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De sancto hieromartyre Phoca

TO THE HOLY HIEROMARTYR PHOCAS, AND AGAINST THE HERETICS And on the 141st Psalm, "With my voice I cried to the Lord, with my voice

I made supplication to God."

50.699 a'. Our city became glorious yesterday, glorious and renowned, not because it had columns, but because a martyr came to us in procession from Pontus. He saw your hospitality, and filled you with blessing; he praised your eagerness, and blessed those who came. I counted blessed those who came together and partook of his fragrance, and I lamented those who were left behind; but lest their loss become incurable, we proclaim him again on another day, so that those left behind through indolence might by their zeal double the blessing from the martyr. For what I have often said, this I will not cease to say: I do not demand an accounting for sins, but I prepare remedies for the sick. Were you left behind yesterday? Come at least today, that you may see him being led away to his own place. Did you see him being led through the marketplace? See him also sailing through the sea, that both elements may be filled with the blessing from him. Let no one be absent from this sacred festival; let no virgin remain at home, let no woman occupy the house, let us empty the city, and let us move to the tomb of the martyr; for even emperors dance in chorus with us. What excuse, then, has the common person, when emperors leave their royal courts and sit beside the tomb of the martyr? For such is the power of the martyrs, as to captivate not only common people, but also those who wear diadems; this is the shame of the Greeks, this is the reproach of their error, this is the destruction of demons; this is our nobility, and the crown of the Church. I dance with martyrs, and I leap for joy, seeing their trophy instead of meadows, because instead of springs they poured forth blood; their bones were consumed, and their memory becomes younger each day. For just as it is impossible for the sun to be extinguished, so too the memory of martyrs; for Christ himself declared: Heaven 50.700 and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

But let us await the encomiums of the martyr for the proper time; for these things have been said sufficiently for the sake of the zeal of those who ought to gather and make the day of the feast illustrious. For what I said yesterday, I also say again today, no glory will come to the martyr from the presence of the many, but for you the blessing will be greater from coming to the martyr. For just as one who looks at the sun does not make the star brighter, but illuminates his own eyes; so also he who honors a martyr does not make him more glorious, but he himself draws from him the blessing of light. Let us again make the sea a church, going out there with torches, and moistening the fire, and filling the water with fire. Let no one fear the sea; the martyr did not fear death, and you are afraid of the water? But we have spoken this word sufficiently; come, let us also set before you the customary table from the things said today. For even if our bodies are crowded, let our minds be uplifted; for I see not your crowding, but your eagerness. Pleasant to a pilot is a surging sea, and to a teacher a church surging like the sea; for in these waters there is neither brine, nor

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De sancto hieromartyre Phoca

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΓΙΟΝ ΙΕΡΟΜΑΡΤΥΡΑ ΦΩΚΑΝ, ΚΑΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΩΝ Καὶ εἰς τὸν ρμαʹ ψαλμὸν, "Φωνῇ μου πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἐκέκραξα, φωνῇ

μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐδεήθην."

50.699 αʹ. Λαμπρὰ γέγονεν ἡμῖν χθὲς ἡ πόλις, λαμπρὰ καὶ περιφανὴς, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ

κίονας εἶχεν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μάρτυρα πομπεύοντα ἀπὸ Πόντου πρὸς ἡμᾶς παραγενόμενον. Εἶδεν ὑμῶν τὴν φιλοξενίαν, καὶ ἐνέπλησεν ὑμᾶς τῆς εὐλογίας· ἐπῄνεσεν ὑμῶν τὴν προθυμίαν, καὶ εὐλόγησε τοὺς παραγενομένους. Ἐμακάρισα τοὺς συνελθόντας καὶ μετασχόντας αὐτοῦ τῆς εὐωδίας, καὶ ἐταλάνισα τοὺς ἀπολειφθέντας· ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἡ ζημία αὐτῶν ἀνίατος γένηται, πάλιν ἐν ἑτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἀνακηρύττομεν αὐτὸν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἀπολειφθέντες διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν διπλασιάσωσι τῇ σπουδῇ τὴν εὐλογίαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μάρτυρος. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ πολλάκις εἶπον, τοῦτο καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι· οὐκ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτῶ ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀσθενοῦσι φάρμακα κατασκευάζω. Ἀπελείφθης χθές; παραγενοῦ κἂν σήμερον, ἵνα ἴδῃς αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον χῶρον ἀπαγόμενον. Εἶδες αὐτὸν διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀγόμενον; βλέπε αὐτὸν καὶ διὰ τοῦ πελάγους πλέοντα, ἵνα ἑκάτερα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ εὐλογίας ἐμπλησθῇ. Μηδεὶς ἀπολιμπανέσθω τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης πανηγύρεως· μὴ παρθένος οἴκοι μενέτω, μὴ γυνὴ τὴν οἰκίαν κατεχέτω, κενώσωμεν τὴν πόλιν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν τάφον τοῦ μάρτυρος μεθορμίσωμεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ βασιλεῖς κοινῇ μεθ' ἡμῶν χορεύουσι. Ποίαν οὖν συγγνώμην ἔχει ὁ ἰδιώτης, βασιλέων τὰς βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς καταλιμπανόντων, καὶ τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ μάρτυρος παρακαθημένων; Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῶν μαρτύρων ἡ δύναμις, ὡς μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἰδιώτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τὰ διαδήματα φοροῦντας σαγηνεύειν· αὕτη τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡ αἰσχύνη, αὕτη τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν τὸ ὄνειδος, αὕτη τῶν δαιμόνων ἡ ἐξολόθρευσις· αὕτη ἡμῶν ἡ εὐγένεια, καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὁ στέφανος. Χορεύω μετὰ μαρτύρων, καὶ σκιρτῶ, ἀντὶ λειμώνων βλέπων αὐτῶν τὸ τρόπαιον, ὅτι ἀντὶ πηγῶν αἷμα ἔῤῥεον· τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν ἐδαπανήθη, καὶ ἡ μνήμη αὐτῶν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν νεαρωτέρα γίνεται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν ἥλιον ἀμήχανον σβεσθῆναι, οὕτω καὶ μνήμην μαρτύρων· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπεφήνατο· Ὁ οὐρανὸς 50.700 καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν.

Ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὲν μάρτυρος τὰ ἐγκώμια εἰς τὸν προσήκοντα καιρὸν ἀναμείνωμεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα ἀρκούντως εἴρηται διὰ τὴν σπουδὴν τῶν ὀφειλόντων συναχθῆναι, καὶ περιφανῆ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς ἑορτῆς. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ καὶ χθὲς ἔλεγον, καὶ σήμερον πάλιν λέγω, τῷ μὲν μάρτυρι οὐδεμία δόξα ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν παρουσίας γενήσεται, ὑμῖν δὲ πλείων ἔσται ἡ εὐλογία ἀπὸ τοῦ παραγενέσθαι πρὸς τὸν μάρτυρα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον βλέπων τὸ μὲν ἄστρον φαιδρότερον οὐ ποιεῖ, τὰ δὲ οἰκεῖα ὄμματα καταυγάζει· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ μάρτυρα τιμῶν, ἐκεῖνον λαμπρότερον οὐ ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς παρ' ἐκείνου τὴν εὐλογίαν τοῦ φωτὸς ἐπισπᾶται. Ποιήσωμεν πάλιν τὴν θάλατταν ἐκκλησίαν μετὰ λαμπάδων ἐξιόντες ἐκεῖσε, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐνυγραίνοντες, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐμπιμπλῶντες πυρός. Μηδεὶς φοβείσθω τὸ πέλαγος· ὁ μάρτυς θάνατον οὐκ ἐφοβήθη, καὶ σὺ τὸ ὕδωρ δέδοικας; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτον μὲν αὐτάρκως τὸν λόγον εἰρήκαμεν· φέρε δὴ καὶ ἐκ τῶν σήμερον εἰρημένων τὴν εἰωθυῖαν ὑμῖν παραθῶμεν τράπεζαν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ στενοχωρεῖται ἡμῶν τὰ σώματα, ἀλλ' ἀναπτερούσθω ἡ διάνοια· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν στενοχωρίαν ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν προθυμίαν βλέπω. Ἡδὺ καὶ κυβερνήτῃ θάλαττα κυματουμένη, καὶ διδασκάλῳ ἐκκλησία πελαγιζομένη· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι τούτοις οὔτε ἅλμη, οὔτε