Joseph Kenny OP: Readings Lent Monday 5

READINGS: LENT MONDAY V

Invitatory Psalm & BACK

PSALMS and BACK
ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ: — μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.
Even Years: Numbers 12:16—13:3,17-33
16 וְאַחַר נָסְעוּ הָעָם מֵחֲצֵרוֹת וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן׃ פ
13:
1 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃
2 שְׁלַח־לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים וְיָתֻרוּ אֶת־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ אֶחָד אִישׁ אֶחָד לְמַטֵּה אֲבֹתָיו תִּשְׁלָחוּ כֹּל נָשִׂיא בָהֶם׃
3 וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה מִמִּדְבַּר פָּארָן עַל־פִּי יְהוָה כֻּלָּם אֲנָשִׁים רָאשֵׁי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵמָּה׃...
17 וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה לָתוּר אֶת־אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם עֲלוּ זֶה בַּנֶּגֶב וַעֲלִיתֶם אֶת־הָהָר׃
18 וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מַה־הִוא וְאֶת־הָעָם הַיֹּשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה הַמְעַט הוּא אִם־רָב׃
19 וּמָה הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ הֲטוֹבָה הִוא אִם־רָעָה וּמָה הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֵנָּה הַבְּמַחֲנִים אִם בְּמִבְצָרִים׃
20 וּמָה הָאָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִוא אִם־רָזָה הֲיֵשׁ־בָּהּ עֵץ אִם־אַיִן וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ וְהַיָּמִים יְמֵי בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים׃
21 וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיָּתֻרוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מִמִּדְבַּר־צִן עַד־רְחֹב לְבֹא חֲמָת׃
22 וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב וַיָּבֹא עַד־חֶבְרוֹן וְשָׁם אֲחִימַן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי יְלִידֵי הָעֲנָק וְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נִבְנְתָה לִפְנֵי צֹעַן מִצְרָיִם׃
23 וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד־נַחַל אֶשְׁכֹּל וַיִּכְרְתוּ מִשָּׁם זְמוֹרָה וְאֶשְׁכּוֹל עֲנָבִים אֶחָד וַיִּשָּׂאֻהוּ בַמּוֹט בִּשְׁנָיִם וּמִן־הָרִמֹּנִים וּמִן־הַתְּאֵנִים׃
24 לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא קָרָא נַחַל אֶשְׁכּוֹל עַל אֹדוֹת הָאֶשְׁכּוֹל אֲשֶׁר־כָּרְתוּ מִשָּׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
25 וַיָּשֻׁבוּ מִתּוּר הָאָרֶץ מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם׃
26 וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־מִדְבַּר פָּארָן קָדֵשָׁה וַיָּשִׁיבוּ אוֹתָם דָּבָר וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעֵדָה וַיַּרְאוּם אֶת־פְּרִי הָאָרֶץ׃
27 וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ בָּאנוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר שְׁלַחְתָּנוּ וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הִוא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָהּ׃
28 אֶפֶס כִּי־עַז הָעָם הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ וְהֶעָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת גְּדֹלֹת מְאֹד וְגַם־יְלִדֵי הָעֲנָק רָאִינוּ שָׁם׃
29 עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב וְהַחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהָאֱמֹרִי יוֹשֵׁב בָּהָר וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי יֹשֵׁב עַל־הַיָּם וְעַל יַד הַיַּרְדֵּן׃
30 וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת־הָעָם אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אֹתָהּ כִּי־יָכוֹל נוּכַל לָהּ׃
31 וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־עָלוּ עִמּוֹ אָמְרוּ לֹא נוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת אֶל־הָעָם כִּי־חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ׃
32 וַיּוֹצִיאוּ דִּבַּת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תָּרוּ אֹתָהּ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר עָבַרְנוּ בָהּ לָתוּר אֹתָהּ אֶרֶץ אֹכֶלֶת יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ הִוא וְכָל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִינוּ בְתוֹכָהּ אַנְשֵׁי מִדּוֹת׃
33 וְשָׁם רָאִינוּ אֶת־הַנְּפִילִים בְּנֵי עֲנָק מִן־הַנְּפִלִים וַנְּהִי בְעֵינֵינוּ כַּחֲגָבִים וְכֵן הָיִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם׃

16 Then the people moved on from Hazeroth and pitched camp in the desert of Paran. 13:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 2 'Send out men, one from each tribe, to reconnoitre the land of Canaan which I am giving the Israelites. Each of them is to be a leading man of the tribe.' 3 At Yahweh's order, Moses sent them from the desert of Paran. All of them were leading men of Israel.
17 Moses sent them to reconnoitre the land of Canaan, 'Go up into the Negeb,' he said, 'then go up into the highlands. 18 See what sort of country it is, and what sort of people the inhabitants are, whether they are strong or weak, few or many, 19 what sort of land they live on, whether it is good or poor; what sort of towns they live in, whether they are open or fortified; 20 what sort of land it is, fertile or barren, wooded or open. Be bold, and bring back some of the country's produce.' It was the season for early grapes.
21 They went up and reconnoitred the country from the desert of Zin to Rehob, the Pass of Hamath. 22 They went up by way of the Negeb as far as Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the Anakim, lived. (Hebron was founded seven years before Tanis in Egypt.) 23 Reaching the Vale of Eshcol, there they lopped off a vine branch with a cluster of grapes, which two of them carried away on a pole, as well as pomegranates and figs. 24 This place was called the Vale of Eshcol after the cluster which the Israelites cut there.
25 After forty days they returned from reconnoitring the country. 26 Making their way to Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israel, in the desert of Paran, at Kadesh, they made their report to them and the whole community, and displayed the country's produce. 27 This was the report they gave: 'We made our way into the country where you sent us. It does indeed flow with milk and honey; here is what it produces. 28 At the same time, its inhabitants are a powerful people; the towns are fortified and very big; yes, and we saw the Anakim there. 29 The Amalekites occupy the Negeb area, the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites the highlands, and the Canaanites the sea coast and the banks of the Jordan.'
30 Caleb called the people round Moses to silence and then said, 'We must march in immediately and take it; we are certainly able to conquer it.' 31 But the men who had been with him said, 'We cannot attack these people; they are stronger than we are.' 32 And they began disparaging to the Israelites the country they had reconnoitred, saying, 'The country we have been to reconnoitre is a country that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there were of enormous size. 33 We saw giants there too (the Anakim, descended from the Giants). We felt like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.'
Odd Years: Hebrews 11:1-16
ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις,
πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων.
ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ ἐμαρτυρήθησαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι.
πίστει νοοῦμεν κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι θεοῦ,
εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων τὸ βλεπόμενον γεγονέναι.
      πίστει πλείονα θυσίαν Ἁβελ παρὰ κάϊν προσήνεγκεν τῷ θεῷ,
      δι' ἧς ἐμαρτυρήθη εἶναι δίκαιος,
      μαρτυροῦντος ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ,
      καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἀποθανὼν ἔτι λαλεῖ.
            πίστει Ἑνὼχ μετετέθη τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον,
            καὶ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο διότι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός:
            πρὸ γὰρ τῆς μεταθέσεως μεμαρτύρηται εὐαρεστηκέναι τῷ θεῷ,
                  χωρὶς δὲ πίστεως ἀδύνατον εὐαρεστῆσαι,
                  πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμενον τῷ θεῷ
                  ὅτι ἔστιν καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται.
            πίστει χρηματισθεὶς Νῶε περὶ τῶν μηδέπω βλεπομένων εὐλαβηθεὶς
            κατεσκεύασεν κιβωτὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ,
            δι' ἧς κατέκρινεν τὸν κόσμον,
            καὶ τῆς κατὰ πίστιν δικαιοσύνης ἐγένετο κληρονόμος.
      πίστει καλούμενος Ἀβραὰμ ὑπήκουσεν ἐξελθεῖν
      εἰς τόπον ὃν ἤμελλεν λαμβάνειν εἰς κληρονομίαν,
      καὶ ἐξῆλθεν μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ποῦ ἔρχεται.
      πίστει παρῴκησεν εἰς γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ὡς ἀλλοτρίαν,
      ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικήσας μετὰ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ
      τῶν συγκληρονόμων τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῆς αὐτῆς:
      ἐξεδέχετο γὰρ τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν,
      ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ θεός.
            πίστει―καὶ αὐτὴ Σάρρα στεῖρα―δύναμιν εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος ἔλαβεν
            καὶ παρὰ καιρὸν ἡλικίας,
            ἐπεὶ πιστὸν ἡγήσατο τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον:
      διὸ καὶ ἀφ' ἑνὸς ἐγεννήθησαν, καὶ ταῦτα νενεκρωμένου,
      καθὼς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει
      καὶ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ ἀναρίθμητος.

            κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες, μὴ λαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας,
            ἀλλὰ πόρρωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι,
            καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς:
            οἱ γὰρ τοιαῦτα λέγοντες ἐμφανίζουσιν ὅτι πατρίδα ἐπιζητοῦσιν.
            καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ' ἧς ἐξέβησαν, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι:
            νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐπουρανίου.
            διὸ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς θεὸς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι αὐτῶν,
            ἡτοίμασεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς πόλιν.
Hebrews 11:1-16 1 Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of realities that are unseen. 2 It is for their faith that our ancestors are acknowledged. 3 It is by faith that we understand that the ages were created by a word from God, so that from the invisible the visible world came to be. 4 It was because of his faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, and for that he was acknowledged as upright when God himself made acknowledgement of his offerings. Though he is dead, he still speaks by faith. 5 It was because of his faith that Enoch was taken up and did not experience death: he was no more, because God took him; because before his assumption he was acknowledged to have pleased God. 6 Now it is impossible to please God without faith, since anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and rewards those who seek him. 7 It was through his faith that Noah, when he had been warned by God of something that had never been seen before, took care to build an ark to save his family. His faith was a judgement on the world, and he was able to claim the uprightness which comes from faith. 8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he sojourned in the Promised Land as though it were not his, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 He looked forward to the well-founded city, designed and built by God. 11 It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise was faithful to it. 12 Because of this, there came from one man, and one who already had the mark of death on him, descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore which cannot be counted. 13 All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth. 14 People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of a homeland. 15 If they had meant the country they came from, they would have had the opportunity to return to it; 16 but in fact they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has founded the city for them.

Even Years: Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 9
Ecce dies venient, dicit Dominus, et feriam domui Israel et domui Iuda foedus novum... Dabo legem meam in visceribus eorum, et in corde eorum scribam eam, et ero eis in Deum, et ipsi erunt mihi in populum... Omnes enim cognoscent me a minimo eorum usque ad maximum, ait Dominus. "Behold the days shall come saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel, and with the house of Judah . . . I will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people... For all of them shall know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest, saith the Lord.
Quod foedus novum Christus instituit, novum scilicet testamentum in suo sanguine, ex Iudaeis ac gentibus plebem vocans, quae non secundum carnem sed in Spiritu ad unitatem coalesceret, essetque novus Populus Dei. Christ instituted this new covenant, the new testament, that is to say, in His Blood, calling together a people made up of Jew and gentile, making them one, not according to the flesh but in the Spirit. This was to be the new People of God.
Credentes enim in Christum, renati non ex semine corruptibili, sed incorruptibili per verbum Dei vivi, non ex carne sed ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto, constituuntur tandem genus electum, regale sacerdotium, gens sancta, populus acquisitionis... qui aliquando non populus, nunc autem populus Dei. For those who believe in Christ, who are reborn not from a perishable but from an imperishable seed through the word of the living God, not from the flesh but from water and the Holy Spirit, are finally established as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people... who in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God".
Populus ille messianicus habet pro capite Christum, qui traditus est propter delicta nostra et resurrexit propter iustificationem nostram, et nunc nomen quod est super omne nomen adeptus, gloriose regnat in coelis. That messianic people has Christ for its head, "Who was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification", and now, having won a name which is above all names, reigns in glory in heaven.
Habet pro conditione dignitatem libertatemque filiorum Dei, in quorum cordibus Spiritus Sanctus sicut in templo inhabitat. Habet pro lege mandatum novum diligendi sicut ipse Christus dilexit nos. The state of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in His temple. Its law is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us.
Habet tandem pro fine Regnum Dei, ab ipso Deo in terris inchoatum, ulterius dilatandum, donec in fine saeculorum ab Ipso etiam consummetur, cum Christus apparuerit, vita nostra, et ipsa creatura liberabitur a servitute corruptionis in libertatem gloriae filiorum Dei. Its end is the kingdom of God, which has been begun by God Himself on earth, and which is to be further extended until it is brought to perfection by Him at the end of time, when Christ, our life, shall appear, and "creation itself will be delivered from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the sons of God".
Itaque populus ille messianicus, quamvis universos homines actu non comprehendat, et non semel ut pusillus grex appareat, pro toto tamen genere humano firmissimum est germen unitatis, spei et salutis. So it is that that messianic people, although it does not actually include all men, and at times may look like a small flock, is nonetheless a lasting and sure seed of unity, hope and salvation for the whole human race.
A Christo in communionem vitae, caritatis et veritatis constitutus, ab Eo etiam ut instrumentum redemptionis omnium adsumitur, et tamquam lux mundi et sal terrae, ad universum mundum emittitur. Established by Christ as a communion of life, charity and truth, it is also used by Him as an instrument for the redemption of all, and is sent forth into the whole world as the light of the world and the salt of the earth.(95)
Sicut vero Israel secundum carnem, qui in deserto peregrinabatur, Dei Ecclesia iam appellatur, ita novus Israel qui in praesenti saeculo incedens, futuram eamque manentem civitatem inquirit, etiam Ecclesia Christi nuncupatur, quippe quam Ipse sanguine suo acquisivit, suo Spiritu replevit, aptisque mediis unionis visibilis et socialis instruxit. Israel according to the flesh, which wandered as an exile in the desert, was already called the Church of God. So likewise the new Israel which while living in this present age goes in search of a future and abiding city is called the Church of Christ. For He has bought it for Himself with His blood, has filled it with His Spirit and provided it with those means which befit it as a visible and social union.
Deus congregationem eorum qui in Iesum, salutis auctorem et unitatis pacisque principium, credentes aspiciunt, convocavit et constituit Ecclesiam, ut sit universis et singulis sacramentum visibile huius salutiferae unitatis. God gathered together as one all those who in faith look upon Jesus as the author of salvation and the source of unity and peace, and established them as the Church that for each and all it may be the visible sacrament of this saving unity.

Odd Years: Cyril of Alexandria, Easter Homily 5, 7 (PG 77, 495-498)
Ὧδε μὲν οὖν τὸ λόγιον ἔχει τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, ὅλον δι' ὅλου τὸ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐξεικονίζον μυστήριον. Ἡμᾶς δὲ ἀνάγκη τοῖς ἐν τύπῳ γεγενημένοις τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφαρμόσαι τὸ κάλλος, καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκαστα διαπτύξαι σαφῶς. Οὕτω γὰρ τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις εὐσύνοπτον τὸ βαθὺ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον... In the account of Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac, the Bible portrays the mystery of our Saviour in all its aspects. Because I want you to have a clear understanding of this deep mystery of our religion, I must show you the connection between the events that typified the truth and the beauty of truth itself, and explain how each part of the story should be interpreted.
Παραλαμβάνει τοιγαροῦν τὸ παιδάριον ὁ τρισμακάριος Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ εἰς τὸν τόπον ἐπείγεται τὸν παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδειγμένον αὐτῷ Τὸ μὲν οὖν διὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀναφέρεσθαι τὸ παιδάριον ἐπὶ τὴν θυσίαν, σημαίνει διὰ συμβόλου καὶ σχήματος, ὡς οὐκ ἀνθρωπεία δύναμις οὐδὲ ἡ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων πλεονεξία τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστὸν ἀνήγαγεν ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, βούλησις, τὸν ὑπὲρ πάντων θάνατον ὑπομένειν αὐτὸν οἰκονομικῶς συγχωρήσασα. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ, ποτὲ μὲν Πιλάτῳ προσδιαλεγόμενος ἔφασκεν· Οὐκ εἶχες οὐδεμίαν ἐξουσίαν κατ' ἐμοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἦν σοι δε δομένον ἄνωθεν· ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα τοὺς λόγους ποιούμενος ἔφασκε· Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, ἀπελθέτω ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο. Πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω, ἀλλ' ὡς σύ The holy Abraham took his son and hastened to the place that God had shown him. The fact that the boy was brought to be sacrificed by his father is meant to teach us, by way of type or sign, that the Lord Jesus Christ was not raised upon the Cross by any human power, nor by the wickedness of those who laid snares for him, but by the will of the Father, whose providential plan permitted him to suffer death for the whole world. The Saviour himself said as much when he answered Pilate: You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above. At another time, speaking to his Father in heaven, he said: Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by; but your will, not mine, be done.
Εἶτα πάλιν φησὶ, ὅτι Τὰ ξύλα τῆς ὁλοκαρπώσεως ἐπέθηκεν Ἀβραὰμ τῷ παιδί. Συγχωρήσει γὰρ τῇ κατ' οἰκονομίαν μονον ουχὶ καὶ συνεργαζομένου τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἄκουσαν παραβιασάμενοι τὴν θείαν ἰσχὺν, ἐπέθηκαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῷ Σωτῆρι τὸν σταυρόν. Καὶ μάρτυς ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀψευδὴς ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας εὑρεθήσεται λέγων περὶ αὐτοῦ· Παιδία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ' αὐτὸν, τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν. Πάντες, ὡς πρόβατα ἐπλανήθημεν· ἄνθρωπος τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ ἐπλανήθη, καὶ Κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν. Abraham laid the wood for the sacrifice on his son's shoulders. In the same way, the Jews laid the wood of the Cross on the Saviour's shoulders, and they did this with the consent, one might almost say the cooperation of the Father; for it is not possible to compel the divine power. The prophet Isaiah bears reliable witness to this when he says: He bore the punishment that brings us peace, and by his wounds we are healed. We had all strayed like sheep, every one had gone his own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Γεγονὼς δὲ ἤδη καὶ φθάσας ἐν τοῖς προηγγελμένοις τόποις, τὸ θυσιαστήριον ὁ πατριάρχης εὖ δὴ καὶ μάλα καλῶς ἀνεδείματο· ἵνα πάλιν ἡμεῖς διὰ τούτου νοῶμεν ὅτι, παρὰ μὲν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ὀφθαλμοῖς σταυρὸς ἦν καὶ ξύλον ἐπὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὸ ὁρώμενον· ἐν δὲ ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ πάντων Πατρὸς, θυσιαστήριον ὄντως μέγα καὶ ὑψηλὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας ἐγηγερμένον, ὁσίῳ τε καὶ πανάγνῳ καπνιζόμενον θύματι When the patriarch eventually arrived at the appointed place, he put all his skill into building a good altar. This too we are meant to interpret in a spiritual way, and so to understand that what appears to human eyes as a cross and a gibbet is in fact, in the eyes of the Father of the whole universe, a vast and towering altar, an altar raised up for the salvation of the world, and blackened by the smoke of a pure and most holy sacrifice.
Ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦ σώματος [τοῦ Χριστοῦ] μαστιζομένου πάλιν, ἐμπτυσμένου δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον παρὰ τῶν παντόλμων Ἰουδαίων, αὐτὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησὶν Ἡσαΐου· Τὸν νῶτόν μου δέδωκα εἰς μάστιγας, τὰς δὲ σιαγόνας μου εἰς ῥαπίσματα. —Εἷς γὰρ Θεὸς ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. Ὃς διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν, αἰσχύνης, καθὼς γέγραπται, καταφρονήσας, καὶ ὑπήκοος γενόμενος τῷ Πατρὶ, ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν μέχρι θανάτου, ἵνα καὶ ἀποθανὼν δι' ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἑαυτῷ πάλιν ἠμᾶς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστήσῃ, ζωοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος· καὶ ἀνοίξῃ μὲν ἡμῖν τῶν οὐρανῶν τὰς πύλας, ἀνάγῃ δὲ εἰς αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖς παραστήσῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὴν πάλαι διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δραπετεύσασαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσιν. By his words, I bared my back to the scourge, and let myself be struck on the face, Isaiah foretold the blows that his enemies would shamelessly inflict on the Saviour's body, and their spitting upon it. For there is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, amen. Our Lord Jesus Christ, disregarding the shame, humbled himself in obedience to the Father even to the extent of dying for our salvation. He died to give us life through the Holy Spirit and to raise us up with himself, to open the gates of heaven to us and lead us in, thus restoring to the Father the human race whose sin had long ago made it fly from his presence.
Ἐπὶ τοῖς τοσούτοις, ἀγαπητοὶ, τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κατορθώμασιν, ἀνοιγνύσθω μὲν πᾶν στόμα εἰς εὐφημίαν, ἔστω δὲ γλώσσης ἁπάσης ἔργον ἡ εἰς αὐτὸν ὑμνῳδία, βοάτω δὲ ὥσπερ τι λιγυρὸν ἀνιεῖσα μέλος· Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, Κύριος ἐν φωνῇ σάλπιγγος. Ἀναβέβηκε γὰρ τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς πληρώσας οἰκονομίαν· καὶ ἀναβέβηκεν οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' αἰχμαλωτεύσας αἰχμαλωσίαν, καὶ δόματα δοὺς ἐν ἀνθρώποις. Therefore, beloved, let this great work of our Saviour be acclaimed by every voice, let his praise be on every tongue. Let the sweet sound of that ancient song be heard again: God has gone up with shouts of jubilation, the Lord has ascended with a fanfare of trumpets. He completed the work of our salvation and then ascended; indeed he not only ascended but he also led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.

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