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saying: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Let him therefore be confessed as holy, which befits God alone. For what happens to others by participation in him is essential in him; since, being light, he also says: "You are the light of this world." And when we say, "Hallowed be thy name," we do not ask for an addition of holiness to be made to him, but that we all, having confessed the truly holy one, may be in participation of his holiness. And he added, "the one who is abhorred by the nations," that is, by the unbelievers. For they abhor him and mock his death. And when he was delivered to Pilate, some of the soldiers abhorred him, spitting on him and striking him, and shouting in derision: "Hail, king of the Jews." For this reason he added, "of the servants of the rulers." And perhaps he also means the world-rulers of darkness, whom those who abhor Christ serve. But he will shine forth, he says, and even kings will worship him, who will see him, not entirely with bodily eyes, but with mind and heart. And especially all will worship him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with his angels, and sits on the throne of his glory judging the living and the dead. And they will worship him for the sake of his Father; for he is glorified as the Son of God, because faithful is the Holy One of Israel who chose him, that is, he who is always and unchanging. For nothing is faithful among creatures that are subject to change. But the Father chose those called through the Son 2472. "For those whom he knew," he says, "he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son," who sanctified him who despises his own life, not stumbling at the measures of his humanity. Instead of, "I have chosen you," Symmachus has rendered it as, "who has chosen you." In the primary sense, then, some say, these things refer to Christ. But it could also be understood of the prophet. For he humbled himself, lamenting the calamities of the people on account of their sins. And being brought forth, he went about in sackcloth and naked, despised by those who saw him, being at once humble-minded and becoming for them an image of future sufferings. But nevertheless even those who served the rulers mocked him. "Esteem him as worthy of honor," he says, "since he is holy." But in some versions the text reads "to the abhorred of the nation," and, they say, of Israel; for which reason he also turned to the Gentiles. And again the text, "to the servant of rulers," and they say: for he was subjected; and "I chose you," having, they say, the invisible superiority by nature from the visible things. And from among men he becomes chosen, on account of the likeness he had to us. Then to the Savior the Father says, "In an acceptable time I have heard you." For while suffering he cried out: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani." Then, when he saw the Father refuse, he added: "Father, if it is not possible for it to pass, thy will be done." Therefore, the Father, accepting this prayer after his death, indicating the time of the resurrection, says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you." But some, faulting the present explanation as implausible, say that the prayer was fashioned according to the economy, for the Son to fail in his prayer, since even before this he knew that death would not be abolished otherwise, except through the cross and death which he endured. The refusal, therefore, accuses the bloodthirstiness of the Jews, showing the passion to be unwilling for him on account of its infamy. But even so it became willed for the purpose of abolishing death. "And this is what is meant by, 'I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me,'" and what follows. Therefore he used their bloodthirstiness as was necessary for the salvation of the world. And he has become a model for us, they say, not to fail in temptations, but to pray to God. Therefore, connecting the saying with what has gone before, they say that it was spoken to the chosen: "In an acceptable time I have heard you." For the mystery of Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but it shone forth at the times the ruler was pleased. Therefore he calls the time of the incarnation a day, just as the divine Apostle also does: "Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, the day

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λέγων· "Ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων." Ὁμολογείσθω τοίνυν ἅγιος, ὃ μόνῳ πρέπει Θεῷ. Οὐσιῶδες γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπισυμβαῖνον ἐκ τῆς αὐτοῦ μετοχῆς· ἐπεὶ καὶ φῶς ὢν λέγει· "Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου." Καὶ λέγοντες δὲ τὸ, "Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου," οὐχ ἁγιασμοῦ προσθήκην αἰτοῦμεν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὸν ἀληθῶς ἅγιον πάντες ὁμολογήσαντες, ἐν μεθέξει τῆς ἁγιωσύνης αὐτοῦ γενησώμεθα. Προσέθηκε δὲ τὸν βδελυσσόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν, τῶν ἀπίστων δηλονότι. Βδελύττονται γὰρ, καὶ τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ διασύρουσι. Καὶ παραδοθέντα δὲ τῷ Πιλάτῳ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τινες αὐτὸν ἐβδελύττοντο καταπτύοντές τε καὶ παίοντες, ἐν διασυρμῷ τε βοῶντες· "Χαῖρε, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων." ∆ιὸ τῶν δούλων τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐπήγαγεν. Ἴσως δὲ καὶ τῶν κοσμοκρατόρων τοῦ σκότους φησὶν, οἷς δουλεύουσιν οἱ τὸν Χριστὸν βδελυττόμενοι. Πλὴν ἀναλάμψει, φησὶ, καὶ μέχρι βασιλέων αὐτῷ προσκυνήσουσιν, οἵτινες ὄψονται αὐτὸν, οὐ πάντως σωματικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, ἀλλὰ νῷ καὶ καρδίᾳ. Προσκυνήσουσι δὲ μάλιστα καὶ πάντες, ὅτ' ἂν ἔλθῃ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ καθίσῃ ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ κρίνων ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. Προσκυνήσουσι δὲ αὐτῷ ἕνεκεν τοῦ Πατέρος αὐτοῦ· δοξάζεται γὰρ ὡς Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι πιστός ἐστιν ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραὴλ ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος αὐτὸν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἀεὶ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχων. Πιστὸν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐν κτίσμασι τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις μεταβολῇ. Ὁ δὲ Πατὴρ ἐξελέξατο τοὺς δι' Υἱοῦ 2472 κεκλημένους. "Οὓς γὰρ ἔγνω, φησὶ, καὶ προώρισεν συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ," Οἳ ἡγίασαν τὸν φαυλίζοντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μὴ προσκόψαντες μέτροις. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, ἐξελεξάμην σε, ὃς ἐξελέξατό σε Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν. Κυρίως μὲν οὖν, φασί τινες, ταῦτα εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ἀναφέρεται. Νοοῖτο δ' ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ προφήτου. Ἐξουδένωσεν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν, ὀδυρόμενος τὰς τοῦ λαοῦ διὰ τὰ πλημμελήματα συμφοράς. Καὶ προσαχθεὶς ἐν σάκκῳ τε καὶ γυμνὸς περιήρχετο, παρὰ τῶν ὁρώντων ἐξουδενούμενος, ταπεινὰ φρονῶν τε ἅμα, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων εἰκὼν αὐτοῖς παθημάτων γινόμενος. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οἱ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἐξυπηρετούμενοι, τοῦτον ἐχλεύαζον. Ὃν ἅγιον ὄντα τιμῆς, φησὶν, ἀξιώσατε. Παρά τισι δὲ τὸ ῥητὸν κεῖται τῷ βδελυκτῷ ἔθνους, καὶ, φασὶ, τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη μετέβη. Καὶ πάλιν τὸ ῥητὸν τῷ δούλῳ ἐξουσιαζόντων καί φασιν· ὑπετάγη γάρ· καὶ ἐξελεξάμην σε, ἔχων, φασὶ, τὴν ἀόρατον ὑπεροχὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἐκ τῶν ὁρατῶν. Καὶ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐκλεκτὸς γίνεται, δι' ἣν εἶχεν ὁμοιότητα πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Εἶτα πρὸς τὸν Σωτῆρά φησιν ὁ Πατὴρ, Καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου. Πάσχων μὲν γὰρ ἐβόα· "Ἠλεὶ, Ἠλεὶ, λαμασαβαχθανί." Εἶθ' ὡς ἀνανεύοντα τὸν Πατέρα ἑώρα, ἐπῆγεν· "Πάτερ, εἰ μὴ δυνατὸν παρελθεῖν αὐτὸ, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου. Ταύτην οὖν τὴν εὐχὴν μετὰ τὸν θάνατον δεχόμενος ὁ Πατὴρ, τὸν καιρὸν δεικνὺς τῆς ἀναστάσεως φησίν· Ἐν καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου. Τινὲς δὲ μεμψάμενοι τὴν παροῦσαν ἐξήγησιν, ὡς ἀπίθανον, τὸν Υἱὸν ἀποτυχεῖν τῆς εὐχῆς πεπλᾶσθαι τὴν εὐχὴν κατ' οἰκονομίαν φασὶν, ἐπεὶ καὶ πρὸ ταύτης ᾔδει μὴ ἄλλως τὸν θάνατον καταργηθησόμενον, εἰ μὴ δι' ὃν ὑπέστη σταυρόν τε καὶ θάνατον. Ἡ οὖν παραίτησις, τῆς Ἰουδαίων μιαιφονίας κατηγορεῖ, ἀβούλητον αὐτῷ δεικνῦσα τὸ πάθος διάτοι τὸ δυσκλεές. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω γέγονε θελητὸν ἐπὶ τῷ καταργῆσαι τὸν θάνατον. "Καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῖ τὸ, Καταβέβηκα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἰς δέον οὖν τῇ μιαιφονίᾳ τῇ ἐκείνων ἐχρήσατο πρὸς σωτηρίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Καὶ τύπος δὲ, φασὶν, ἡμῖν γέγονεν μὴ ἀναπίπτειν ἐν πειρασμοῖς, ἀλλὰ δεῖσθαι Θεοῦ. Τοῖς οὖν προλαβοῦσι συνάπτοντες τὸ ῥητὸν, πρὸς τοὺς ἐξειλεγμένους εἰρῆσθαί φασι τό· Καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου. Προέγνωστο μὲν γὰρ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, ἐπέλαμψε δὲ καθ' οὓς ηὐδόκησε καιροὺς ὁ δυνάστης. Τὸν οὖν τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως καιρὸν ἡμέραν καλεῖ, καθὰ καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος· "Ἰδοὺ νῦν καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος. Ἰδοὺ ἡμέρα