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of the creditors; the bond is torn up so that they may not attack us after these things. 3.23 Since, therefore, the former was torn up, let us be zealous that another bond not be made again; for there is not a second cross, not a second remission through the bath of regeneration. For there is remission, but there is not a second remission through the bath. But let us not become more careless, I beseech you. You came out of Egypt, O man, no longer seek again Egypt and the evils of Egypt; no longer remember the clay and the brick-making; for the present affairs of life are clay and brick-making, since even gold itself before it became gold is nothing other than earth. 3.24 The Jews saw wonders; and you will now see greater and much more splendid ones than when the Jews went out of Egypt. You did not see Pharaoh being drowned with his weapons, but you saw the devil being submerged with his weapons. They crossed the sea, you crossed death; they were delivered from the Egyptians, you were freed from demons; the Jews cast off a barbaric slavery, but you, the much more grievous one of sin. 3.25 Do you want to learn also from another way how you have been deemed worthy of greater things? The Jews then were not able to see the face of Moses being glorified, and this though he was a fellow servant and kinsman; but you have seen the face of Christ in his glory. And Paul cries out, saying: “But we, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.” They had Christ following them then, but much more does he now follow us. For then the Lord followed them on account of the grace of Moses, but for us, not only on account of the grace of Moses but also on account of your own obedience. For them after Egypt, a desert; but for you after the exodus, heaven. They had an excellent leader and general, Moses; we too have another Moses, God, leading and commanding us. 3.26 For what was the mark of that Moses? “For Moses,” it says, “was more meek than all men who are upon the earth.” One would not err in saying this also about this Moses. For the most meek Spirit was also present with him as consubstantial and kindred. Moses then raised his hands to heaven and brought down the bread of angels, the manna. This Moses, raising his hands to heaven, brings the eternal food. That one struck the rock and brought forth rivers of water; this one touches the table, strikes the spiritual table, and makes springs of the spirit gush forth. For this reason the table is set in the midst like a spring, so that the flocks may flow around the spring from all sides, so that they may enjoy the saving streams. 3.27 Since, therefore, such is the spring here, and such is the life, and the table is full of countless good things, and from every side the spiritual gifts gush forth for us, let us approach with a true heart, with a pure conscience, that we may receive grace and mercy for timely help; by the grace and loving-kindness of the only-begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father and to the life-giving Spirit be glory, honor, power, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

4.t HOMILY 4 By the same to the newly-enlightened and on the saying of the apostle: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away, behold

all things have become new.” 4.1 Today I see the assembly more joyful than usual and the of God

church rejoicing over its own children. For just as a loving mother, seeing her children surrounding her, is delighted and leaps and is winged by pleasure, in the very same way this spiritual mother also, seeing her own children, rejoices and is glad, seeing herself like a fruitful field abounding with

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τῶν δανειστῶν· διαρρήγνυται τὸ χειρόγραφον ἵνα μὴ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡμῖν ἐπιπηδήσωσιν. 3.23 Ἐπεὶ οὖν διερράγη τὸ πρότερον, σπουδάσωμεν ὅπως μὴ γένηται πάλιν ἄλλο χειρόγραφον· δεύτερος γὰρ σταυρὸς οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐ δευτέρα ἄφεσις διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας. Ἄφεσις μὲν γὰρ ἔστι, διὰ λουτροῦ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι δευτέρα ἄφεσις. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ῥᾳθυμώτεροι γενώμεθα, παρακαλῶ. Ἐξῆλθες ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, μηκέτι πάλιν Αἴγυπτον καὶ τὰ Αἰγύπτου ζήτει κακά· μηκέτι τοῦ πηλοῦ καὶ τῆς πλινθείας μέμνησο· πηλὸς γὰρ καὶ πλινθεία τὰ παρόντα τοῦ βίου πράγματα, ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ χρυσίον πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι χρυσίον οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ γῆ. 3.24 Εἶδον θαύματα Ἰουδαῖοι· καὶ σὺ νῦν μείζονα ὄψει καὶ πολλῷ λαμπρότερα ἢ τότε ὅτε οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐξῄεσαν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου. Οὐκ εἶδες τὸν Φαραὼ μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων ἀποπνιγόμενον, ἀλλ' εἶδες τὸν διάβολον μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων καταποντιζόμενον. ∆ιέβησαν ἐκεῖνοι πέλαγος, διέβης σὺ θάνατον· ἀπηλλάγησαν Αἰγυπτίων ἐκεῖνοι, ἠλευθερώθης δαιμόνων σύ· δουλείαν ἀπέθεντο βαρβαρικὴν Ἰουδαῖοι, σὺ δὲ τὴν πολλῷ καλεπωτέραν τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας. 3.25 Βούλει καὶ ἑτέρωθεν μαθεῖν πῶς μειζόνων ἠξιώθης σύ; Ἰουδαῖοι τότε οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον Μωϋσέως δοξαζόμενον καὶ ταῦτα συνδούλου καὶ συγγενοῦς ὄντος· σὺ δὲ τὸ πρόσωπον εἶδες τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος λέγων· «Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμεθα.» Εἶχον ἐκεῖνοι τὸν Χριστὸν ἑπόμενον τότε, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν νῦν ἕπεται. Ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ τότε ὁ Κύριος ἠκολούθει διὰ τὴν χάριν Μωϋσέως, ἡμῖν δὲ οὐ διὰ τὴν χάριν Μωϋσέως μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ὑμῶν εὐπείθειαν. Ἐκείνοις μετὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἔρημος, σοὶ δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον οὐρανός. Εἶχον ἐκεῖνοι ἡγεμόνα καὶ στρατηγὸν ἄριστον Μωσέα, ἔχομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἄλλον Μωϋσῆν τὸν Θεὸν προηγούμενον ἡμῖν καὶ στρατηγοῦντα. 3.26 Τί γὰρ τὸ τεκμήριον τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐκείνου; «Ἦν γάρ, φησίν, Μωσῆς πραότερος ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.» Τοῦτό τις εἰπὼν καὶ περὶ τούτου τοῦ Μωϋσέως οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτῳ συμπαρῆν τὸ πραότατον Πνεῦμα ὡς ὁμοούσιον καὶ συγγενές. Μωϋσῆς τότε ἀνέτεινε τὰς χεῖρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ κατήνεγκεν ἄρτον ἀγγέλων τὸ μάννα. Οὗτος ὁ Μωϋσῆς ἀνατείνων τὰς χεῖρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν φέρει τὴν αἰώνιον τροφήν. Ἐκεῖνος ἔπληξε τὴν πέτραν καὶ ἐξέβαλε ποταμοὺς ὑδάτων· οὗτος ἅπτεται τῆς τραπέζης, πλήττει τὴν νοητὴν τράπεζαν καὶ πηγὰς πνεύματος ἀναβλύζειν ποιεῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καθάπερ πηγὴ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἡ τράπεζα κεῖται, ἵνα πανταχόθεν τὰ ποίμνια περιρρέῃ τὴν πηγήν, ἵνα ἀπολαύῃ τῶν σωτηρίων ναμάτων. 3.27 Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοιαύτη μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἡ πηγή, τοιαύτη δὲ ἡ ζωὴ καὶ μυρίων ἡ τράπεζα γέμει τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ πανταχόθεν ἡμῖν βρύει τὰ δῶρα τὰ πνευματικά, μετὰ ἀληθινῆς καρδίας προσέλθωμεν, μετὰ συνειδότος καθαροῦ, ἵνα λάβωμεν χάριν καὶ ἔλεον εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν· χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ, κυρίου δὲ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι δόξα, τιμή, κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

4.t ΛΟΓΟΣ ∆ʹ Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς νεοφωτίστους καὶ εἰς τὸ ῥητὸν τοῦ ἀποστόλου· «Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ

γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά». 4.1 Φαιδρότερον σήμερον ὁρῶ τοῦ συνήθους τὸν σύλλογον καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ

ἐκκλησίαν ἀγαλλομένην ἐπὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις τέκνοις. Καθάπερ γὰρ μήτηρ φιλόστοργος ὁρῶσα τοὺς ἑαυτῆς παῖδας κυκλοῦντας αὐτὴν ἥδεται καὶ σκιρτᾷ καὶ πτεροῦται ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἡ πνευματικὴ αὕτη μήτηρ βλέπουσα τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα χαίρει καὶ γέγηθεν ὁρῶσα ἑαυτὴν καθάπερ πολύφορον ἄρουραν κομῶσαν τοῖς