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In sanctum Stephanum i

On Saint Stephen 1.

63.929 The memory of the contests they have completed honors the renowned athletes; but let our discourse also adorn them, as far as is possible, by proclaiming their achievements 63.930 through praise for them; for the remembrance of their virtue is a sufficient instruction for our ways. Let us then begin the encomia for the 63.931 Lord's athletes with the one who first opened the stadium of piety, and was the first to begin the athletic exercises. The grace of the Spirit anointed him, and the heavenly judge of the contest trained him for the wrestling bouts, not boxing with his body, nor putting forth his hands for the contest, but sharpening his tongue against those who warred with their hands. Let us see, then, the athlete, how in all things he appeared as an imitator of the Master; for he had the same antagonists who had also acted insolently against Him; but nevertheless the saving Passion did not satisfy their cruelty, but those who formerly shed the Master's blood still thirst for blood, and those who wrought the Master's murder think likewise against the servants.

Let us put forward then in our discourse the approved athlete. For indeed in the secular contests, whenever the victors are judged, they are accustomed to bring the chosen and pre-eminent to the wrestling grounds, so that the renowned one, equal in strength, may be proclaimed victor. But here say, The first champion, the unconquerable tower of piety (for in calling him all these things one would not err) became a teacher for those who competed after him through his own labors, and having been the first to snatch the crowns, he showed those who warred, who aim only at the body but leave the soul unwounded, to be easily overcome by those who followed as well; For it says, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Remembering, then, that divine voice which anointed him for the wrestling bouts, thus the athlete stripped for the contests, and wounding with his tongue those who were pelting his body with stones, he was shown by his words to be more powerful than their missiles; and while with his body he was receiving the wounds from the stones, with his words he wounded more bitterly those who were throwing, and he provoked them to the war against him, so that they might prepare for him a shorter journey, one that sends a person up to heaven. And consider for me the difference in the missiles; for they were burying his body with stones, but he, with the words supplied to him by the Spirit, was aiming at their heart; For it says, no one was able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. Oh, what a tongue, louder-voiced than a trumpet! Oh, what an intrepid soul, firmer than any adamant! He saw the Jewish people gathering against the athlete, and observing them as some shadow, thus he despised what was present, and receiving the volleys of stones against his body, he rejoiced, as if some tower were being built for him by the stones, so that through it he might reach heaven.

What then could be more powerful than that spiritual rock? or what could be seen as firmer than the pillar of the Church? his faith preserved him unwavering; just as if propped up by some most secure supports, thus he remained unwounded, adorning his body with wounds, but beautifying his soul with endurance, and competing with heaven itself in his own beauty.

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In sanctum Stephanum i

Εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Στέφανον αʹ.

63.929 Σεμνύνει μὲν τοὺς εὐδοκίμους ἀθλητὰς τῶν διηνυσμένων αὐτοῖς ἀγώνων ἡ

μνήμη· κοσμείτω δέ γε αὐτοὺς καὶ ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος, καθ' ὅσον οἷόν τε, διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς 63.930 εὐφημίας ἀνακηρύττων τὰ ἐκείνων κατορθώματα· ἀρκοῦσα γὰρ παίδευσις τῶν ἡμετέρων τρόπων τῆς ἐκείνων ἀρετῆς ἡ ὑπόμνησις. Ἀρχὴν τοίνυν ποιήσωμεν εἰς τοὺς 63.931 ∆εσποτικοὺς ἀθλητὰς ἐγκωμίων τὸν πρῶτον ἀνοίξαντα τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας στάδιον, καὶ πρῶτον καταρξάμενον τῶν ἀθλητικῶν γυμνασίων. Ἤλειψεν αὐτὸν ἡ χάρις τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἐπαιδοτρίβησε δὲ πρὸς τὰ παλαίσματα ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ὁ οὐράνιος, οὐ σώματι πυκτεύοντα, οὐδὲ τὰς χεῖρας εἰς ἅμιλλαν προβαλλόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀκονῶν κατὰ τῶν ταῖς χερσὶ πολεμούντων. Ἴδωμεν τοίνυν τὸν ἀθλητὴν, ὅπως ἐν ἅπασι μιμητὴς ἀνεφάνη τοῦ ∆εσπότου· τοὺς γὰρ αὐτοὺς εἶχεν ἀνταγωνιστὰς καὶ κατ' ἐκείνου θρασυνομένους· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἐνέπλησεν αὐτοῖς τὴν ὠμότητα τὸ σωτήριον πάθος, ἀλλ' ἔτι διψῶσιν αἵματος οἱ πρώην ∆εσποτικὸν αἷμα ἐκχέαντες, καὶ φρονοῦσιν ὁμοίως κατὰ τῶν δούλων οἱ τὸν ∆εσποτικὸν ἐργασάμενοι φόνον.

Προβαλλώμεθα τοίνυν τῷ λόγῳ τὸν δόκιμον ἀθλητήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἀγῶσιν ἡνίκα ἂν οἱ στεφανῖται κρίνωνται, εἰώθασι τοὺς ἐξειλεγμένους καὶ προκρίτους εἰσάγειν εἰς τὰ παλαίσματα, ἵνα τὸν κατὰ τὴν ῥώμην ἐφάμιλλον ὁ εὐδόκιμος ἀναῤῥηθῇ στεφανίτης. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ λέγε, Ὁ πρῶτος προμαχὼν, τῆς εὐσεβείας ὁ πύργος ὁ ἀκαταγώνιστος (ταῦτα γὰρ προσειπὼν πάντα τις αὐτὸν οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι) παιδευτὴς ἐγένετο τῶν μετ' αὐτὸν ἀγωνισαμένων διὰ τῶν οἰκείων πόνων, καὶ πρῶτος ἁρπάσας τοὺς στεφάνους, εὐχειρώτους ἔδειξε καὶ τοῖς ἑξῆς τοὺς πολεμοῦντας, τοῦ σώματος μόνον καταστοχαζομένους, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἄτρωτον καταλιμπάνοντας· Μὴ φοβηθῆτε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι. Ἐκείνης τοίνυν τῆς θείας φωνῆς μεμνημένος τῆς ἀλειφούσης αὐτὸν εἰς τὰ παλαίσματα, οὕτως ἀπεδύσατο πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας ὁ ἀθλητὴς, καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ τιτρώσκων τοὺς τὸ σῶμα τοῖς λίθοις κατατοξεύοντας, ἐδείκνυτο τοῖς λόγοις τῶν ἐκείνων βελῶν δυνατώτερος· καὶ τῷ μὲν σώματι ἐδέχετο τὰ διὰ τῶν λίθων τραύματα, τοῖς δέ γε ῥήμασι πικρότερον ἐτίτρωσκε τοὺς βάλλοντας, καὶ ἀνερέθιζε πρὸς τὸν κατ' αὐτοῦ πόλεμον, ἵνα συντομωτέραν αὐτῷ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν κατασκευάσωσι τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναπέμπουσαν. Καί μοι λογίζου τῶν βελῶν τὸ διάφορον· οἱ μὲν γὰρ λίθοις τὸ σῶμα κατεχώννυον, ὁ δὲ τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἑαυτῷ χορηγουμένοις ῥήμασι τῆς ἐκείνων καρδίας κατεστοχάζετο· Οὐδεὶς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἠδύνατο ἀντιστῆναι τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ᾧ ἐλάλει. Ὢ γλώττης σάλπιγγος μεγαλοφωνοτέρας! ὢ ψυχῆς ἀκαταπλήκτου, παντὸς ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥοτέρας! δῆμον ἑώρα Ἰουδαϊκὸν καὶ ἐπισυνιστάμενον τῷ ἀθλητῇ, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὸς σκιᾶς θεώμενος, οὕτω κατεφρόνει τῶν παρόντων, καὶ τὰς τῶν λίθων νιφάδας δεχόμενος, κατὰ τοῦ σώματος ἠγάλλετο, ὥσπερ τινὸς αὐτῷ πύργου διὰ τῶν λίθων οἰκοδομουμένου, ὥστε δι' αὐτοῦ φθάσαι τὸν οὐρανόν.

Τί τοίνυν τῆς πέτρας ἐκείνης τῆς λογικῆς γένοιτ' ἂν δυνατώτερον; τί δ' ἂν ὀφθείη τοῦ στύλου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας στεῤῥότερον; τὸν ἀκλινῆ διέσωσεν ἡ πίστις· καθάπερ τισὶν ἀσφαλεστάτοις ἐρείσμασιν ἐπερειδόμενος, οὕτω μεμένηκεν ἄτρωτος, τοῖς μὲν τραύμασι τὸ σῶμα ποικιλλόμενος, τῇ δὲ καρτερίᾳ τὴν ψυχὴν καλλωπιζόμενος, καὶ τῷ οἰκείῳ κάλλει πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ἁμιλλώμενος.