John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Colossians

reaching a precise redness, smooth like marble underneath, even; then he showed me Paul weeping, I would have left that and leaped to the sight of him. For a spiritual beauty shone from these eyes. For that beauty drives young souls out of their minds, it kindles and sets them on fire; but this one, on the contrary, calms them. He who sees these eyes makes his own soul more beautiful, suppresses gluttony, fills it with philosophy, with much sympathy, and is able to soften an adamantine soul. By these tears the Church is watered, by these tears souls are planted; even if it is fire, these tears can extinguish it, both perceptible and bodily; these tears quench the fiery darts of the Evil One. Let us remember his tears, therefore, and we shall laugh at all present things. Christ blessed these tears, saying: Blessed are those who mourn, and blessed are those who weep, for they shall laugh. Such tears also Isaiah and Jeremiah shed; and the one said: Leave me, I will weep bitterly; and the other said: Who will give my head water, and my eyes fountains of tears? as if the natural supply were not sufficient. Nothing is sweeter than these tears; they are sweeter than any laughter. Those who mourn know how much consolation the matter holds. Let us not think it a thing to be deprecated, but very much to be desired. Not so that others may sin, but so that when they sin we may be heartbroken, let us remember these tears, these bonds. So then, tears also flowed down upon his bonds; but the death of those who were perishing, of those who bound him, did not allow him to feel the pleasure from his bonds. For he grieved for them; for he was a disciple of Him who wept for the 62.385 priests of the Jews, not because they were about to crucify Him, but because they themselves were perishing. And not only does he do this himself, but he also exhorts others thus, saying: Weep not for me, daughters of Jerusalem. These eyes saw paradise, they saw the third heaven; but I do not count them blessed on account of this sight so much as on account of those tears, through which they saw Christ. This indeed is truly blessed; for he himself also glories in it, saying: Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? but it is more blessed to weep thus. Many have shared in that sight, and again Christ blesses those who have not shared, saying: Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed; but not many have attained to this. For if to remain here for Christ's sake is more necessary for the salvation of others than to depart to be with him, then to groan for them is also more necessary than to see him. For if to be in Gehenna for his sake is more desirable than to be with him, and to be separated from him for his sake is more desirable than to be with him (for this is what he said: I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ); much more also is it to weep for his sake. I did not cease, he says, to admonish each one with tears. Why? Not because I feared the dangers; but as one sitting by a sick person, and not knowing the end, would weep out of affection, fearing lest he fall from life; so he too, when he saw one who was sick, and had not the strength to rebuke, would then weep. This Christ also did, that they might at least reverence his tears; for instance, did someone sin? He would rebuke; did the one being rebuked spit on him, and leap away? he would weep, that he might thus at least draw him to himself. 4. Let us remember these tears; thus let us bring up our daughters, thus our sons, weeping when we see them in evil circumstances. Let as many women as wish to be loved remember the tears of Paul, and groan; as many as are counted blessed, as many as are in bridal chambers, as many as are in pleasure, remember these things; as many as are in

εἰς ἀκριβῆ ἐρυθρότητα ἀφικνουμένην, μαρμάρου δίκην λείαν ὑποκειμένην, ὁμαλήν· εἶτά μοι ἔδειξε Παῦλον δακρύοντα, ταύτην ἂν ἀφεὶς ἐπεπήδησα τῇ τούτου θέᾳ· κάλλος γὰρ ἀπέλαμπεν ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πνευματικόν. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ποιεῖ ἐξίστασθαι νέων ψυχὰς, ἐκκαίει καὶ φλέγει· τοῦτο δὲ τοὐναντίον καταστέλλει. Τούτου τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ ὁρῶν ὡραιότερον τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐργάζεται, κατασπᾷ γαστέρα, φιλοσοφίας ἐμπίπλησι, συμπαθείας πολλῆς, καὶ ἀδαμαντίνην μαλάξαι δύναται ψυχήν. Τούτοις ἄρδεται ἡ Ἐκκλησία, τούτοις ψυχαὶ φυτεύονται τοῖς δάκρυσι· κἂν πῦρ ᾖ, ταῦτα τὰ δάκρυα σβέσαι δύναται, καὶ αἰσθητὸν καὶ σωματικόν· ταῦτα τὰ δάκρυα τὰ βέλη τοῦ Πονηροῦ τὰ πεπυρωμένα σβέννυσι. Μνημονεύωμεν τοίνυν τῶν δακρύων αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντων καταγελασόμεθα τῶν παρόντων. Ταῦτα ἐμακάριζεν ὁ Χριστὸς τὰ δάκρυα, λέγων· Μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, καὶ μακάριοι οἱ κλαίοντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ γελάσονται. Τοιαῦτα καὶ Ἡσαΐας, καὶ Ἱερεμίας ἠφίει δάκρυα· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἔλεγεν· Ἄφετέ με, πικρῶς κλαύσομαι· ὁ δὲ ἔλεγε· Τίς δώσει τῇ κεφαλῇ μου ὕδωρ, καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου πηγὰς δακρύων; ὡς οὐκ ἀρκούσης τῆς φυσικῆς. Οὐδὲν τῶν δακρύων τούτων ἥδιον· παντὸς γέλωτος ταῦτα ἡδύτερα. Ἴσασιν οἱ πενθοῦντες, πόσην ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα παραμυθίαν. Μὴ ἀπευκτὸν αὐτὸ εἶναι νομίζωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα εὐκτόν. Οὐχ ὥστε ἑτέρους ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλ' ὥστε ἁμαρτανόντων αὐτῶν ἡμᾶς κατακλᾶσθαι, τούτων μνημονεύωμεν τῶν δακρύων, τούτων τῶν δεσμῶν. Ἄρα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δεσμῶν δάκρυα κατέβαινεν· οὐκ ἠφίει δὲ αὐτὸν τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν ἡδονῆς αἰσθάνεσθαι τῶν ἀπολλυμένων ὁ θάνατος, τῶν δεσμούντων. Καὶ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ἤλγει· μαθητὴς γὰρ ἦν ἐκείνου τοῦ δακρύοντος τοὺς 62.385 ἱερέας τῶν Ἰουδαίων, οὐχ ὅτι αὐτὸν ἔμελλον σταυροῦν, ἀλλ' ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἀπώλλυντο. Καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνος αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους οὕτω παρακαλεῖ, λέγων· Μὴ κλαίετε ἐπ' ἐμὲ, θυγατέρες Ἱερουσαλήμ. Εἶδον τὸν παράδεισον οὗτοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, εἶδον τὸν τρίτον οὐρανόν· ἀλλ' οὐ μακαρίζω αὐτοὺς τῆς θέας ταύτης ἕνεκεν οὕτως, ὡς τῶν δακρύων ἐκείνων, δι' ὧν εἶδον τὸν Χριστόν. Μακάριον μὲν ὄντως τοῦτο· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπ' αὐτῷ σεμνύνεται λέγων· Οὐχὶ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν ἑώρακα; ἀλλὰ μακαριώτερον τὸ δακρῦσαι οὕτως. Ἐκείνου πολλοὶ κεκοινωνήκασι τοῦ θεάματος, καὶ τοὺς μὴ κοινωνήσαντας μακαρίζει πάλιν Χριστὸς, λέγων· Μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες, καὶ πιστεύσαντες· τούτου δὲ οὐ πολλοὶ ἐπέτυχον. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ μένειν διὰ Χριστὸν ἐνταῦθα τοῦ ἀναλῦσαι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναγκαιότερον διὰ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν ἄλλων, ἄρα καὶ τοῦ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν τὸ δι' αὐτοὺς στενάξαι ἀναγκαιότερον. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦ σὺν αὐτῷ εἶναι τὸ δι' αὐτὸν εἰς γέενναν εἶναι ποθεινότερον, καὶ τοῦ συνεῖναι αὐτῷ τὸ χωρίζεσθαι αὐτοῦ δι' αὐτὸν ποθεινότερον (τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὅπερ ἔλεγεν· Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ)· πολλῷ μᾶλλον καὶ τὸ δακρύειν δι' αὐτόν. Οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην, φησὶ, μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον. ∆ιὰ τί; Οὐχὶ τοὺς κινδύνους δεδοικώς· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἄν τις ἀσθενοῦντι παρακαθήμενος, καὶ μὴ εἰδὼς τὸ τέλος, δακρύοι διὰ πόθον, δεδοικὼς μὴ ἐκπέσῃ τῆς ζωῆς· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς, ὅταν εἶδεν ἀσθενοῦντα, καὶ ἐπιπλῆξαι οὐκ ἴσχυσεν, ἐδάκρυε λοιπόν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα κἂν τὰ δάκρυα αἰδεσθῶσιν· οἷον, ἡμάρτανέ τις; ἐπετίμα· κατέπτυεν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐπιτιμώμενος, καὶ ἀπεπήδα; ἐδάκρυεν, ἵνα κἂν οὕτως ἐπισπάσηται. δʹ. Τούτων μνημονεύωμεν τῶν δακρύων· οὕτω τὰς θυγατέρας ἀνατρέφωμεν τὰς ἑαυτῶν, οὕτω τοὺς παῖδας, δακρύοντες ὅταν ἴδωμεν ἐν κακοῖς ὄντας. Ὅσαι ἐρᾶσθαι βούλονται, μνημονευέτωσαν τῶν δακρύων Παύλου, καὶ στεναζέτωσαν· ὅσαι μακαρίζεσθε, ὅσαι ἐν θαλάμοις ἐστὲ, ὅσαι ἐν ἡδονῇ, τούτων μνημονεύετε· ὅσοι ἐν