Gregory of Nazianzus, On the Consecration of Eulalius Bishop of Doarensium 1

On the consecration of Eulalius, bishop of the Doarenes

ORATION 13.

A Homily on the Ordination of [the bishop] of Doara, given for Eulalius the bishop.

Αʹ. Receive our word, brethren, even if it is very small, even if it falls far short of what is worthy; but yet the Lord God knows how to weigh mercy with just judgment; for He accepts both Paul's planting, as Paul's, and Apollos' 35.853 watering, and the widow's two mites, and the publican's humility, and Manasseh's confession. Receive a newly-fashioned word for a newly-fashioned shepherd; receive a voice of thanksgiving for the wonders that are seen. We are small, indeed, and least among the sons of Israel; but nothing prevents even the small from giving thanks abundantly. Therefore, the more perfect will certainly render the more perfect praise to God; but we today will offer what is in our power. Therefore sing to the Lord a new song; for He has done marvelous things. We were tossed by waves, we were warred against, we were thrust out; some of the terrors were already present, and others were to come. But who has stilled the storm into a breeze? Who has shattered the weapon, and the sword, and the war? Who has received us who were cast out and rejected? Was it not you, O God, who has wrought these things? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Βʹ. This one divided the sea; this one turned a fugitive people in the desert, bestowing a strange rain; this one made the rock gush forth; this one warred down Amalek, with an ineffable and mystical sign of hands. For this is what a priest's hands were able to do, being lifted up on the mountain and formed into a prayer, which many thousands could not do. This one shook down walls without a fight and without a battle; and, to speak of the latest things, this one brought down Goliath who dared to rise against the great David, the exalted, and arrogant one, and offspring of the giants. For these things, therefore, let us say with one accord: Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth; and, Our soul has passed through a torrent; like a sparrow it has been delivered from the snare of the fowlers; and whatever other things a soul, overjoyed at the great gift of God, utters. We have not come to cast a sword, but peace. We have not come to dishonor the great shepherd, who presides over the illustrious city; we know him to be honorable, we recognize him as head, we call him holy, even when we are wronged; only let him be a lover of his children, and one who provides for the whole Church. We have accomplished an addition of priests, not a subtraction; an overthrow of heretics, not a diminution of the orthodox.

Γʹ. What do you say, O son of Dathan and Abiram, and 35.856 undisciplined general, you who have dared to act against Moses, and have laid hands on us, just as they laid their tongues on the great servant? Did you not shudder? Were you not put to shame? Did not your flesh melt to the ground when you considered these things? Then do you lift up these hands to God? Then will you offer gifts? Then will you pray over the people? I fear lest the sword of God should grow so rusty, and be at rest. You have neither granted any great thing to your shepherd, and you have harmed yourself in the greatest things, having alienated yourself from the grace of God.

∆ʹ. But now, O best and most perfect of shepherds, come to me and receive your people with us and before us, whom the Holy Spirit has delivered to you, whom the angels bring forward, whom your life and character have accredited. But if you inherit the throne through trials and hindrances, do not be amazed; nothing great is untested, nothing unexamined. For ease naturally follows the humble things, but for the lofty things

In consecratione Eulalii Doarensium episcopi

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΓʹ.

Εἰς τὴν χειροτονίαν ∆οαρῶν ὁμιλία ἐκδοθεῖσα Εὐλαλίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ.

Αʹ. ∆έξασθετὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον, ἀδελφοὶ, κἂν ἐλάχιστος ᾖ, κἂν παρὰ πολὺ τῆς ἀξίας λειπόμενος· πλὴν ὅμως σταθμίζειν οἶδεν ὁ ∆εσπότης Θεὸς τῇ δι καίᾳ κρίσει τὸν ἔλεον· δέχεται γὰρ καὶ Παύλου τὴν φυτείαν, ὡς Παύλου, καὶ Ἀπολλὼ τὴν 35.853 ἀρδείαν, καὶ τὰ δύο λεπτὰ τῆς χήρας, καὶ τοῦ τελώνου τὴν ταπείνωσιν, καὶ τοῦ Μανασσῆ τὴν ἐξαγόρευσιν. ∆έξασθε λόγον νεόκτιστον ἐπὶ νεοκτίστῳ ποιμένι· δέξασθε φωνὴν εὐχαριστήριον ἐπὶ τοῖς ὀρωμένοις θαύμασι. Μικροὶ μὲν ἡμεῖς καὶ ἐλάχιστοι ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· εὐχαριστεῖν δὲ πλουσίως οὐδὲν κωλύει καὶ τοὺς μικρούς. Τὴν μὲν οὖν τελεωτέραν εὐφημίαν ἀποδώσουσι τῷ Θεῷ πάντως οἱ τελεώτεροι· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν κατὰ δύναμιν εἰσοίσομεν σήμερον. Τοιγαροῦν ᾄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινόν· ὅτι θαυμαστὰ ἐποίησεν. Ἐκυμαινόμεθα, ἐπολεμούμεθα, ἐξωθούμεθα· τὰ μὲν ἤδη παρῆν τῶν δεινῶν, τὰ δὲ ἤμελ λεν. Ἀλλὰ τίς ἔστησε τὴν καταιγίδα εἰς αὔραν; Τίς συνέτριψεν ὅπλον, καὶ ῥομφαίαν, καὶ πόλεμον; Τίς τοὺς ἐξωσμένους καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένους ἡμᾶς εἰσεδέξατο; Οὐχὶ σὺ ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ἐνεργήσας ταῦτα; Κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατὸς, Κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ.

Βʹ. Οὗτος ἔτεμε θάλασσαν· οὗτος ἔτρεψεν ἐν ἐρήμῳ λαὸν φυγάδα, ξένον ὑετὸν χαρισάμενος· οὗτος πέ τραν ἐπήγασεν· οὗτος κατεπολέμησε τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ, χειρῶν ἀποῤῥήτῳ καὶ μυστικῷ σχήματι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἴσχυσαν ἱερέως χεῖρες ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους αἰρόμεναι, καὶ εἰς εὐχὴν τυπούμεναι, ὃ πολλαὶ μυριάδες οὐκ ἴσχυσαν. Οὗτος τείχη κατέσεισεν ἀμάχως καὶ ἀπολέ μως· καὶ, ἵνα τὰ τελευταῖα λέγω, οὗτος κατήνεγκε τὸν Γολιὰθ κατὰ τοῦ μεγάλου ∆αβὶδ τολμήσαν τα, τὸν ἐπηρμένον, καὶ ἀλαζόνα, καὶ ἀπόγονον τῶν γιγάντων. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα οὖν ὁμοθυμαδὸν λέγωμεν· Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὃς οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν· καὶ, Χείμαῤῥον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν· ὡς στρουθίον ἐῤῥύσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηρευόντων· ἄλλα τε ὅσα ψυχὴ περιχαρὴς ἐπὶ Θεοῦ μεγαλοδωρεᾷ φθέγγεται. Οὐκ ἤλθομεν βάλλειν μάχαιραν, ἀλλ' εἰρήνην. Οὐκ ἤλθομεν ἐπ' ἀτιμίᾳ τοῦ μεγάλου ποιμένος, τοῦ τῆς λαμπρᾶς προκαθεζομένου πόλεως· τίμιον ἴσμεν, κεφαλὴν γινώσκομεν, ἅγιον καλοῦμεν, καὶ ἀδικούμε νοι· μόνον ἔστω φιλότεκνος, καὶ πάσης προνοῶν Ἐκκλησίας. Προσθήκην ἱερέων ἐπραγματευσάμεθα, οὐχ ὑφαίρεσιν· αἱρετικῶν ἀνατροπὴν, οὐκ ὀρθοδόξων ἐλάττωσιν.

Γʹ. Τί φῂς, ὦ παῖ ∆αθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν, καὶ 35.856 στρατηγὲ ἀσωφρόνιστε, ὁ κατὰ Μωϋσέως τολμήσας, καὶ χεῖρας ἐπαφεὶς ἡμῖν, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι τὰς γλώσ σας τῷ μεγάλῳ θεράποντι; Οὐκ ἔφριξας; Οὐκ ἐν ετράπης; Οὐκ ἔῤῥευσάν σοι ταῦτα διανοουμένῳ κατὰ γῆς αἱ σάρκες; Εἶτα τὰς χεῖρας ταύτας ἀνατείνεις τῷ Θεῷ; Εἶτα δῶρα προσάξεις; Εἶτα ὑπερεύξῃ λαοῦ; Φοβοῦμαι μή ποτε τοσοῦτον ἡ ῥομφαία τοῦ Θεοῦ κατιωθῇ, καὶ ἠρεμήσειεν. Οὔτε τῷ ποιμένι τῷ σῷ μέγα τι ἐχαρίσω, καὶ σαυτὸν τὰ μέγιστα ἐζη μίωσας, ἀλλοτριώσας σεαυτὸν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χά ριτος.

∆ʹ. Νῦν δὲ, ὦ ποιμένων ἄριστε καὶ τελεώτατε, δεῦ ρόμοι καὶ τὸν σὸν ἀπολάμβανε λαὸν σὺν ἡμῖν τε καὶ πρὸ ἡμῶν, ὃν ἐνεχείρισέ σοι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὃν προσάγουσιν ἄγγελοι, ὃν ὁ βίος καὶ ὁ τρόπος ἐπί-στευσεν. Εἰ δὲ διὰ πειρασμῶν καὶ κωλυμάτων τὸν θρόνον κληρονομεῖς, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· οὐδὲν τῶν μεγάλων ἀδόκιμον, οὐδὲν ἀβασάνιστον. Ἕπεται γὰρ φύσει τοῖς μὲν ταπεινοῖς τὸ ῥᾴδιον, τοῖς δὲ ὑψηλοῖς