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In resurrectionem domini

On the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; and on the myrrh-bearing women.

62.753

Exceedingly now, as always, the miracles of the Lord's resurrection possess my mind, and the fearsome sights of the mysteries strike the thoughts of my soul; for dishonor has brought forth glory, and suffering has produced impassibility for men; for the wood of punishment has rescued from the wood of bondage, and nails have dug up deep-rooted sin; for a crown of thorns has overturned the universal curse, and a shameful cross has delivered the world from shame; for a side pierced by a lance has become a gate of mysteries for the world, and a three-day tomb has been shown to be a house of life; for a tax collector has uttered dogmas of theology, and an angel has sown words of joy in the souls of the women.

I cannot bear to be silent about the Lord's paradoxes, even if speech is not sufficient to reach the multitude of divine signs for narration. I dance with the thief, I leap with Mary, I obey the evangelist who cried out: In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door of the monument, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. You have previously heard this voice: in the fearful night, or rather in the great light, Came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Good is the zeal of the women, 62.754 evangelical the course of the women who met him, showing their courageous spirit. Perhaps their steps were more auspicious than those of the easily slipping apostles. For the ones who had fled hid at home in fear; but the women, running down boldly to the tomb, mourned the one free among the dead, with grateful faith fulfilling their Christ-loving purpose. They did not fear the Jews, they did not consider the guards, they did not take into account the still-flourishing madness of those who crucified him, nor the ready insolence of those lying in wait for outrages, having contemplated nothing of the dreadful things in their mind; but as to an altar they approached the tomb with tears, weeping there, from where he who had ceased the sorrows of Eve was raised, where all the world was about to celebrate; And behold, there was a great earthquake.

For an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone from the door of the monument, and sat upon it. If when an angel descended there was a great earthquake, how, when the Lord of angels was crucified, was the earth not justly shaken at what was dared? But for what reason was there an earthquake at the passion, and again an earthquake at the resurrection? Fear is joined to fear, so that the foundations of death might be completely overturned. There was a great earthquake, the stones trembled, and the Jews danced. But what they thought to celebrate as a feast, this they took as a cause of perpetual dejection. They handled the lamb, but they lost the altars; they consumed the heir, but they fell away from the covenant; they divided the garments, but they were deprived of the miracles; they sealed 62.755 the tomb, but they lost the

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In resurrectionem domini

Εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ εἰς τὰς μυροφόρους.

62.753

Σφόδρα μοι καὶ νῦν, ὡς ἀεὶ, κρατεῖ τῆς διανοίας τῆς δεσποτικῆς ἀναστάσεως τὰ θαύματα, καὶ τὰ φοβερὰ τῶν μυστηρίων θεάματα καταπλήττει μου τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἐνθύμησιν· ὅτι δόξαν ἐγέννησεν ἀτιμία, καὶ πάθος ἐπή γασεν ἀνθρώποις ἀπάθειαν· ὅτι ξύλον τιμωρίας ξύλου δουλείας ἐῤῥύσατο, καὶ ἧλοι τὴν πολύῤῥιζον ἁμαρτίαν ἀνέσκαψαν· ὅτι στέφανος ἀκανθῶν καθολικὴν κατάραν ἀνέτρεψε, καὶ σταυρὸς ἐπονείδιστος κόσμον αἰσχύνης ἀπήλλαξεν· ὅτι λόγχῃ νυγεῖσα πλευρὰ κόσμου μυστη ρίων γέγονε πύλη, καὶ τάφος τριήμερος οἶκος ζωῆς ἀπε δείχθη· ὅτι τελώνης θεολογίας ἐφθέγξατο δόγματα, καὶ ἄγγελος ταῖς τῶν γυναικῶν ψυχαῖς χαρᾶς ἐνέσπειρε ῥήματα.

Οὐ φέρω σιγᾷν τὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου παράδοξα, εἰ καὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν θεοσημειῶν φθάνειν λόγος οὐκ ἀρκεῖ πρὸς διήγησιν· χορεύω σὺν τῷ λῃστῇ, σκιρτῶ σὺν τῇ Μαρίᾳ, πειθαρχῶ τῷ εὐαγγελιστῇ κεκραγότι· Ὀψὲ σαββάτων τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς μίαν σαββάτων, ἦλθε Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία θεωρῆσαι τὸν τάφον. Καὶ ἰδοὺ, σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας· ἄγγε λος γὰρ Κυρίου καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἀπεκύλισε τὸν λίθον ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ· ἦν δὲ ἡ ἰδέα αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀστραπὴ, καὶ τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ λευκὸν, ὡσεὶ χιών. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ φόβου αὐτοῦ ἐσείσθησαν οἱ τηροῦντες, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡσεὶ νεκροί. Ὀψὲ σαββάτων τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς μίαν σαββάτων. Ταύτης πρώην ἐπήκουες τῆς φωνῆς· ἐν τῇ φοβερᾷ νυκτὶ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐν τῷ μεγάλῳ φωτὶ, Ἦλθε Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία θεω ρῆσαι τὸν τάφον.

Ἀγαθὴ τῶν γυναικῶν ἡ σπουδὴ, 62.754 εὐαγγελικὸς τῶν ἀπαντηθεισῶν γυναικῶν ὁ δρόμος, αὐτῶν δηλῶν ἀνδρεῖον τὸ φρόνημα. Τάχα δὲ τῶν ἀπο στόλων εὐφημότερα τῶν εὐολίσθων τὰ βήματα. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ πεφευγότες οἴκοι μετὰ δέους ἐκρύπτοντο· αἱ δὲ καταδραμοῦσαι θαρσαλέως ἐπὶ τὸν τάφον, τὸν ἐν νεκροῖς ἐθρήνουν ἐλεύθερον, εὐγνώμονι πίστει τὸν φιλόχριστον πληροῦσαι σκοπόν. Οὐκ ἐφοβήθησαν Ἰουδαίους, οὐκ ἐνενόησαν τοὺς τηροῦντας, οὐκ ἐλογίσαντο τῶν σταυ ρωσάντων τὴν ἀκμάζουσαν ἔτι μανίαν, οὐ τῶν προσ εδρευόντων τὴν πρόχειρον πρὸς ὕβρεις ἀναίδειαν, οὐδὲν κατ' ἐνθύμησιν μελετήσασαι τῶν δεινῶν· ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπὶ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ μνήματος μετὰ δακρύων προσήρ χοντο, ἐκεῖ κλαίουσαι, ὅθεν ὁ τὰς τῆς Εὔας λύπας παύ σας ἐγήγερτο, ὅπου πᾶς ὁ κόσμος ἤμελλεν ἑορτάζειν· Καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας.

Ἄγγελος γὰρ Κυρίου καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ προσελθὼν ἀπεκύλισε τὸν λίθον ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ. Εἰ καταβάντος ἀγγέλου σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας, πῶς, σταυρουμένου τοῦ τῶν ἀγγέλων ∆εσπότου, ἐπὶ τοῖς τολμωμένοις ἡ γῆ δικαίως οὐκ ἐσαλεύετο; Τίνος δὲ χάριν ἐπὶ τοῦ πάθους σεισμὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως πάλιν σεισμός; Φόβος φόβῳ συνάπτεται, ἵνα τοῦ θανάτου παντελῶς ἀνατραπῇ τὰ θεμέλια. Σει σμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας, ἔτρεμον λίθοι, καὶ ἐχόρευον Ἰου δαῖοι. Ἀλλ' ἣν ἐνόμισαν ἑορτὴν ἄγειν, ταύτην διηνεκῆ κατηφείας ὑπόθεσιν ἔλαβον. ∆ιεχειρίσαντο τὸν ἀμνὸν, ἀλλ' ἀπώλεσαν τοὺς βωμούς· ἀνήλωσαν τὸν κληρονό μον, ἀλλὰ τῆς διαθήκης ἐξέπεσαν· διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια, ἀλλ' ἐστερήθησαν τῶν θαυμάτων· ἐσφράγισαν 62.755 τὸν τάφον, ἀλλ' ἐζημιώθησαν τὸν