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You shall love your neighbor as yourself?" For this reason the Lord also called himself a door, as a guide and teacher of virtue; "For I am," he says, "the door of the sheep; if anyone enters through me, he will go in, and he will go out, and he will find pasture." The prophetic word also said this here: "This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous will enter through it." 21. "I will give thanks to you, for you have heard me, and have become my salvation." Therefore I praise you for receiving my prayer, and for giving salvation. 22. "The stone, which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner." This, even if the Jews should be shameless ten thousand times, they cannot apply to another. For if Zerubbabel led the tribes that were formerly divided, yet it did not last for very long. But the Lord Christ the two walls, standing diametrically apart from each other, I mean those from the Jews, and those from the Gentiles who have believed, the one serving impiety, the other pulling the yoke of the law, and bringing together into one the things that were separated, he joined, and from both he fit together one Church, imitating a kind of corner joining two walls, and connecting them to each other. This stone, however, those who were formerly builders, both Pharisees and Sadducees, and priests and Scribes, rejected, and crucified; but "It became the head of the corner," or, according to Symmachus, the cornerstone. Concerning this stone God also foretold through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, precious, chosen, a cornerstone, honorable, for its foundations, and everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. "This also the blessed Paul said: "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." This stone also the blessed Daniel saw cut without hands, being taught the unshared birth from the Virgin. He saw this one crushing the image, that is, the vanity of life, and becoming a great mountain, and covering the inhabited world. 23. "This was from the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes." Of this grace God is the provider, and we marvel at his ineffable love for humanity. 24. "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." He calls it a day 80.1817 made by God, on which this stone arose after the passion. For immediately after the resurrection, he commanded the holy apostles to go and make disciples of all the nations. But he said that this day was especially made by God. For since God made the light in it from the beginning, and it having received the resurrection of our Savior, it sent down the rays of the sun of righteousness into the whole inhabited world. And having created the light, he called the light day, and he made nothing else on that day. This day alone, therefore, on the first day, received the creation of light. For on the second he made the firmament, and on the third the plants and the seeds, and likewise on the other days the other things; but on the first day the light; and he called the light day. Therefore he rightly said, "This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it," since in it we have received the springs of good things. 25. "O Lord, save now, O Lord, grant success now." And for the time to come, O Master, grant salvation, and make the way leading to you easy and accessible for us. 20. "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." This voice the children also offered to the Lord as a refutation of those who promised to teach the divine oracles, and were unwilling to comprehend the true meaning. For while the Scribes and Pharisees were calling the Lord a Samaritan, the children were calling him the one who comes and is blessed, and the "Hosanna" likewise lies in this prophecy; for we have found "save now" to be "Hosanna" in the Hebrew. And from this also the blessed John the
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ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν;" Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης ἑαυτὸν ὠνόμασε θύραν, ὡς τῆς ἀρετῆς ποδηγὸν καὶ διδάσκαλον· "Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι, φησὶν, ἡ θύρα τῶν προβάτων· ἐάν τις δι' ἐμοῦ εἰσ έλθῃ, εἰσελεύσεται, καὶ ἐξελεύσεται, καὶ νομὴν εὑ ρήσει." Τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ προφητικὸς ἔφη λό γος· "Αὕτη ἡ πύλη τοῦ Κυρίου, δίκαιοι εἰσελεύ σονται ἐν αὐτῇ." καʹ. "Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, ὅτι ἐπήκουσάς μου, καὶ ἐγένου μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν." Ὑμνῶ σε τοιγαροῦν δεξάμενόν μου τὴν δέησιν, καὶ δεδωκότα τὴν σω τηρίαν. κβʹ. "Λίθον, ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας." Τοῦτο, κἂν μυριάκις ἀναισχυντῶσιν Ἰουδαῖοι, ἄλλῳ προσαρμό σαι οὐ δύνανται. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν διαιρεθεισῶν πάλαι φυλῶν ἡγεμόνευσε Ζοροβάβελ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διήρκεσεν. Ὁ δὲ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς τοὺς δύο τοί χους, τοὺς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἑστῶτας ἐκ διαμέτρου, τοὺς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων φημὶ, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν πεπιστευκό τας, τοὺς μὲν δυσσεβείᾳ δουλεύοντας, τοὺς δὲ τοῦ νόμου τὸν ζυγὸν ἕλκοντας, καὶ εἰς ἓν συναγαγὼν τὰ διεστῶτα συνέζευξε, καὶ μίαν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων συνήρ μοσεν Ἐκκλησίαν, γωνίαν τινὰ μιμησάμενος δύο τοίχους συνδέουσαν, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους συνάπτου σαν. Τοῦτον μέντοι τὸν λίθον οἰκοδόμοι πάλαι ὄντες, Φαρισαῖοί τε καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι, ἱερεῖς τε καὶ Γραμ ματεῖς, ἀπεδοκίμασαν, καὶ ἐσταύρωσαν· ἀλλ' "Ἐγέ νετο εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας," ἢ, κατὰ τὸν Σύμμα χον, ἀκρογωνιαῖος. Περὶ τούτου δὲ τοῦ λίθου καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου προεθέσπισεν ὁ Θεός· "Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον πολυτελῆ, ἐκλεκτὸν, ἀκρογω νιαῖον, ἔντιμον εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς, καὶ πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. "Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη Παῦλος· "Ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ." Τοῦτον εἶδε τὸν λίθον καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ τμηθέντα ἄνευ χειρῶν, τὸν ἀκοινώνητον τῆς Παρθένου διδασκόμενος τόκον. Τοῦτον εἶδε τὴν εἰκόνα συντρίψαντα, τουτ έστι τοῦ βίου τὴν ματαιότητα, καὶ ὄρος μέγα γενό μενον, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην καλύψαντα. κγʹ. "Παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη, καὶ ἔστι θαυ μαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν." Ταύτης δὲ τῆς χάριτος χορηγὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν ἄῤῥητον αὐτοῦ φιλαν θρωπίαν θαυμάζομεν. κδʹ. "Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος· ἀγαλ λιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ." Ἡμέραν 80.1817 ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πεποιημένην καλεῖ, καθ' ἢν ὁ λίθος οὗτος ἀνέστη μετὰ τὸ πάθος. Εὐθὺς γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἐκέλευσεν ἀποστόλοις, πορευ θῆναι καὶ μαθητεῦσαι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. ∆ιαφερόντως δὲ ταύτην ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν ἔφη. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸ φῶς ἐν αὐτῇ πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνάστασιν δεξα μένη, τοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡλίου τὰς ἀκτῖνας εἰς πᾶ σαν τὴν οἰκουμένην κατέπεμψε. Καὶ τὸ φῶς δὲ δη μιουργήσας, φῶς τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκάλεσεν, ἄλλο δὲ οὐ δὲν κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν πεποίηκεν. Αὕτη τοίνυν ἡ ἡμέρα μόνη, κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν, τὴν δη μιουργίαν ἐδέξατο τοῦ φωτός. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ δευ τέρᾳ πεποίηκε τὸ στερέωμα, ἐν δὲ τῇ τρίτῃ τὰ φυτὰ καὶ τὰ σπέρματα, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις ὁμοίως τὰ ἄλλα· ἐν δὲ τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρα τὸ φῶς· ἐκάλεσε δὲ τὸ φῶς ἡμέραν. Εἰκότως τοίνυν ἔφη, "Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος, ἀγαλλιασώμεθα, καὶ εὐφρανθῶ μεν ἐν αὐτῇ," ἅτε δὴ ἐν αὐτῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν δεξάμενοι τὰς πηγάς. κεʹ. "Ὦ Κύριε, σῶσον δὴ, ὦ Κύριε, εὐόδωσον δή." Καὶ εἰς τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον, ὦ ∆έσποτα, παράσχου τὴν σωτηρίαν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς σὲ φέρουσαν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν ποίησον ῥᾳδίαν καὶ εὔπορον. κʹ. "Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυ ρίου." Ταύτην τῷ ∆εσπότῃ τὴν φωνὴν καὶ οἱ παῖδες προσήνεγκαν εἰς ἔλεγχον τῶν τὰ θεῖα λόγια διδά σκειν ὑπισχνουμένων, καὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ διάνοιαν συν ιδεῖν οὐ βουλομένων. Τῶν γὰρ Γραμματέων καὶ Φα ρισαίων Σαμαρείτην τὸν ∆εσπότην ἀποκαλούντων, οἱ παῖδες αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν ἐρχόμενον καὶ εὐλογημέ νον ἀπεκάλουν, καὶ τὸ Ὡσαννὰ δὲ ὁμοίως ἐν τῇδε κεῖται τῇ προφητείᾳ· τὸ γὰρ σῶσον δὴ Ὡσαννὰ παρὰ τῷ Ἑβραίῳ κείμενον εὕρομεν. Ἐντεῦθεν δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης ὁ