In resurrectionem domini (homilia 9)

Of our father among the saints Leontius, presbyter of Constantinople, on the resurrection of the Lord

It is timely and most harmonious and fitting to the present occasion for us, persuaded by the sacred psalmist David, to say what we have just chanted: This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Truly let us rejoice and be glad, for we have seen what we desired, for we have touched what we sought, for we have understood what we expected, for the spring of the Christians has dawned, for the flowers of the saints have blossomed, for the lilies of the newly-illumined have been lifted up, for the children of the font are shining. Truly this is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O day, day of all days, O day, that has ended the darkness of ignorance and made known the light of knowledge, O day, that has made useless the night of the synagogue and has shown the dawn of the resurrection, O day, that has abolished the gloom of the unbelievers and has appeased the word of the faithful, O day, that has made known king and commoner alike, O day, that has despoiled the devil and left no one a debtor, O day, that has now appointed as priests of the Lord those who were formerly slaves, O day, that has presented so many rational doves to the altar. Where now do the ravens of the Sabbatians feed? Where are the futile objections of those who have stolen Pascha? When did the devil lose children all at once, then or now? When did the lordly net of teaching catch so many rational fledglings alive, then or now?

1

When did the heaven of the resurrection reveal so many rational stars upon the earth, then or now? When did the lights watered with oil and wax outshine the rays of the sun, then or now? When did the windows of houses, and gates and gateways wear such a host of lamps, then or now? Do the words not persuade you, you Pascha-thief? Let the tidings convince you. Do you not see today all things under heaven adorned with bright garments? But you, neither on your so-called Pascha did you fearfully put on a clean garment, nor now on the public festival, blushing, have you put on a bright robe. How then have you celebrated, you who are never clad in clean things? And it is certainly possible for one of them to say: What then? Does a clean garment save a man? And if one does not put on the robe while celebrating, does he not celebrate? Hear, you who say these things: in a proper sense, a clean garment does not save a man, but a radiant soul and a virtuous life; but in every way it is necessary for one celebrating the resurrection to wear a garment analogous to the feast, according to what he has, not according to what he does not have. For so also today among us even the poor are adorned in royal garments by their intention. Wherefore the sons of the resurrection must be exceedingly white and pure both in the garment of the soul and of the body, lest, being found unsuitable, we should hear from Christ the Bridegroom: Friend, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment? For so also Christ himself, the trophy-bearer of the resurrection, revealing the resurrection on the mountain of the transfiguration, not only showed his face exceedingly white, but also his clothing shone exceedingly, so that one of the evangelists, recording it, says: And his garments became glistening, white as snow, such as no fuller on earth can whiten. For this reason also the sons of the resurrection, as you see, not only the bright robe, but also the sandals

In resurrectionem domini (homilia 9)

Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Λεοντίου πρεσβυτέρου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ κυρίου

Εὔκαιρον καὶ παναρμόνιον καὶ πρέπον τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ πεισθέντας ἡμᾶς τῷ ἱεροψάλτῃ ∆αυῒδ λέγειν ἅπερ ἀρτίως ὑπεψάλλομεν· Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριος· ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ. Ὄντως ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν, ὅτι εἴδομεν ὃ ἐπεθυμήσαμεν, ὅτι ἐψηλαφήσαμεν ὃ ἐζητήσαμεν, ὅτι κατενοήσαμεν ὃ προσεδοκήσαμεν, ὅτι τὸ ἔαρ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀνέτειλεν, ὅτι ἀνέτειλε τῶν ὁσίων τὰ ἄνθη, ὅτι ὑψώθη τῶν νεοφωτίστων τὰ κρίνα, ὅτι λάμπει τῆς κολυμβήθρας τὰ τέκνα. Ὄντως αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριος· ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ. Ὦ ἡμέρα, πάσης ἡμέρας ἡμέρα, ὦ ἡμέρα, ἡ τὸ σκότος τῆς ἀγνωσίας παύσασα καὶ τὸ φῶς τῆς γνώσεως γνωρίσασα, ὦ ἡμέρα, ἡ τὴν νύκτα τῆς συναγωγῆς ἀχρειώσασα καὶ τὸν ὄρθρον τῆς ἀναστάσεως ὑποδείξασα, ὦ ἡμέρα, ἡ τὸν ζόφον τῶν ἀπίστων καταργήσασα καὶ τὸν λόγον τῶν πιστῶν κατευνάσασα, ὦ ἡμέρα , ἡ βασιλέα καὶ ἰδιώτην ὡσαύτως γνωρίσασα, ὦ ἡμέρα, ἡ τὸν διάβολον συλήσασα καὶ μηδένα χρεώστην καταλείψασα, ὦ ἡμέρα, ἡ τοὺς πρὸ τούτου δούλους νῦν τῶν δεσποτῶν ἱερεῖς ἀναδείξασα, ὦ ἡμέρα, ἡ τοσαύτας λογικὰς περιστερὰς τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ παραστήσασα. Ποῦ νῦν τῶν Σαββατιανῶν οἱ κόρακες βόσκονται; Ποῦ τῶν συλησάντων τὸ πάσχα τὰ μάταια προβλήματα; Πότε ὁ διάβολος ἀθρόως ἀπώλεσε παῖδας, τότε ἢ νῦν; Πότε τὸ δεσποτικὸν τῆς διδασκαλίας δίκτυον τοσούτους λογικοὺς νεοττοὺς ἐζώγρησεν, τότε ἢ νῦν;

1

Πότε ὁ οὐρανὸς τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοσούτους λογικοὺς ἀστέρας ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνέδειξεν, τότε ἢ νῦν; Πότε τὰ ἐλαίῳ καὶ κηρῷ ἀρδευόμενα φῶτα τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἀκτῖνας ὑπερηκόντισεν, τότε ἢ νῦν; Πότε οἴκων θυρίδες, πυλῶνές τε καὶ προπύλαια τοσαύτην λύχνων ἐφόρεσαν πεζίδα, τότε ἢ νῦν; Οὐ πείθει σε, κλεψοπασχίτα, τὰ ῥήματα; Πληροφορείτω σε τὰ μηνύματα. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς σήμερον πάντα τὰ ὑπ' οὐρανὸν λαμπροῖς πέπλοις καλλωπιζόμενα; Σὺ δὲ οὔτε ἐν τῷ προσαγορευομένῳ σου πάσχα δεδοικὼς καθαρὰν ἐφόρεσας ἐσθῆτα, οὔτε νῦν ἐν τῇ πανδήμῳ ἑορτῇ ἐρυθριῶν λαμπρὰν περιβέβλησαι στολήν. Πῶς οὖν ἑώρτασας, ὁ μηδέποτε καθαροῖς ἠμφιεσμένος; Ἔστι δὲ πάντως εἰπεῖν τινα ἐξ αὐτῶν· Τί οὖν; Καθαρὸν ἔνδυμα σῴζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον; Εἰ μὴ δέ τις ἀμφιάσηται τὴν στολὴν ἑορτάζων, οὐκ ἑορτάζει; Ἄκουε, ὁ ταῦτα λέγων· κυρίως μὲν ἔνδυμα καθαρὸν οὐ σῴζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ ψυχὴ ἔκλαμπρος καὶ βίος ἐνάρετος· δεῖ δὲ παντὶ τρόπῳ τὸν τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἑορτάζοντα ἀναλόγως τῆς ἑορτῆς φορεῖν τὸ ἔνδυμα, καθ' ὅσον ἔχει, οὐ καθ' ὃ οὐκ ἔχει. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ σήμερον παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ οἱ πτωχοὶ βασιλικοῖς τοῖς πέπλοις τῇ προθέσει κοσμοῦνται. ∆ιὸ δεῖ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀναστάσεως καὶ τῷ ψυχικῷ ἐνδύματι καὶ τῷ σωματικῷ ἐξάσπρους καὶ καθαροὺς ὑπάρχειν, μήποτε ἀνεπιτηδείων ἡμῶν εὑρεθέντων ἀκού σωμεν παρὰ τοῦ νυμφίου Χριστοῦ· Ἑταῖρε, πῶς εἰσῆλθες ὧδε μὴ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου; Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τροπαιοῦχος Χριστὸς τὴν ἀνάστασιν μηνύων ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῆς μεταμορφώσεως, οὐ μόνον τὸ πρόσωπον ἔξασπρον ἀπέδειξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἱματισμὸν ὑπερήστραψεν, ὡς ἕνα τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν ἀπομνημονεύσαντα λέγειν· Καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένοντο στίλβοντα, λευκὰ ὡς χιών, οἷα οὐ μὴ δυνηθῇ κναφεὺς ἐπὶ γῆς λευκᾶναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καθὼς ὁρᾶτε, οὐ μόνον τὴν στολὴν λαμπράν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα