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mercy to the poor. For this reason he commands that the leftover meat be burned and not kept until the next day; thereby compelling them to call those in need to share in the feast. But all these things are riddles of our mysteries; for we too anoint with the blood of our lamb, not only the lintel but also the two doorposts; in the visible sense, purifying and sanctifying the tongue and the lips; but in the intelligible sense, the rational faculty instead of the lintel, and the spirited and appetitive faculties instead of the two doorposts. It is also fitting for us to eat it neither raw nor boiled, but roasted with fire. For we do not look only at the letter, but we examine the meaning. Nor do we introduce human reasonings into the divine oracles; for Isaiah also accused some of this, as "mixing wine with water." But we use only the divine fire, the grace of the Holy Spirit. And we understand not leaving any meat until the next day in this way, that the life to come has no need of symbols; for in that life we see the things themselves. But those who poorly understand the divine oracles break the bones of the lamb, trying to transfer them to their own impiety. And the taking not only from the sheep, but also from the goats, again proclaims the divine love for humanity; for not only for the just, but also for sinners did the Lord Christ endure the saving passion. For he himself taught us to understand it thus; for he compared the assembly of the saints to lambs, but that of those not such, to goats; for the law commanded a goat to be offered for sin. And of those who partake of the divine mysteries, some partake as of a lamb, since they have acquired perfect virtue; others as of a goat, wiping away the stains of their sins through repentance. Thus also our Savior fed those who had gathered, not only with wheat loaves, but also with barley loaves. And the Lord commanded us also to have our loins girded, and our feet shod, and our lamps burning, as servants awaiting their master. But the Hebrews, as they were being delivered from the Egyptians and brought into the land of Canaan, had this form, but we, as being translated from here to another life. For this reason also the divine Paul exhorts us, crying, "Cleanse out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened." And he added, "For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us," and he added, "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." And from the beginning the God of all has foretold the salvation of the nations. For he commanded the proselytes to partake of the Passover; for he called the proselyte a sojourner, and gave him equality of law; "for," he says, "he shall be as a native of the land." And the "It shall be eaten in one house," the faithful observe, partaking of the divine mysteries only in the Church of God, while abominating the synagogues of the heretics. Moreover, the Lord God legislated that the firstborn of the cattle and of the sheep be offered, reminding them of the salvation of their own firstborn; for he himself did not need the sacrifices, but he was working for their benefit. For the law itself shows this; "If your son asks you, saying, ‘What is this?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And when Pharaoh was hardened to send us away, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of cattle. For this reason I sacrifice to the Lord every male that opens the womb; and I will redeem every firstborn of my sons. And it shall be for a sign upon your hand, and as something unshakable before your eyes. For by a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.’" Therefore each of these things was done not for God's need, but for the benefit of the people. XXV Some say, for

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εἰς τοὺς πένητας ἔλεον. διὰ τοῦτο παρα κελεύεται καὶ τὰ περιττεύοντα τῶν κρεῶν κατακαίεσθαι καὶ εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν μὴ φυλάττεσθαι· ταύτῃ καταναγκάζων αὐτοὺς καλεῖν τοὺς δεομένους εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ἑορτῆς. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐστὶ μυστηρίων αἰνίγματα· χρίομεν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τῷ αἵματι τοῦ ἡμετέρου ἀμνοῦ, οὐ μόνον τὴν φλιὰν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς δύο σταθμούς· κατὰ μὲν τὸ ὁρώμενον τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ τὰ χείλη καθαίροντές τε καὶ ἁγιάζοντες· κατὰ δὲ τὸ νοούμενον, ἀντὶ μὲν φλιᾶς τὸ λογικόν, ἀντὶ δὲ τῶν δύο σταθμῶν τὸ θυμοειδὲς καὶ τὸ ἐπιθυμητικόν. ἁρμόττει δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ μήτε ὠμὰ μήτε ἑψημένα ἐσθίειν, ἀλλὰ ὀπτὰ πυρί. οὔτε γὰρ μόνῳ τῷ γράμματι προσ βλέπομεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐρευνῶμεν. οὔτε μὴν ἀνθρωπίνους λογισ μοὺς τοῖς θείοις ἐπεισάγομεν λογίοις· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ Ἠσαΐας τινῶν κατηγόρησεν, ὡς "ἀναμιγνύντων ὕδατι τὸν οἶνον". ἀλλὰ μόνῳ χρώμεθα τῷ θείῳ πυρί, τῇ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάριτι. τὸ δὲ μὴ καταλιπεῖν τῶν κρεῶν εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν οὕτω νοοῦμεν, ὅτι ὁ μέλλων βίος τῶν συμβό λων οὐ δεῖται· αὐτὰ γὰρ ὁρῶμεν ἐν ἐκείνῳ τὰ πράγματα. τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ τοῦ προβάτου συντρίβουσιν οἱ κακῶς τὰ θεῖα νοοῦντες λόγια, καὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν αὐτὰ πειρώμενοι μεταφέρειν ἀσέβειαν. τὸ δὲ μὴ μόνον ἐκ προβάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἐρίφων λαμβάνειν, τὴν θείαν πάλιν κηρύττει φιλανθρωπίαν· οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὑπὲρ δικαίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν ὁ δεσπότης Χρισ τὸς τὸ σωτήριον ὑπομεμένηκε πάθος. οὕτω δὲ νοεῖν αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξεπαί δευσεν· ἀμνοῖς μὲν γὰρ τὸν τῶν ἁγίων ἀπείκασε σύλλογον· τὸν δὲ τῶν οὐ τοιούτων, ἐρίφοις· ἔριφον γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος προσφέρειν ἐκέ λευσε. καὶ τῶν θείων δὲ μυστηρίων οἱ μεταλαμβάνοντες, οἱ μὲν ὡς προ βάτου μεταλαμβάνουσιν, ἅτε δὴ τελείαν τὴν ἀρετὴν κεκτημένοι· οἱ δὲ ὡς ἐρίφου, διὰ μετανοίας ἐξαλείφοντες τὰς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κηλίδας. οὕτω καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἐκ σιτίνων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ κριθίνων 120 ἄρτων τοὺς συνεληλυθότας διέθρεψε. καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ δεσπότης ἐκέλευσεν ἔχειν τὰς ὀσφύας περιεζωσμένας, καὶ τοὺς πόδας ὑποδεδεμένους, καὶ τοὺς λύχνους καιομένους, ὡς οἰκέτας δεσπότην προσμένοντας. ἀλλ' ἑβραίοι μὲν ὡς αἰγυπτίων ἀπαλλαττόμενοι, καὶ εἰς τὴν χαναναίαν γῆν εἰσαγό μενοι, τοῦτο εἶχον τὸ σχῆμα, ἡμεῖς δέ, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ἕτερον μεθιστάμενοι βίον. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμῖν ὁ θεῖος παρακελεύεται Παῦλος βοῶν, " ἐκκα θάρατε τὴν παλαιὰν ζύμην, ἵνα ἦτε νέον φύρα μα, καθώς ἐστε ἄζυμοι ". καὶ ἐπήγαγε· " καὶ γὰρ τὸ Πάσχα ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐτύθη Χριστός ", καὶ προσ τέθεικεν· " ὥστε ἑορτάζωμεν, μὴ ἐν ζύμῃ παλαιᾷ, μηδὲ ἐν ζύμῃ κακίας καὶ πονηρίας ἀλλ' ἐν ἀζύ μοις εἰλικρινείας καὶ ἀληθείας ". ἄνωθεν δὲ προμεμή νυκε τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν σωτηρίαν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός. καὶ γὰρ τοὺς προσηλύ τους μεταλαγχάνειν τοῦ Πάσχα προσέταξε· γειώραν γὰρ τὸν προσήλυτον προσηγόρευσε, καὶ ἰσονομίας αὐτῷ μετέδωκεν· " ἔσται, γάρ φησιν, ὡς ὁ αὐτόχθων τῆς γῆς ". καὶ τὸ " ἐν οἰκίᾳ μιᾷ βρωθήσεται ". φυλάττουσιν οἱ πιστοὶ ἐν μόνῃ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκ κλησίᾳ τῶν θείων μεταλαμβάνοντες μυστηρίων, τὰς δὲ τῶν αἱρετικῶν συναγωγὰς βδελυττόμενοι. τὰ μέντοι πρωτότοκα καὶ τῶν βοῶν καὶ τῶν προβάτων προσφέρεσθαι νενομοθέτηκεν ὁ δεσπότης Θεός, τῆς τῶν πρω τοτόκων αὐτῶν σωτηρίας ἀναμιμνήσκων· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς τῶν θυμάτων ἐδεῖτο, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ὠφέλειαν ἐπραγματεύετο. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ νόμος δηλοῖ· " ἐὰν ἐρωτήσῃ σε ὁ υἱός σου λέγων· τί ἐστι τοῦτο; καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτόν, ὅτι ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς Κύριος ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας. ἡνίκα δὲ ἐσκλή 121 ρυνε Φαραὼ ἐξαποστεῖλαι ἡμᾶς, ἀπέκτεινε Κύ ριος πᾶν πρωτότοκον ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ ἀπὸ πρω τοτόκου ἀνθρώπου, ἕως πρωτοτόκων κτηνῶν. διὰ τοῦτο ἐγὼ θύω τῷ Κυρίῳ πᾶν διανοῖγον μήτραν, τὰ ἀρσενικά· καὶ πᾶν πρωτότοκον τῶν υἱῶν μου λυτρώσομαι. καὶ ἔσται εἰς ση μεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς χειρός σου, καὶ ἀσάλευτον πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν σου. ἐν γὰρ χειρὶ κραταιᾷ ἐξήγαγέ σε Κύριος ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ". τοιγάρτοι τούτων ἕκαστον οὐ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χρείας ἕνεκεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐγίνετο ὠφελείας. XXV Τινές φασιν, εἰς