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God, let us give thanks, let us glorify, not through faith only, but also through their works; that we may also obtain the good things to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 59.261 HOMILY 47. Jesus therefore said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you do not have eternal life in yourselves. But he who eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, has life in himself." 1. When we discourse of spiritual things, let there be nothing 59.262 of this life in our souls, nothing earthly; but let all such things depart, let all such things be banished, and let us be entirely given to the hearing of the divine oracles 59.263 alone. For if when a king enters a city, all tumult is driven away; much more when the Spirit discourses to us, we ought to listen with much quietness, and with much awe. For the things spoken today are worthy of awe. And how, listen. For "Amen," He says, "I say to you, unless one eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, he has no life in himself." Since they said before that this is impossible, He Himself shows not only that it is not impossible, but even exceedingly necessary. Therefore He adds, "He who eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." For since He said, "He who eats of this bread shall not die for ever," it was likely that this would be an offense to them, as they also said before, "Abraham died, and the prophets died, and how do you say, 'He shall not taste of death'?" He put forward the resurrection, resolving the question, and showing that he will not die finally. And He continually turns His discourse to the mysteries, showing the necessity of the thing, and that it must by all means come to pass. "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink." What is it that He says? He either wishes to say this, that this is the true food that saves the soul; or to convince them concerning what had been said, so that they might not think what was said was a riddle and a parable, but know that one must by all means eat the body. Then He says, "He who eats My flesh, abides in Me." This He said, showing that he is mingled in Him. And what follows seems to be somewhat incoherent, unless we examine the meaning. For what, he says, is the sequence, after saying, "He who eats My flesh abides in Me," to add, "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father"? But what is said has much harmony. For since He was repeatedly speaking of eternal life, establishing this He added, "He abides in Me." For if he abides in Me, and I live, it is clear that he too will live. Then He says, "As the living Father sent Me." This is comparative and a simile. And what He says is this: "I live in such a way, as the Father." And lest you should think Him unbegotten, He immediately added, "because of the Father," not showing this, that He has need of some energy in order to live. For above, refuting this, He said, "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself." But if He needs energy, it will be found either that the Father did not give in this way, and the saying is false; or if He gave in this way, He will then need nothing else to sustain Him. What then is, "because of the Father"? Here He hints at the cause alone. And what He says is this: "As the Father is living, so I also live." "And he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me." And He speaks here of life, not simply, but the glorious life. And that He spoke not of simple life, but of that glorious and ineffable life, is clear from that. For all, both the unbelievers and the uninitiated, live, not having eaten of that flesh. Do you see that the discourse is not about this life, but about that one? And what He says is this: "He who eats My flesh will not perish when he dies, nor be punished." But neither does He speak of the common resurrection; for all are raised in like manner; but concerning the special one, the

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Θεὸς, εὐχαριστήσωμεν, δοξάσωμεν, μὴ διὰ πίστεως μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν· ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.261 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΜΖʹ. Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· «Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. Ὁ δὲ τρώ γων μου τὴν σάρκα, καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα, ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ.» αʹ. Ὅταν περὶ πνευματικῶν διαλεγώμεθα, μηδὲν 59.262 ἔστω βιωτικὸν ἐν ταῖς ἡμετέραις ψυχαῖς, μηδὲν γήϊνον· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀναχωρείτω, πάντα ἐξοριζέσθω τὰ τοιαῦτα, καὶ ὅλοι γινώμεθα τῆς τῶν θείων λογίων 59.263 ἀκροάσεως μόνης. Εἰ γὰρ βασιλέως ἐπιβαίνοντος πόλει, ἅπας ἀπελαύνεται θόρυβος· πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡμῖν διαλεγομένου, μετὰ πολλῆς μὲν ἡσυχίας, μετὰ πολλῆς δὲ τῆς φρίκης ἀκούειν ἡμᾶς δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ φρίκης ἄξια τὰ λεγόμενα σήμερον. Καὶ πῶς, ἄκουε. Ἀμὴν γὰρ, φησὶ, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μή τίς μου φάγῃ τὴν σάρκα, καὶ πίῃ μου τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Ἐπειδὴ ἔμπροσθεν ἔλεγον, ὅτι ἀδύνατον τοῦτό ἐστι, δείκνυσιν αὐτὸς οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀδύνατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἀναγκαῖον. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα, καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα, ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ὁ τρώγων ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου τούτου οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· εἰκὸς δὲ ἦν αὐτοῖς προσστῆναι τοῦτο, καθὼς καὶ πρότερον ἔλεγον, Ἀβραὰμ ἀπέθανε, καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἀπέθανον, καὶ πῶς σὺ λέγεις, οὐ μὴ γεύσεται θανάτου; τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἔθηκε, λύων τὸ ζητούμενον, καὶ δηλῶν ὅτι οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται εἰς τέλος. Συνεχῶς δὲ στρέφει τὸν περὶ τῶν μυστηρίων λόγον, δεικνὺς τοῦ πράγματος τὸ ἀναγκαῖον, καὶ ὅτι αὐτὸ πάντως γενέσθαι δεῖ. Ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀληθής ἐστι βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἀληθής ἐστι πόσις. Τί ἐστιν ὃ λέγει; Ἢ τοῦτο βούλεται εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἀληθὴς βρῶσις αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ψυχὴν σώζουσα· ἢ πιστώσασθαι αὐτοὺς περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων, ὥστε μὴ νομίζειν αἴνιγμα εἶναι τὸ εἰρημένον καὶ παραβολὴν, ἀλλ' εἰδέναι ὅτι πάντως δεῖ φαγεῖν τὸ σῶμα. Εἶτά φησιν· Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα, ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε δηλῶν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἀνακιρνᾶται. Τὸ δὲ ἑξῆς δοκεῖ μὲν ἀσυνάρτητον εἶναί τι, ἂν μὴ τὸν νοῦν ἐξετάσωμεν. Ποία γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀκολουθία, μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν, Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει, ἐπαγαγεῖν, Καθὼς ἀπέστειλέ με ὁ ζῶν Πατὴρ, κἀγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν Πατέρα; Ἔχει δὲ πολλὴν τὴν ἁρμονίαν τὸ λεγόμενον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κάτω ἔλεγε ζωὴν αἰώνιον, κατασκευάζων αὐτὸ ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει, ζῶ δὲ ἐγὼ, δῆλον ὅτι κἀκεῖνος ζήσεται. Εἶτά φησι· Καθὼς ἀπέστειλέ με ὁ ζῶν Πατήρ. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι συγκριτικὸν καὶ ὁμοιωματικόν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Ζῶ ἐγὼ οὕτως, ὡς ὁ Πατήρ. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ ἀγέννητον νομίσῃς, προσέθηκεν εὐθὺς τὸ, ∆ιὰ τὸν Πατέρα, οὐ τοῦτο δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἐνεργείας τινὸς χρείαν ἔχει πρὸς τὸ ζῇν. Ἀνωτέρω γὰρ τοῦτο ἀναιρῶν ἔλεγεν· Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτως ἔδωκε καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ ἔχειν ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Εἰ δὲ δεῖται ἐνεργείας, εὑρεθήσεται ἢ ὁ Πατὴρ μὴ δεδωκὼς οὕτω, καὶ ψευδὴς ὁ λόγος· ἢ εἰ οὕτως ἔδωκεν, οὐδενὸς αὐτὸς λοιπὸν δεηθήσεται ἑτέρου τοῦ συγκροτοῦντος. Τί οὖν ἐστι, ∆ιὰ τὸν Πατέρα; Τὴν αἰτίαν ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεται μόνον. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Καθώς ἐστι ζῶν ὁ Πατὴρ, οὕτω κἀγὼ ζῶ. Καὶ ὁ τρώγων με, κἀκεῖνος ζήσει δι' ἐμέ. Ζωὴν δὲ ἐνταῦθα λέγει, οὐ τὴν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐδόκιμον. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ περὶ τῆς ἁπλῶς ζωῆς εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ἐνδόξου καὶ ἀποῤῥήτου ἐκείνης, δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν. Καὶ γὰρ πάντες, καὶ οἱ ἄπιστοι ζῶσι καὶ οἱ ἀμύητοι, μὴ φαγόντες ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐκείνης. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ περὶ ταύτης ὁ λόγος ἐστὶ τῆς ζωῆς, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐκείνης; Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα, οὐκ ἀπολεῖται τελευτήσας, οὐδὲ κολασθήσεται. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῆς κοινῆς φησι· καὶ γὰρ ὁμοίως πάντες ἀνίστανται· ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ἐξαιρέτου, τῆς