Homily II — Adam, Eve and the saints call to her
Then, yes then, Adam and Eve, the forebears of our race, cried aloud with rejoicing lips: 'Blessed daughter, you have undone for us the penalties of our transgression. You inherited from us a body subject to corruption, and you bore in your womb a garment of incorruption for us. You took your being from our loins, and you gave us well-being in return. You put an end to the pangs; you tore apart the swaddling bands of death; you restored us to our ancient dwelling. We shut paradise; you threw open the entrance to the tree of life. Through us sorrows came out of good things; through you better things have come back to us out of sorrows. And how will you taste death, you who are spotless? For you death will become a bridge to life, a ladder to heaven, a ferry to immortality. Truly you are blessed, all-blessed one. For who, unless it be the Word, has offered himself to undergo the very thing he was supposed to be doing?' And the whole choir of the saints applauded: 'You have fulfilled our prophecies. You have brought us the joy we waited for. For through you we have been loosed from the bonds of death. Come to us, O divine and life-bearing treasure. Come to us who long for you, you who brought our longing to fulfilment.' But the crowd of saints still in the body, standing around her, pulled her back with words no less strong: 'Stay with us,' they said, 'you who are our consolation, our only comfort on earth. Do not leave us orphans (John 14:18), O Mother, as we face dangers for your compassionate Son. Let us have you as rest from our labours and relief from our sweat. If you wish to stay, you have the power; if you are eager to depart, nothing stands in your way. If you depart, tabernacle of God, may we too depart with you, we who have been called your people because of your Son. You alone are the consolation we have, left to us on earth. To live with you while you live, and to die with you as you die, is a blessed thing. But why do we say "as you die"? For you, death too is life, and a better life, one that surpasses this life beyond all comparison. But for us, how life is no life at all, if we do not have you with us!'
Greek
Τότε δὴ, τότε Ἀδὰμ καὶ Εὔα, οἱ τοῦ γένους προπάτορες, ἀγαλλομένοις τοῖς χείλεσι διαπρυσίως ἀνακεκράγασι· Σὺ μακαρία, θύγατερ, τῆς παραβάσεως ἡμῖν τὰ ἐπιτίμια λέλυκας. Σὺ φθαρτὸν ἐξ ἡμῶν σῶμα κληρονομήσασα, ἀφθαρσίας ἡμῖν ἐκυοφόρησας ἔνδυμα. Σὺ τὸ εἶναι ἐξ ἡμετέρας ὀσφύος ἁρπάσασα, τὸ εὖ εἶναι ἡμῖν ἀνταπέδωκας· τὰς ὠδῖνας ἔλυσας· τὰ τοῦ θανάτου διέῤῥηξας σπάργανα· τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἡμῖν ἀποκατέστησας ἐνδιαίτημα. Ἡμεῖς ἐκλείσαμεν τὸν παράδεισον, σὺ τοῦ τῆς ζωῆς ξύλου τὴν εἴσοδον ἀνεπέτασας. Ἐκ τῶν χρηστῶν δι' ἡμῶν ἦλθε τὰ λυπηρά· διὰ σοῦ ἐκ τῶν λυπηρῶν ἐπανῆλθεν ἡμῖν τὰ χρηστότερα. Καὶ πῶς θανάτου γεύσῃ, ἡ ἄχραντος; Σοὶ πρὸς ζωὴν γέφυρα, καὶ κλίμαξ πρὸς οὐρανόν· καὶ πρὸς ἀθανασίαν ὁ θάνατος πορθμεῖον γενήσεται. Ὄντως μακαρία σὺ, παμμακάριστε. Τίς γὰρ, εἰ μήτιγε ὁ Λόγος ᾖ, προσενήνεκται τοῦτο πάσχων, ὃ πράττειν ὑπείληπται; Ἐπεκρότει δὲ καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῶν ἁγίων χορός· Σὺ ἡμῶν τὰς προῤῥήσεις πεπλήρωκας. Σὺ ἡμῖν τὴν καραδοκουμένην εὐφροσύνην προσήνεγκας. Διὰ σοῦ γὰρ δεσμῶν θανάτου λελύμεθα. Δεῦρο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὦ θεῖον καὶ ζωηφόρον κειμήλιον. Ἐλθὲ ποθοῦσιν ἡμῖν, ἡ τὸν πόθον ἡμῶν ἐκπεράνασα. Ἀλλ' ἀνθεῖλκε λόγοις οὐχ ἧττοσιν τῶν ἐν σώματι περιεστώτων ἁγίων πληθύς· Μεῖνον μεθ' ἡμῶν, ἡ ἡμετέρα παράκλησις, λέγουσα· τὸ μόνον ἐπὶ γῆς ἡμῶν παραμύθιον. Μὴ ἐάσῃς ἡμᾶς ὀρφανοὺς, ἡ Μήτηρ, τοῦ συμπαθοῦς τοῦ Υἱοῦ σου προκινδυνεύοντας. Ἔχοιμέν σε τῶν πόνων ἀνάπαυλαν, καὶ τῶν ἱδρώτων ἀνάπτυξιν. Σοὶ καὶ μένειν θελούσῃ τὸ δύνασθαι πάρεστι, καὶ ἀπαίρειν προθυμουμένῃ οὐδὲν ἐμπόδιον. Εἰ ἀπαίρεις, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ σκηνὴ, καὶ ἡμεῖς συναπαίροιμεν, ὁ σὸς λαὸς διὰ τὸν σὸν Υἱὸν χρηματίσαντες. Σὲ μόνην ἐπὶ γῆς καταλελειμμένην ἡμῖν παρηγορίαν κεκτήμεθα. Σοὶ καὶ ζώσῃ συζῆν, καὶ θνησκούσῃ συνθνήσκειν μακάριον. Τί δὲ θνησκούσῃ φαμέν; Σοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ὁ θάνατος, καὶ ζωὴ κρείττων, καὶ ταύτην τὴν ζωὴν ἀπαραβλήτοις συγκρίσεσιν ὑπεραίρουσα· ἡμῖν δὲ πῶς ὁ βίος ἀβίωτος, σὲ μὴ κεκτημένοις συνόμιλον;