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of sin.” And after this the account introduces a calf as a sacrifice for the high priest, in which it is said: “And Moses brought the calf for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the calf for the sin offering, and he slaughtered it.” You see for what reasons the calf was offered: for the whole congregation of Israel when it sinned, and for a high priest when he sinned; and not simply for having sinned, but also for being the cause of sin for the people; for it says: “If the anointed high priest sins, so as to bring sin upon the people;” for which Aquila interpreted: “To the trespass of the people.” Since, therefore, at the time of the saving passion the high priests and rulers of the Jewish nation gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ, and they themselves became the cause of perversion for the whole people; for it is written: “And the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;” and again subsequently: “But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to destroy Jesus;” There was need of cleansing for those who had dared these things, and of no other sacrifice than that through the calf, as has been testified by the aforecited Scripture; with good reason, our Savior says through the preceding words, I do not offer a perceptible calf, but the pure and bloodless sacrifice, which I myself established in my Church through the bloodless and fireless service of praise; which will please God more than the calf legislated by Moses. Therefore it has been said: “I will magnify him with praise. And it will please God,” that is, praise, “more than a young calf, putting forth horns and hooves.” And the high priests and those of the whole nation would have obtained remission and cleansing of their sins, if they had used this sacrifice, having accepted the new and saving Covenant. Then the aforesaid poor man sends up a prayer for those similarly poor, concerning whom he teaches, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And he says through the prayer: “Let the poor see and be glad.” He prays that the things spoken of before might at last come to pass, so that the said poor—that is, his disciples and apostles—might behold them with their eyes. And he prays for them to see the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 23.764 his appointed praise that is better than a young calf putting forth horns and hooves. And indeed, when his prayer was fulfilled a long time afterwards, he blessed those who were deemed worthy of the sight of these things; wherefore it is written in the Gospels that he said to his disciples: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” For these things were in harmony with the word that said: “Let the poor see and be glad; seek God, and your soul shall live.” Having prayed for the poor, he then addresses his word to them, and proclaims to them the life not of bodies, but of souls; and he promises that this will be found by them when they have sought God; wherefore he says: “Seek God, and your soul shall live.” For the fount of life is with him. Therefore he commands the said poor to put all else second and seek him with faith and good hope; for he promises that they will live the life of the soul, concerning which the Apostle also taught, saying: “For your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Then he adds: “For the Lord has heard the poor, and has not despised his own who are in bonds.” And again here, “has heard,” is said instead of, “will hear,” and, “has not despised,” instead of, “will not despise.” For having said before, “Seek God, and your soul shall live,” he says with confidence, Seek, for he will hear the

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ἁμαρτίας.» Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡ ἱστορία εἰσάγει ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως θυσίαν μόσχον, ἐν οἷς εἴρηται· «Καὶ προσήγαγε Μωϋσῆς τὸν μόσχον τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ἐπέθηκεν Ἀαρὼν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ μόσχου τοῦ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ἔσφαξεν αὐτόν.» Ὁρᾷς ἐπὶ ποίοις ὁ μόσχος προσεφέρετο ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ συναγωγῇ Ἰσραὴλ ἁμαρτούσῃ, καὶ ἐπὶ ἀρχιερεῖ ἡμαρτηκότι· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἡμαρτηκότι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ λαῷ αἰτίῳ γενομένῳ ἁμαρτίας· λέγει γάρ· «Ἐὰν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ κεχρισμένος ἁμάρτῃ τοῦ τὸν λαὸν ἁμαρτεῖν·» ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσεν· «Εἰς πλημμέλησιν τοῦ λαοῦ.» Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν κατὰ τὸ σωτήριον πάθος οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, τῷ τε παντὶ λαῷ διαστροφῆς αὐτοὶ γεγόνασιν αἴτιοι· γέγραπται γάρ· «Καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τὸ συνέδριον ὅλον ἐζήτουν ψευδομαρτυρίαν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὅπως θανατώσωσιν αὐτόν·» καὶ πάλιν ἑξῆς· «Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεισαν τοὺς ὄχλους ἵνα αἰτήσωσι τὸν Βαραββᾶν, τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν ἀπολέσωσιν·» Χρεία δὲ ἦν καθάρσεως τοῖς ταῦτα τετολμηκόσι, καὶ θυσίας οὐκ ἄλλης, ἢ τῆς διὰ τοῦ μόσχου, ὡς μεμαρτύρηται διὰ τῆς προτεθείσης Γραφῆς· εἰκότως, Οὐκ αἰσθητὸν ἐγὼ, φησὶ, μόσχον προσφέρω, διὰ τῶν προκειμένων ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν καθαρὰν καὶ ἄναιμον θυσίαν, ἣν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ συνεστησάμην ἐν τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ διὰ τῆς ἀναίμου καὶ ἀπύρου λειτουργίας, τῆς δι' αἰνέσεως· ἥτις ἀρέσει τῷ Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ὁ παρὰ Μωϋσεῖ νενομοθετημένος μόσχος. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται· «Μεγαλυνῶ αὐτὸν ἐν αἰνέσει. Καὶ ἀρέσει τῷ Θεῷ,» ἡ αἴνεσις δηλαδὴ, «ὑπὲρ μόσχον νέον, κέρατα ἐκφέροντα καὶ ὁπλάς.» Ἔτυχον δ' ἂν ἀφέσεως καὶ καθάρσεως τῶν ἡμαρτημένων αὐτοῖς οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους, εἰ κέχρηντο ταύτῃ τῇ θυσίᾳ, τὴν καινὴν καὶ σωτήριον ∆ιαθήκην παραδεξάμενοι. Εἶτα εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει ὁ προλεχθεὶς πτωχὸς ὑπὲρ τῶν παραπλησίως αὐτῷ πτωχῶν, περὶ ὧν διδάσκει λέγων· «Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.» Καί φησι διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς· «Ἰδέτωσαν πτωχοὶ καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν.» Εὔχεται δὲ ἤδη ποτὲ εἰς ἔργα χωρῆσαι τὰ προλεχθέντα, ὥστε ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτὰ θεάσασθαι τοὺς εἰρημένους πτωχοὺς, δηλαδὴ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους. Ἰδεῖν δὲ τούτοις εὔχεται τὴν ἀποδομασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.» 23.764 θεῖσαν αὐτοῦ αἴνεσιν τὴν ὑπὲρ μόσχον νέον τὸν κέρατα ἐκφέροντα καὶ ὁπλάς. Καὶ δὴ πληρουμένης αὐτοῦ τῆς εὐχῆς μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις, ἐμακάριζε τοὺς κατηξιωμένους τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων θέας· διὸ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ἀναγέγραπται τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς εἰπών· «Ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, ὅτι βλέπουσι, καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἀκούουσι.» Ταῦτα γὰρ σύμφωνα ἦν τῷ φήσαντι λόγῳ· «Ἰδέτωσαν πτωχοὶ καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν· ἐκζητήσατε τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν.» Εὐξάμενος ὑπὲρ τῶν πτωχῶν, πρὸς αὐτοὺς λοιπὸν ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον, εὐαγγελίζεταί τε αὐτοῖς ζωὴν οὐ σωμάτων, ἀλλὰ ψυχῶν· καὶ ταύτην αὐτοῖς εὑρεθήσεσθαι ἐκζητήσασι τὸν Θεὸν ἐπαγγέλλεται· διό φησι· «Ἐκζητήσατε τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν.» Πηγὴ γὰρ ζωῆς παρ' αὐτῷ. ∆ιὸ πάντα δεύτερα θεμένους τοὺς εἰρημένους πτωχοὺς, ἐκζητεῖν αὐτὸν προστάττει μετὰ πίστεως καὶ ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος· ζήσεσθαι γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπαγγέλλεται ζωὴν ψυχῆς, περὶ ἧς καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐδίδασκε λέγων· «Ἡ γὰρ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ. Ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ.» Εἶτ' ἐπιλέγει· «Ὅτι εἰσήκουσε τῶν πενήτων ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τοὺς πεπεδημένους αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐξουδένωσε.» Πάλιν δὲ κἀνταῦθα τὸ, «εἰσήκουσεν,» ἀντὶ τοῦ, «εἰσακούσεται,» εἴρηται, καὶ τὸ, «οὐκ ἐξουδένωσεν,» ἀντὶ τοῦ, «οὐκ ἐξουδενώσει.» Προειπὼν γὰρ, «Ζητήσατε τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν,» θαρσούντως φησὶ, Ζητήσατε, ὅτι εἰσακούσεται τῶν