Even Years: Maximus of Turin, Sermon 56, 1-3 (CCL 23, 224-225)
| Nisi granum tritici cadens in terra mortuum fuerit, id ipsum manet; cum autem mortuum fuerit, multum fructum affert. Refloruit igitur dominus cum surrexit e tumulo; fructificat cum
ascendit ad caelum. Flos est cum de inferioribus terrae gignitur, fructus est
cum altissima sede reconditur. Granum est, sicut ipse ait, cum solus crucem
patitur, fructus est cum plurima apostolorum credulitate circumdatur.
| Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Our Lord blossomed afresh when he rose from the tomb, and he bore fruit when he ascended to heaven. As a flower he burgeoned from the depths of the earth; as the fruit he took his place on his lofty throne. Enduring the torment of the Cross alone, he is that grain which he himself describes; surrounded by his Apostles, now unshakeable in their faith, he is the fruit. | | His enim post resurrectionem
quadraginta diebus cum discipulis conuersatus tota illos sapientia maturitatis
edocuit, et ad bonam frugem eos omni disciplinarum fecunditate conuertit.
Deinde ascendit ad caelum, ad patrem scilicet fructum carnis perferens, in
discipulis iustitiae semina derelinquens.
| In his converse with his disciples during those forty days after his Resurrection, he taught them the fullness of mature wisdom, and reaped from them an abundant harvest by the life-giving power of his words. Then he ascended to heaven, bringing his Father the fruits of his incarnate life, and leaving in his disciples the seed of holiness.
| | Ascendit ergo ad patrem dominus.
Meminit sanctitas uestra quod aquilae illi de psalterio, cuius innouatam
iuuentutem legimus, conparauerim saluatorem. Est enim similitudo non parua.
Sicut enim aquila humilia deserit alta petit caelorum uicina conscendit, ita et
saluator humilia inferni deseruit paradisi altiora petit caelorum fastigia
penetrauit; et sicut aquila relictis terrenis sordibus sublime uolans purioris
aeris salubritate perfruitur, ita et dominus terrenorum faecem deserens
peccatorum in sanctis suis uolitans purioris uitae simplicitate laetatur.
| [So the Lord ascented to the Father.] Just as the eagle leaves the low lying ground, makes for the heights, and climbs high to heaven, in like manner our Saviour left the lower regions, made for the heights of Paradise, and reached heaven's highest summit. [And as an eagle leaves behind earthly dirt to fly high and enjoy the freshness of purer air, so the Lord left the shit of earthly sins in his saints, and flew where he could enjoy the simplicity of a purer life.]
| | Per omnia igitur aquilae
conparatio conuenit saluatori. Sed quid facimus, quod aquila praedam frequenter
diripit, tollit frequenter alienum? nec in hoc tamen dissimilis est saluator.
Praedam enim quodammodo sustulit, cum hominem quem suscepit inferni raptum
faucibus portauit ad caelum, et alienae dominationis, id est diabolicae
potestatis, seruum de captiuitate erutum duxit ad altiora captiuum, sicut
scriptum est in propheta: ascendens in altum captiuam duxit captiuitatem, dedit
dona hominibus. Quae sententia utique sic intellegitur, eo quod captiuitatem
hominis, quem sibi diabolus captiuauerat, illi eruendo sibi dominus captiuarit,
et ipsam, sicut ait, captiuitatem captam ac caelorum alta sustulerit. Vtraque
igitur captiuitas uno uocabulo nuncupatur, sed non aequalis utraque est.
Diaboli enim captiuitas seruituti subicit, christi autem captiuitas restituit
libertati.
| [So the description of an eagle entirely fits the Savior.] But what of the fact that an eagle often steals its prey by carrying off what belongs to another? Even so, our Saviour did something not unlike that, for in a manner of speaking he stole his prey when he snatched the manhood he had assumed from the jaws of hell and carried it off to heaven, freeing the human race from slavery to an alien prince, that is, from the power of the devil, and leading it captive into a higher captivity, [as the Prophet wrote: "Ascending on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." This is to be understood in reference to the captivity of man which the devil held. The Lord snatched it from him, and carried captivity itself captive to the heights of heaven. Both captivities have one name, but they are not equal. For the devil's captivity subjects man to slavery, but Christ's captivity restores man to liberty.]
| | Ascendens, inquit, in altum
captiuam duxit captiuitatem. Quam bene triumphum domini propheta describit!
solebat, sicut dicunt, regum triumphantium currus captiuorum pompa praecedere.
Ecce dominum euntem ad caelos non praecedit sed comitatur gloriosa captiuitas;
non ante uehiculum ducitur, sed ipsa euehit saluatorem. Quodam enim mysterio,
dum filius dei filium hominis sustulit ad caelum, ipsa captiuitas portatur et
portat. Quod autem ait: dedit dona hominibus; hoc uictoris insigne est.
| As the prophet says, Ascending on high he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men. The undoubted meaning of these words is this: that since the devil held the human race captive, our Lord, by wresting it from him, took it captive himself and as the prophet tells us led that very captivity to the heights of heaven. Both captivities do indeed bear the same name, but they differ one from the other. The devil's captivity means enslavement; Christ's, on the contrary, means restoration to freedom.
|
Odd Years: John Chrysostom, Homily 2 on Pentecost, 1 (PG 50, 463-465)
Μεγάλα,
ἀγαπητοὶ, καὶ
πάντα λόγον ἄνθρώπινον
ὑπερβαίνοντα
τὰ σήμερον ἡμῖν
δωρηθέντα παρὰ
τοῦ
φιλανθρώπου
Θεοῦ
χαρίσματα· διά
τοι τοῦτο κοινῇ
πάντες
χαίρωμεν, καὶ
σκιρτῶντες ἀνυμνήσωμεν
τὸν ἡμέτερον
Δεσπότην. Ἑορτὴ
γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ
πανήγυρις ἡ
σήμερον ἡμέρα.
Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς
τῶν ὡρῶν καὶ τῶν
τροπῶν ἐναλλαγῆς
ἑτέρα τὴν ἑτέραν
διαδέχεται, οὕτω
δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας
ἑορτὴ ἑορτὴν
διαδεχομένη, οὕτως
ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀλλήλας
παραπέμπουσι.
Πρῴην μὲν οὖν ἑωρτάσαμεν
τὸν σταυρὸν, τὸ
πάθος, τὴν ἀνάστασιν,
μετὰ ταῦτα τὴν
εἰς οὐρανὸν ἄνοδον
τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·
σήμερον δὲ
λοιπὸν εἰς αὐτὸ
τὸ τέλος ὑπηντήσαμεν
τῶν ἀγαθῶν, εἰς
αὐτὴν τὴν
μητρόπολιν ἐφθάσαμεν
τῶν ἑορτῶν, εἰς
αὐτὸν τὸν καρπὸν
παρεγενόμεθα τῆς
τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπαγγελίας.
Ἐὰν
γὰρ ἀπέλθω, φησὶν,
εγὼ, ἄλλον
Παράκλητον
πέμψω ὑμῖν, καὶ
οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανούς.
Εἶδετε
κηδεμονίαν; εἶδετε
φιλανθρωπίαν ἄφατον;
Πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν
ἀνῆλθεν εἰς οὐρανὸν,
τὸν βασιλικὸν ἀνέλαβε
θρόνον, τὴν ἐν
δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς
καθέδραν ἐπείληφε,
καὶ σήμερον ἡμῖν
τὴν ἐπιδημίαν
τοῦ Πνεύματος
τοῦ ἁγίου
χαρίζεται, καὶ
δι αὐτοῦ τὰ
μυρία ἡμὶν ἀπὸ
τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀγαθὰ
χορηγεῖ. Τί γὰρ,
εἰπέ μοι, τῶν
συνεχόντων, τὴν
σωτηρίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν
οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦ
Πνεύματος ἡμῖν
ᾠκονόμηται;
διὰ
τούτου
δουλείας ἀπαλλαττόμεθα,
εἰς ἐλευθερίαν
καλούμεθα, εἰς
υἱαθεσίαν ἀναγόμεθα,
καὶ ἄνωθεν, ὡς εἰπεῖν,
ἀναπλαττόμεθα,
τὸ βαρὺ καὶ δυσῶδες
τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων
φορτίον ἀποτιθέμεθα·
διὰ τοῦ
Πνεύματος του ἁγίου
ἱερέων
βλέπομεν χοροὺς,
διδασκάλων ἔχομεν
τάγματα· ἀπὸ τῆς
ἐντεῦθεν πηγὴς
καὶ ἀποκαλύψεων
δωρεαὶ, καὶ ἱαμάτων
χαρίσματα, καὶ
τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα, ὅσα
τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν
τοῦ Θεοῦ κοσμεῖν
εἴωθεν, ἐντεῦθεν
ἔχει τὴν
χορηγίαν. Καὶ
βοᾷ Παῦλος
λέγων· Ταῦτα
πάντα ἐνεργεῖ
τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ
Πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν
ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ
καθὼς
βούλεται. Καθὼς
βούλεται, φησὶν,
οὐ καθὼς προστάττεται·
διαιροῦν, οὐ
διαιρούμενον·
αὐθεντοῦν, οὐκ
αὐθεντίᾳ ὑποκείμενον.
Τὴν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐξουσίαν,
ἣνπερ ἐμαρτύρησε
τῷ Πατρὶ, ταὐτην
καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ
Πνεύματι ἀνατίθησν
ὁ Παῦλος.
Καὶ
ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ
Πατρός φησιν· Ὁ
δὲ Θεός ἐστιν ὁ ἐνεργῶν
τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν,
οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ
ἁγίου
Πνεύματος· Ταῦτα
δὲ πάντα, φησὶν, ἐνεργεῖ
τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ
Πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν
ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ
καθὼς
βούλεται. Εἰδες
ἀπηρτισμένην ἐξουσίαν;
Ὧν γὰρ ἡ οὐσία
μία, δῆλον ὅτι
καὶ ἡ αὐθεντία
μία· καὶ ὧν ἰσότιμος
ἡ ἀξία, τούτων
καὶ ἡ δύναμις
καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία
μία. Διὰ τούτου
πᾶσαν κηλῖδα ἀπενιψάμεθα·
διὰ τῆς τούτου
δωρεᾶς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων
ἄγγελοι
γεγόναμεν οἱ τῇ
χάριτι
προσδραμόντες,
οὐ τὴν φύσιν
μεταβληθέντες,
ἀλλ ὃ πολλῷ
θαυμαστότερόν ἐστι,
μένοντες ἐν τῇ
φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ
τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων
πολιτείαν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα.
Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ
τοῦ ἁγίου
Πνεύματος
δύναμις.
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