Conversation by Eutropius the eunuch, patrician and consul

“Conversation on Eutropius the eunuch, patrician and consul” (5 chapters) delivered by St. John Chrysostom, probably in Constantinople in the summer of 399. The occasion was the incident with the eunuch Eutropius, who sought refuge in the Church of Hagia Sophia: “The Church, which suffered persecution from you, opened its bowels for you and accepted you, and the spectacles that you patronized and because of which you were often indignant at us, betrayed you and destroyed you.” At the beginning of his speech, the saint turns to the saying: “Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” (Eccl. 1:2), which should be written on the conscience of every person and constantly repeated as a reminder of the insignificance of human affairs. St. John calls to glorify God for allowing a man who was constantly at enmity against the Church to go to such extremes in order to see her strength and love for mankind: “The strength is that for enmity against her he suffered such a misfortune, and the love for mankind is that, after all the oppression, she now covers him with a shield, ... without remembering anything from the past...”. For the Church, the case of the eunuch became an example of a brilliant victory. For Christians, this is a time of mercy, philanthropy, forgiveness and compassion. The saint calls for prayer for Eutropius, so that the Lord will continue his life and help him avoid the death that threatens him. *The title of the work in Greek is Εἰς Εὐτρόπιον. *The title of the work in Latin is In Eutropium. It is always, but especially now, timely to say: “Vanity of vanities,” said Ecclesiastes, “vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” (Eccl.1:2). Where is the pomp of the consulate now? Where are the shiny lamps? Where are the applause and rejoicing, feasts and holidays? Where are the wreaths and veils? Where is the city noise and the shouts of praise at horse racing and the flattering speeches of spectators? All this passed: suddenly the wind blew and tore off the leaves, exposed the tree and shook it to the foundation with such force that it seemed to tear it up by the roots and destroy its very fibers. Where are the pretend friends now? Where are the feasts and dinners? Where is the crowd of parasites and the daily libations of wine, and the sophistication of the art of cooking, and the admirers of power, flattering in word and deed? All this was like a night and a dream, and with the onset of day it disappeared; these were spring flowers, and with the removal of spring everything withered; there was a shadow - and it passed; there was smoke - and it cleared; there were bubbles - and they burst; there was a web - and it was torn apart. Therefore, we chant this spiritual saying, constantly repeating: “Vanity of vanities,” said Ecclesiastes, “vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” This saying must be written forever on the walls, and on clothes, and in the square, and on the house, and on the roads, and on the doors, and in the vestibules, and especially on the conscience of everyone, and must be repeated constantly. Since deceit in business, pretense and hypocrisy are accepted by many as the truth, everyone should repeat to his neighbor every day, at lunch, at dinner, and in meetings: “Vanity of vanities,” said Ecclesiastes, “vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” " Have I not always told you that wealth is a runaway slave? But you didn't listen to us. Did I not say that it is an ungrateful servant? And you didn't want to believe. Here is experience to show in practice that it is not only a runaway and ungrateful slave, but also a murderer; because now it has made you tremble and fear. Didn’t I tell you, although you constantly forbade me to tell the truth, that I love you more than flatterers, that, by denouncing, I care about you more than those who please? Should we not add to these words that: “The reproaches of a lover are sincere, and the kisses of a hater are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6)? If you had endured my wounds, then their kisses would not have caused you this death, because my wounds produce health, and their kisses caused an incurable disease. Where are your cupbearers now? Where are those who pushed people aside in front of you in the square and spoke thousands of praises to you in front of everyone? They fled, betrayed their friendship, are seeking safety for themselves in your torment. But we are not like that: we did not leave you even then, despite your indignation, and now we cover and protect you, the fallen one. The Church, which suffered persecution from you, opened its bowels for you and accepted you, and the spectacles that you patronized and because of which you were often indignant at us, betrayed you and destroyed you. We never stopped saying: what are you doing? You are raging against the Church and are rushing to the brink of destruction. But you ignored all this. And now the horse races, which have consumed your wealth, have sharpened the sword on you; and the Church, having experienced your untimely wrath, goes around everywhere, wanting to deliver you from the snares. 2. I say this now, not trampling on the fallen, but wanting to strengthen those who stand, not poisoning the wounds of the victim, but wanting to preserve the health of those not yet wounded, not betraying the drowning victim to the waves, but teaching those sailing with a fair wind so that they do not drown. How can this be achieved? If we remember the impermanence of human affairs. And this man, if he had been afraid of impermanence, would not now be a victim. But if he did not improve either on his own or with the help of others, then at least you, who are proud of your wealth, will find a useful lesson for yourself in his misfortune. There is nothing more insignificant than human deeds. Whatever word anyone uses to denote their insignificance, it will be paler than the truth. Whether you call them smoke, or grass, or sleep, or spring flowers, or whatever it is, they are truly perishable along with all this; they are even less than nothing. And despite their insignificance, they still expose us to great danger, as can be seen from the present case. Who was taller than this man? Didn't he surpass everyone in the world with his wealth? Haven't you reached the very pinnacle of honor? Didn't everyone tremble before him and fear him? But now he became more miserable than the prisoners, more pitiful than the slaves, poorer than the beggars, tormented by hunger, every day seeing before him sophisticated swords, and the abyss, and the executioners, and being led to death. He no longer remembers his former greatness and does not even see sunlight; the very noon for him is the deepest night: imprisoned within the walls, he is, as it were, deprived of sight. However, no matter how hard we try, we cannot express in words the suffering that he must endure, awaiting the death penalty every hour. And are our words needed when he himself clearly depicted this to us, as if in a painting? Yesterday, when they came for him from the royal palace in order to take him by force, and he ran to the sanctuary, his face was, as now, no better than that of a dead man; and the gnashing of teeth, and trembling, and trembling throughout the whole body, and the intermittent voice, and the numb tongue, and the whole appearance were such as a person with a petrified soul can have. 3. And I say this, not blaming or mocking his misfortune, but wanting to soften your souls, incline to compassion and convince you to be content with the punishment that has been accomplished. Many of us are so inhuman that they even reproach us for receiving him into the sanctuary; That’s why I expose his suffering, wanting to soften their insensitivity with my words. And why, tell me, beloved, are you indignant? Because, you say, the one who was constantly at enmity with her found refuge in the Church. But this is why it is especially necessary to glorify God, that he allowed (the enemy of the Church) to fall into such an extreme, so that he would know both the strength and love of mankind of the Church - the strength is that for his enmity against her he suffered such a misfortune, and the love of mankind is that, after all the oppression, she now covers him with a shield, took him under her wings and placed him out of all danger, not remembering anything from the past, but revealing to him your depths with great love. (For the Church) this is the most glorious trophy; this is (her) brilliant victory; this is a shame to the Greeks, this is a shame to the Jews. In this, the Greatness of the Church was revealed with new brilliance: having captured the enemy, she not only spares him, but when everyone leaves him alone, she alone, like a tenderly loving mother, hid him under her cover and stood against the royal wrath, against the rage of the people and against unspeakable hatred. This is the decoration of the altar. What kind of decoration, you say, is there in the fact that a criminal, avaricious man and a robber touches the altar? Do not say this: the harlot touched the feet of Christ, and she was very criminal and unclean, and yet this did not serve as guilt for Jesus, but as praise and great glory, because the unclean did not harm the pure, but the clean and not unclean made the criminal harlot clean through the touch. Don’t be vindictive, man; we are servants of Him who said on the cross: “Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). But, you say, he himself blocked the local refuge with various decrees and laws? But now he actually found out what he had done, and with his act he himself was the first to break the law in the face of the entire universe, and (now) from here, without words, he convinces everyone: do not do this, so as not to experience the same thing. Misfortune made him a teacher. And this altar sheds great light, now appearing especially terrible because it holds a lion bound, just as a royal image makes a greater impression when it represents not just the king on the throne, in purple and diadem, but also that under his foot lie barbarians with their hands tied back and their heads bowed down. However, there is no need for persuasion with words when you yourself testify to this with your zeal and dedication. Truly, we have a bright spectacle and a brilliant meeting today! Only on Holy Easter did I see as many people gathered as I see here now: so this man silently called everyone together: his deeds thundered louder than a trumpet. And so the virgins, leaving their chambers, the wives - their rooms, and the husbands - the market, you all gathered here to see how human nature is exposed, how the corruption of everyday affairs is revealed, and how from the face of the harlot, which shone with the beauty of the evening and the third day, the change of fate, as if with a sponge, erases the rubbing and embellishment - after all, such is the happiness acquired in the pursuit of wealth! - and she turns out to be uglier than a wrinkled old woman. 4. So great is the power of this misfortune that it has now made a glorious and noble man the most insignificant of all. If a rich man comes here, he will learn (here) a good lesson. He will see how crushed and thrown into dust is the one who shook the entire universe, how he fears and trembles, turning out to be more cowardly than a hare and a frog, chained without chains to this pillar and instead of shackles, bound by fear alone. (This sight) will tame the ardor (of every rich man), corrode his arrogance, and he, having begun to value human affairs as they should be valued, will come out of here, having learned in practice what the Scriptures say in the words: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field” (Is. 40:6) and again: “for they, like grass, will soon be cut down and, as the green grass will wither” (Psalm 36:2); “My days are like smoke” (Psalm 101:4), and the like. In turn, the poor man, entering and seeing such a spectacle, will not consider himself unhappy and mourn his poverty, but will begin to thank his poverty for the fact that it constitutes for him a safe refuge, a serene haven and a solid wall. And more than once, having this example before his eyes, he would prefer to remain in the state in which he is now, rather than gain power (at least) over the whole world for a short time, then endanger his very life. Do you see how his flight here is of no small benefit to both rich and poor, low and high, slaves and free? Do you see how everyone leaves here, having received medicine, being healed by one sight? Did I not soften your feelings or turn away your anger? Hasn't he destroyed cruelty? Didn't he incline him to suffering? I am very sure of this, and your faces and streams of tears testify to this. So, if in your hearts a stone has turned into a fat and fruitful field, then, having grown the fruit of mercy and shown a blooming colossus of compassion, let us now fall to the king, or better yet, let us beg the man-loving God to soften the king’s anger and make his heart tender, so that he will show us complete mercy. And from the day when this man found refuge here, no small change took place. When the king learned that he had fled to this refuge, and when the assembled army was indignant at his crime and demanded his death, then the king made a long speech to tame the rage of the army, persuading him to pay attention not only to the sins (of the fugitive), but also to his good deeds, and declaring that for these deeds he himself was grateful to him, and for others he forgives him as a man. When they again insisted on revenge for the insult of the king, crying, jumping, demanding death and shaking spears, then he, shedding streams of tears from his gentlest eyes and recalling the sacred meal to which the unfortunate man had resorted, thus finally tamed their anger. 5. Now let’s do our due diligence on our part. Otherwise, what kind of forgiveness will you receive if, when the king, himself offended, does not remember the evil, you, having suffered nothing of the kind, will show such anger? And how, at the end of this spectacle, will you partake of the mysteries and say that prayer in which we are commanded to say: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12), if you demand punishment for your debtor? But he committed great injustices and insults? And we do not reject this; but now is the time not of judgment, but of mercy, not of investigation, but of philanthropy, not of interrogation, but of forgiveness, not sentence and condemnation, but compassion and pardon. Therefore, let no one be irritated and indulge in indignation, but it is better to beg the man-loving God to continue the life of the unfortunate man and to pluck him from the death that threatens him, so that he will atone for his crimes, and all together we will approach the man-loving king, asking him in the name of the Church, in the name of the altar, to grant the sacred meal to one person. If we do this, then the king himself will be pleased, and God will approve of the king before him and will give us a great reward for our love of mankind, because He abhors and hates the cruel and inhuman, but He accepts and loves the merciful and philanthropic and, if he is a righteous man, weaves the brightest crowns for him, and if he is a sinner, forgives him his sins as a reward for his compassion for a slave like himself. “For I want mercy,” He says: “I want, not sacrifice” (Hos. 6:6); and everywhere in the Scriptures you see that He always seeks this and says that it serves for the remission of sins. So we too will propitiate Him, and thereby we will get rid of our sins and adorn the Church. Then the philanthropic king will praise us, as I said above, and all the people will applaud; then the ends of the universe will be amazed at the philanthropy and meekness of our city, and the inhabitants of the whole earth, having learned about what happened, will glorify us. So, in order for us to enjoy such benefits, let us fall down, ask and beg, let us snatch from danger a captive, a fugitive asking for help, so that we ourselves may be worthy of future benefits, the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.