189

You carried the cross, Savior, on your shoulders and were nailed to it, lifted up, my God. Your hands and feet were nailed, and you were given vinegar to drink, and your side was pierced with the lance, all-merciful One. The earth, not bearing these things, was shaken with fear and quickly gave up the dead within it; the sun was turned to blood seeing you and the moon was then clothed in darkness. The veil of the temple was then torn in two from top to bottom, and the lawless ones understood none of these things at all, but even as you lay in the tomb they set guards and sealed the stone, thinking to hold you. You, therefore, arose, Master, by your own authority and left the seals intact for the transgressors; and the presence of angels rolled away the stone (285) and struck the guards there with fear, and they did not wish to understand at all, but remained, blinding their mind and having their own hearts hardened to the end. What great thing, then, is it for me, if I too suffer these things, which you yourself suffered, being sinless, for the world, Master, so that you might save the world, I who have sinned very much from a young age and have angered you, Christ, in deeds and in words? It is truly a great thing for me, or rather even beyond all glory, that participation in your sufferings, the imitation of your works, makes me a partaker of your ineffable glory, and your humility becomes a source of divinity for those who pursue it with knowledge. I thank you, Master, when I suffer unjustly, but if justly, let it be for me an atonement for my failings, a cleansing for my countless sins, Christ, and never allow pains to be brought upon me beyond my strength, Master, or temptations or afflictions, but always grant me the way out, my God, and the strength to be able to endure the sorrows. For you are from the beginning the provider of good things to those who from their soul fall down worthily before your might, providing the gifts of faith, of works and of good hopes, and all the gifts of your Divine and adorable Spirit, O merciful One,

189

Σύ τόν σταυρόν ἐβάστασας, Σῶτερ, ἐπί τῶν ὤμων καί προσεπάγης ἐν αὐτῷ ἀνυψωθείς, Θεέ μου. Χεῖρας ἡλώθης πόδας τε, καί ὄξος ἐποτίσθης καί τήν πλευράν ἐνύγης σου τῇ λόγχῃ, πανοικτίρμον. Ταῦτα ἡ γῆ μή φέρουσα ἐκλονεῖτο τῷ φόβῳ καί τούς νεκρούς τούς ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπεδίδου ἐν τάχει˙ ὁ ἥλιος εἰς αἷμα δέ μετεστράφη ὁρῶν σε καί ἡ σελήνη ζόφωσιν ἐνεδύσατο τότε. Τό καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ τότε διεσχίσθη ἀπό τῶν ἄνω γεγονός δύο ἕως τῶν κάτω, καί οὐδέν οἱ παράνομοι τούτων συνῆκαν ὅλως, ἀλλά καί τάφῳ κείμενον φύλακας ἐφιστᾶσι καί τόν λίθον σφραγίζουσι σέ κατασχεῖν δοκοῦντες. Σύ οὖν ἀνέστης, ∆έσποτα, ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ καί τάς σφραγίδας ἔλιπες σώας τοῖς παραβάταις˙ ἀγγέλων παρουσία δέ ἐκύλισε τόν λίθον (285) καί τούς ἐκεῖ φυλάσσοντας κατέπληξε τῷ φόβῳ, καί οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ποσῶς τοῦ συνιέναι ὅλως, ἀλλ᾿ ἔμειναν τυφλώττοντες τόν νοῦν καί τήν καρδίαν πεπωρωμένην τήν αὑτῶν ἔχοντες μέχρι τέλους. Τί οὖν ὑπάρχει μέγα μοι, εἰ ταῦτα κἀγώ πάθω, ἅπερ αὐτός σύ πέπονθας ἀναμάρτητος πέλων ὑπέρ τοῦ κόσμου, ∆έσποτα, ἵνα τόν κόσμον σώσῃς, ὁ ἁμαρτήσας πάμπολλα ἐκ νέας ἡλικίας καί παροργίσας σε, Χριστέ, ἐν ἔργοις τε καί λόγοις; Μέγα μοι ὄντως, μᾶλλον δέ καί ὑπέρ πᾶσαν δόξαν, ὅτι με μέτοχον ποιεῖ δόξης σου τῆς ἀρρήτου ἡ κοινωνία τῶν παθῶν, ἡ μίμησις τῶν ἔργων, καί πρόξενος θεότητος ἡ ταπείνωσις πέλει ἡ σή τοῖς μετά γνώσεως ταύτην μετερχομένοις. Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ∆έσποτα, πάσχων μᾶλλον ἀδίκως, εἰ δέ δικαίως, ἔστω μοι εἰς ἔκτισιν πταισμάτων, εἰς κάθαρσιν ἀμέτρων μου, Χριστέ, πλημμελημάτων, καί μή ἐάσῃς μοι ποτέ πόνους ἐπενεχθῆναι ὑπέρ δύναμιν, ∆έσποτα, ἤ πειρασμούς ἤ θλίψεις, ἀλλά ἀεί μοι χάρισαι τήν ἔκβασιν, Θεέ μου, καί τήν ἰσχύν τοῦ δύνασθαι ὑπενεγκεῖν τάς λύπας. Σύ γάρ ὑπάρχεις τῶν καλῶν ὁ παροχεύς ἀρχῆθεν τοῖς ἐκ ψυχῆς προσπίπτουσι τῷ σῷ κράτει ἀξίως, τῆς πίστεως, τῶν ἔργων τε καί τῶν χρηστῶν ἐλπίδων παρέχων τά χαρίσματα, τάς δωρεάς τε πάσας τοῦ Θείου καί προσκυνητοῦ Πνεύματός σου, οἰκτίρμον,