Gregory of Nazianzus, On Holy Easter and Delay

In sanctum pascha et in tarditatem

ORATIONS OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

ORATION I.

On holy Pascha and on the delay.

I. It is the Day of Resurrection, and the beginning is a good one; let us be radiant for the festival, and let us embrace one another. Let us say, "Brothers," even to those who hate us, not only to those who have done or suffered something for love's sake. Let us forgive all things for the resurrection. Let us grant pardon to one another, I who was forced into this good tyranny—for this I now add—and you who have exercised it so well, if you have any fault to find with my tardiness, for this is perhaps better and more honorable to God than the haste of others. For it is good both to withdraw a little from God, like Moses of old, and Jeremiah later, and to run readily when He calls, like Aaron and Isaiah; only let both be done piously, the one because of one's own weakness, the other because of the power of Him who calls.

II. A mystery anointed me; because of a mystery I withdrew for a little, so as to examine myself. Because of a mystery I also enter in with you, bringing this day as a good helper for my timidity and weakness, so that He who today rose from the dead may also make me new by the 35.397 Spirit, and having clothed me with the new man, may give to the new creation, to those born according to God, a good former and teacher, to be willingly crucified with Christ and to rise with Him.

III. Yesterday the lamb was slain, and the doorposts were anointed, and Egypt mourned for her firstborn, and the destroyer passed us over, and the seal was dreadful and venerable, and we were walled about with the precious blood. Today we have utterly escaped from Egypt, and from Pharaoh the bitter master, and from the harsh taskmasters, and we have been freed from the clay and the brick-making. And there is no one to hinder us from celebrating to the Lord our God the festival of the exodus, and celebrating it not in the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, carrying with us nothing of the Egyptian and godless leaven.

IV. Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with Him. Yesterday I was put to death with Him, today I am made alive with Him. Yesterday I was buried with Him, today I am raised with Him. But let us bear fruit to Him who suffered and rose for us. Perhaps you think I mean gold, or silver, or woven fabrics, or transparent and precious stones, the flowing matter of the earth, which remains below, of which the wicked and the slaves of things below and of the ruler of this world always have the greater part. Let us bear fruit of ourselves, the most precious and proper possession for God. Let us render to the image that which is according to the image; let us recognize our own dignity; let us honor the archetype; let us know the power of the mystery, and for whom Christ died.

V. Let us become as Christ, since Christ also became as we are. Let us become gods for His sake, since He also for our sake became man. He took upon Himself the worse, that He might give us the better. He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich. He took the form of a servant, that we might receive back our liberty. 35.400 He came down, that we might be exalted. He was tempted, that we might conquer. He was dishonored, that He might glorify. He died, that He might save. He ascended, that He might draw

In sanctum pascha et in tarditatem

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ ΛΟΓΟΙ.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Αʹ.

Εἰς τὸ ἅγιον Πάσχα καὶ εἰς τὴν βραδυτῆτα.

Αʹ. Ἀναστάσεως ἡμέρα, καὶ ἡ ἀρχὴ δεξιὰ, καὶ λαμπρυνθῶμεν τῇ πανηγύρει, καὶ ἀλλήλους περιπτυξώμεθα· εἴπωμεν, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ τοῖς μισοῦσιν ἡμᾶς, μὴ ὅτι τοῖς δι' ἀγάπην τι πεποιηκόσιν, ἢ πεπονθό σι· συγχωρήσωμεν πάντα τῇ ἀναστάσει· δῶμεν συγ γνώμην ἀλλήλοις, ἐγώ τε ὁ τυραννηθεὶς τὴν καλὴν τυραννίδα, τοῦτο γὰρ νῦν προστίθημι, καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ καλῶς τυραννήσαντες, εἴ τί μοι μέμφοισθε τῆς βραδυτῆτος, ὡς τάχα γε κρείττων αὕτη καὶ τι μιωτέρα Θεῷ τῆς ἑτέρων ταχυτῆτος· ἀγαθὸν γὰρ καὶ ὑποχωρῆσαι Θεῷ τι μικρὸν, ὡς Μωϋσῆς ἐκεῖνος τὸ παλαιὸν, καὶ Ἱερεμίας ὕστερον, καὶ προσδραμεῖν ἑτοίμως καλοῦντι, ὡς Ἀαρών τε καὶ Ἡσαΐας, μόνον εὐσεβῶς ἀμφότερα, τὸ μὲν διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσθέ νειαν, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὴν τοῦ καλοῦντος δύναμιν.

Βʹ. Μυστήριον ἔχρισέ με, μυστηρίῳ μικρὸν ὑπεχώρησα, ὅσον ἐμαυτὸν ἐπισκέψασθαι· μυστηρίῳ καὶ συνεισέρχομαι, καλὴν ἐπαγόμενος τῆς ἐμῆς δειλίας καὶ ἀσθενείας ἐπίκουρον τὴν ἡμέραν, ἵν' ὁ σήμερον ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς κἀμὲ καινοποιήσῃ τῷ 35.397 πνεύματι, καὶ τὸν καινὸν ἐνδύσας ἄνθρωπον, δῷ τῇ καινῇ κτίσει, τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν γεννωμένοις, πλάστην ἀγαθὸν καὶ διδάσκαλον Χριστῷ καὶ συννεκρού μενον προθύμως καὶ συνανιστάμενον.

Γʹ. Χθὲς ὁ ἀμνὸς ἐσφάζετο, καὶ ἐχρίοντο αἱ φλιαὶ, καὶ ἐθρήνησεν Αἴγυπτος τὰ πρωτότοκα, καὶ ἡμᾶς παρῆλθεν ὁ ὀλοθρεύων, καὶ ἡ σφραγὶς φοβερὰ καὶ αἰ δέσιμος, καὶ τῷ τιμίῳ αἵματι ἐτειχίσθημεν· σή μερον καθαρῶς ἐφύγομεν Αἴγυπτον, καὶ Φαραὼ τὸν πικρὸν δεσπότην, καὶ τοὺς βαρεῖς ἐπιστάτας, καὶ τοῦ πηλοῦ καὶ τῆς πλινθείας ἠλευθερώθημεν· καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ κωλύσων ἡμᾶς ἑορτάζειν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἑορτὴν τὴν ἐξόδιον, καὶ ἑορτάζειν, οὐκ ἐν ζύ μῃ παλαιᾷ κακίας καὶ πονηρίας, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀζύμοις εἰλικρινείας καὶ ἀληθείας, μηδὲν ἐπιφερομένους Αἰγυπτιακοῦ καὶ ἀθέου φυράματος.

∆ʹ. Χθὲς συνεσταυρούμην Χριστῷ, σήμερον συνδο ξάζομαι· χθὲς συνενεκρούμην, συζωοποιοῦμαι σήμε ρον· χθὲς συνεθαπτόμην, σήμερον συνεγείρομαι. Ἀλλὰ καρποφορήσωμεν τῷ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθόντι καὶ ἀναστάντι. Χρυσόν με ἴσως οἴεσθε λέγειν, ἢ ἄργυρον, ἢ ὑφάσματα, ἢ λίθους τῶν διαφανῶν καὶ τιμίων, γῆς ῥέουσαν ὕλην, καὶ κάτω μένουσαν, ἧς ἀεὶ τὸ πλεῖον ἔχουσιν οἱ κακοὶ καὶ δοῦλοι τῶν κάτω καὶ τοῦ κοσμο κράτορος. Καρποφορήσωμεν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς, τὸ τι μιώτατον Θεῷ κτῆμα καὶ οἰκειότατον· ἀποδῶμεν τῇ εἰκόνι τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα, γνωρίσωμεν ἡμῶν τὸ ἀξίωμα, τιμήσωμεν τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, γνῶμεν τοῦ μυστηρίου τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τίνος Χριστὸς ἀπέθανε.

Εʹ. Γενώμεθα ὡς Χριστὸς, ἐπεὶ καὶ Χριστὸς ὡς ἡμεῖς· γενώμεθα θεοὶ δι' αὐτὸν, ἐπειδὴ κἀκεῖνος δι' ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπος. Προσέλαβε τὸ χεῖρον, ἵνα δῷ τὸ βέλ τιον· ἐπτώχευσεν, ἵν' ἡμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσωμεν· δούλου μορφὴν ἔλαβεν, ἵνα τὴν ἐλευ 35.400 θερίαν ἡμεῖς ἀπολάβωμεν· κατῆλθεν, ἵν' ὑψωθῶ μεν· ἐπειράσθη, ἵνα νικήσωμεν· ἠτιμάσθη, ἵνα δοξά σῃ· ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα σώσῃ· ἀνῆλθεν, ἵν' ἑλκύσῃ