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to sit, prefiguring a future event, that he was about to have the unclean race of the gentiles in subjection. But how do the evangelists say that he sent disciples and said, Loose the donkey and the colt; but this one says nothing of the sort, but that, Finding a young donkey, he sat upon it? Because it was likely that both happened, and that after the donkey was loosed, when the disciples came, 63.821 and they found the colt, he sat upon it. And they spread the palm branches and the olive branches and their garments, showing that from then on they held an opinion of him greater than that of a prophet, and they were saying: Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Do you see that this especially choked the chief priests and scribes, that all were persuaded that he is not opposed to God? And this especially divided the people, his saying that he had come from the Father. But the prophet says, Fear not, rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, because all their kings were for the most part unjust and greedy, and they handed them over to their enemies, and corrupted the multitude, and made them liable to their foes. Take courage, he says; this one is not such a one, but meek and gentle; and this is shown from the donkey; for he did not enter dragging armies, but having only a donkey. But these things, he says, his disciples did not understand what had happened, that these things were written of him, and they did these things to him. Do you see that for the most part they acted in ignorance? But when he was raised from the dead, then they remembered that these things were written of him, and they did these things to him, and he himself did not reveal it. For even when he said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up, the disciples did not know this either. And another evangelist also says that the saying was hidden from them, and they did not know that he must rise from the dead. But this, on the one hand, was reasonably hidden; wherefore another evangelist also says that every time they heard about the passion, they were grieved, and were downcast; and this was from not knowing the teaching of the resurrection. This, then, was reasonably hidden, as being too great for them; 63.822 but why was the matter of the donkey not revealed to them? Because this too was great. But see the evangelist's wisdom, how he is not ashamed to parade their former ignorance; for they knew that it was written, but that it was about him, they did not know; for it would have scandalized them, if a king were to suffer such things. And otherwise, they would not have immediately grasped the knowledge of the kingdom of which they spoke. For another evangelist says that they thought it was spoken of this kingdom. Therefore the crowd that was with him bore witness, when he called Lazarus from the tomb, and raised him from the dead. For this reason the crowd met him, because they heard that he had performed this sign. For so many would not have suddenly changed their minds, he says, if they had not believed in the sign. But the Pharisees said among themselves: See that you are accomplishing nothing? Behold, the world has gone after him. This seems to me to be from those who were of sound mind, but did not dare to speak freely. And Paul, when discoursing on the resurrection, raised this argument. What apology, then, will those who disbelieve in the resurrection have? Wherefore, beloved, that we may not occupy you in vain, and set forth a labyrinthine discourse, let us leave these things and say this: Hold to the hearing of the divine Scriptures, and do not engage in disputes about words, useful for nothing, to the ruin of the hearers. For Paul also exhorted Timothy, although he was filled with much wisdom, and had the power from signs. Let us, therefore, obey him, and leaving aside trifles, let us hold to works, I mean brotherly love and hospitality, and let us make much account of almsgiving, that we may obtain the promised good things, by the grace and loving-kindness 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.

SERMON 34. On the holy Nativity of Christ.

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καθίσαι, μέλλον πρᾶγμα προανατυποῦντος, ὅτι τὸ ἀκάθαρτον τῶν ἐθνῶν γένος ἔμελλεν ὑποχείριον ἔχειν. Πῶς δὲ οἱ εὐαγγελισταί φασιν, ὅτι μαθητὰς ἔπεμψε καὶ εἶπε, Λύσατε τὴν ὄνον καὶ τὸν πῶλον· οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν φησιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι Ὀνάριον εὑρὼν ἐκάθισεν ἐπ' αὐτῷ; Ὅτι ἀμφότερα εἰκὸς ἦν γενέσθαι, καὶ μετὰ τὸ λυθῆναι τὸν ὄνον, ἐλθόντων τῶν μαθητῶν, 63.821 εὑρόντων αὐτῶν τὸν πῶλον, ἐπικαθίσαι. Τὰ δὲ βαΐα τῶν φοινίκων καὶ τῶν ἐλαιῶν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑπέστρωσαν, δεικνύντες, ὅτι λοιπὸν μείζονα ἢ περὶ προφήτου δόξαν εἶχον περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔλεγον· Ὡσαννὰ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς ἀπέπνιγε τὸ πεισθῆναι πάντας, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀντίθεος; Καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα διῄρει τὸν δῆμον, τὸ λέγειν αὐτὸν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἥκειν. Τὸ δὲ, Μὴ φοβοῦ, χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιὼν, φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, ἐπειδὴ πάντες αὐτῶν οἱ βασιλεῖς ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἄδικοί τινες ἦσαν καὶ πλεονέκται, καὶ παρέδωκαν αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος διέστρεφον, καὶ ὑπευθύνους ἐποίουν τοῖς πολεμίοις. Θάρσει, φησίν· οὗτος οὐ τοιοῦτος, ἀλλὰ πρᾶος καὶ ἐπιεικής· καὶ δείκνυται ἀπὸ τῆς ὄνου· οὐ γὰρ στρατόπεδα ἐπισυρόμενος εἰσῆλθεν· ἀλλ' ὄνον ἔχων μόνον. Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ γεγενημένα, ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ πλεῖον ἀγνοοῦντες ἐποίουν; Ἀλλ' ὅτε ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, τότε ἐμνήσθησαν, ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψε. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε εἶπε, Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ᾔδεισαν οἱ μαθηταί. Καὶ ἄλλος δὲ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγει, ὅτι κεκρυμμένος ὁ λόγος ἦν ἀπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν εἰκότως ἐκρύπτετο· διὸ καὶ ἄλλος λέγει εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὅτι καθ' ἑκάστην ἀκούοντες περὶ τοῦ πάθους, ἤλγουν, καὶ ἦσαν ἐν κατηφείᾳ· τοῦτο δὲ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγον. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν εἰκότως ἐκρύπτετο, ἅτε μεῖζον ἢ κατ' αὐτούς· 63.822 τὸ μέντοι τῆς ὄνου διὰ τί αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἀπεκαλύφθη; ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο μέγα ἦν. Ὅρα δὲ φιλοσοφίαν εὐαγγελιστοῦ, πῶς οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται τὴν προτέραν ἄγνοιαν αὐτῶν ἐκπομπεύων· ὅτι μὲν γὰρ γέγραπται, ᾔδεισαν· ὅτι δὲ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, οὐκ ᾔδεισαν· καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἐσκανδάλισεν αὐτοὺς, εἰ βασιλεὺς τοιαῦτα μέλλει πάσχειν. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, οὐκ ἂν εὐθέως ἐχώρησαν τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς βασιλείας, ἣν ἔλεγον. Καὶ γὰρ ἄλλος εὐαγγελιστής φησιν, ὅτι περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐδόκουν ταύτης λέγεσθαι. Ἐμαρτύρει οὖν ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ὢν μετ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτε τὸν Λάζαρον ἐφώνησεν ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος, ὅτι ἤκουσαν τοῦτο αὐτὸν πεποιηκέναι τὸ σημεῖον. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοσοῦτοι μετέθεντο, φησὶν, ἐξαίφνης, εἰ μὴ ἐπίστευσαν τῷ σημείῳ. Οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι εἶπον πρὸς ἑαυτούς· Θεωρεῖτε, ὅτι οὐκ ὠφελεῖτε οὐδέν; Ἴδε ὁ κόσμος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθε. ∆οκεῖ μοι τοῦτο εἶναι τῶν ὑγιαινόντων μὲν, οὐ τολμώντων δὲ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι. Καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως δὲ διαλεγόμενος ὁ Παῦλος, τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ἐκίνησε. Ποίαν οὖν ἕξουσιν ἀπολογίαν οἱ τῇ ἀναστάσει διαπιστοῦντες; ∆ιόπερ, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἵνα μὴ ματαίως ὑμᾶς ἀπασχολήσωμεν, καὶ λαβύρινθον λόγον ἀναδείξωμεν, ταῦτα ἀφέντες, ἐκεῖνο ἐροῦμεν· Τῆς ἀκροάσεως τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἔχεσθε, καὶ μὴ λογομαχεῖτε εἰς οὐδὲν χρήσιμον ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων. Καὶ Παῦλος γὰρ παρῄνει Τιμοθέῳ, καίτοι γε πολλῆς σοφίας ἐμπεπλησμένῳ, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων ἔχοντι δύναμιν. Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ τὰς φλυαρίας ἀφέντες, τῶν ἔργων ἐχώμεθα, φιλαδελφίας λέγω καὶ φιλοξενίας, καὶ πολὺν ποιησώμεθα τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης λόγον, ἵνα τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Λ∆ʹ. Εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέννησιν.