Homily on Lazarus, Mary, and Martha
A Christological homily by our holy and confessing father Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch, concerning the dinner of Lazarus and concerning Mary and Martha his sisters. Let us listen, beloved; for the sacred trumpet of the gospels proclaims the Gospel to the Church of God even now. And what has been added to the joy of the faithful? For let us make this a crown of the word and a guide toward the things that follow.
John the evangelist, the son of the thunder, says, having drawn up the unutterable mysteries from the all-bearing field of the wisdom of the Lord's heart: 'Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, the one who had died, whom he raised from the dead, was. So they made a dinner for him; and Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him.' (John 12:1-2).
Well does the foster-child of the truth speak of the one lately bound in Hades' prison, leaping forth and breaking the bonds of death by death's defeat.
Greek
Homilia christologica in Lazarum, Mariam et Martham [Sp.] Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ὁμολογητοῦ Εὐσταθίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀντιοχείας εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον Λαζάρου καὶ εἰς Μαρίαν καὶ Μάρθαν τὰς ἀδελφὰς αὐτοῦ. 1 Ἀκούσωμεν ἀγαπητοί· καὶ εἰς δεῦρο εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ἱερὰ τῶν εὐαγγελίων σάλπιγξ. Καὶ τί εἰς εὐφροσύνην τοῖς πιστοῖς προστίθησιν; Ταύτην γὰρ κορωνίδα τοῦ λόγου καὶ ὁδηγὸν ποιησώμεθα πρὸς τὰ ἑξῆς. Φησὶν Ἰωάννης, ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸς, ὁ τὰ ἄρρητα μυστήρια ἐκ τοῦ παμφόρου τῆς σοφίας χωρίου τῆς καρδίας τοῦ Κυρίου ἀρυσάμενος· «Πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς Βηθανίαν, ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος ὁ τεθνηκὼς, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἐποίησαν οὖν αὐτῷ δεῖπνον· καὶ ἡ Μάρθα διηκόνει, ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος ἦν τῶν ἀνακειμένων αὐτῷ.» 2 Καλῶς ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας τρόφιμος τὸν πρὸ βραχέος εἱρκτῇ ᾅδου πεπεδημένον, ἐκπηδήσαντα καὶ τοὺς τοῦ θανάτου δεσμοὺς ταῖς τοῦ θανάτου τροπαῖς