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Homily on the Captured Eutropius

HOMILY When Eutropius, having been found outside the church, was dragged away, and concerning paradise and the Scriptures, and on the text, "The queen stood at your right hand."

52.395 1. Sweet is the meadow and paradise, but much sweeter is the reading of the divine Scriptures. For there 52.396 are withering flowers, but here are flourishing thoughts; there a blowing zephyr, but here a breeze of the Spirit; there thorns that enclose, but here 52.397 the providence of God that secures; there singing cicadas, but here prophets chanting; there pleasure from the sight, but here benefit from the reading. Paradise is in one place, but the Scriptures are everywhere in the world; paradise is subject to the necessities of the seasons, but the Scriptures, both in winter and in summer, are rich with leaves, are laden with fruit. Let us attend, therefore, to the reading of the Scriptures; for if you attend to the Scripture, it casts out your despondency, plants your pleasure, destroys your wickedness, roots your virtue, does not allow you in the tumult of affairs to suffer the things of those who are tossed by waves. The sea rages, but you sail with calm; for you have the reading of the Scriptures as a helmsman; for the trial of affairs does not break this rope. And that I am not lying, the facts themselves testify. The church was besieged a few days ago; an army came, and it was shooting fire from its eyes, and it did not wither the olive tree; swords were drawn, and no one received wounds; the royal gates were in agony, and the church in safety; and yet the war flowed here. For here the one who took refuge was sought, and we stood by not fearing their wrath. Why so? We had a secure pledge, the text, 'You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.' And by Church I mean not only the place, but also the way of life; not the walls of the church, but the laws of the Church. When you take refuge in a church, do not take refuge in the place, but in the disposition. For the Church is not wall and roof, but faith and life. Do not say that he who was betrayed was betrayed by the Church; if he had not left the Church, he would not have been betrayed. Do not say that he both took refuge and was betrayed; the Church did not leave him, but he himself left the Church. He was not handed over from within, but from without. Why did he leave the church? Did you wish to be saved? You ought to have held on to the altar. There were not walls here, but the providence of God securing it. Were you a sinner? God does not send you away; for He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. A prostitute was saved, because she held His feet. Have you heard what was read today? But I say these things so that you may never doubt when taking refuge in the Church. Remain in the Church, and you are not betrayed by the Church. But if you flee from the Church, the Church is not at fault. For if you are inside, the wolf does not enter; but if you go outside, you become prey to wild beasts; but this is not because of the fold, but because of your own faintheartedness. Nothing is equal to the Church. Do not speak to me of walls and weapons; for walls grow old with time, but the Church never grows old. Barbarians destroy walls, but not even demons overcome the Church. And that these words are no boast, the facts bear witness. How many have warred against the Church, and those who warred have perished? But she has ascended above the heavens. Such greatness does the Church possess; when warred against, she conquers; when plotted against, she prevails; when insulted, she becomes more radiant;

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Homilia de capto Eutropio

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ὅτε τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἔξω εὑρεθεὶς Εὐτρόπιος ἀπεσπάσθη, καὶ περὶ παραδείσου καὶ Γραφῶν, καὶ εἰς τὸ, "Παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου."

52.395 αʹ. Ἡδὺς μὲν λειμὼν καὶ παράδεισος, πολὺ δὲ ἡδύτερον τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἡ ἀνάγνωσις. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γάρ 52.396 ἐστιν ἄνθη μαραινόμενα, ἐνταῦθα δὲ νοήματα ἀκμάζοντα· ἐκεῖ ζέφυρος πνέων, ἐνταῦθα δὲ Πνεύματος αὔρα· ἐκεῖ ἄκανθαι αἱ τειχίζουσαι, ἐνταῦθα δὲ πρό 52.397 νοια Θεοῦ ἡ ἀσφαλιζομένη· ἐκεῖ τέττιγες ᾄδοντες, ἐνταῦθα δὲ προφῆται κελαδοῦντες· ἐκεῖ τέρψις ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὠφέλεια ἀπὸ τῆς ἀναγνώσεως. Ὁ παράδεισος ἐν ἑνὶ χωρίῳ, αἱ δὲ Γραφαὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης· ὁ παράδεισος δουλεύει καιρῶν ἀνάγκαις, αἱ δὲ Γραφαὶ καὶ ἐν χειμῶνι καὶ ἐν θέρει κομῶσι τοῖς φύλλοις, βρίθουσι τοῖς καρποῖς. Προσέχωμεν τοίνυν τῇ τῶν Γραφῶν ἀναγνώσει· ἐὰν γὰρ τῇ Γραφῇ προσέχῃς, ἐκβάλλει σου τὴν ἀθυμίαν, φυτεύει σου τὴν ἡδονὴν, ἀναιρεῖ τὴν κακίαν, ῥιζοῖ τὴν ἀρετὴν, οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἐν θορύβῳ πραγμάτων τὰ τῶν κλυδωνιζομένων πάσχειν. Ἡ θάλασσα μαίνεται, σὺ δὲ μετὰ γαλήνης πλέεις· ἔχεις γὰρ κυβερνήτην τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ σχοινίον οὐ διαῤῥήγνυσι τῶν πραγμάτων ὁ πειρασμός. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι, μαρτυρεῖ τὰ πράγματα αὐτά. Ἐπολιορκήθη ἡ ἐκκλησία πρὸ ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν· ἦλθε στρατόπεδον, καὶ πῦρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἠφίει, καὶ τὴν ἐλαίαν οὐκ ἐμάρανε· ξίφη γεγύμνωντο, καὶ τραύματα οὐδεὶς ἐδέξατο· αἱ βασιλικαὶ πύλαι ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ, καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ· καίτοι γε ὁ πόλεμος ἐνταῦθα ἔῤῥευσεν. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἐζητεῖτο ὁ καταφυγὼν, καὶ παριστάμεθα μὴ δεδοικότες τὸν ἐκείνων θυμόν. Τί δήποτε; Εἴχομεν ἐνέχυρον ἀσφαλὲς τὸ, Σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν· καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς. Ἐκκλησίαν δὲ λέγω, οὐ τόπον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρόπον· οὐ τοίχους ἐκκλησίας, ἀλλὰ νόμους Ἐκκλησίας. Ὅταν καταφεύγῃς ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, μὴ τόπῳ καταφύγῃς, ἀλλὰ γνώμῃ. Ἐκκλησία γὰρ οὐ τοῖχος καὶ ὄροφος, ἀλλὰ πίστις καὶ βίος. Μὴ λέγε, ὅτι προεδόθη ἀπὸ Ἐκκλησίας ὁ προδοθείς· εἰ μὴ ἀφῆκε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, οὐκ ἂν προεδίδοτο. Μὴ λέγε, ὅτι καὶ κατέφυγε καὶ προεδόθη· οὐχ ἡ Ἐκκλησία αὐτὸν ἀφῆκεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀφῆκεν. Οὐκ ἔνδοθεν παρεδόθη, ἀλλ' ἔξωθεν. ∆ιὰ τί κατέλιπε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν; Ἐβούλου σώζεσθαι; Ὤφειλες κατέχειν τὸ θυσιαστήριον. Οὐκ ἦσαν ἐνταῦθα τοῖχοι, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ πρόνοια ἡ ἀσφαλιζομένη. Ἁμαρτωλὸς ἦς; Οὐκ ἀποπέμπεταί σε ὁ Θεός· οὐκ ἦλθε γὰρ καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν. Πόρνη ἐσώθη, ἐπειδὴ πόδας κατέσχεν. Ἠκούσατε τοῦ σήμερον ἀνεγνωσμένου; Ταύτα δὲ λέγω, ἵνα μηδέποτε εἰς Ἐκκλησίαν καταφεύγων ἀμφιβάλῃς. Μένε εἰς Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ οὐ προδίδοσαι ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Ἐὰν δὲ φύγῃς ἀπὸ Ἐκκλησίας, οὐκ αἰτία ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Ἐὰν μὲν γὰρ ᾖς ἔσω, ὁ λύκος οὐκ εἰσέρχεται· ἐὰν δὲ ἐξέλθῃς ἕξω, θηριάλωτος γίνῃ· ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τὴν μάνδραν τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν σὴν μικροψυχίαν. Ἐκκλησίας οὐδὲν ἴσον. Μή μοι λέγε τείχη καὶ ὅπλα· τείχη μὲν γὰρ τῷ χρόνῳ παλαιοῦνται, ἡ Ἐκκλησία δὲ οὐδέποτε γηρᾷ. Τείχη βάρβαροι καταλύουσιν, Ἐκκλησίας δὲ οὐδὲ δαίμονες περιγίνονται. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ κόμπος τὰ ῥήματα, μαρτυρεῖ τὰ πράγματα. Πόσοι ἐπολέμησαν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ οἱ πολεμήσαντες ἀπώλοντο; αὕτη δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀναβέβηκε. Τοιοῦτον ἔχει μέγεθος ἡ Ἐκκλησία· πολεμουμένη νικᾷ· ἐπιβουλευομένη περιγίνεται· ὑβριζομένη, λαμπροτέρα καθίσταται·