Commentaries on Luke (homily 51 On the transfiguration)

HOMILY 9. On the transfiguration of our Lord, and God, and Savior

Jesus Christ.

77.1009 Those who know well how to compete delight in the applause of the spectators, and by the hopes of prizes are sharpened for the victory that befits them. But those who are eager to obtain the divine gifts, and thirst for a share in the hope prepared for the saints, gladly undertake the contests for piety towards Christ. And they achieve an approved life, not preferring unrewarded idleness, nor loving unmanly cowardice; but rather playing the man against every temptation, and counting the assaults of persecutions of little account, and considering it riches to suffer for his sake. For they remember the blessed Paul writing, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Behold, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ even now using a most excellent economy, for the benefit and edification of the holy apostles. For he said to them: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. And the command is salutary, and befitting the saints, and the source of the highest glory, and productive of gladness in the end. For to choose to suffer for Christ is not without reward; but rather it secures a share in eternal life and glory. However, as the disciples had not yet received the power from on high, it was likely that they might perhaps even fall into human weaknesses, and having thought some such thing among themselves, say: How shall one deny himself? Or how, having lost his own soul, will he find it again?

And what 77.1012 will be the equivalent reward for those who suffer this? or of what gifts will he be a partaker? In order, therefore, to turn them away from such thoughts and words, and, as it were, to reforge them for courage by begetting in them a desire for the glory that was to be given them; I say to you, he says, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, until they see the kingdom of God. Will the measure of their life, he says, be extended so far that they will reach those times, after which, at the consummation of the ages, he will descend from heaven and restore to the saints the kingdom prepared for them? But this also was possible for him. For he can do all things, and nothing is impossible or impracticable for his most powerful commands. But he calls the kingdom the very sight of the glory, in which he himself will also be seen at that time, when he will shine upon those on earth. For he will come in the glory of God the Father, and not in the humility which is ours. How then did he make those who received the promise beholders of the wonder? He goes up into the mountain, having three of the chosen ones from them; then he is transformed into a certain extraordinary and divine splendor, so that even his raiment seemed to shine with the brilliance of the light.

Then Moses and Elias, standing around Jesus, were speaking to one another about his departure, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem, that is, the mystery of the economy with the flesh, and the saving passion, upon the precious, I say, cross. For it is true that the law through Moses, and the word of the holy prophets, foreshadowed the mystery of Christ; the one in types and shadows almost, as in

Commentarii in Lucam (homilia 51 In transfigurationem)

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Θʹ. Εἰς τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ Θεοῦ, καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν

Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

77.1009 Οἱ μὲν εὖ εἰδότες ἀθλεῖν, τῶν θεωμένων ἐφήδονται κρότοις, καὶ ταῖς τῶν βραβείων ἐλπίσιν ἀκονῶνται πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῖς πρέπουσαν νίκην. Οἱ δέ γε τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων ἐπιτυχεῖν γλιχόμενοι, καὶ τῆς τοῖς ἁγίοις ηὐτρεπισμένης ἐλπίδος διψῶντες τὴν μέθεξιν, τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν εὐσεβείας ἀγῶνας προσίενται μὲν ἀσμένως. Τὴν εὐδόκιμον δὲ κατορθοῦσι ζωὴν, οὐ τὸν ἄμισθον προτιμῶντες ὄκνον, οὔτε μὴν τὴν ἄνανδρον ἀγαπῶντες δειλίαν· κατανδριζόμενοι δὲ μᾶλλον παντὸς πειρασμοῦ, καὶ τὰς τῶν διωγμῶν ἐφόδους ὀλίγου παντὸς ἀξιοῦντες λόγου, καὶ πλοῦτον ἡγούμενοι τὸ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. Ἀναμέμνηνται γὰρ τοῦ μακαρίου γράφοντος Παύλου, ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ἄθρει τοιγαροῦν οἰκονομίᾳ παγκάλῃ κεχρημένον καὶ νῦν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, εἰς ὄνησιν, καὶ οἰκοδομὴν τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων. Ἔφη μὲν γὰρ πρὸς αὐτούς· Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. Ὃς γὰρ θέλει τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ σῶσαι, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δὲ ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, εὑρήσει αὐτήν. Καὶ σωτήριον μὲν τὸ παράγγελμα, καὶ πρέπον ἁγίοις, καὶ τῆς ἀνωτάτω πρόξενον δόξης, καὶ τῆς εἰς λῆξιν θυμηδίας ἐμποιητικόν. Τὸ γὰρ παθεῖν ἑλέσθαι διὰ Χριστὸν, οὐκ ἄμισθον· μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, καὶ δόξης περιποιεῖ τὴν μέθεξιν. Πλὴν οὔπω τὴν ἐξ ὕψος δύναμιν ἐσχηκότας τοὺς μαθητὰς, εἰκὸς ἦν τάχα που καὶ ἀνθρωπίναις περιπεσεῖν ἀσθενείαις, καὶ τοιοῦτόν τι καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐννενοηκότας εἰπεῖν· Πῶς ἀρνήσεταί τις ἑαυτόν; Ἢ πῶς ἀπολέσας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, εὑρήσει πάλιν αὐτήν;

Τί δὲ τοῖς τοῦτο 77.1012 παθοῦσι τὸ ἰσοστατοῦν ἔσται γέρας; ἢ καὶ ποίων ἔσται χαρισμάτων μέτοχος; Ἵνα τοίνυν τῶν τοιούτων αὐτοὺς ἀποστήσῃ καὶ λογισμῶν, καὶ ῥημάτων, καὶ οἷον μεταχαλκεύσῃ πρὸς εὐανδρίαν τῆς δοθησομένης αὐτοῖς εὐκλείας ἐπιθυμίαν ἐντεκών· Λέγω ὑμῖν, φησὶ, εἰσί τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστηκότων, οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσονται θανάτου, ἕως ἂν ἴδωσι τὴν βασιλείαν του Θεοῦ. Ἆρά γε εἰς τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς ἐκταθήσεται, φησὶ, τὸ τῆς ζωῆς μέτρον, ὥστε καὶ εἰς ἐκείνους φθάσαι τοὺς χρόνους, μεθ' οὒς ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατελθὼν ἀποκαταστήσει τοῖς ἁγίοις τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην αὐτοῖς βασιλείαν; Ἀλλ' ἦν μὲν καὶ τοῦτο ἐφικτὸν αὐτῷ. Πάντα γὰρ δύναται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀμήχανον, ἢ ἀνήνυτον τοῖς αὐτοῦ πανσθενεστάτοις νεύμασι. Βασιλείαν δέ φησιν αὐτὴν τὴν θέαν τῆς δόξης, ἐν ᾗ καὶ αὐτὸς ὀφθήσεται κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ, καθ' ὃν ἂν ἐπιλάμψει τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς. Ἥξει γὰρ ἐν δόξῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔν γε μᾶλλον σμικροπρεπείᾳ τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς. Πῶς οὖν ἅρα θεωροὺς ἐποίει τοῦ θαύματος τοὺς λαβόντας τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν; Ἄνεισιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος, τρεῖς ἀπ' αὐτῶν τοὺς ἐπιλέκτους ἔχων· εἶτα μεταπλάττεται πρὸς ἐξαίρετόν τινα καὶ θεοπρεπῆ λαμπρότητα, ὥστε καὶ τὸν ἱματισμὸν αὐτοῦ τῇ τοῦ φωτὸς προσβολῇ διαλάμψαι δοκεῖν.

Εἶτα Μωσῆς καὶ Ἡλίας περιεστηκότες τὸν Ἰησοῦν προσελάλουν ἀλλήλοις τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ, ἢν ἔμελλε πληροῦν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, τοῦτ' ἔστι, τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὸ μυστήριον, καὶ τὸ σωτήριον πάθος, τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ τιμίῳ, φημὶ, σταυρῷ. Καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, ὅτι ὁ διὰ Μωσέως νόμος, καὶ ὁ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν λόγος τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον προανέδειξαν· ὁ μὲν ἐν τύποις καὶ σκιαῖς μονονουχὶ, καθάπερ ἐν