Oration XLV. The Second Oration on Easter.

 I.  I will stand upon my watch, saith the venerable Habakkuk and I will take my post beside him today on the authority and observation which was give

 II.  The Lord’s Passover, the Passover, and again I say the Passover to the honour of the Trinity.  This is to us a Feast of feasts and a Solemnity of

 III.  God always was and always is, and always will be or rather, God always Is.

 IV.  And when Infinity is considered from two points of view, beginning and end (for that which is beyond these and not limited by them is Infinity),

 V.  But since this movement of Self-contemplation alone could not satisfy Goodness, but Good must be poured out and go forth beyond Itself, to multipl

 VI.  Thus then and for these reasons, He gave being to the world of thought, as far as I can reason on these matters, and estimate great things in my

 VII.  Mind then and sense, thus distinguished from each other, had remained within their own boundaries, and bore in themselves the magnificence of th

 VIII.  This being He placed in paradise—whatever that paradise may have been (having honoured him with the gift of free will, in order that good might

 IX.  And having first been chastened by many means because his sins were many, whose root of evil sprang up through divers causes and sundry times, by

 X.  But perhaps some one of those who are too impetuous and festive may say, “What has all this to do with us?  Spur on your horse to the goal talk t

 XI.  But before our time the Holy Apostle declared that the Law was but a shadow of things to come, which are conceived by thought.  And God too, who

 XII.  But we, standing midway between those whose minds are utterly dense on the one side, and on the other those who are very contemplative and exalt

 XIII.  Thus then and for this cause the written Law came in, gathering us into Christ and this is the account of the Sacrifices as I account for them

 XIV.  What more?  The First Month is introduced, or rather the beginning of months, whether it was so among the Hebrews from the beginning, or was mad

 XV.  Then comes the Sacred Night, the Anniversary of the confused darkness of the present life, into which the primæval darkness is dissolved, and all

 XVI.  Well, let them lament we will feed on the Lamb toward evening—for Christ’s Passion was in the completion of the ages because too He communicat

 XVII.  Nor would it be right for us to pass over the manner of this eating either, for the Law does not do so, but carries its mystical labour even to

 XVIII.  And let the loins of the unreasoning animals be unbound and loose, for they have not the gift of reason which can overcome pleasure (it is not

 XIX.  And as to shoes , let him who is about to touch the Holy Land which the feet of God have trodden, put them off, as Moses did upon the Mount, the

 XX.  What sayest thou?  Thus it hath pleased Him that thou shouldest come forth out of Egypt, the iron furnace that thou shouldest leave behind the i

 XXI.  If you are a Rachel or a Leah, a patriarchal and great soul, steal whatever idols of your father you can find not, however, that you may keep t

 XXII.   Now we are to examine another fact and dogma, neglected by most people, but in my judgment well worth enquiring into.  To Whom was that Blood

 XXIII.  Now we will partake of a Passover which is still typical though it is plainer than the old one.  For that is ever new which is now becoming k

 XXIV.  If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up the Cross and follow.  If you are crucified with Him as a robber, penitent

 XXV.  And if He ascend up into Heaven, ascend with Him.  Be one of those angels who escort Him, or one of those who receive Him.  Bid the gates be lif

 XXVI.   To this what will those cavillers say, those bitter reasoners about Godhead, those detractors of all things that are praiseworthy, those darke

 XXVII.  He was sent, but sent according to His Manhood (for He was of two Natures), since He was hungry and thirsty and weary, and was distressed and

 XXVIII.  It is now needful for us to sum up our discourse as follows:  We were created that we might be made happy.  We were made happy when we were c

 XXIX.  Many indeed are the miracles of that time:  God crucified the sun darkened and again rekindled for it was fitting that the creatures should s

 XXX.  But, O Pascha, great and holy and purifier of all the world—for I will speak to thee as to a living person—O Word of God and Light and Life and

X.  But perhaps some one of those who are too impetuous and festive may say, “What has all this to do with us?  Spur on your horse to the goal; talk to us about the Festival and the reasons for our being here to-day.”  Yes, this is what I am about to do, although I have begun at a somewhat previous point, being compelled to do so by the needs of my argument.  There will be no harm in the eyes of scholars and lovers of the beautiful if we say a few words about the word Pascha itself, for such an addition will not be useless in their ears.  This great and venerable Pascha is called Phaska by the Hebrews in their own language; and the word means Passing Over.  Historically, from their flight and migration from Egypt into the Land of Canaan; spiritually, from the progress and ascent from things below to things above and to the Land of Promise.  And we observe that a thing which we often find to have happened in Scripture, the change of certain nouns from an uncertain to a clearer sense, or from a coarser to a more refined, has taken place in this instance.  For some people, supposing this to be a name of the Sacred Passion, and in consequence Grecizing the word by changing Phi and Kappa into Pi and Chi, called the Day Pascha.11    Pascha represents the Hebrew PHSKH.  Throughout 2 Chron. the LXX. represents the word by Phasek, which like Pascha is a transliteration of the Hebrew word.  The form which the transliteration takes is due to the fact that the Greek language does not tolerate these two aspirates in juxtapostion.  S. Gregory is correct in remarking that Pascha has no real connection with πάσχω (to suffer), though it might appear to unlearned ears that it has.  And custom took it up and confirmed the word, with the help of the ears of most people, to whom it had a more pious sound.

Ιʹ. Ἀλλὰ τί τούτων ἡμῖν, τάχα ἂν εἴποι τις τῶν λίαν φιλεόρτων καὶ θερμοτέρων; Κέντει τὸν πῶλον περὶ τὴν νύσσαν: τὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἡμῖν φιλοσόφει, καὶ οἷς προκαθεζόμεθα σήμερον. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ποιήσω, καὶ εἰ μικρὸν ἄνωθεν ἠρξάμην, οὕτω τοῦ λόγου καὶ τοῦ πόθου βιασαμένων. Οὐ χεῖρον δὲ ἴσως τοῖς φιλομαθέσι καὶ φιλοκάλοις περὶ τῆς προσηγορίας αὐτῆς τοῦ Πάσχα βραχέα διαλαβεῖν. Γένοιτο γὰρ ἂν οὐ φαῦλον τοῦτο ταῖς ἀκοαῖς ἐπεισόδιον. Τὸ Πάσχα τοῦτο, τὸ μέγα τε καὶ σεβάσμιον, Φάσκα τοῖς Ἑβραίοις προσαγορεύεται, κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνων φωνήν: δηλοῖ δὲ ἡ φωνὴ τὴν διάβασιν: ἱστορικῶς μὲν, διὰ τὴν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου πρὸς τὴν Χαναναίαν φυγὴν καὶ μετανάστασιν: πνευματικῶς δὲ, διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν κάτω πρὸς τὰ ἄνω, καὶ τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας πρόοδον καὶ ἀνάβασιν. Ὅπερ δὲ πολλαχοῦ τῆς Γραφῆς συμβὰν εὕρομεν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀσαφεστέρων μεταποιηθέντα τινὰ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὸ σαφέστερον, ἢ τῶν ἀγροικοτέρων ἐπὶ τὸ εὐσχημονέστερον, τοῦτο κἀνταῦθα τεθεωρήκαμεν. Τοῦ γὰρ σωτηρίου πάθους ὄνομα τοῦτο εἶναί τινες νομίσαντες, εἶτα ἐξελληνίζοντες τὴν φωνὴν, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ φῖ πρὸς τὸ πῖ, καὶ τοῦ κάππα πρὸς τὸ χῖ μεταποίησιν, Πάσχα τὴν ἡμέραν προσηγορεύκασιν. Παραλαβοῦσα δὲ ἡ συνήθεια τὴν φωνὴν, ἰσχυροτέραν ἐποίησε, προστρεχούσης τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ἀκοῆς, ὡς εὐσεβεστέρῳ τῷ ῥήματι.