45
that we should care with exactness for our soul. For this too is a work of His love for mankind, that He who stands in need of nothing of ours says that He receives rewards, when we care for our own souls. Wherefore it is worthy of the utmost folly and of countless punishments, that having enjoyed such honor, we do not contribute even what is in our power; and that, when the benefit from these things comes back to us again, and countless good things are laid up for us on this account. For all these things, then, let us send up glory to the God who loves mankind, not by words only, but much more by deeds, that we may obtain also the good things which come after these; which may it be granted to us all to obtain, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
59.81 HOMILY XII. And we have seen His glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
1. Perhaps formerly we seemed to you more harsh and burdensome than was fitting,
using a more striking discourse, and extending a long accusation against the indolence of the many. But if we did these things choosing only to grieve you for this, each of you would reasonably have been vexed; but if, looking to your advantage, we have overlooked grace in our words, even if you do not wish to accept our forethought, you would be right to pardon such great affection. For indeed we are very afraid, lest while we are zealous, but you are not willing to show the same diligence in hearing, the future accountings should become more severe. Wherefore we are continually compelled to rouse and awaken you, so that nothing of what is said may flow away. For thus it will be possible for you both to live now with great confidence, and on that day to stand at the judgment seat of Christ. Since, then, we sufficiently rebuked you before, come, let us today from the introduction enter into the very sayings. For, “we have seen,” he says, “His glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father.” Having said that we have become children of God, and shown it is in no other way than by the Word becoming flesh, he again speaks of another gain from this very thing. And what is this? “We have seen His glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father;” which we would not have seen, had He not appeared to us through His kindred body. For if those at that time did not endure to see the face of Moses, who partook of the same nature as we, when it alone was glorified, but the righteous man also needed a veil that could overshadow the unmixed nature of the glory, and show the Prophet's countenance as gentle and mild to them; how could we, who are of clay and earth-born, have been able to bear the naked Godhead, which is unapproachable even to the powers above? For this reason He tabernacled among us, that we might be able to approach Him, and converse, and associate with Him with much freedom. And what is, “Glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father”? Since many of the prophets also were glorified, such as this Moses himself, Elijah, Elisha; the one being encircled by a fiery chariot, the other being thus taken up; and after them Daniel, and the three children, and many others, as many as performed wonders, were glorified; and angels also appearing among men, and opening to the beholders the flashing light of their own nature; and not only angels, but also the Cherubim appeared to the Prophet with much glory, and the Seraphim likewise; the evangelist, leading us away from all these, and raising our minds from creation and the splendor of our fellow-servants, places us at the very summit of good things. For not
45
τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμᾶς μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς ἡμετέρας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἔργον, τὸ μηδενὸς ἐν χρείᾳ τῶν ἡμετέρων καθεστηκότα αὐτὸν λέγειν κομίζεσθαι τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, ὅταν ἡμεῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμελώμεθα τῆς ἑαυτῶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας καὶ μυρίων κολάσεων ἄξιον, τὸ τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκότας τιμῆς, μηδὲ τὰ κατὰ δύναμιν εἰσενεγκεῖν· καὶ ταῦτα, τῆς ἐκ τούτων ὠφελείας εἰς ἡμᾶς περιερχομένης πάλιν, καὶ μυρίων ἐπὶ τούτοις κειμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν. Ὑπὲρ δὴ τούτων ἁπάντων δόξαν ἀναπέμψωμεν τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ, μὴ διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα τύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
59.81 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΒʹ. Καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρὸς, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.
αʹ. Τάχα πέρα τοῦ δέοντος ἐφάνημεν ὑμῖν ἐπαχθεῖς καὶ φορτικοὶ πρώην,
πληκτικωτέρῳ χρησάμενοι τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ μακρὰν κατὰ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ῥᾳθυμίας ἀποτείναντες τὴν κατηγορίαν. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν αὐτὸ τοῦτο λυπῆσαι προελόμενοι μόνον ὑμᾶς ταῦτα ἐπράττομεν, εἰκότως ἂν ἕκαστος ἐδυσχέραινεν· εἰ δὲ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ὑμῶν βλέποντες, τὴν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις χάριν παρείδομεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἀποδέξασθαι βούλεσθε τῆς προμηθείας ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ συγγνῶναι τῆς τοσαύτης ἂν εἴητε δίκαιοι φιλοστοργίας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ σφόδρα δεδοίκαμεν, μήποτε σπουδαζόντων μὲν ἡμῶν, ὑμῶν δὲ οὐκ ἐθελόντων τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν φιλοπονίαν, αἱ τῶν μελλόντων εὐθῦναι χαλεπώτεραι γένωνται. ∆ιὸ συνεχῶς ἀναγκαζόμεθα διεγείρειν τε ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀφυπνίζειν, ὥστε μηδὲν τῶν λεγομένων παραῤῥυῆναι. Οὕτω γὰρ ὑμῖν μετὰ πολλῆς παῤῥησίας νῦν τε ἐξέσται βιῶναι, καὶ κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν παραστῆναι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἱκανῶς ὑμῶν καθηψάμεθα πρώην, φέρε τήμερον ἐκ προοιμίων εἰς αὐτὰς τὰς ῥήσεις ἐμβάλωμεν. Καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός. Εἰπὼν ὅτι Θεοῦ τέκνα γεγόναμεν, καὶ δείξας οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ τῷ τὸν Λόγον σάρκα γενέσθαι, πάλιν αὐτοῦ τούτου λέγει καὶ ἕτερον κέρδος. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός· οὐκ ἂν θεασάμενοι, εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ συντρόφου σώματος ἡμῖν ὤφθη. Εἰ γὰρ Μωϋσέως τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν μετέχοντος φύσεως οὐχ ὑπέμειναν οἱ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν τὸ πρόσωπον μόνον δοξασθὲν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προκαλύμματος ἐδέησε τῷ δικαίῳ τοῦ δυναμένου τὸ τῆς δόξης ἄκρατον συσκιάσαι, καὶ ἥμερον καὶ προσηνῆ τοῦ Προφήτου τὴν ὄψιν αὐτοῖς δεῖξαι· πῶς θεότητα γυμνὴν, οὖσαν ἀπρόσιτον καὶ αὐταῖς ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσιν, ἡμεῖς οἱ πήλινοι καὶ γηγενεῖς ἠδυνήθημεν ἂν ἐνεγκεῖν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, ἵνα καὶ προσελθεῖν αὐτῷ καὶ διαλεχθῆναι καὶ συναναστραφῆναι δυνηθῶμεν μετὰ ἀδείας πολλῆς. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ, ∆όξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός; Ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν ἐδοξάσθησαν, οἶον αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ὁ Ἠλίας, ὁ Ἐλισσαῖος· ὁ μὲν ὑπὸ πυρίνου κυκλούμενος ἅρματος, ὁ δὲ οὕτως ἀναλαμβανόμενος· καὶ μετ' αὐτοὺς ὁ ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ οἱ παῖδες οἱ τρεῖς, καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ πολλοὶ, ὅσοι καὶ θαύματα ἐπεδείξαντο, ἐδοξάσθησαν· καὶ ἄγγελοι δὲ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις φανέντες, καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως ἀπαστράπτον φῶς παρανοίξαντες τοῖς ὁρῶσιν· οὐκ ἄγγελοι δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ Χερουβὶμ μετὰ πολλῆς ὤφθη τῷ Προφήτῃ τῆς δόξης, καὶ τὰ Σεραφὶμ ὁμοίως· πάντων δὴ τούτων ἡμᾶς ἀπάγων ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, καὶ τῆς κτίσεως καὶ τῆς τῶν ὁμοδούλων λαμπρότητος ἀπανιστὰς τὴν διάνοιαν, πρὸς αὐτὴν ἡμᾶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἵστησι τὴν κορυφήν. Οὐ γὰρ