Homily on the Resurrection of Christ

1The three-day Sun of righteousness has risen today, and has enlightened all creation; the three-day and eternal Christ has brought forth the cluster, and has filled the inhabited world with joy. We have seen the evening become dawn; we are raised before the dawn today, and we have been filled with the joy of light. The gates of Hades were opened by Christ, and the dead rose as from sleep.

Christ rose, the resurrection of those fallen, and he raised up Adam; Christ rose, the resurrection of all, and he drove away the Eve of the curse; Christ rose, the resurrection, and he made bright the formerly disordered and the things he has ordered; he was awakened like the sleeping Lord, and having struck all his enemies, he shamed them. He rose, and granted joy to all creation; he rose, and the prison of Hades was emptied; he rose, and led the corruption of nature into incorruption; Christ rose, and established Adam into the ancient dignity of immortality.

Through whom a new creation is being renewed in Christ by the resurrection; through whom a new world exists, let the disordered be ordered; through whom a new Church is, a new heaven today; a heaven more beautiful than the heaven that is seen. For it is not a sun that is capable of setting daily, but a Sun whom this servant, having felt shame at the cross, set; a Sun about whom the prophet says, 'The Sun of Righteousness rises to those who fear Jesus.' A Sun, which the Church has perpetually clothed itself with, through whom the Scripture says, 'A Sun went out into the earth,' and Lot, as a type of the law, entered into Zoar, which is interpreted as smallness. This Sun makes the foolish wise; this Sun is founded in the firm foundation along with our faith. Through this Sun of righteousness, Christ, the Church has become heaven; it does not increase like a moon.

Even if it seemed to fade, it holds a constant light; it does not raise wandering stars, but brings up newly-lighted stars from the depths. It brings not rain-bearing clouds, but the Church possessing theological teachers; it is not hanging upon murky waters, but is established upon holy dogmas. It sends not winter rain or the cries of birds, but persuades men through the voices of teachers. This day, which the Lord has made, let us rejoice spiritually, and let us be properly glad in God upon it. This is to us more abundant than all feasts; this is the feast concerning which the Holy Spirit is exhorted, saying: Establish a feast among those who gather together and rejoice, even unto the horns of the altar. This is the feast of the whole world, a simultaneous dedication and salvation.

This feast is the summit and the highest point of all feasts. This is the day which God blessed and sanctified, because in it He rested from all His works, having completed the salvation of those on the earth and those under the earth. In it He stilled the rites and dances of idols and scandals; in it He stilled the power of all adversaries. In this He stilled demonic festivals and celebrations; in this He stilled the dust and the sacrifices of idols' blood; in this He stilled the wandering of impiety; in this He stilled the dominion of the tyrant and the center of the people; in this He stilled common sacrifices and new moons; in this He added new boundaries and laws to creation; in this He stilled the Passover of the law and of the Jews; in this He fulfilled all the type, the shadow, and the prophecy.

Our Passover, the true Passover, was set forth as Christ; and there is in Christ a new creation, in Christ a new faith, new laws, and a new people of God. This is a new, but not an old Israel, and a new Passover; a new and spiritual circumcision; and new...

2A bloodless sacrifice; a new and divine covenant. Dedicate yourselves today, and dedicate a straight spirit within your hearts, so that you may receive the mysteries of the new and true feast, and enjoy today a joy that is truly heavenly. Depart having been enlightened by the things of the new Pascha that do not grow old, instead of the old mystery-types, so that you may grasp as much as possible the difference of our days from those of the Jews, and what the comparison of the types is to the truth.

Let us begin the Pascha of the resurrection and the vision of Christ from what is here. Once the lawgiver Moses was sent from God from a high mountain toward the type of the law for the salvation of a people. Likewise, the Lord the lawgiver was sent, and God from God, and a mountain from the mountains of the heavens, for the salvation of our people, which is the truth. But Moses redeemed them from Pharaoh and the Egyptians; but Christ redeemed us from the devil and the demons. Moses slew the wrongdoer, the Jew, striking him in the sand; Christ also slew the devil, casting him into the abyss. Moses reconciled his two brothers who were fighting; Christ also reconciled his two peoples, uniting the heavenly to the earthly.

There, Pharaoh's daughter found Moses when she went to bathe; but the Church, the daughter of Christ, receives Christ when she is baptized, not from a river of three months, as Moses, but from the tomb after three days instead of Moses. There Israel made the Pascha typally and at night; here we celebrate the Pascha luminously and by day. There, it was toward the evening of the day; here, it is toward the evening of the ages of the age. There, the doors of the lintels were smeared with blood; here, the hearts of the faithful are sealed with the blood of Christ.

There the sacrifice was at night, and the crossing of the Red Sea was by night; here is salvation, and the Red Sea of baptism is luminous, and the fire of the Spirit is burning. In this, the Spirit of God is truly brought and shines forth, and upon the same water, in which the head of the dragon is crushed—the ruler of the demonic dragons of the devil's peoples. There, Israel was in the nocturnal baptism of Moses; there a cloud covered the people; but the power of the Most High overshadows the people of Christ.

There, after the people were saved, Mary of Moses departed; but here, while the Gentiles are being saved, the Church of Christ celebrates together with all her churches. There, Moses offers a rock of the creation; here, the people offer a rock of faith. There, the legal tablets are shattered, signifying the end of the law and growing old; but here, the divine laws are preserved indestructibly. There, a calf was slaughtered for the punishment of the people; but here, the Lamb of God is sacrificed for the salvation of the people. There, a rock is struck with a rod; but here, Christ the rock is pierced in the side. There, water flows out of the rock; but here, blood and water spring from the life-giving side.

They received quail meat from heaven; but we receive the dove of the Spirit from on high. They ate manna for a season and died; but we eat bread for eternal life. But those things have grown old as things that are ancient and shadowy, and they are completed; but those of our people increase and remain forever. This Passover of ours is the prototype; that shadowy passing was of the legal matters. Thus, perceive the meaning of the feast; thus, examine the things of Moses and the prophets concerning the day, so that you may be convinced of the resurrection. For all are clothed in the covering of unbelief.

It possesses many types, indescribable of the resurrection from the dead and of living again. The slaughter of Isaac is a reliable witness to this. The pit of Joseph, in which he was cast by his brothers and from which he ascended immortal, is a type of this. The pit of Jeremiah, from which he ascended once from corruption and stench, is a type of this. The whale of Jonah is a type of Christ's resurrection, from which he emerged after three days. You also have another type of the imprisonment of Hades: the prison of Joseph, where the snare of his brothers shut him up, from which he emerged unhurt after three years, just as Christ is three days from the dead.

With these, Daniel also typifies the tomb of the Savior with the den of lions, from which Jesus ascended living, as having been rescued from the lions of Hades and from death. Through these, rebuke the Jews; through these, reprove them; in this way, on behalf of Christ's passion and resurrection, defend yourself. The word grants you these things today as weapons for an alliance; these things the feast grants you.

3He teaches mysteries. What then follows these things? Shall we alone celebrate, or shall we also care for our neighbor? Shall we alone hold a festival, or shall our word concern others as well? It is necessary that for our festival there be a common groan of the Church toward God, which is both visible and well-received, and let us remember our brothers in need, those being examined privately in the wilderness.

Let us become as if joined to those who are bound; let us become as if suffering with those who suffer necessity; for if one member suffers, all the members suffer together. Let us therefore sympathize with our brothers, our own members; some through material things, some through words, and others through acts of kindness, but all through entreaty toward God on their behalf. I beg you, let there be a common intercession toward God today, for our captivity is common. I beg you, let the prayer be common, for the discipline is common.

Let us hear the one saying, 'Pray for one another so that you may be saved.' Let us hear Christ saying, 'If two or three agree in prayer, concerning any request which they shall ask, it shall be done for them.' A great weapon, brothers, is the prayer of the Church; a great wall, brothers, is the prayer of agreement toward God, and especially that of the captivity of a faithful people.

No one will dare to say that God does not listen to sinners. He receives more readily the prayer of the humble, and especially of those being afflicted, flogged, imprisoned, and distressed for his name, being insulted by enemies, and not having denied the faith of Christ. Among these there are many and many currently existing among our people, having become confessors, and being quickly heard by Him.

A great weapon, beloved, is their prayer; for Christ is ashamed of them all, through whom they also are in danger every day. Therefore, we, joining our prayers to theirs, and looking toward their boldness toward God, let us pray commonly and intensely for our brothers in need, because often royal philanthropy in the festivals grants forgiveness and redemption to many condemned. I say again, brothers, the prayer of the Church is great, and especially the faith of the captives.

The injustice of a biased crowd. Therefore, we beg that all your love intensely remember our brothers in need; and at that most terrible hour, in which we receive the unvalued pearl of Christ's body in our hands. Thus let us pray intensely for our brothers, and let us say to Christ: You, the only God, the same then and now good, and the man-loving Master, who through the Passover rescued Israel from the slavery of Egypt and through the blood of the lamb granted him freedom, you also now through your stainless body and precious blood, grant freedom from bitter slavery to your world.

You who received the weeping of the sinful harlot, receive today also your Church and the groan of her captivity; you who received the entreaty of the faithful thief, receive the petition of your faithful people; you who received the repentance and the sighing of Peter, receive also our weeping of the poor; you who did not turn away from the Canaanite's tears, receive also the small Church interceding for great captivity, crying out to you God today and saying: God, the three-personed one risen from the dead, raise your faithful people from the enemies; you who raised Adam from the mortals, raise the horn of the Christians; you, the same God then and now, who took the form of a slave, redeem your humble people from slavery; you who were worthy to become an infant, save with swords the multitude of our infants.

You, the God then, who sojourned with a mother in Egypt, recall the mothers and children from their long sojourn; you who were sold for many voluntarily, cease the distress of the people of the Churches; you who received the lashes and threats of Pilate in your side, you who labored for us on the journey, cease the labors and hardships of your people; you who cried out on the cross: I thirst, quench the souls of those who thirst terribly and hunger; you who were judged among the lawless by the lawless, rescue also us from the counsel of the lawless; you who were stripped like a criminal by the lawless, you, Master, being bound by the unlawful, loose those brought low in chains; the...

4Having called upon your immaculate Mother from the cross of lamentation and weeping; you who then shouted 'Rejoice' to the myrrh-bearers, shout now also 'Rejoice' to your Churches. You who were nailed with precious things to the criminals, loose the hands and feet of the peoples in iron bonds. Yes, O Philanthropic Master, who said, 'My soul is deeply distressed by death,' save your people from sorrow and death. You who were pierced in the side by the sword, shatter the sword of the enemies with your mighty hand, and remember, Lord, your faithful thief and your people. You who poured out immaculate blood for us, stop the mingling of our blood. Save your people, Lord; spare your inheritance.

Arise; Why do you sleep, Lord? Why are you patient with your enemies? Why do you turn your face from us? Arise, and do not push away to the end; do not leave us to fullness. Remember your cross, remember your people, remember your mercies. Having been voluntarily tested for forty days for our sake, Lord, remember the peoples of yours being tested in deserts, in uninhabited and waterless places; remember those with us, and before us, good Philanthrope. Help those, reach those in time, visit those remaining; those who are more merciful than all, who are more humble than all on the earth; those in the deserts being unknown by men; those who were driven far from your hand; those who were greatly disciplined by your wrath; those who were greatly reproved by your anger; those who before death were filled by men as if they were dead; those who were judged to dwell with wild beasts; whose violence no one sees, except your own sleepless eye; whose necessity you, Lord, know, and no one else for ever; those, consequently, having been separated, the end of the inhabited world being prolonged, the churches being remaining seized, the day of the feasts being unknown. Do a little mercy for them, Lord; for I do not ask much. Hurry to them, O God, who disciplined them; hurry to your former children, for they too were once your children.

Christians existed, and they were once your sheep, and they were once your members, and they once received the body of your spotless one, but now they receive irrational bodies. Therefore, Lord, look upon them in your mercies and your compassions. See the violence of those pitiful ones, and give philanthropy; see the nakedness, and give restoration; see the deep desert, and manifest your own compassion. For if you have disciplined justly, nonetheless heal; if you have handed them over worthily, nonetheless gather them. Having scourged, call them back; having handed them over, redeem them. If we have sinned many times, nonetheless remember us again, and again be moved by our prayer, especially those in deserts, and mountains, and caves, and the child of the earth in our inaccessible places, your brothers the Christians, and your peoples.

For if we are in churches with the faithful, but those are in deserts with enemies; if we are bright in the feasts, but those are in great darkness. Great is their misfortune; great is their suspicion; terrible is their wound, bitter is their calamity; their destruction is indescribable, great is their sting, much is their tragedy, Lord. Do not leave them outside, but after the discipline show also your philanthropy, so that the Jews may not boast to the end, so that the Gentiles may not say concerning us: Where is their God? Where is their Christ? Where is their cross? Where is their hope? Where is the faith of the Christians? So that they may not say these things, let your mercies look upon us quickly.

Let your compassions reach us quickly, Lord, for we have become exceedingly impoverished, for we have been exceedingly humbled, for we have been exceedingly diminished. Therefore let the groan of the fallen enter before you; the tears of the innocent infants, those being slaughtered, shall grimace at you; the lamentation of mothers of children not born shall entreat you. Saying these things, we beg, we do not fight, Lord; we beg, but we do not judge against you. We beg because we are insulted by lawless men, because we are oppressed by Greeks; we do not fight, but we confess. We weep because the others are also in danger. For even if we are sinners, nonetheless we are Christians; even if we are humble, nonetheless of the...

5Your people of faith; even though we are unworthy of your philanthropy, yet we are sheep of your Church, gathered together as one. This entreaty we offer to you on behalf of a multitude of captive people: in your three-day resurrection, priests and peoples, youths and virgins, elders with the younger, and infants with their mothers approach you—every soul of those who believe in you. Redeem them all from every looming threat, and make them worthy of your kingdom through the grace and philanthropy of your only-begotten Son and Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ, with his all-holy and life-giving Spirit; now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

6We are your people of faith; even though we are unworthy of your philanthropy, nevertheless we are sheep of your Church, gathered together as one. This entreaty we bring to you, the poor, on behalf of a multitude of people in captivity; priests and peoples, youths and text ends approach in your three-day resurrection.

7Virgins, elders with the younger, infants with mothers, every soul of those believing in you: may you redeem them all from every looming threat, and make them worthy of your kingdom, through the grace and the love for mankind of your only-begotten Son and Lord God.

8And of our Savior Jesus Christ, with his all-holy and life-giving Spirit; now and always and unto the ages of the ages. Amen.