέγω, τύπου τύπος ἦν ἀμυδρότερος)· μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον, τελεώτερον καὶ καθαρώτερον, ἡνίκα ἂν αὐτὸ πίνῃ καινὸν μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Λόγος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀποκα λύπτων καὶ διδάσκων, ἃ νῦν μετρίως παρέδειξε. Καινὸν γάρ ἐστιν ἀεὶ τὸ νῦν γνωριζόμενον. Τίς δὲ ἡ πόσις καὶ ἡ ἀπόλαυσις, ἡμῶν μὲν τὸ μαθεῖν, ἐκείνου δὲ τὸ διδάξαι, καὶ κοινώσασθαι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς τὸν λόγον. Τροφὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ δίδαξις, καὶ τοῦ τρέφοντος. Ἀλλὰ δεῦρο, καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦ νόμου μεταλάβωμεν εὐαγγελικῶς, ἀλλὰ μὴ γραπτῶς· τελείως, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀτελῶς· ἀϊδίως, ἀλλὰ μὴ προσκαίρως, Ποιησώμεθα κεφαλὴν, μὴ τὴν κάτω Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἄνω μητρόπολιν· μὴ τὴν ὑπὸ στρατοπέδων νῦν πατουμένην, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑπ' ἀγγέλων δοξαζομένην. Θύσωμεν, μὴ μόσχους νέους, μηδὲ ἀμνοὺς κέρατα ἐκ φέροντας καὶ ὁπλὰς, παρ' οἷς πολὺ τὸ νεκρὸν καὶ ἀναίσθητον· ἀλλὰ θύσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω θυσιαστήριον, μετὰ τῆς ἄνω χοροστασίας. ∆ιάσχωμεν τὸ πρῶτον καταπέτασμα, τῷ δευτέρῳ προσέλθωμεν, εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων παρακύψωμεν. Εἴπω τὸ μεῖζον, ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς θύσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ· μᾶλλον δὲ, θύωμεν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ πᾶσαν κίνησιν. Πάντα ὑπὲρ τοῦ Λόγου δεχώμε θα, πάθεσι τὸ πάθος μιμώμεθα, αἵματι τὸ αἷμα σε μνύνωμεν, ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἀνίωμεν πρόθυμοι. Γλυ κεῖς οἱ ἧλοι, καὶ εἰ λίαν ὀδυνηροί. Τὸ γὰρ μετὰ Χριστοῦ πάσχειν, καὶ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ μετ' ἄλλων τρυφᾷν αἱρετώτερον.

Κ∆ʹ. Ἂν Σίμων ἦς Κυρηναῖος, τὸν σταυρὸν ἆρον, καὶ ἀκολούθησον. Ἂν συσταυρωθῇς ὡς λῃστὴς, ὡς εὐγνώμων τὸν Θεὸν γνώρισον· εἰ κἀκεῖνος μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη διὰ σὲ καὶ τὴν σὴν ἁμαρτίαν, σὺ γενοῦ δι' ἐκεῖνον ἔννομος. Προσκύνησον τὸν διὰ σὲ κρεμασθέντα, καὶ κρεμάμενος· κέρδανόν τι καὶ παρὰ τῆς κακίας· ὤμνησαι τῷ θανάτῳ τὴν σωτη ρίαν· εἰς τὸν παράδεισον εἴσελθε μετὰ Ἰησοῦ, ὥστε μαθεῖν ὧν ἐκπέπτωκας· Τὰ ἐκεῖ κάλλη θεώρησον· τὸν γογγυστὴν ἄφες ἀποθανεῖν ἔξω, μετὰ τῆς βλασφημίας. Κἂν Ἰωσὴφ ᾖς ὁ ἀπὸ Ἀριμαθαίας, αἴτησαι τὸ σῶμα παρὰ τοῦ σταυροῦντος· σὸν γενέσθω τὸ τοῦ κόσμου καθάρσιον. Κἂν Νικόδημος ᾖς, ὁ νυ κτερινὸς θεοσεβὴς, μύροις αὐτὸν ἐνταφίασον. Κἂν Μαρία τις ᾖς, κἂν ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία, κἂν Σαλώμη, κἂν Ἰωάννα, δάκρυσον ὀρθρία. Ἴδε πρώτη τὸν λίθον ἡρμένον, τυχὸν δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους, καὶ Ἰησοῦν αὐτόν. Φθέγξαι τι· φωνῆς ἄκουσον. Ἂν ἀκού 36.657 σῃς. Μή μου ἅπτου, πόῤῥω στῆθι, σεβάσθητι τὸν Λόγον, ἀλλὰ μὴ λυπηθῇς. Οἶδε γὰρ οἷς ὀφθῇ πρῶτον. Ἐγκαίνισον τὴν ἀνάστασιν· τῇ Εὔᾳ βοήθησον, τῇ πρώτῃ πεσούσῃ, τῇ πρώτῃ Τριστὸν ἀσπάσασθαι, καὶ γνωρίσαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς. Γενοῦ Πέτρος, ἢ Ἰωάννης· ἐπὶ τὸν τάφον ἐπείχθητι, ἀντιτρέχων, συντρέχων, τὴν καλὴν ἅμιλλαν ἁμιλλώμενος. Κἂν προληφθῇς τῷ τάχει, τῇ σπουδῇ νίκησον μὴ παρακύψας εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, ἀλλ' ἔνδον γενόμενος. Κἂν ὡς Θωμᾶς ἀπολειφθῇς, τῶν μαθητῶν συνηγμένων, οἷς Χριστὸς ἐμφανίζεται, ὅταν ἴδῃς, μὴ ἀπιστήσῃς· κἂν ἀπιστήσῃς, τοῖς λέγουσι πίστευσον· εἰ δὲ μηδὲ τούτοις, τοῖς τύποις τῶν ἥλων πιστώθητι. Ἂν εἰς ᾅδου κατίῃ, συγκάτελθε. Γνῶθι καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖσε τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήρια, τίς ἡ οἰκονομία τῆς δι πλῆς καταβάσεως, τίς ὁ λόγος· ἁπλῶς σώζει πάντας ἐπιφανεὶς, ἢ κακεῖ τοὺς πιστεύοντας.