John Chrysostom, On John

if we do not show a pure life, but, having clothed ourselves in garments unworthy of this blessed calling, we arrive, nothing prevents us also from suffering the same things as that wretched man. For it is strange, that He, being God and king, is not ashamed of humble men, and beggars, and men of no account, but brings those from the crossroads to that table; while we show such insensibility, as not to be made better by so great an honor, but even after the call remain in the same wickedness, insulting the ineffable love for humankind of the one who has called us. For he did not call us to this spiritual and awesome communion of the mysteries for this reason, that we should enter with our former wickedness, but that, having stripped off our shamefulness, we might put on what those who feast in the royal palace ought to be clothed in. But if we are not willing to do things worthy of that calling, this is not the fault of the one who has honored us, but our own. For it is not he who casts us out of the wonderful company of the guests, but we ourselves. For he has done all his part. 59.78 For he made the wedding feast, and prepared the table, and sent those who invite, and received those who came, and honored them with every other honor; but we, having insulted him, and those present, and the wedding feast through our filthy garments, that is, our unclean deeds, are then rightly cast out. For in this way, honoring both the wedding and the invited guests, he drives out those insolent and shameless ones. For if he had allowed those clothed in that garment, he himself would have seemed to insult the others too. But may it happen that none experience such a thing from the one who has called us, neither we, nor any others. For it is for this reason, before all these things came to pass, that it was written, so that, being brought to our senses by the threat in the scriptures, we may not allow this dishonor and punishment to come into effect, but may stop it at the words alone, and each of us with a bright robe may come to that calling; which may we all be granted to enjoy, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

59.77 HOMILY 11. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

1. There is one favor I wish to ask of you all, before I touch upon the words of the Gospel; but do not refuse the request. For I do not ask anything heavy or burdensome, nor will what is given be useful only to me who receives it, but also to you who give it; and perhaps much more to you. What then is it that I ask of you? On the first day of the week, or even on the Sabbath, the passage of the Gospels which is about to be read among you, let each one, taking this in hand before these days while sitting at home, read it continuously, and often examine its contents with accuracy, and investigate them well; and let him mark what is clear, and what is obscure; and what seems to be contradictory in them, though it is not; and having simply tested everything, so come to the hearing. For the gain from such diligence will be no small thing both for you and for us. For we shall not need much labor to make clear the meaning of what is said, your mind having already become familiar with the sense of the words; and you in this way will become sharper and more discerning, not only for hearing, nor for learning, but also for teaching others. Since as it is now, the many who come here listen, being forced to learn all at once both the words themselves and the things said by us about them, not even if for a whole year this

μὴ βίον ἐπιδειξώμεθα καθαρὸν, ἀλλ' ἀνάξια τῆς μακαρίας κλήσεως ταύτης ἱμάτια ἀμφιασάμενοι παραγενώμεθα, οὐδὲν κωλύει καὶ ἡμᾶς παθεῖν τὰ αὐτὰ, ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος ὁ δείλαιος. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον, αὐτὸν μὲν, Θεὸν ὄντα καὶ βασιλέα, ἀνθρώπους εὐτελεῖς, καὶ ἀγύρτας, καὶ μηδενὸς ἀξίους ὄντας μὴ ἐπαισχύνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς τριόδου πρὸς τὴν τράπεζαν ἄγειν ἐκείνην· ἡμᾶς δὲ τοσαύτην ἀναισθησίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ὡς μηδὲ τῇ τοσαύτῃ τιμῇ γενέσθαι βελτίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν κλῆσιν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μένειν κακίας, εἰς τὴν ἄφατον τοῦ κεκληκότος ἐμπαροινοῦντας φιλανθρωπίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν ταύτην καὶ φρικτὴν τῶν μυστηρίων ἐκάλεσε κοινωνίαν, ἵνα μετὰ τῆς προτέρας εἰσερχώμεθα κακίας, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀποδυσάμενοι τὴν αἰσχρότητα, μεταμφιασώμεθα ἃ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἑστιωμένους ἠμφιάσθαι χρή. Εἰ δὲ μὴ βουλοίμεθα ἄξια τῆς κλήσεως πρᾶξαι ἐκείνης, οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο παρὰ τὸν τετιμηκότα, ἀλλὰ παρ' ἡμᾶς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἡμᾶς ἐκβάλλει τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ τῶν δαιτυμόνων χοροῦ, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἑαυτούς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ πᾶν ἤνυσε. 59.78 Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς γάμους ἐποίησε, καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν παρεσκεύασε, καὶ τοὺς καλέσαντας ἔπεμψε, καὶ παραγενομένους ἐδέξατο, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν τετίμηκε τιμήν· ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰς τοὺς παρόντας, καὶ εἰς τὸν γάμον ὑβρίσαντες διὰ τῶν ῥυπαρῶν ἱματίων, τουτέστι, τῶν ἀκαθάρτων πράξεων, εἰκότως ἐκβαλλόμεθα λοιπόν. Ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ τὸν γάμον τιμῶν, καὶ τοὺς κεκλημένους, ἀπελαύνει τοὺς ἰταμοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἀναισχύντους ἐκείνους. Εἰ γὰρ εἴασε τοὺς ἐκεῖνο ἠμφιεσμένους τὸ ἱμάτιον, αὐτὸς ἂν ἔδοξε καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὑβρίζειν. Ἀλλὰ μηδένα γένοιτο τοιούτου πειραθῆναι τοῦ κεκληκότος, μήτε ἡμῶν, μήτε ἑτέρων τινῶν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο, πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι ταῦτα πάντα, ἀναγέγραπται· ἵνα ἐν τῇ τῶν γραμμάτων ἀπειλῇ σωφρονισθέντες, μὴ συγχωρήσωμεν εἰς ἔργον ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἀτιμίαν καὶ τὴν κόλασιν ταύτην, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτὴν στήσωμεν μόνον, καὶ μετὰ λαμπρᾶς ἕκαστος στολῆς εἰς τὴν κλῆσιν ἐκείνην παραγενώμεθα· ἧς ἀπολαῦσαι γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.77 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΑʹ. Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν.

αʹ. Μίαν ὑμᾶς ἅπαντας αἰτῆσαι βούλομαι χάριν, πρὶν ἢ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν

ἅψασθαι ῥημάτων· ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀνανεύσητε πρὸς τὴν αἴτησιν. Οὔτε γὰρ βαρύ τι καὶ ἐπαχθὲς αἰτῶ, οὔτ' ἐμοὶ τῷ λαμβάνοντι μόνον χρήσιμον ἔσται τὸ διδόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς παρέχουσι· καὶ τάχα πολλῷ πλέον ὑμῖν. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστιν ὅπερ αἰτοῦμαι ὑμᾶς; Κατὰ μίαν Σαββάτων, ἢ καὶ κατὰ Σάββατον, τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀναγνωσθήσεσθαι τῶν Εὐαγγελίων περικοπὴν, ταύτην πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν μετὰ χεῖρας λαμβάνων ἕκαστος οἴκοι καθήμενος ἀναγινωσκέτω συνεχῶς, καὶ πολλάκις περισκοπείτω μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ ἐγκείμενα, καὶ βασανιζέτω ταῦτα καλῶς· καὶ τί μὲν σαφὲς, τί δὲ ἄδηλον, σημειούσθω· τί δὲ αὐτῶν ἐναντίον εἶναι δοκοῦν, οὐκ ὂν δέ· καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς διακωδωνίσαντες, οὕτως ἀπαντᾶτε πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόασιν. Οὐ γὰρ μικρὸν ἀπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης σπουδῆς καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ ἡμῖν ἔσται τὸ κέρδος. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ οὐ πολλοῦ δεησόμεθα πόνου πρὸς τὸ σαφῆ ποιῆσαι τῶν λεγομένων τὴν δύναμιν, τῆς διανοίας ὑμῖν ἤδη προοικειωθείσης τῇ τῶν ῥημάτων γνώσει· ὑμεῖς δὲ ὀξύτεροι καὶ διορατικώτεροι τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ γενήσεσθε, οὐ πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόασιν μόνον, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν μάθησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ διδάξαι ἑτέρους. Ἐπεὶ ὥς γε νῦν οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα παραγινομένων ἀκούουσιν, ὁμοῦ πάντα ἀναγκαζόμενοι μαθεῖν τά τε ῥήματα, τά τε παρ' ἡμῶν εἰς αὐτὰ λεγόμενα, οὐδ' ἂν εἰ ἐνιαυτὸν ὅλον τοῦτο