1

In Martham, Mariam et Lazarum

On Martha and Mary and Lazarus, and Elijah the prophet.

61.701 As many of you as bear love for the Lord's resurrection, genuinely receive the Christ-loving myrrh of the testimony that was just read. For now Mary gives forth her fragrance, and the Church is filled with sweet scent; now the alabaster jar is emptied, and the altar is filled with gladness. Mary gives forth her fragrance, Martha serves, and he who was raised from the dead reclines with the Lord. For honorable is the race of men, because man was made in the image of God, but woman from the image of the man, glorifying the man, but not representing Christ. And who is the witness to these things, that we may not reap blame? Hear Paul crying out: For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. And a woman is the glory of her own husband; not of others, not because of the ancient vain counsel, but because of the final genuine childbearing. For this, genuine childbearing, has released woman from the curse. And who is witness to these things? The same Apostle cries out: Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression. But she will be saved again through childbearing. Do you see that a woman is saved through childbearing? Not because Eve brought forth Cain, but because the glorious Virgin bore Jesus. So Mary gives forth her fragrance, Martha serves, and Lazarus reclines with the Lord, as you have just heard. Mary represents the Church; for the myrrh of the Church is unfailing. Martha, however, signifies the synagogue; for she is of little faith, and a friend of earthly things. Lazarus bears the scepter of the resurrection, as you just heard the evangelist crying out: Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead.

So they made him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining with him. Then Mary, taking a pound of very costly ointment of pure nard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped them with her hair; and the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 61.702.40 Did you see the work of a woman, and how she prefigured the Church? Mary drove away the many women from their evil work, and taught them to carry a pound of myrrh, and not to cut off the head of the Baptist; to anoint the Lord, and not to steal along with Judas; to let down her hair, and not to bind up sins; to be called the sister of Lazarus, and not to be famed as a daughter of the devil. These things have been said by me because of the synagogue of the Jews, which did not anoint the Lord, but gave him vinegar and gall to drink, the friend of bloodshed, always acting contrary to the Lord Christ, endeavoring to put Lazarus to death, whom he had raised from the dead. And who then is more faithful? The Lord who raises, or those who kill? As you have just heard the evangelist saying: A great crowd of the Jews knew that Jesus was there; and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead; because many of the Jews went away on account of him, and believed in Jesus.

Did you see the synagogue of the Jews, how it is a murderer of men, a murderer of prophets, so as to advance to deicide? To which the Lord himself in person, as to a lover of murder and a robber, said: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her, how long will you murder, and not repent? You are drunk with intoxication without drinking wine, you friend of bloodshed. And that you may learn, that not

1

In Martham, Mariam et Lazarum

Εἰς Μάρθαν καὶ Μαρίαν καὶ Λάζαρον, καὶ Ἠλίαν τὸν προφήτην.

61.701 Ὅσοι τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς ἀναστάσεως ἔρωτα φέρετε, τῆς ἀρτίως ἀναγνωσθείσης μαρτυρίας τὸ φιλόχριστον μύρον γνησίως ὑποδέξασθε. Ἤδη γὰρ Μαρία μυρίζει, καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία εὐωδιάζεται· ἤδη τὸ ἀλάβαστρον κενοῦται, καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον θυμηδίας πληροῦται. Μαρία μυρίζει, Μάρθα διακονεῖ, καὶ ὁ ἐκ νεκρῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ συνανάκειται. Ἔντιμον γὰρ τὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν γένος, ὅτι ἀνὴρ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐγένετο, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τὸν μὲν ἄνδρα δοξάζουσα, τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν οὐ χαρακτηρίζουσα. Καὶ τίς τούτων μάρτυς, ἵνα μὴ μέμψιν καρπωσώμεθα; Ἄκουε τοῦ Παύλου βοῶντος· Ἀνὴρ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ὀφείλει τὴν κεφαλὴν κατακαλύπτεσθαι, εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων· γυνὴ δὲ δόξα ἀνδρός ἐστι. Γυνὴ δὲ δόξα τοῦ ἰδίου ἀνδρός· οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ματαιοσυμβουλίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τελευταίαν γνησίαν τεκνογονίαν. Αὕτη γὰρ τὴν γυναῖκα τῆς κατάρας ἀπήλλαξεν ἡ γνησία τεκνογονία. Καὶ τίς τούτων μάρτυς; Ὁ αὐτὸς Ἀπόστολος βοῶν· Ὁ Ἀδὰμ οὐκ ἠπατήθη, ηδὲ γυνὴ ἀπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονε. Σωθήσεται δὲ πάλιν διὰ τεκνογονίας. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας σώζεται ἡ γυνή; οὐχ ὅτι Εὔα τὸν Κάϊν ἐξέβρασεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἡ ἔνδοξος Παρθένος τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκυοφόρησε. Μαρία τοίνυν μυρίζει, Μάρθα διακονεῖ, καὶ ὁ Λάζαρος τῷ Κυρίῳ συνανάκειται, καθὼς ἀρτίως ἤκουσας. Μαρία τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν εἰκονογραφεῖ· ἀνεκλιπὲς γὰρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸ μύρον. Μάρθα δὲ τὴν συναγωγὴν ὑποδεικνύει· ὀλιγόπιστος γὰρ, καὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων φίλη· Λάζαρος τὸ σκῆπτρον τῆς ἀναστάσεως βαστάζει, ὡς ἤκουσας ἀρτίως τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ βοῶντος· Ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς Βηθανίαν, ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν.

Ἐποίησαν οὖν αὐτῷ δεῖπνον ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἡ Μάρθα διηκόνει· ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος εἷς ἦν τῶν ἀνακειμένων αὐτῷ. Ἡ οὖν Μαρία λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτίμου, ἤλειψε τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς ἐξέμαξεν· ἡ δὲ οἰκία ὅλη ἐπλήσθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου. 61.702.40 Εἶδες γυναικὸς ἐργασίαν, καὶ πῶς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν προεικονογράφησεν; Ἡ Μαρία τὰς πολλὰς τῶν γυναικῶν ἀπεσόβησεν ἐκ τῆς κακεργασίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐδίδαξε λίτραν μύρου βαστάζειν, καὶ μὴ κεφαλὴν Βαπτιστοῦ ἀποτέμνειν· τὸν Κύριον μυρίζειν, καὶ μὴ τῷ Ἰούδᾳ συγκλέπτειν· τὰς τρίχας ἐκλύειν, καὶ μὴ τὰς ἁμαρτίας συσφίγγειν· ἀδελφὴν Λαζάρου προσαγορεύεσθαι, καὶ μὴ θυγατέρα τοῦ διαβόλου φημίζεσθαι. Ταῦτά μοι διὰ τὴν συναγωγὴν Ἰουδαίων εἴρηται, τὴν τὸν Κύριον μὴ μυρίσασαν, ἀλλ' ὄξος καὶ χολὴν ποτίσασαν, τὴν αἱμάτων φίλην, τὴν ἀεὶ ἐναντίως τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ διαπραττομένην, τὴν σπουδάζουσαν τὸν Λάζαρον θανατῶσαι, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Καὶ τίς ἄρα πιστικώτερος; ὁ Κύριος ἐγείρων, ἢ ἐκεῖνοι ἀποκτείνοντες; Ὡς ἀρτίως ἤκουσας τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ λέγοντος· Ἔγνω ὄχλος πολὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς· καὶ ἦλθον οὐ διὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἴδωσιν, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν· ὅτι πολλοὶ δι' αὐτὸν ὑπῆγον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐπίστευον εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν.

Εἶδες τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων συναγωγὴν, πῶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος, προφητοκτόνος, ὥστε εἰς Κυριοκτονίαν ἐλάσαι; ᾗ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος αὐτοπροσώπως ὡς φιλοφόνῳ καὶ λῃστρικῇ ἔλεγεν· Ἱερουσαλὴμ, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἡ ἀποκτείνουσα τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτὴν, ἕως πότε φονεύσῃ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστρέφεις; Μέθῃ μεθύεις μὴ οἰνοποτοῦσα, ἡ αἱμάτων φίλη. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐ