Слово на Святую Пасху. Святого Прокла, архиепископа Константинопольского

The celebration of Easter is bright; light and a real gathering. The celebration contains sacraments ancient and new; and the gathering for this seven-day celebration, or, better yet, rejoicing, is so numerous that not only people on earth are having fun, but also the Powers of the mountains are celebrating with us for the sake of the risen Christ. Now the Angels and the armies of the Archangels are triumphant, awaiting the Heavenly King, Christ our God, from earth to heaven as the winner; the faces of the saints also triumph, preaching Christ before the shining star (Ps. 109:3); the earth, washed by Divine blood, also triumphs; The sea also triumphs, having received the honor of bearing the feet of Christ Himself. Let every person reborn by water and the Holy Spirit also celebrate; Let the first man triumph, Adam, freed from the ancient oath. The joy that Christ filled us with through the resurrection is so abundant that we not only celebrate, but receive salvation from suffering, immortality from death, healing from a plague, and rebellion from a fall. In ancient times, beloved, the sacred solemnity of Passover, according to the law, was mysteriously celebrated in Egypt, and the symbol expressing this sacrament was the slaughter of a lamb; Now, according to the Gospel, we spiritually celebrate Easter, celebrating the Resurrection. There, according to the law, a lamb from the flock was slain (Exodus 12:5): Christ Himself, the Lamb of God, is brought here; there is a sheep from the sheep: here, instead of a sheep, is the Good Shepherd Himself, who laid down His life for the sheep (John 10:11); there, the meaning of the dumb blood (with which they were anointed) served as a preventive measure for the entire people; here, the honest blood of Christ is shed for the salvation of the whole world, so that we may receive remission of sins. There the firstborn of Egypt were destroyed: here, through confession, numerous types of sins are cleansed; there Pharaoh was drowned with his terrible army (Ex. 14:27): here the mental Pharaoh with all his strength is drowned through baptism; There the Jewish children, having crossed the Red Sea, sang a victory song to the Benefactor, exclaiming: Let us drink to the Lord, gloriously we will be glorified (Ex. 15:1); here those worthy of baptism mysteriously sing the song of victory, saying: One is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father, amen; and the Prophet (of God) calls out, saying: The Lord reigns, clothed in beauty. The Jews, having crossed the Red Sea, ate manna in the desert; now all who come out of the font eat the bread that came down from heaven: for He Himself (Christ the Lord) says about Himself: I am the living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51). Therefore, the blessed (Apostle) Paul rightly said: I received all these images in silence: they were written for our teaching, and in them the ends of the ages came (1 Cor. 10:11), that is, all this happened to them - to the Jews, as images; but it is described for the instruction of us who have reached the last centuries. The Jews, obviously, were mistaken, not understanding the truth: even if they had understood, they had not crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8); They, unfortunate ones, did not understand that types and prophecies continue until the Truth Itself appeared. A sculptor, intending to cast a royal statue from gold, silver, or copper, first makes a sample for it (the statue) from clay, and until he makes a real statue from gold, silver or copper, until then he carefully stores the clay sample, as necessary for it; when he makes a real statue, then he destroys the clay model, as useless and of no use to him. Thus, the Jews, before the Truth appeared to people, rightly preserved images, but after the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, who proclaimed Himself: I am the light of the world, and the truth, and the life, and the resurrection (John 8:12; 14:6; 11:25), - in vain they preserve images that are no longer images. May the (ungodly) Jews stop slaughtering the dumb sheep for the redemption of the people: for the mystical Lamb, the Son of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and who has redeemed us from the destroyer, has been slain. May they leave the ancient brew and accept a new mixture of truth; let them stop eating the bitter potion: for the Lord drank the gall for us in order to dissolve for us with sweetness the sources of healing He gave. Therefore, let them celebrate with us not in the leaven of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened purity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8), so that after leaving this life we ​​may unanimously glorify the Lord of glory, together with the Angels, crying: The Lord reigns, having clothed himself with beauty (Ps. 92:1). To him be glory, honor, and worship forever and ever. Amen 49. Curs. Compl. Patrolog., edit. Migne, volume LXV, col. 795–800; cp. Bibliot. Patr. Concionat., volume IV, p. 80; Christ. Read 1840, II, 56–61 pp. You might be interested in: