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bearing, He gave to death, so that the ravenous beast and the insatiable bond might be completely put to death in itself. In the sinless body it sought everywhere its own food, lest there be pleasure, lest there be anger, lest there be disobedience, lest there be at all the old sin, the first food of death; for it says, "The sting of death is sin"; and when it found nothing in Him that could nourish death, completely enclosed in itself and dissolved by atrophy, it became death to itself. And as also many of the righteous proclaiming the gospel and prophesying and the firstborn from the dead in the resurrection <**>, He also endured the three-day sojourn under the earth, so that He might save the whole and entire race of men, that before the law, <that through the law,> that through Himself.

58.2 And perhaps also in order that he might raise up the entire living being, soul and spirit and

body, for this reason also he remains for three days. 59.1 The women are the first to see him risen; for as a woman first brought

sin into the world, so also a woman first proclaims life to the world. 59.2 Therefore they also hear the holy voice: "Women, rejoice," so that the first sorrow might be swallowed up by the joy of the resurrection.

60.1 Having remained for a little while and confirmed his holy resurrection

He gives it for a belief in the resurrection even to the unbelieving, so that His resurrection from the dead with a body might be believed. And as, bearing the whole image in Himself, He put on and, having put aside the old man, transferred him into the heavenly man, then the image, mingled with Him, also ascended with Him into the heavens.

61.2 And the powers, seeing the great mystery, a man already ascending together

[in] God, giving command, cried out with joy to the hosts above: "Lift up your gates, O rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall come in." But they, seeing the new wonder, a man mingled with God, cry out in response and say: "Who is this King of glory?" And they, having been asked again, answered in turn: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory, strong and mighty and powerful in war."

62.1 O the mystical provision, O the spiritual feast. O divine Passover,

that journeyed from the heavens to the earth and from the earth again ascends to the heavens. 62.2 O common celebration of all things, a cosmic festival, O joy and honor and food and delight of the universe, through which dark death was destroyed, and life was spread over all things, and the gates of heaven were opened, and God appeared as man and man ascended as God, through whom the gates of Hades were broken and the adamantine bars were loosed, and the people below rose from the dead proclaiming the good news, while to the <pleromas> above a chorus was restored from the earth. 62.3 O divine Passover, that did not confine God from the heavens and now spiritually unites, through whom the great bridal chamber was filled, and all bear the bridal garments, and no one is cast out as not having the wedding garment. 62.4 O Passover, the illumination of a new torch-bearing, the splendor of a virginal torch-procession, through whom the lamps of souls are no longer extinguished, indeed, divinely and spiritually in all things the fire of grace is carried as a torch, in body and spirit, and supplied by the oil of Christ.

63.1 And so we entreat you, O God, spiritual eternal Master and Master

King Christ, stretch out your great hands over your holy church

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φέρων ἔδωκε τῷ θανάτῳ, ἵνα τὸ ἀδήφαγον θηρίον καὶ ὁ ἄπληστος δεσμὸς ὅλως ἐν ἑαυτῷ νεκρωθῇ. Τῷ ἀναμαρτήτῳ σώματι ἐζήτει πανταχοῦ τὰς ἰδίας τροφάς, μήπου ἡδονή, μήπου ὀργή, μήπου παρακοή, μήπου ὅλως ἡ παλαιὰ ἁμαρτία ἡ πρώτη τοῦ θανάτου τροφή· "Κέντρον" γάρ φησι "τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία"· ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν εὕρισκεν ἐν αὐτῷ θανάτου θρεπτικόν, ὅλως ἐν ἑαυτῷ κλεισθεὶς καὶ ἀτροφίᾳ λυθεὶς αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ θάνατος ἐγίγνετο. Ὡς δὲ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν δικαίων εὐαγγελιζόμενοι καὶ προφητεύοντες καὶ τὸν ἐν ἀναστάσει πρωτότοκον ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν <**>, ὁ δὲ καὶ τὴν τριήμερον ὑπὸ γῆν ὑπομόνην ἐνέσχετο, ἵνα ὅλον καὶ πᾶν σώσῃ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, τὸ πρὸ νόμου, <τὸ διὰ νόμου,> τὸ δι' ἑαυτοῦ.

58.2 Τάχα δὲ καὶ ἵνα ὁλόκληρον ἐξαναστήσῃ τὸ ζῶον, ψυχὴν καὶ πνεῦμα καὶ

σῶμα, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τριημερεύει. 59.1 Ἀναστάντα δὲ αὐτὸν πρῶτον ὁρῶσιν αἱ γυναῖκες· ὡς γὰρ πρώτη τὴν

ἁμαρτίαν τὴν ἐν κόσμῳ ἤγαγε γυνή, οὕτω καὶ πρώτη τῷ κόσμῳ ζωὴν ἐπαγγέλλει. 59.2 ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀκούουσι τὴν ἱερὰν φωνήν· "Γυναῖκες χαίρετε", ἵνα ἡ πρώτη λύπη διὰ τῆς χαρᾶς τῆς ἀναστάσεως καταποθῇ.

60.1 Ἐπιμείνας δὲ πρὸς ὀλίγον καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν αὐτοῦ ἀνάστασιν βεβαιώσας

δίδωσιν εἰς πίστιν ἀναστάσεως καὶ τοῖς ἀπιστοῦσι, ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασις πιστευθῇ μετὰ σώματος. Ὡς δὲ ὅλην τὴν εἰκόνα ἐν ἑαυτῷ φέρων ἐνεδύσατο καὶ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀναστολησάμενος μετέθηκεν εἰς τὸν ἐπουράνιον ἄνθρωπον, τότε συνανέβαινεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν συγκεκραμένη εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς.

61.2 Βλέπουσαι δὲ αἱ δυνάμεις τὸ μέγα μυστήριον, συναναβαίνοντα ἤδη

ἄνθρωπον [ἐν] θεῷ, ἐγκελευόμεναι ἐβόων μετὰ χαρᾶς ταῖς ἄνω στρατιαῖς· "Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης". Αἱ δὲ ὁρῶσαι τὸ καινὸν θαῦμα, ἄνθρωπον συγκεκραμένον Θεῷ, ἀντιβοῶσι καὶ λέγουσι· "Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης;" Αἱ δὲ πάλιν ἐρωτηθεῖσαι ἀνταπεκρίναντο· "Κύριος τῶν δυνά-μεων αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης, ἰσχυρὸς καὶ κραταῖος καὶ δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ".

62.1 Ὢ τῆς χορηγίας τῆς μυστικῆς, ὢ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἑορτῆς. Ὦ πάσχα θεῖον

ἀπ' οὐρανῶν ὁδεῦσαν μέχρι γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς πάλιν ἀναβαῖνον εἰς οὐρανούς. 62.2 Ὦ κοινὸν τῶν ὅλων ἑόρτασμα, κοσμικὸν πανηγύρισμα, ὦ τοῦ παντὸς χαρὰ καὶ τιμὴ καὶ τροφὴ καὶ τρυφή, δι' ἧς ὁ μὲν σκοτεινὸς θάνατος κατελύθη, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ τοῖς ὅλοις ἐφηπλώθη, καὶ ἀνεῴχθησαν πύλαι οὐρανῶν, καὶ Θεὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐφάνη καὶ ἄνθρωπος Θεὸς ἀνέβη, δι' ὃν ἐρράγησαν ᾅδου πύλαι καὶ κλεῖθρα ἐλύθησαν ἀδαμάντινα, καὶ ὁ μὲν κάτω δῆμος ἀνέστη τῶν νεκρῶν εὐαγγελιζόμενος, τοῖς <δὲ> ἄνω πληρώμασιν ἀπὸ γῆς ἀπεδόθη χορός. 62.3 Ὦ πάσχα θεῖον, Θεὸν ἐξ οὐρανῶν οὐ στεναγωγῆσαν καὶ νῦν πνευματικῶς συνάψαν, δι' ὃν μέγας νυμφὼν τῶν ἐπληρώθη, καὶ πάντες φέρουσι τὰς στολὰς τὰς νυμφικάς, ἐκβάλλεται δὲ οὐδεὶς ὡς οὐκ ἔχων τὴν στολὴν τὴν γαμικήν. 62.4 Ὦ πάσχα, καινῆς λαμπαδουχίας τὸ φώτισμα, παρθενικῆς δᾳδουχίας ἀγλάϊσμα, δι' ὃν οὐκέτι σβέννυνται τῶν ψυχῶν αἱ λαμπάδες, ἐνθέως δὴ καὶ πνευματικῶς ἐν πᾶσι τῆς χάριτος δᾳδουχεῖται τὸ πῦρ, σώματι καὶ πνεύματι, καὶ ἐλαίῳ Χριστοῦ χορηγούμενον.

63.1 Σὲ δὲ δὴ παρακαλοῦμεν, Θεὲ δέσποτα πνευματικῶς αἰώνιε καὶ δέσποτα

βασιλεῦ Χριστέ, ὑπερέχε σου τὰς χεῖρας τὰς μεγάλας ἐπὶ τὴν ἱεράν σου ἐκκλησίαν