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De proditione Judae

ON THE BETRAYAL OF JUDAS, And on the Pascha, and on the tradition of the mysteries, and concerning not bearing grudges. On the Holy and

Great Thursday.

Homily 1.

1. It is necessary today to say a few things to your love; it is necessary to say a few things, not because you are weighed down by the abundance of what is said; for it is not possible to find another city so lovingly disposed toward the hearing of the spiritual oracles. Therefore, we do not say a few things for this reason, because we weary you with the quantity, but because the reason for brevity today is a necessary one; for I see many of the faithful hurrying toward the communion of the awesome mysteries. Therefore, so that they may neither fail of that table, nor fall away from this one, it is necessary to make the feasting moderate, so that profit may come to you from both sides, and being supplied with provisions from this one, also from our words, you may thus depart, and with fear and trembling and the appropriate reverence you may approach the fearful and awesome communion. Today, beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed; for this coming evening, having taken him, the Jews led him away. But do not be downcast, hearing that Jesus was betrayed; rather, be downcast, and weep bitterly, but not for Jesus who was betrayed, but for Judas the betrayer. For the one who was betrayed saved the world, but the one who betrayed lost his own soul; and the one who was betrayed sits at the right hand of the Father in the heavens, but the one who betrayed is now in Hades, awaiting the unavoidable punishment. For this one, therefore, weep and groan, for this one mourn, since our Master also wept for this one. For seeing him, he says, He was troubled and said: One of you will betray me. O how great is the compassion of the Master! The one who is betrayed grieves for the one who betrays. For seeing him, He was troubled, he says, and said: One of you will betray me. For what reason was He disheartened? Both showing his own affection, and teaching us, that it is right everywhere to lament not the one who suffers evil, but the one who does evil. For this is worse than that, or rather that is not an evil, to suffer evil, but it is an evil to do evil. For to suffer evil brings about the kingdom of heaven, but to do evil becomes for us the cause of Gehenna and of punishment. For blessed, he says, are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom 49.374 of heaven. Do you see how suffering evil has as a reward and prize the kingdom of heaven? Hear how doing evil brings chastisement and punishment. For Paul, having spoken concerning the Jews, that they killed the Lord, and persecuted the prophets, added: Whose end shall be according to their works. Do you see how those who are persecuted receive the kingdom, but those who persecute inherit wrath? These things have not been said by me simply now, but so that we might not be angry with our enemies, but might pity them and lament and grieve with them; for they are the ones who suffer evil, those who are hostile to us. If we thus prepare our soul, we will be able to also pray for them. For this is the fourth day I have been discoursing to you concerning prayer for enemies, so that the word of teaching may become permanent, having been rooted by the continuity of the exhortation. For this reason I continually draw out my words, so that the swelling of anger might subside, and the inflammation be checked, so that the may be pure from anger

1

De proditione Judae

ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟ∆ΟΣΙΑΝ ΤΟΥ ΙΟΥ∆Α, Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πάσχα, καὶ εἰς τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν μυστηρίων, καὶ περὶ τοῦ μὴ μνησικακεῖν. Τῇ ἁγίᾳ καὶ

μεγάλῃ Πέμπτῃ.

Ὁμιλία αʹ.

αʹ. Ὀλίγα ἀνάγκη σήμερον πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην εἰπεῖν· ὀλίγα δὲ ἀνάγκη εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τῷ πλήθει τῶν λεγομένων ὑμεῖς βαρύνεσθε· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστιν ἑτέραν πόλιν εὑρεῖν οὕτως ἐρωτικῶς πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν πνευματικῶν λογίων διακειμένην. Οὐ τοίνυν διὰ τοῦτο ὀλίγα λέγομεν, ἐπειδὴ ἀποκναίομεν ὑμᾶς τῷ πλήθει, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀναγκαία τῆς βραχυλογίας σήμερον ἡ αἰτία· καὶ γὰρ ὁρῶ πολλοὺς τῶν πιστῶν ἐπειγομένους πρὸς τὴν τῶν φρικτῶν μυστηρίων κοινωνίαν. Ἵν' οὖν μήτ' ἐκείνης τῆς τραπέζης ἀποτύχωσι, μήτε ταύτης ἐκπέσωσιν, ἀνάγκη σύμμετρον ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἑστίασιν, ἵν' ἑκατέρωθεν ὑμῖν τὸ κέρδος γένηται, καὶ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἐφοδιασθέντες καὶ τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν λόγων, οὕτως ἀπέλθητε, καὶ μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου καὶ τῆς προσηκούσης εὐλαβείας τῇ φοβερᾷ καὶ φρικτῇ προσέλθητε κοινωνίᾳ. Σήμερον, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς παρεδόθη· τῇ γὰρ ἐπιούσῃ ἑσπέρᾳ ταύτῃ, λαβόντες αὐτὸν, ἀπῆλθον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένῃ κατηφὴς, ἀκούσας ὅτι Ἰησοῦς παρεδόθη· μᾶλλον δὲ γενοῦ κατηφὴς, καὶ κλαῦσον πικρῶς, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὑπὲρ τοῦ παραδοθέντος Ἰησοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ προδότου Ἰούδα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ παραδοθεὶς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἔσωσεν, ὁ δὲ προδοὺς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀπώλεσε· καὶ ὁ μὲν προδοθεὶς ἐν δεξιᾷ κάθηται τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ὁ δὲ παραδοὺς ἐν ᾅδου νῦν ἐστι, τὴν ἀπαραίτητον ἀναμένων κόλασιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτον οὖν κλαῦσον καὶ στέναξον, διὰ τοῦτον πένθησον, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης ἡμῶν διὰ τοῦτον ἐδάκρυσεν. Ἰδὼν γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἐταράχθη καὶ εἶπεν· Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με. Ὢ πόση εὐσπλαγχνία τοῦ ∆εσπότου! ὁ προδοθεὶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ προδόντος ἀλγεῖ. Ἰδὼν γὰρ αὐτὸν, ἐταράχθη, φησὶ, καὶ εἶπεν· Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἠθύμησεν; Ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν φιλοστοργίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ διδάσκων ἡμᾶς, ὅτι οὐ τὸν πάσχοντα κακῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸν ποιοῦντα κακῶς, τοῦτον θρηνεῖν πανταχοῦ δίκαιον. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκείνου χεῖρον, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκεῖνο μὲν οὐ κακὸν, τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν, κακὸν δὲ τὸ ποιῆσαι κακῶς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ κακῶς παθεῖν, τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν προξενεῖ, τὸ δὲ κακῶς ποιῆσαι αἴτιον ἡμῖν τῆς γεέννης καὶ τῆς κολάσεως γίνεται. Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία 49.374 τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν ἔχει μισθὸν καὶ ἔπαθλον τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν; Ἄκουσον πῶς τὸ κακῶς ποιῆσαι κόλασιν φέρει καὶ τιμωρίαν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι Τὸν Κύριον ἀπέκτειναν, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἐδίωξαν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ὧν τὸ τέλος ἔσται κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν. Εἶδες πῶς οἱ μὲν διωκόμενοι τὴν βασιλείαν λαμβάνουσιν, οἱ δὲ διώκοντες τὴν ὀργὴν κληρονομοῦσι; Ταῦτα δέ μοι οὐχ ἁπλῶς νῦν εἴρηται, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὀργιζώμεθα, ἀλλ' ἐλεῶμεν αὐτοὺς καὶ θρηνῶμεν καὶ συναλγῶμεν αὐτοῖς· ἐκεῖνοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ κακῶς πάσχοντες, οἱ ἐχθραίνοντες ἡμῖν. Ἂν οὕτω παρασκευάσωμεν τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν, δυνησόμεθα αὐτῶν καὶ ὑπερεύχεσθαι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τετάρτην ἡμέραν ταύτην ἔχω διαλεγόμενος ὑμῖν περὶ εὐχῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἵνα μόνιμος γένηται τῆς διδασκαλίας ὁ λόγος, τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς παραινέσεως ῥιζωθείς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς ἀπαντλοῦμαι τοῖς ῥήμασιν, ὥστε τὸ οἴδημα τῆς ὀργῆς ὑπονοστῆσαι, καὶ κατασταλῆναι τὴν φλεγμονὴν, ὥστε καθαρὸν ὀργῆς εἶναι τὸν