Easter sermons

"Easter Sermons" are the annual district messages of St. Cyril of Alexandria, indicating the date of the beginning of Lent and the celebration of Easter. This is due to the ancient tradition according to which the primate of the Alexandrian Church on the day of Epiphany sent out these messages to all the cities and monasteries of his Church. A total of 29 Easter messages from St. Cyril for 414-442. They have a general outline of presentation: the saint announces the approaching time of fasting and Easter; encourages you to take advantage of this time for repentance and exercise in virtue in order to become partakers of the redemption accomplished by Christ; briefly outlines the doctrine of the economy of salvation; indicates the date of the beginning of Lent, Easter and Pentecost. The sermons raise predominantly moral and ascetic topics: fasting, the fight against passions, prayer, works of charity and mercy, worldly pleasures, etc. An important place is occupied by the discussion of dogmatic issues: the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation and atonement. St. Cyril criticizes Christological dualism and gives instructions on the Eucharist (Sermons 5, 8, 10, 12, 27). The 17th Epistle (429) is the first anti-Nestorian writing by St. Kirill. In the 19th Epistle (431), the Blessed Virgin is called the Mother of God for the first time. Some conversations contain polemics with Jews and pagans. For example, in the 6th epistle (418) the doctrine of fate is refuted. Polemics with the Jews are conducted through the interpretation of Holy Scripture. This publication presents a fairly extensive and complete abstract of these sermons, performed by A. Mirolyubov. *The title of the work in Greek is ῾Εορταστικαί / ῾Ομιλίαι ορταστικαί. *The title of the work in Latin is Epistulae paschales / Homiliae paschales. Contents Description of the content of Easter sermons. General remarks Easter sermon of 414 (under number 1) Sermon of 415 (under number 2) Sermon of 416 (under number 4) Sermon of 417 (under number 5) Sermon of 418 (under number 6) Sermon of 419 (under number 7) Sermon of 420 (under number 6) no. 8) Sermon of 421 (under no. 9) Sermon of 422 (under no. 10) Sermon of 423 (under no. 11) Sermon of 424 (under no. 12) Sermon of 425 (under no. 13) Sermon of 426 (under no. 14th) Sermon of 427 (under number 15) Sermon of 428 (under number 16) Sermon of 429 (under number 17) Sermon of 430 (under number 18) Sermon of 431 (under number 19) Sermon of 432 (under number 18) No. 20) Sermon 433 (no. 21) Sermon 434 (no. 22) Sermon 435 (no. 23) Sermon 436 (no. 24) Sermon 437 (no. 25) Sermon 438 (no. 26) Sermon 439 (no. 27) Sermon 440 (no. 28) Sermon 441 (no. 29) Sermon 442 (no. 30) Exposition of the content of Easter sermons. General notes The main subject of the Easter sermons is the idea of ​​the greatness of the Easter celebration. The greatness of the Easter festival is based on the immensity, exceeding every human mind and word, the work of saving people, or house-building, the remembered holiday of Easter. The Savior’s victory over sin, curse and death, which tyrannized over the human race, the destruction of the dominion of the devil over the world, the liberation of people from sin, death and the power of Satan and their reconciliation with God - this is the idea of ​​the Easter celebration, and at the same time the Easter sermons. But if the subject of the Easter holiday and the word is so great, lofty, and immense, then eo ipso a tremulous feeling of timidity and fear arises in the preacher: he cannot even with a quick flight of thought grasp the subject of the sermon before him. Therefore, his thought turns only to certain specific properties and features of the holiday of Christian holidays. Either it is directed at the reasons for the celebration, then at its ancient history, then at its essence, importance and meaning, then at our duties in view of both the holiday and the work of salvation remembered by it, then at the purpose of the celebration, at our deviation from the standard of life required by the cause of salvation, and so on. But being varied in many different ways, this thought is nevertheless always imbued with a common Easter idea. The greatness of Easter reminds Cyril of his duty to preach. Preaching about the holidays was commanded back in the Old Testament - through the mouths of Moses and the psalmist David. But this commandment applies even more to the ministry of the shepherd of Christ’s Church - it specifically refers to the holiday of Easter. In fact, what is the Old Testament - the law and the prophets? This is the image of the new, the shadow of future blessings; the end of the law and the prophets is Christ. Hence, every biblical story, every biblical person, Fact, its place, time, etc., are the essence of prototypes of New Testament persons, places and events. The times of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Egyptian slavery, Pharaoh, the invasion from Egypt, manna, Amalek, Samuel with his image of sacrifice, the reign of Saul, etc. and so on, - all these are the essence of images of deeds and events remembered by the Easter festival - or better, “shades”, shadows and multi-colored paints, painting the picture of the salvation of people.” But if “the fat of the Old Testament Scripture is covered with a shell of allegory,” then how are the Jews mistaken, obsessing over the letter of Scripture? After all, they were convicted of blindness, insolence and stiff-neckedness - not only by Christ the Savior - but even in ancient times by the law and the prophets, who guided them to a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the Scriptures. But it is not only the Jews who persist in their ignorance. There is also the false wisdom of this world, which tries to subjugate the free nature of man; but, with the coming of the Savior, she herself must, like Hagar, who submitted under the free hand, serve the truth of Christ, for this is why the Savior came, to disperse the darkness of ignorance. Indeed, the human race was in a pitiful state before the coming of Christ. Death mocked people, sin tyrannized over them, and the devil extended his power over the whole of heaven. Everything was thrown down, they did not dare raise their heads, and deep darkness covered the earth. But then the Savior appeared in the world, like spring on the mountains - and everything changed - the breath of life, the fragrance of virtue was blowing everywhere; death is trampled upon, the devil is defeated; we are adopted as sons of God and receive a heavenly inheritance. But if human nature has been so immeasurably blessed by the deeds and generosity of the Savior, then how can we remain in the mud of vice and wickedness? Our duty is to wash away the abomination of sin and adorn ourselves with the most decent holy deeds of virtue, especially in view of the approach of Easter. This is why the only begotten Word of God was incarnate, to cleanse us from the filth of sin, to teach us the true knowledge of God and a virtuous life. This shows the life of the Savior and the deeds He did. – This is, in general terms, the content of Easter sermons. No matter how varied the author is in the order, connection and sequence of these thoughts, in general, in essence, Cyril’s sermons are similar to the example of them presented by us. The only difference is that in different sermons Cyril pays special attention to one of the points we have indicated and especially illuminates it - but he illuminates, nevertheless, in connection with the main idea of ​​​​the Easter celebration and sermon. – Let’s move on to a consistent presentation of the content of the sermons in the most concise form possible. Easter Sermon 414 (under No. 1) “Throughout the entire universe, this is how St. begins his first Easter sermon. Cyril, the radiant shine of the joyful and divine holiday shines and opens, driving away everything dark and gloomy from the valiant idle lovers.” Therefore, following the advice of the Apostle (Rom. 13:12-13) and blessed David (Ps. 94:1), we must sing a victory song to Christ, who descended to earth for us and destroyed the sting of death with the cross. At the same time, most of all we should be concerned about unanimity and like-mindedness in the confession of the faith of Christ and in piety. Vigilance and courage in piety are especially necessary now that the holiday of the bright Sun has risen, illuminating for us the path to all virtue. Only foolish Jews, mired in a sensual and educational cult, cannot come to the light of the Savior, and therefore they hear the terrible word of rejection from God. Meanwhile, those who are truly circumcised in heart, that is, those who serve God in spirit, hear from God pardon and forgiveness of sins. Therefore, it is necessary for us, since the Savior has approached us, to put off the old man and be renewed into the new, restored in the image of the Creator, it is necessary, according to the word of Jeremiah, to cleanse with divine fear, like fire, a soul overgrown with thorns and withered by wickedness, to accept the seed of the Savior and present to God the Jew, who is in secret, and the secret circumcision of all uncleanness from our hearts. Then we will be worthy to hear: “Celebrate, O Judas, your festivals”... (Nahum.1:15). – a, r. 401 – 404. Then followed by St. Kirill develops the idea of ​​the duty and duty of a church minister to preach, the difficulty of this and the heavy responsibility for negligence and carelessness in the work of preaching. Thus the word of God curses those who do the work of the Lord with negligence. Therefore, all holy men trembled at this great mission and, despite their closeness to God, refused divine service (Jonah, Moses, Jeremiah). But God shames those who fear divine service and commands them to courageously go to the task assigned to them. Trembling with menacing divine words, and I, unworthy, says the preacher, having received the succession to the episcopal ministry after the glorious Bishop Theophilus, of necessity, now began to preach β᾿, r. 404–5. The preacher briefly points out, further, the essence of the Easter holiday and our responsibilities in view of this. Here, finally, he designates the special subject of his sermon. Having said that sinners should be cleansed in view of the holiday, while the righteous should rejoice and rejoice, the preacher talks about the appearance of the Savior into the world and the necessity of this appearance. People overwhelmed by wickedness and sins, according to the word of the psalmist, cried out for God to appear to them for help. But then He was far from people. Only by appearing in the flesh from a wife did the Savior shine for us. The purpose of this coming of the Savior was the destruction of death and sin and all enemy power, and the establishment on earth of all purity after the expulsion of ignorance. If the sun has risen, then it is necessary to destroy the moon, that is, the devil, as Scripture understands. Therefore, one must avoid the works of night and darkness, that is, free oneself from sins; and this is especially appropriate for this time. If at gymnastic competitions wrestlers work until they sweat for the most insignificant reward, then it is all the more necessary for true practitioners of piety to work, to whom God grants what neither eye has seen, nor ear has heard, etc. In view of the approaching holiday, this word or sermon invites believers to undertake such feats. An indication of the duty of preaching St. Cyril sees in God's command to Moses (Num. X, 1) to make two silver forged pipes. Trumpets mean church sermon (λό ϒ ος), which has a dual purpose: one calls for a correct understanding of divine dogmas, and the other teaches the rules of moral life. the silver of the trumpets indicates clarity and distinctness both in the knowledge of dogmas and in the selection of rules of activity, so let our word, says Cyril, attract you to the will of the legislator, sanctify the fast and proclaim celibacy - β᾿, p. 405 – 409. In the words of the apostle. The saint teaches James (1:27) what a truly Christian fast should consist of; - namely, in visiting the orphans and widows, and in keeping oneself clean from the defilements of the world. Nature itself and the words of the Apostle (Colossians 3:5) encourage us to do this: “put to death your evils that are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust,” and so on. Abstinence from food and complete non-eating alone cannot yet achieve the true grace of fasting, purity and holiness. Therefore, you need to tear out from your soul the germs of all those passions against which the medicine of fasting is established, that is, kill the passions, make your mind free from them and avoid communication with the vicious. So, for a while we should abstain from food and exquisite meals; excessive pleasure in eating food should not awaken the sin that lies dormant in us. The fattened flesh conquers the spirit, and the flesh, exhausted by fasting, yields this victory to the spirit - ϒ, p. 409 – 412. Let us reject, therefore, all luxury of food; “Let abstinence take root in us, abolishing all sin,” the preacher exhorts and proves the importance and fragrance of fasting with sacred examples: John the Baptist, who received a high praise from the Savior for fasting; Moses, whose abstinence prepared him to appear before the face of God Himself. Indeed, fasting is the image of all virtues, the likeness of angelic life, the source of chastity, the destruction of voluptuousness. Was it not through fasting that the three Jewish youths in Babylon, who ate the fruits of the earth instead of the royal meal, emerged unharmed from the fiery furnace and did not fear the king’s threats? Was it not fasting that saved the Ninevites from the formidable Divine wrath? and many other examples, the preacher teaches, could be cited as proof of the great benefits of fasting, but the matter is already obvious. The importance and beauty of fasting will be presented much more clearly when we compare it with its opposite: luxury in dishes, and show the result of the latter. During the wandering of the Jews in the desert, when Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Jews indulged in revelry of passions: “the people were gray, they say, eating and drinking, and arose to play,” that is, to commit fornication. But for this very thing, as the apostle teaches. Paul (1 Cor. 10:8-9), they died from snakes. And the example of manna speaks of the benefits of fasting. δ, r. 412–413. But let us suppose, they will object, that fasting is a good thing; however, it is very difficult and deadly for the body. This objection, Kirill answers, is filled with extreme absurdity: if we love the beautiful, care about how to make more useful acquisitions for ourselves, and in this sense do not consider fasting as something useless; then how do we want to avoid labor (i.e., abstinence), through which excellent profit is obtained? Just as cereals can not only grow, but also have beginnings of existence without a root; Likewise, the blissful state of spirit has its root in the feat of fasting and grows through it. Therefore, one of two things: either, by refusing to abstain, we will have to become like the dead, losing both our good name and eternal salvation; or, having loved fasting, we will receive as much benefit as a reward, as much harm would have happened otherwise. If we want to be prudent, we must prefer the best to such a benefit, the merits of which we are not sure of. Therefore, those people are the most reckless, who avoid the most beautiful deeds, completely harmless to their performers - they avoid because of some insignificant works. But let us remember at the same time, says Cyril, that those who refuse to endure little are subject to incomparably greater and more severe punishments, then doesn’t it follow that it is much more prudent to accept something that requires less trouble and brings the best results? What, in fact, is more burdensome or painful: fasting, or enduring eternal torment? If everyone agrees that it is incomparably worse to suffer torment, then why do we not make the best choice when life itself offers either of the two? But there is no doubt that we can free ourselves from eternal torment only through labor (i.e., fasting); by refusing them, we doom ourselves to unquenchable fire. It is excellent to add to what has been said that pleasure is especially pleasant when we are temporarily deprived of or removed from the object of pleasure. Thus, the benefit of health becomes most obvious to those who fall into illness; People oppressed by poverty and lack are especially greedy for profit. What we do not have, we long to enjoy, and to put it briefly; due to the lack of pleasures there is a greater impulse towards them. The First Supreme Artist God arranged everything in this way, establishing, among other things, that the sun should appear after the night, and the night after it, so that, by alternately intervening one another, they would make the sweetness of their appearance most pleasant. The fundamental property of the human spirit is to use the present moderately; from satiety there is an impulse for something new and the pleasure pictured in thoughts. Everything said applies to fasting and luxury. Therefore, fasting is not useless in order to enjoy more pleasantly when time permits. δ᾿, r. 413 – 416. Let us love, Kirill again calls, fasting, the mother of all good and all spiritual joy. Let the pagans (actually the Greeks), who imagine themselves wise, and the godless Jews, who, although they know about fasting, act so shamefully that, perhaps, it would be better if they did not hear about it at all and did not fast, mock him. For them, fasting only in name indicates virtue, but in reality it serves as a reason for boasting. This is confirmed by the ignorant Pharisee who prayed so vainly before God (Luke 18:12). “What are you saying, crazy person, bragging about fasting,” asks Kirill? “Don’t you already notice such great audacity in your illness, pursuing such petty things with such care? Do you no longer feel your arrogance and boasting, you who strain out a mosquito and swallow a camel, as the Savior says (Matthew 23:24)? How is it that you, who consider yourself an expert in the law, do not know what is written in the latter: “Let the sincere praise you, and not your mouth; let a stranger praise you, and not your lips. (Proverbs 27:2). έ – r. 417. Indeed, the Jewish mind is filled with all uncleanness, and there is no such shameful vice in which they would not distinguish themselves; and this is held in high esteem by them. Having renounced the Divine law and the commandment given to them, they remain stubborn in their unbelief. – The sinner has a strong desire for what is temporarily useful, and chastity is unpleasant for the dissolute. Just as a drunk’s mind wanders senselessly and cannot rise to sound reasoning, so those betrayed by pleasure, having fallen into sin, as if into a deep ditch, and having pierced the chastity of the soul with unclean lusts, instill in themselves an incurable evil, being completely obsessed with this disease. – έ, r. 417. The most unreasonable Jews, the preacher continues, want to compete with their fathers in godlessness and excess of errors, and consider it a shame for themselves to give up primacy in sinful acts to them (the fathers). Therefore, God expresses to them through the prophet his righteous wrath. “0, who revealed their parents with their wickedness, exclaims St. father, and who discovered the identity of beliefs of those whose children you are considered! 0 who surpassed in their godlessness those who gave birth and with daring antics against the law proved their (antics) powerlessness! You alone succeeded in winning something in which it would have been more useful to be defeated. 0, having achieved a victory more shameful than any disgrace! The Judge of all, God himself, condemns you, saying: “Hardening your neck.” He commands the prophet to weep for you and rejects you from Himself - for serving idols and offering sacrifices to demons in sacred groves and on every mountain. It so happens that he who does not want salvation hates the ways of the latter and does not miss a single opportunity of pleasure. So it was with the Jews. But if they, despite the opportunity to receive salvation under the condition of repentance, still did not care about their own benefit and even did not value God’s love for mankind at all, then is it not fair that they are absolutely unworthy of regret? Instead of moving away from sin, and, consequently, forgiveness from God, they, on the contrary, add greater and greater errors to their previous ones, and therefore bring upon themselves grave punishments. It is not my idea, says Cyril, that the Jews are unworthy of God’s mercy: God Himself forbids the prophet (Jeremiah 7:16-18) to pray for them. If everything about them is full of sin, then it is also fair to reject them from God: for the measure of punishment must always correspond to the magnitude of the errors. If the Jews have withdrawn from God, then the most natural punishment for them is the deprivation of their priesthood and divine care. Happiness is a slippery and dangerous thing for fools. It is precisely when people who are not worthy of it achieve happiness that the opportunity for recklessness opens up. This is what happened to the Israelis. That is why the saints mourn the Jewish people, as they can no longer rebel (Am. 5, 1; Jer. 9, 17 - 18; Lamentations 4, 18 - 19). - ς, p. 420–424. So, when such extreme wickedness gripped the entire universe, when everything under the sun was in the power of the devil, when the Greeks fell into destructive polytheism, and the Jews, despising the commandments given to them, did inglorious things - when, thus, the land and sea were covered, as it were, with darkness and darkness of the night, then the Lord and Lord of all did not allow the best of his creatures, i.e., to perish. e, to man, Sends to us his only begotten Word, which alone could take away tyranny from the devil and free us from the evils that beset us. And so the Word, having taken on our likeness and become man, without losing in birth from the Holy One. The Virgin Mary neither being what she was before, nor receiving what was not in her, arranges our salvation. It remains, as Paul teaches, “yesterday and today, and forever,” not having undergone any transmutation or change of the Divinity through incarnation, but remaining what it was and will be so forever. Having descended to earth, the Word betrays the arrogantly boasting devil (Is. 10:14) to the laughter and amusement of those who believe in the Lord. Having washed away from us in the bath of rebirth the sin that weighed on us. It (the Word) presented the entire universe as pure, showed us the path of salvation, revealed a clear knowledge of divine dogmas, placed us on an equal footing with the angels, heavenly citizens, united earthly things with heavenly things, etc. Meanwhile, the daring Jews did not want to confess Him as Savior and Lord. On the contrary, they seemed offended by the fact that It (the Word) appeared to benefit the human race, saving us from destruction, and they betrayed Him to death on the cross. And even the one hanging on the tree did not stop slandering and blaspheming. But the Savior, having suffered death for us, descends into hell and destroys the riches of the devil, leading his captives from there. Having risen from the dead, He becomes the firstfruits of the dead and frees human nature from the bonds of death. Having completed the economy of the incarnation, he ascends to heaven, presenting himself to the Father as the firstborn of human nature, and as a pledge of this promise he gives us the Spirit. So, the preacher concludes, we confess the Lord as our benefactor and Savior; Let us appear as true children of God according to our deeds, and through them we will present a wonderful retribution to our Master; Let us cleanse ourselves from all mental and physical defilement and fast in purity. – The date of the 40th and Easter of the given year follows. Sermon of 415 (under no. 2) In a conversation in 415, the preacher invites his listeners to rejoice in the Lord, for the subject of his word is the announcement of a festival in honor of the exploits of the Savior. Our All-Glorious Holiday, says Kirill, having completed its annual revolution, is already at the door and almost crosses the threshold of our hearts. Therefore, if the Jews, walking under the shadow and image, announced their holidays with the sound of trumpets, then it would be the height of recklessness on our part if we, in possession of the truth itself, began to doze and remain silent about our famous Holiday. Let, therefore, a loud sermon herald the approaching triumph. The events accomplished for our sake by the Savior are so great that even if we were silent, “the stones will cry out,” according to the word of the Savior. – a, p. 428. But the greatness of the subject about which the shepherd decides to speak plunges him into bewilderment and hesitation. He admits his powerlessness to adequately portray and praise the deeds of the Savior, and expects his listeners to reproach him for laziness and cowardice. The preacher is justified against the latter, however, by the essence of his sermon. It is impossible to imagine anything higher than the deeds of the Savior. If so, then how can the divine not overshadow every human word after this? And indeed it is written: “The glory of God covers the word” (Proverbs 25:2). Confirmation of this can be seen in the blessed Moses, who recognized himself as sluggish and incapable of preaching, Moses, undoubtedly worthy of all praise. Meanwhile, the economy of the Savior stands immeasurably higher than the Old Testament law; is it surprising that every human word should be silenced before this? At the same time, it is necessary note, says the preacher, that our word does not mean to shine with eloquence and Attic grace of language: it is a consequence of the necessity and duty of the Servant of the Church (1 Cor. 9:10) and, as such, should be accepted without criticism. Thou shalt keep the Passover for the Lord Thy God” (Deut. 16:1). In these words he sees an indication of the spring time of the Easter holiday, and therefore paints a picture of the coming spring time, in conclusion he says; “We did not make this description in vain, so that no one would think that we are wasting our time on such reasoning in vain, but in order to find out what is useful from the above commandment (i.e. Deut. 16:1). Thus, it was not in vain that the Law ordered us to “observe the month of new ones.” It is precisely necessary that human nature should contend with the green fields and be prosperous with the vegetation of piety... Let us see how appropriate is our explanation of the expression - “keep the new month” in the sense of the time of the coming of the Savior... Thus, with the coming of the Savior, the evil demon (winter), which aroused, like a mass of winter rain, absurd passions, was expelled; dispersing the forces of unclean spirits (pun intended; πνευ - wind and spirit) and the hated cloud of sin swept by, through the action of grace, light was established like spring. The germ of the Spirit given to us, like a thin marshmallow, encircles the souls of everyone, collecting incense from flower cups, but without damaging them. As in the spring, so with the coming of the Savior, everything was renewed. So the groom indicates to the bride the true “new month” (Song. 2, 10 – 12). God Himself, like skilled winegrowers in the spring, cuts off from us, with the coming of the Savior, thoughts that are dry and fruitless for piety, leaving only chaste thoughts. Therefore, we need, having received the grace of the Spirit, to be renewed to a better way of life, to be freed from sin, to be washed from bodily filth. Let us love self-control and present a virtuous life to Christ, who died for us. – ϒ. 429 – 433. Quoting the words of the Psalmist; “All who are around Him will bring gifts” (Ps. 75:12), the preacher, to show what the “gift” to God on our part should consist of, quotes words from the book of Leviticus (2 chapter 15 art.) and explains them in an extremely allegorical sense. The many grains of flour (which serves as a “gift”) included in the bread mean, according to Cyril, many virtues united in one common one - “piety,” like a grain of flour in bread. The last virtue (“piety”) is offered by us as a sacrifice and gift to God. The oil poured on it is a symbol of joy, since it is inappropriate for those who are zealous for piety to grieve; and Lebanon means the fragrance of deeds. Only in this case will the person making the sacrifice be worthy of praise, and his sacrifice will be accepted. Who really dares to come with a gift to a noble person in the world, having stained his body with dung? But if in everyday affairs we do not allow deviations from the rules of decency, then the one who would want to get closer to God without washing away the dirt of sin would be guilty of the gravest accusation. This is also what the divine law suggests (Lev. 2:11-13), which prohibits the sacrifice of kvass and honey. God, who demands from us a new, non-evil life, cannot accept old evil (old kvass) into the stench of fragrance. And honey, as a symbol of the pleasure that accompanies every sin, is not accepted by God. Therefore, one must abandon the way of life, which consists in the pursuit of pleasures, and zealously exercise in pleasing God. The salt with which it is commanded to sprinkle the sacrifices is a symbol of prudence and prudence. Thus, the mind of God's priests must be filled with fear (of God) and their word must be filled with grace. But if the words are not always deliberate, then let the minds of the pious be salted with salt, that is, throw away sin and not be corrupted in shameful pleasures. And Paul, with the words: “Be strong, do not walk,” etc., deprives a weak, wavering mind of praise. The prophet also denounces this (Jeremiah 14:10), meaning in the indicated place under the name “legs” a certain unstable state and fluctuations of thought - now towards evil, now towards good; whereby it follows that the legs should have a stable position, being attached to the ground. So the blessed Psalmist, who says: “Set my nose on stones,” denotes with these words a firm and unshakable way of life, “to abound in the work of the Lord,” as Paul says. People who sometimes deviate from the divine law, sometimes again clinging to it, are like those who fell from a ship into the middle of the sea due to their carelessness. They notice danger only when it has befallen them. Meanwhile, one must not wait for danger, but beware of it. Therefore, no matter how foolish one would be who imitates such people in regard to the divine commandments, so worthy of praise is one who offers to God, as a continuous sacrifice, a life free from the stain of sin. – But another place in the law speaks of this continuous holiness of life (Lev. 6:8-10). – δ᾿, r. 433 – 437. Although everyone is called to piety by the philanthropic word of God, not everyone is equally zealous about this. Some, not considering anything more honest than faith in God, offer themselves to the aroma of the Lord, as a complete and indivisible sacred sacrifice. The most appropriate name for such people is the name of the burnt offering, which occurs when someone offers himself entirely to God, not allowing himself to be deceitful for a single minute. The fire that does not go out all night on the altar means the constant presence of the Holy Spirit in us, for “night” is the name given to real life. But what is being considered will be even more clear from the words of God to Moses (Ex. 29, 38 - 40), commanding that not a single moment remain free from the veneration of God, precisely from the commandment requiring, both at the beginning and at the end of the day, to offer one lamb, and the extreme points, which contain the middle, thus embracing all time. “The command to moisten the flour and its oil with the whole measure of Viva, and only the fourth part of Ina, means that those who sacrifice themselves to God in this life receive only part of the gift (wine) of joy (oil); but for that in the future life “eternal joy will rise upon their heads,” etc. - But if such strenuous feats throughout life seem difficult for human nature given its weakness, then there is another way of life, less perfect. He is represented in the morning service and other actions of Moses during this time (Ex. 24: 4 - 6). – e, r. 437 – 440. In the indicated place, when interpreting it allegorically, the preacher sees an image of an average life between perfect and imperfect. Morning here means awakening from sin and direction to the light of knowledge. The placement of the altar “under the mountain” indicates the far from perfect state of those remaining under the mountain, who cannot yet, like a mountain, rise to the top of the perfect commandments. The embassy of young men, and not women, allegorically shows that making sacrifices to God is the work of a youthful and courageous, and not a sluggish and weak spirit. “Calf” (not calf) speaks of the comparative imperfection of this sacrifice, or way of life. Spilling one half of the blood into the cup and the other onto the altar indicates to us that we should not live only for ourselves, but also save some for the altar or God. “Such,” says the preacher, is this average and more mediocre life, not distinguished by extreme severity and not turning into the unbridledness of sin.” – ζ᾿, r. 441 – 444. Having pointed out the different degrees of perfection in the way of life and praised the desire for the best of them, the preacher proceeds to depict the differences between people according to the gifts from God. “Just as faces are different, according to Solomon, from other faces, so are people’s talents. Everyone has the same nature of body and is made up of the same members, but not everyone has the same character. So it is with regard to the soul: with the same abilities we will find significant dissimilarity in the individual characteristics of life. This is precisely the idea, the preacher says, that is contained in the Gospel parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-8). “The whole earth (soil) is called, the Holy Father explains, beautiful, but its fruitfulness is not the same. So the number 100 indicates those who are perfect in virtue; 60 - for fruits that are slightly behind the first ones, and 30 - for weak, but still devoid of vegetation fruits. In view of this difference between the virtuous and the Savior said: “Many are the dwellings of the Father.” The parable about the distribution of talents also speaks of the difference in the perfection and talents of people (Matthew 25:15). It shows that not everyone is equally receptive to piety. Nevertheless, God honors the same praise both to the one who received five talents and to the one who received two talents, without at the same time becoming unjust, for kindness to the weaker does not diminish the honor of the best; it does not add anything to the former by taking away what is deserved from the latter; “What is missing, says Cyril, is filled by grace itself.” And if anyone had an opinion that was not free from envy of the activities of others, then such a person, without noticing it, would accuse God of loving mankind. To the objection that the measure of goodness, as on a scale, should correspond to the actions of everyone, Cyril responds with the words of the Savior: “friend, I do not offend you,” etc. (Matthew 20: 13 – 14). – ζ, r. 444–445. After all that has been said, the preacher awakens an unstable, hesitant person to do good deeds. “The time is already, he says, for you to rise to salvation and to direct your eye to the Sun of Truth. And the Lord, who loves mankind, will accept you, have mercy and again raise you to the path of piety. ζ, p. 445. An example confirming this is the story of Moses with his rod (Ex. 4:2-4), allegorically explained by Cyril. The rod of Moses is the fickle and fickle people of Judah: for it vegetated like a rod from the earth. When this people, indulging in passions, fell, as it were, from the hands of the legislator, they turned out to be a poisonous serpent, bitter in sin, strong in anger. But when the legislator took it again, it became beautiful. So, it is obvious from this example how God again and again restores and transforms those who are stagnant in carelessness. It is no less obvious that those who are stuck in sins must turn to God. God did not leave a single moment in which he did not call everyone to salvation and did not bring the stubborn and stiff-necked to reason. – η᾿, r. 445 – 448. Despite this, however, almost all people, as the Psalmist says (13:3), turned away to sin, fell under the tyranny and slavery of the devil and were covered in thick darkness of ignorance. Therefore, the saints prayed for the sending down to earth of light that would save souls. This Light appeared in the person of the Word of God, incarnate from the Holy Virgin, who endured the cross for your sake, trampled upon the bonds of death and revealed to us the source of all joy, descended into hell and resurrected His church on the 3rd day. – ή, r. 448–449. Therefore, beloved, the saint calls, let us celebrate the holiday with great triumph, let us fast upon ourselves, love one another, show hospitality and love to the poor, let us not forget the prisoners, as we ourselves are prisoners, and the sufferers, as we ourselves are still in the body - the date of Easter of this year. Sermon of 416 (no. 4) Having pointed out the approach of the holy holiday, preceded by a long time of deeds of patience and any other virtue, the preacher reminds his flock of their moral duty in view of this (i.e. holiday) - to undertake meritorious works, and of their duty - to deliver a church sermon, bearing in mind the moral benefit of the listeners, and not their delight in the flow of eloquence. With his words, he even intends to sober up fans of oratory from this. – r. 452. It is all the more natural and necessary for a minister of the Church to preach a sermon about the upcoming brilliant celebration, since the prophets rejoiced about the exploits of the Savior, remembered by your Feast, and loudly, like a trumpet, announced them (Isa. 58, 1; - 124 - 40, 9). Therefore, the preacher boldly calls on his flock (actually the young men) to throw off the old man, to adorn themselves with fasting and every other virtue. The time has come, he says, for exploits and spiritual warfare against forces hostile to us, that is, evil spirits. Since bodily strength and skill have no meaning against these enemies, one must put on the full armor of God (EPH. 6:11, 14). If at gymnastic competitions (a description of their customs and practices follows) wrestlers, because of some insignificant reward, waste their strength to the last possible opportunity; then what excuse can we have for idleness and inaction if incomparably better crowns await us for insignificant deeds? none. Even in gymnastic competitions, athletes work not for material benefits, but for fame and praise; Wouldn’t it be completely reckless, therefore, for us to indulge in laziness at a time when greater and higher rewards await us, and victory is almost already assured, thanks to help from God? And in other respects, the lists of piety has an incomparable advantage over gymnastic competitions. Only those with physical strength and skill can participate in the latter; here even the powerless and inexperienced can demand a fighter: for near them is God, who knows the art of the stage. In the competitions of real life, only the winner receives sympathy, praise, glory and monetary reward; the defeated one is despised; The lists of piety are governed by different laws. God rejoices as much for those who are courageous as he grieves for the vanquished; he restores the fallen, who, by the sentence of local laws, are deprived of all glory and attention. - (β᾿, pp. 453 - 457. So it is prudent, the preacher concludes, to achieve suffering, because victory and reward follow it. And this victory is not so difficult and heavy as to seem unattainable. This is confirmed by the divine Paul (1 Cor. 10:13) and Christ Himself (Luke 10:19), who has given us the power to step on without any harm to ourselves the snake, and the scorpion, and all the power of the enemy - Christ, who gives you this power, or power through the influence of the Holy Spirit and the saving cross, which the Greeks mock. In relation to the study of truth, they are, according to Cyril, nothing more than great donkeys, hanging their ears with pleasant melodic singing and at the same time not understanding the art of the artist one iota. Mocking those whom they should compete with, and turning away from those whom they should imitate in every possible way, they suffer from the pitiful disease of polytheism, which is all the more inexcusable for them when their own poets talk about monotheism (Hom. ίλ. β᾿, V, 204). But at the present time, says the preacher, it is much more appropriate to turn his word against the Jews. – u’, r. 460. Tempted by the cross of our Savior Christ, the Jews, as Cyril notes, act incomparably more recklessly than the Greeks, since the latter did not read the Scriptures, and these had the law as their guide to piety. Therefore, with greater right they should be included in the ranks of pagans and atheists than the Greeks. This is confirmed by the history of the Jewish nation from the very beginning of its existence. The founder of the Jewish people, Abraham, a Chaldean by birth and a pagan by upbringing (“he himself moved in ignorance and was numbered with idolaters”) is called by God to true knowledge of God. God plucks it up “like a dear root from a thorn, and replants it in godliness. And so the forefather, having been reborn through the knowledge of God into another person, became what he is now, differing from those who lived before him only in the desire to serve God. Consequently, if turning to piety and the power of serving God reveals a person to be reborn, then deviation from them (piety and serving God) plunges such a person into that former ancient state, i.e., idolatry. Now, copying our speech from the face of the righteous and turning it to the descendants of this root, we will clearly see that the Jews withdrew from all piety through unbelief in Christ.” The preacher is perplexed even at the countless deviations of the Jews from God and their wickedness, and expresses doubts about the ability to cope with communicating about them (wickedness) even to the most capable person, moreover, experienced and wise in this matter. However, he himself decides to bring at least a few guilts of the Jews to show that they have deviated from God - δ, p. 460– -464. Fulfilling his intention, the preacher cites passages of Scripture (Hosea 9, 16 - 17; Amos 5, 21 - 23; Jeremiah 3, 16, etc.), convicting the Jews of extreme wickedness, deviating from the faith and pleasing God. Therefore, God himself, indignant at their wickedness, rejects them from Himself, abolishes the Old Testament cult of the law and prophets, as the cult of the image and shadow, and replaces it with service in spirit and truth (Jeremiah 3:16). This is confirmed by the current circumstances. Indeed, “we do not have a gilded ark with the books of Moses lying in it,” says Cyril; but every believer in Christ serves for this as a church of the Spirit, perceiving in its entirety, so to speak, the source of sanctification.” But to say this does not mean to condemn Moses and the law. The law itself is holy and righteous (Rom. 7:12); but he acted only until the time was fulfilled, without representing true service. Therefore, God promised, through one of the prophets, to replace it with a better ministry (Jer. 31:31). This is exactly how the Apostle Paul understands the matter (Heb. 8:13; 7; 7:19). 464–465. In view of what has been said, the preacher denounces the unbelief of the Jews. “How long will you disbelieve, O Jew? “When will you listen to the voice of the saints,” he asks? To the Jewish objection that one should not refer to the Apostle Paul as a Christian to denounce the Jews, he replies that this subterfuge is invalid, that Paul himself repeatedly testifies to his belonging to the Jewish nation. But besides Paul’s testimony, one can find many proofs that the Old Testament cult should be destroyed and replaced by a new one - “why, for example, do you despise the divine cult in order to free yourself from paternal customs, and do not pay attention to what was held in the greatest honor by them,” asks Cyril? “Where is your church now? Where are the altars and sacrifices in it? Where are the priestly and Levitical orders?... Why don’t you yourself make the sacrifices required by the law? “If you answer that you neglect this of your own free will,” Kirill continues, then you are already accused of breaking the law... and I do not need any other evidence against you. If you admit that you are bound in this case by the bonds of some necessity, then even here you will not escape the accusation of ignorance and unbelief. Who, in fact, can have such power as to bind with the bonds of necessity that which has God as its patron (i.e., the law)? And so, it remains to be assumed that divine wrath fell upon the children of Israel." This time of your shame and rejection was announced by the prophets (Hos. 3, 4; Ezek. 3, 7; Isa. 48, 4; 65, 2, etc.), "although you feign ignorance," notes Cyril. If any of the Jews begins to prove that this is not so in their books, then such shamelessness and insolence will be exposed by the very outcome of the matter, known to everyone they meet. ς – r. 465 – 468. Having said that the Jews, instead of cruelty and unbelief, should, on the contrary, rejoice at what was announced through the prophet (Zechariah 2:10), the preacher proceeds to reveal the mystery of the economy of human salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Therefore, the author depicts the universality of sin and the tyranny of the devil over the entire sunflower; God's care for people and methods of healing and saving people in the Old Testament (i.e., “the cries of the prophets about the descent of the Son of God to earth”). The descent to earth of the only begotten Word of God and a brief Christological teaching about Him. The accomplishment of the salvation of people (i.e., the history of the accomplishment of salvation in its main moments) by the Son of God. The fruits of salvation and our moral obligation are in view of this, as in the previous sermon. Definition for the upcoming Easter, – ς, r. 469–472 Sermon of 417 (no. 5) Having shown the reasonableness of the saying that “there is a time for every thing” (Eccl. 3:1), the preacher reminds that the present time is a time of celebration. And since the Divine Scripture commands to blow the trumpet on the blessed day of the Feast, then let the Easter festival, which reveals to us the true new moon and new year, be heralded by a church sermon, as by the trumpet of the Church. The sound of this trumpet invites us not to the battle with enemies, but to sweet joy in the Lord. “To rejoice, as everyone will agree, is worthy and righteous precisely about the rise of Christ from the dead, about which the preacher intends to talk with the listeners, Moreover, he briefly reveals the fruits of the death on the cross, the descent into hell and the resurrection of the Savior to show the extraordinary solemnity of the holiday. The last circumstance (the extreme solemnity of the holiday) gives the preacher a reason to compare the upcoming spiritual festival with a nationwide civil solemn meeting, a description of which he then presents. But despite the general similarity of Christian and national celebrations, in essence there is and should be a great difference between them. There, during public meetings, those present are decorated with precious and generally expensive clothes and flowers; Christ must be our best clothing (Rom. 13:14); there they fill their bellies with luxurious and expensive dishes, here they enjoy a spiritual feast; there they disperse the darkness and illuminate their path with Torches, but with us there is a light not made by hands - Christ Himself, who said: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). The prophet Isaiah proclaimed this light (60:1). And indeed the Savior, having appeared in the world, dispersed the gloomy darkness of ignorance, spread over us by the devil, who until now had been blinding our thoughts, “lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shine upon us.” β - R', p. 473–476. Only the Jews did not recognize the Word of God made man for our sake, which is why even in the Old Testament they were strongly rebuked by the prophets for rejecting the Word of the Lord. But they also rejected the only begotten Word of God, which became the cornerstone - they rejected it, despite the fact that from the prophetic books (scrolls) they could easily have been educated in this mystery of piety and carefully learned it from the Mosaic writings. They turned out to be worse than even the pagans in their negligence about their salvation, boasting only of their scribes (knowledge of the law), and not trying to penetrate into what was hidden under the image and shadow. And these images contain the clearest description of the Savior’s condescension. Therefore, if you wish, says the preacher, we will deal with the most ancient of the whole string of images - namely, the life of blessed Abraham, the story of the conception and birth of Isaac. “Notice here, Jew,” the author exclaims, how in the very, so to speak, root of birth, the sacrament of our Savior is carved, as on copper,” - β᾿, p. 476–477. This is followed by a lengthy account of the story of Abraham. Sarah and Hagar, conveyed by the author in the order and sequence of the biblical story. The main attention here is drawn to the initial barrenness of Sarah, her request to her husband to have a son of Abraham from Hagar, the birth of Ishmael, and, finally, the resolution of Sarah herself from barrenness by the birth of Isaac. Having conveyed this entire story, the author explains it first in accordance with the interpretation of this story by the ap. Paul (Galat. 4, 22 – 26), in the sense of 2 Testaments: Sinai (subordinate) and Christian or free. “But, beloved,” says the preacher, although I am in awe of the greatness of this allegory, I nevertheless believe that given the vastness of the meanings of divine Scripture, it is necessary to seek out and use other interpretations for the correct understanding of what is said. Therefore, the preacher offers a new allegorical interpretation of this story. ϒ. r. 480 – 481. According to this interpretation, Abraham represents an ancient time or age, Sarah represents human nature; Her female gender signifies her ability to give birth, and her old age signifies antiquity. For human nature is very ancient and capable of generation; she was created capable and dominion over all. But for a long time, without having a blood-born and God-given child, she rejoiced in other people’s and illegitimate children, that is, the children of a gloomy Egyptian woman, for Egypt takes advantage of darkness. “Who do we mean by the dark one,” asks Kiryald? and answers: “of course, the false wisdom of this world, from which the ancient sages, called the Savior the sons of the age, were born, precisely as they were brought up into slavery and served false gods. When time grew old and came to an end, the Son of promise, the true Heir, our Lord Jesus Christ, was given to the free and hitherto idle nature. The maid is now expelled along with the children: Where is the wise man? where is the scribe? where is the council of this century? Has not God put on the wisdom of this world?, as Paul says. However, a certain divine mercy is also granted to the slave and her children: she is returned from the path and has received the command to submit to the power of the free woman.” So the birth of the promised Isaac “means nothing else than the birth of Christ after the fulfillment of times.” “Let no one be tempted, the author notes, that not all the details of the biblical story are adjusted to the truth. In general, the images of allegories always agree with the signified. A righteous person, for example, is often likened to a sheep for the meekness characteristic of this animal; but to say that he wears horns or steps with hooves would be extreme absurdity.” δ .р. 481 – 485. “So,” the preacher continues, “for no other reason did God give the promise to Abraham about Isaac than for the sake of the descent of our Savior to earth, to which, of course, the fulfillment of the blessing boils down.” In view of this, Cyril conveys in detail the words of the promise (Gen. 17, 16 - 19), paying main attention to the words: “and he (i.e., the child of Abraham) will become nations, and kings of the tongues will come from him.” Meanwhile, it is known that Isaac, the child of Abraham, (through Jacob and Judah) was the ancestor of the tribe of Judah alone. The same thing is shown by Jeremiah’s prophecy about the new coming covenant of God with the house of Israel and Judah. How, then, after this, was the promise fulfilled - “and it will be in tongues”? This was fulfilled in Christ, who was pictured in Isaac, the preacher answers. Christ became the Father of many languages, drawing everyone to Himself through faith. This is precisely confirmed by the wisest Paul (Gal. 3:5-6, 8-10) and the blessed Baptist (Matthew 3:8-9), who means by stones the pagans who are still insensitive at heart, but who through faith have become joint heirs with Isaac. So, there is no doubt that Isaac, born of Abraham, served as the image of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, as Blessed Paul repeatedly affirms (Gal. 3:15-16; 27-29). – If, even after these numerous and convincing proofs, the preacher turns his speech to the Jews, the Jew is not convinced of the truth of the image, the content in the story under consideration, then this is no longer my fault, but the unbelief of the Jew. However, imitating skilled doctors in the treatment of stubborn diseases, we will also offer a cure for the unbelief and foolishness of the Jew. “Let him again see our Lord Jesus Christ depicted in Isaac from ancient times. - e, r. 485 – 489. This time St. Cyril dwells on God’s command to Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen. 22:2). If we consider the history and face of Isaac without relation to the Christ they depict, that is, deny their representative significance, then this command of God will seem like something cruel and inhuman. Therefore, what is the true meaning of it?” Since, says the author, the promise given by God about Isaac was destined to be fulfilled in no other way than through Christ and His cross, then God with the command given to Abraham shows, on the one hand, how great a grace for salvation the tradition of the death of his own son has, and on the other, so that Abraham, with his own grief, would understand how difficult it would be for the heavenly Father at the sight of his beloved Son, ascended into the super-earthly element. About this the Savior Himself spoke (John 3:16). Having then conveyed the story of the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22:3-13), St. Cyril applies it in all its details to the economy of the Savior and His death on the cross. Thus, the elevation of the youth by the father means that it was not human will and power, but the will of the Father that raised Jesus Christ to the cross. The meekness and obedience of the child to his father indicate humility and obedience to the Father of the Savior (Phil. 2: 6 – 9). Arriving at the place of sacrifice on the 3rd day means the appearance of the Savior in the last time, after the fulfillment of times. A pair of servants are two peoples who accompanied Christ to his saving passion. Abraham's seeing the place of the burnt offering from afar is God the Father's foreknowledge of His own Son. Abraham's words to the servants - "stay under the mountain with the donkey" - indicate someone who has just believed in Christ, but has not yet received baptism, and is still overwhelmed by recklessness and ignorance - the characteristics of a donkey. In the words of Abraham to the servants ... “and having bowed we will return” St. Cyril sees Abraham's foreknowledge of the true outcome of the commandment of the burnt offering of Isaac. The wood for the burnt offering, laid by Abraham on Isaac, means the Savior bearing (or taking upon Himself) our sins. The arrangement of the altar by the patriarch shows that the cross and the tree seemed so only to human eyes; “but in the eyes of the Heavenly Father - this is true - a great and high altar for the salvation of the world, smoking with a sacred and pure sacrifice.” And the lifting up of Isaac for firewood and the slaughter of his ram in his place very clearly show that it was the Word of God that ascended the cross and was in the sacred church; The Lord suffered, although He is impassive by nature, and the knife was stabbed not into Isaac, the image of the Word of the Father, but into a ram, that is, the church from the Holy Virgin, although the Savior Himself went to the slaughter. “He assimilates suffering to Himself because the body was His, and not anyone else’s.” – ζ. r. 492 – 496. After this, the preacher briefly conveys and reveals the sacrament of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, the fruits of this sacrament and their meaning. In conclusion, as a conclusion from the previous one, a moral exhortation is made to the listeners and a list of the virtues themselves is proposed, with which believers should adorn themselves in view of the holiday, ζ, ή. R. 497 – Date of Easter. Sermon of 418 (no. 6) Having pointed out the approach of the Holy Feast of Easter and the duty it places on the faithful - to courageously and joyfully glorify the Lord, who has blessed the human race, who has destroyed the most shameful yoke of sin, etc., to glorify with virtues and good deeds - the preacher strives to fulfill his duty in relation to the Feast, the duty of church sermon, and outlines the subject or theme of it with the words of the Psalmist (Ps. 118, 126: time to create the Lord) and in the most honest way with the words of the prophet Isaiah (27, 5): let us make peace for Him, let us make those who pass by. Disclosure of the meaning and meaning of these words, i.e., what properties and where this world should be, etc., constitutes the further development of the sermon. – a, r. 500. In the members of our body, says Kirill in the words of the apostle. Paul (Rom. 7:24), there is an innate law that wars against the desires of the spirit, opposes our best aspirations, and draws us to sin. Therefore, as long as this law rules us, it makes us most hostile to God and delays the peace of the just. But being suppressed and weakened by the aspirations of the spirit and piety, he frees for us the quick path of love for God and peace with Him. Therefore, by striving for good, let the law of the flesh be put to death, that is, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust, etc. (Col. 3:5), let it take flight, and let the law of God rule over us. Otherwise, that is, by succumbing to carnal lusts, we will become like vineyards without fences and guards, and we will become food available for lusts. The means to curb this enemy (the law of the flesh) is fasting, the mother of holiness, and severe enslavement of the body. In this case, God himself will be our helper. Then we will create a praiseworthy peace with God. β. r. 501 – 504 But this peace with God is even more necessary for that multitude of people who have just sprouted in the gardens (vertograd) of the Church and therefore, like an irrigating source, need the art of teachers (church). These are the essence of those “coming” about whom Isaiah speaks, that is, those flowing into the Church of Christ from the pagans, from error to the true knowledge of God and in general to virtue and a way of life suitable for man, I mean (says Cyril) rational man, created in the image of the Creator. - Meanwhile, the pagans, possessed by the devil and foolish from idolatrous obsessions, pay divine veneration to wood and stone (Jer. 2:27), and only by their bodily appearance can they be counted among rational animals, but by their actions they are more reckless than unreasonable ones. This is how the Most High God and Lord Himself characterizes them (Wis.15:10). And what really could be more senseless than worshiping wood and stone as God? ϒ, r. 504 – 505. From this crude Form of pagan worship and worldview, the preacher moves further to higher (philosophical) forms of idolatry, which have the highest of creatures as the object of worship. To this end, he strongly denounces philosophers and astronomers who revere the firmament that embraces the sunflower, and who engage in stargazing and measuring the currents of the sun and moon. They present four elements as the beginning of all things: fire, water, air and earth. but instead of reaching from the beauty of these creations to the giver of this beauty - God, they give complete and complete worship to the creations. they are likened to people who, having seen a beautifully constructed house or ship, lavish their surprise and praise not on the artist and architect of the house or ship, but on the constructed things themselves, being unable to rise in thought above the visible... Such is the foolish wisdom of this world, which is violence with God (1 Cor. 3:19). They include among the gods even those who do not have a human form, attributing to them the members of a pig and a dog. – δ ’, r. 505 – 508. The darkness of ignorance covering the Greeks is deep, Cyril continues. They deprive a person of his best quality, do not recognize and do not want to recognize him as a free being, so that they attribute the vileness of everyone’s actions not to his own will, but to outside pressure. In their opinion, the life of each person is controlled by some kind of “fate”, “birth”, assigning to some those delights of life that everyone would rightfully want to strive for, and to others what everyone would turn away from. “So, a person does nothing and does not even strive for anything of his own free will, is not endowed with any ability - neither good nor bad - for activity; on the contrary, he is directed towards this or that, being bound, as it were, by some kind of bonds or chains of necessity; “And thus the one who has received power over everything is no different from dumb animals.” Those who have such opinions, says the preacher, are like someone who, having placed a coachman on a chariot and given it to him at his complete disposal, would at the same time entrust the control of the horses to another person. Would it be possible to demand from someone who was deprived of freedom of action (i.e., the coachman) an answer for something that depends on the free will of the doer, for example, if he fell from the chariot? But in order to further expose the absurdity of such Fatalism 1, Cyril turns to a source authoritative for the Greeks, namely mythology, and from there he borrows examples that contradict Fatalistic views 2. The Greek books mention the tortures of Tantalus, Tityus, Ixion and Sisyphus, and state that they all suffered due retribution for their crimes: Tantalus and Tityus for intemperance, Ixion and Sisyphus for various crimes. Having described the image of the torment of each of these persons, Cyril reasons: and so, if we now admit with the fatalists that man and everyone in general depend on fate, it already means that those offenses for which Tantalus and co. are punished belong not to them, but to “fate” that led them to these crimes, and in this case all the shame and eternal torment should lie on “fate” and “birth”; Tantalus and co. should be freed from them, but if Tantalus and his comrades are punished fairly, then in this case a person should already be freed from the “necessity” to exclude the influence of “fate” in order for Tantalus and co. to appear guilty. “For if in our country,” the author sneers at the Greeks, it is considered very far from the laws of justice, when it is not the one who sinned that is punished, but instead the innocent one, then who will not agree that there is no one in the world more unhappy than the Greek gods? And these rulers and judges of everything, to whose competence the entire justice of the world is entrusted, cannot pronounce judgment in truth?!! Aren't our judges much better than them, who judge everyone according to his deeds; those who have an impeccable life are rewarded with honors, while those tainted by crimes are branded with contempt and punished according to the magnitude of each person’s offense? At least that’s what your and your chosen men think about it, my dear. But listen to what our sages also said: the foolishness of a man destroys his ways, but he makes God guilty in his heart (Proverbs 19:3)... So, man himself is responsible for his own misdeeds, he himself, in one way or another, controls the circumstances and his actions, and not fate and birth.” – δ᾿, r. 508 – 512. The real culprit of such a destructive worldview is the evil one, the devil, who seduced man, captured him into slavery and stifled the free nature in him. He made this last blindness over man out of an insidious calculation - to keep man forever in the slavery of sin and under his tyranny: for man is innate in the free desire for the best, and with it the possibility of returning to a better state. This is why the devil deceives a person: “It is not you yourself,” he says, that is the reason for the impossibility of doing the best, and God will not put such a meaning into your ability; He has placed you under the yoke of necessity.” But it is clear that a person, placing the outcome of his actions on “fate” and asserting that everything depends on the inevitable force of “birth,” will count and hope that he will not suffer any punishment, no matter what sins he may have shrouded himself in.” So, let those deceived by this hear, says Cyril at the conclusion of his denunciations against the pagans, what we said at the beginning: let us make peace with God; may hostility cease, may battle and war cease. Let us stretch out our hands to the Savior and by faith ask Him for peace!” – e’, r. 512 – 13. With the same appeal, in the spirit of love, the preacher addresses the Jews, who oppose the faith of Christ with beliefs from the “shadow”, “image” and “letter”. When will you separate your mind from the shadow of the law, Cyril asks the Jew? What time will show us you more sane? When will you present to the King of all God service in the spirit? Sitting over the letter of Scripture, you have become stupefied. Therefore, let’s talk a little about what is especially revered among you, and you “will understand from here that you have been stuck in error for a long time.” ς – r. 513 – 16. Of the three practices of the Old Testament cult that are especially important for a Jew (circumcision, the Sabbath, and the slaughter of sacrifices), St. Cyril dwells first of all on circumcision according to the flesh. In his opinion, “to subject to circumcision the shameful parts of the body, which nature uses for birth, would be worthy of laughter, if only this very action (circumcision) did not contain a compelling reason. Considered in itself, circumcision would rightly lead one to blame the art of the Creator, who burdened the human body with some extra additions, which, meanwhile, is not noticed in the organization of even animals. Therefore, has not God already, having created man in his image, determined that he should appear as the most shameful among the dumb, if the latter have nothing, but there is something faulty in him? This means we must conclude that circumcision signified something good and beautiful. – ζ, r. 516–517. There is, the preacher says, in us a mind, a principle that moves towards everything beautiful and virtuous. But oblivion weighs over him - the food of all uncleanness. It overshadows in us the consciousness of the duty to strive for the best activity, turns our thoughts to earthly things instead of spiritual things. Therefore, just as water is needed to extinguish a fire, so is the memory of goodness necessary to destroy the disasters that arise from oblivion. And as long as a person’s mind is darkened by the evil of oblivion and cannot be revealed in goodness (although by nature it is capable of producing the beautiful), then a person is considered unclean and shameful by God. But having overcome oblivion and crossed the evil that comes from it, we cleanse our minds of depravity, and having been transformed into innocent infancy, we present ourselves with boldness to God. “At the same time, says Kirill, we will not bring ourselves, just as a newborn baby does not bring himself to God. But Christ, who regenerated us through faith, will lead us to Him and present us on the 8th day, that is, after Sabbathkeeping according to the law, for this is the time of the appearance of our Savior. For this reason, we call the 8th day the Lord’s day, as it forever concluded the time of the law and opened for us the beginning of the Lord’s times, in which everything became new. – This is how we must understand the meaning of carnal circumcision, performed on the 8th day after birth, after the newborn is placed before the face of God. This is the meaning given to circumcision by St. Paul (Rom. 2, 28, 29; Philip. 3, 2, 3), meaning by it “circumcision in the spirit,” “circumcision of the heart from the passions.” So, to be proud of the circumcision of the flesh, if this alone is thought of, would be absurd, but if it (fleshly circumcision) represents an image of circumcision in the spirit and signifies the purification of the heart, then it can rightly be called the most beautiful symbol. This is how the prophets understood circumcision when they said (Jeremiah 4:3-4): “Be circumcised to God, and circumcise your hardness of heart, men of Judah.” So, hence, although someone circumcises himself according to the flesh, he does not thereby circumcise himself for God; but he who has received circumcision in the spirit through the preaching of the Gospel is obviously circumcised by the Lord Himself. This is what Paul teaches (1 Cor. 7:19; Rom. 2:25–27). – And circumcision has another meaning, namely, as the seal of faith, “even in uncircumcision,” given to the forefather Abraham, “as if he were the father of many nations.” After believing, even before Abraham was circumcised and justified by faith, circumcision became for him the seal of this circumstance. ή, r. 517 – 521. Then the author conveys the decree of the law on the Sabbath, that on this day one must leave work and bodily labor, not leave Jerusalem and not go on a long journey; prepare food for consumption not on this day, but the day before; do not carry heavy objects and do not burden yourself with burdens. - Having confirmed these decrees about the rest of the Sabbath with the words of the prophet Jeremiah, St. Cyril notes: “if every prudent person agrees that the fat of Scripture is covered with a mysterious meaning, then let him seek this contemplated meaning.” Otherwise, he will become like the scribes whom the Savior denounced (Matthew 23:13). θ – p. 521 – 524. Indeed, the rest of the Sabbath, if you do not give it an allegorical meaning, is something illegal and absurd. Why is it only man, and not every other creature, who is constrained by the law of the Sabbath rest? Thus the sun continues its usual course without ceasing; the earth with its various plants and grains is not made barren for the sake of the Sabbath. The springs do not stop delivering nutritious moisture on Saturday... Everything, in a word, is continuously happening according to the laws of movement and life laid down by the Creator. Why such a stop in human activity? Would you say - for worship? But why, in this case, did not God establish this law for everyone? And why on this day are prohibited actions that are completely innocent at other times, such as carrying heavy objects, cooking, etc. - prohibited even under the threat of death? After all, among those prohibited on the Sabbath, there is not a single action that would entail an accusation of sin if performed at another time? What should be avoided as a sin that entails punishment (“thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery,” etc.) is prohibited at all other times, and not just on Saturday. It is clear, therefore, that what is prohibited by the law of the Sabbath rest does not in itself contain any sin, and therefore is not prohibited in itself, but because it serves as an image of something else. – ί , r. 524 – 25. There are two such reasons. “The first is that through the Sabbath rest the idea of ​​the Divine was instilled in the Israelites and a means was offered to cognize the artistic and all-creating Nature, that is, God, so that they would not be slaves, in their ignorance, to the visible elements.” The reason for establishing his law in this way was the slavery of the Jews in Egypt, which erased from their memory both paternal and national traditions and the knowledge of the true God, and instead involved them in idolatry - in serving the sun, heaven and earth, the moon and stars. Therefore, God, leading them out of Egypt to the land of promise, demanded that they unconditionally free themselves from the burden (through the “rest of the Sabbath”) of the Egyptian error, i.e., from the worship of the sun and other creatures. But so that they, not by the command of God alone, recognize the creatureliness of the sky, sun, moon and stars, (i.e., their former gods), God commands them (the Jews) to conform to the Creator, i.e. so that, resting on the Sabbath day, they would understand the reason for this holiday, and imitating the peace of the Creator who has rested from his work, thereby silently confessing that everything was created, that there is one Creator and Maker of everything. - “On another basis,” the rest of the Sabbath and the cessation of affairs mean the rest of the saints in heaven at the end of time, when they, freed from labor and wiping off the sweat of their exploits, having entered the highest city - heavenly Jerusalem, will spend all their time there in peace and bliss. They will feed their souls with those joys of this life, which they put aside here for the day of salvation - this is the food of the Sabbath. The prohibition is burdening ourselves with burdens and loads on the Sabbath means that after the rising from the dead, according to the law of the Sabbath of the highest city, no burden of sin will befall us, no longer will the evil deceiver seduce us into iniquity. In parallel with their stay on Saturday inside the gates of Jerusalem, the righteous of the highest city, having entered the ranks of saints and members of the church of the firstborn, will never leave blissful peace, but will remain there forever. – And that indeed, Cyril continues, the Sabbath means that there will be rest for the saints, this is confirmed by Paul (Heb. 4: 1 - 2), who by “rest” does not mean the entry of the Israelis into the land of promise under Joshua, but the future blessedness of the righteous ( Heb. 4, 8 – 9; 10 – 11). “Listen and understand, O Jew, what he is talking about here. raised at the feet of Gamaliel, possessed of complete knowledge of the law, a Jew by Jew and a Pharisee by law,” concludes Cyril - ία᾿, p. 525 - 529. With such a general error of the Greeks and Jews, the Lord of all could no longer be content with His servants and slaves to accomplish our salvation, but contrasted Himself with the devil who enslaved us, became a man, having taken birth from the Holy Virgin, and with his teaching and deeds frees our nature from sin. But the devil did not sleep in his rage. He instills in the most criminal Jews the idea of ​​putting to death Life itself and the Giver of Life. However, I was wrong in my calculation. The Savior, having tasted death, bound the daring tyrant with insoluble bonds, like a wild beast, and freed the captives of hell. Having risen on the third day and commanded his disciples to teach all nations and lead them to saving baptism (Matthew 28:19), He ascended to heaven and presented Himself to the Father as a kind of firstfruits from us. In view of this, the preacher offers moral exhortations to his flock with a list of virtues with which they should adorn themselves in view of the upcoming Feast, the time of which is further determined. – ίβ᾿, r. 529 – 533. Sermon of 419 (no. 7) Having delighted the listeners with the joyful news of the coming of the holy and longed-for holiday, the preacher speaks of his duty in view of this - to give a sermon, which duty he is fulfilling at this moment. The theme for his sermon he takes the advice of the apostle to “cleanse yourself from all filthiness”... (2 Cor. 7:1) and “put to death our evils that are in the earth”... (Col. 3:5). The means for this, in imitation of doctors who prescribe annual cleansing and abstinence from food to their patients, we will undertake, says the preacher, fasting as a spiritual medicine that has a cleansing effect on the soul. Fasting is the root of all virtue, the path to purity, a valiant warrior against perverse sensual lusts and the law of the flesh with its pleasures. But at the same time, selfless courage and determination are also needed to work for goodness and virtue - to work until the sweat of your brow. Without this courageous courage, not a single athlete would defeat an opponent in gymnastics competitions. Speaking dejectedly and cowardly, even before the dust of the lists rises, he is already overcome by his fear. In the same way, one who is diligent and courageous in his chosen life should rather rejoice in his labors than be burdened by them. Feats of struggle are his wealth and food. And the lazy and obsessed with the disease of inertia trembles at the mere rumor “that wealth is acquired through labor.” Therefore, “he takes courage, calls out to St. Father, may our hearts be strengthened.” Our Savior Himself says (Matthew 10:38) that whoever wants to follow Him must be free from all laziness and cowardice. Just as a child with his small and tender legs is not able to run after a fleet-footed youth, so a weak and pampered mind (spirit) is unable to follow in the footsteps of Christ. – With this feat of fasting and severe deeds and suffering, the courageous warrior of Christ, the Apostle Paul, crowned himself, proudly pointing to himself: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Cor. 4:16). He (Paul) counted all suffering as nothing, just to appear as a true disciple of Christ (Acts 21:13). And who did he take as his allies in the fight against the body? – Fasting (2 Cor. 6, 5, 11, –27:, 1 Cor. 9, 27). Thanks to him, this Apostle subordinated the lusts that rebelled in the members of our body to the wills of the spirit. The Apostle of Christ commands you to do this too, - a, p. 536 – 540. And it is not with regard to fasting alone that the Apostle Paul serves as a leader and example for us. He leads us to the basic principle of goodness - love for neighbors, which the Lord considers to be the surest criterion of a believer’s closeness to Him (John 13:35). Without love for God and neighbors, according to the teachings of St. Paul (1 Cor. 12:31; 13:1-3), the whole string of other virtues, although desirable in a Christian, turns out to be colorless. But this apostle shows not only the power and price of love, but also the very image of its discovery and spirit (1 Cor. 13:4-8). And how easy is the path of this virtue! Meanwhile, this is the path of the saints, leading to the highest city, its artist and creator is God. Having strayed from it and embarked on a perverted path of life, we will fall to the bottom of hell. Therefore, let us imitate the love, meekness and humility of the Lord (Matthew 11:29), let us not imitate the rudeness of wild animals, inflamed by mutual hatred. After all, even dumb animals, despite the fact that they are devoid of reason, try to live together in societies, help and protect each other and share food. Only a person who has received power over all animals and has reason does not notice his fall into extreme madness, considers unbridled temper as courage, does not honor the Creator, etc. Meanwhile, there is one culprit of our entire race, Adam, and one God created us - not for mutual enmity and discord, but for a common life imbued with love. - a, r. 540 – 544. But this fundamental principle of public Christian life is not noticed among the flock of the Saint of Alexandria. I hear rumors, says the shepherd, that the Egyptian village youths, recklessly wasting the strength and health of their youth, arm their hand with the sword of cruelty, attack the border and neighboring inhabitants, carry out outrageous riots and robberies and then indulge in carousing and squandering other people's funds. Therefore, the preacher addresses them with a word of exhortation - to stop such liberties, not to irritate the Almighty King and Lord, throw out of your hand the sword defiled with blood, and extinguish in yourself the unlawful passion for the things of others, cut the knot of enmity and tame anger. Warning the unbridled from imitating Cain with the punishments suffered by the latter, the preacher reveals to them the gloomy and joyless state of mind of the lawbreaker. Meanwhile, how pure and calm the soul of the righteous is! But besides this, traces of God’s wrath for these crimes are visible on the Egyptians themselves. This is a terrible drought and infertility in the fields and gardens. That, the anticipation of which so sweetly filled the souls of farmers and winegrowers, now turned into the cause of inconsolable crying. And all this because the Egyptians themselves soaked the fertile soil with human blood and raised a fratricidal sword against each other. Thus, what was predicted about the Jews from ancient times (Amos 5:16 - 17; Lamentations 1:11; 4, 4 - 5, etc.) is now coming true over the Egyptians: a terrible famine is devastating their land. Therefore, let us repent of our crimes, the Shepherd calls, let us fall to the merciful God, and He, who has shown so much mercy towards people (Mic. 7, 18; Jeremiah 14, 20 - 21), will undoubtedly send us His mercy, as can be seen from the words of the prophet (Joel 2, 19 - 26). And no one should doubt the mercy of God; one should only turn to God with repentance. This is already noticeable in the circumstances of the Egyptians themselves. “For those who are still in sin, says Cyril, God already gives an abundance of ordinary means of subsistence. Even before your tears have appeared, God has already appeared compassionate. If He does not refuse to pour out mercy to those who have not yet cried, then will He not cheerfully rejoice those who repent?” Therefore, the preacher invites his flock to repentance, fasting and prayer before God with the words of Joel (2, 15 - 17) - β᾿, p. 544 – 549. Confidence in divine mercy can already be found in the sacrament of your salvation, accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Thus, when everyone has turned to evil and given themselves over to sin, the only begotten Word of God, consubstantial and co-equal with the Father, descends to earth, becomes truly man, and bears the sins on his body on the tree in order to destroy the life of the handwriting of our sins and put to death the sinful and pleasures that tyrannize over us. The unfortunate Jews who nailed the Savior to the cross were deceived in their calculations. The devil was defeated and imprisoned in hell. The Savior rose for three days, ascended to heaven and united the earthly with the heavenly. In view of this, a brief moral exhortation to listeners and flocks, The date of Easter. – β ’, r. 549–52. Sermon of 420 (no. 8) The preacher sets the onset of the holy holiday of Easter, according to the inspiration of the Word of God (Joel 2:1), as the occasion for his usual church word, which contains an invitation - to set out for divine exploits, and in view of the approaching daylight, drive away sleep from your eyes and try to avoid the affairs of the night (Rom. 8, 12 - 13). With examples of sailors (merchants) setting out to sea with the onset of spring, ripened vineyards inviting to cheerful hymns, and yellowed ears of cornfields awaiting the reapers, the preacher proves the suitability for everything useful and the desirability of the coming spring time. But if this is so, shouldn’t believers also be adorned with virtues in this pious time? If at any time deviation from piety serves as the beginning of corruption and should not be allowed at all, then even more so at the present time. From the example of athletes, although they always practice their art, but nevertheless show special strength and dexterity in competitions, it is clear that those brought up in the divine law, although they should always exercise themselves in piety, must nevertheless demonstrate special prudence, courage and courage at a given time. While maintaining a firm and unchangeable confession of faith in Christ, believers must beware of those who disguise themselves in the image of piety and reject the power of it, that is, heretics and their empty word disputes and women's fables; to keep in the recesses of your heart dogmas pleasing to God, witnessing them with deeds of piety. – a’, r. 553 – 56. Although the path leading to deeds of virtue has many branches, however, the preacher further says, “in one thing lies for us the whole totality of what is wrong,” namely, in the commandment of love for one’s neighbor (Matthew 19:19), in which (love), according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul (Rom. 13:8-10), lies the fulfillment of the entire law. And indeed, each of the virtues is imbued with love, and vice versa: where there is no love, there is no virtue, there is crime. These are: an offender, a hater, an adulterer (“Isn’t it out of love, you say, that when he enters into relations with other people’s wives, he makes their husbands blush and be ashamed”?!!), a murderer, a thief, a robber, etc. Consequently, the law that instructs us in every virtue has its fulfillment in love. - Having then cited the teachings of St. Paul on love (1 Cor. 13:4–8), St. Kirill makes a brief explanation of the words: “he is long-suffering of love,” that is, he endures for a long time, courageously endures all insults and, most importantly, quickly suppresses the anger that flared up against the offender, thereby disarming the offender himself and giving the most loving one a good name. But the main thing about love is that it “does not look for its si.” And “does not look for his si” is someone who does not care about his personal interests, who is completely devoted to the public good. An excellent example of this is provided by the apostles, who, despite the Sanhedrin prohibiting them from preaching about Christ, and therefore, despite the personal dangers that threatened them, preached to the people... It was they who did not seek their own, but cared about the benefit of others. - Moreover: the Savior, raising us to the pinnacle of meekness and brotherly love, not only commands us to turn away from what belongs to others, but not even to resist or be angry if they take something of ours (Luke 6:30). – β᾿, r. 557–60. Meanwhile, robbers entrenched at crossroads and pirates casting their nets of robbery along river streams attack with fury their innocent neighbors. Calling themselves Christians, these robbers violate the law of love and become like ferocious beasts. How are you not blushing, Kirill asks the murderer, offending what was for you the means and support of life? You made yourself a murderer and watered the earth with innocent blood! How else do you touch shiny iron, which, instead of its proper use, you turn to murder? How then do you demand that the fields be irrigated for you by God every year with moisture? The word of God is terrible against such criminals (Isa. 1:15; 1 Dominion 2:30), which places the source of such wickedness in rapture in goods and the complete abundance of everything (Hos. 13:6); and hence luxury, pride and oblivion of God. Therefore, one cannot help but cry for such people along with the prophet (Mic. 7:23). Even Egyptian farmers are waging internecine strife. That is why the wrath of God struck the Egyptian land with a terrible disaster: the abundant and bold harvest, which delighted and amused the farmer with the bright hopes of the farmer, was beaten and overwhelmed with hail.ϒ, p. 561 – 565. What is the cause of all these misfortunes? “Our own paths and undertakings (Jeremiah 4:18), our grave crimes,” answers Cyril. Therefore, it is necessary to turn with repentance to the merciful God (Joel 3:10, etc.), and He will have mercy on those who have sinned (Heb. 4:15). The guarantee of God’s mercy is the sacrament of our Savior, who did not refuse to suffer for us. At the same time, the preacher briefly conveys the story. house building. Then, pointing out that the Jews did not accept the “image of the Savior’s economy,” rebelled against Him and rejected His divine dignity, the preacher proceeds to present the so-called Christological doctrine, a presentation in a polemical tone against the Jews and, in all likelihood, the Arians or Eunomians. – Here Cyril proves, first of all, the divine dignity of Jesus Christ, not as received by Him from the outside, from another, like, for example, us, but as essentially abiding in Him (άξιόματι). Thus Christ is God by nature and a sharer of the properties (or “property”) of Him who gave birth; has the power to do everything, power not received from another person, but as the Lord of Hosts - from the essence of God and the Father. And having become a man, He did not cease to be God; Immanuel was not separated from God by nature. The Apostle Paul clearly teaches this when he says: “Christ is yesterday and today, forever and ever” (Heb. 13, 8) - does not divide Emmanuel into two sons, and this constant and eternal (διαπαντώς) identity (τό ώσαύτως) is attributed not only to the naked Word from God the Father, but to the Word made man, since he attributes it to Jesus Christ, and Jesus - from “the salvation of the people,” but Christ is from the anointing for our sake (i.e., they have names). – δ, r. 565 – 68. Further, in a polemical spirit, the preacher refutes the following objection of a heretic or Jew: “if Christ was born in recent times, then how could He always be, even when he was not yet born?” According to Cyril, this objection only confirms the above words of Paul. “Why did this man (Paul) filled with the Holy Spirit attribute to the church born in the last times (i.e., the Word of God) that which belongs to the ever-living and truly existing Word, if not because he considered it godless and was horrified to divide into two the one and only true Son even after the incarnation? That which is actually and by nature inherent in the Word even before the incarnation, the same he assimilates again to the one who appeared in the flesh (i.e., the Word), accepting no other in the one who appeared in the flesh because of the flesh, but inviolably retaining for him the dignity of the Divinity even when It became man.” The Savior Himself teaches the same about Himself (John 3, 12, 13; 6, 62, 63) “under the name of the Son of Man.” “For how then does He speak thus about the descent of the Son of man from heaven and about the fact that He will ascend to where He was before? So you see how He, having bound (united) the Word with the undivided and indivisible unity of ineffable union (with the flesh), demands that we confess one Christ both before the flesh and in the flesh. For this reason, He says that the flesh, although it is earthly in nature, descended from above and from heaven, and also that it will ascend to heaven, where it was before. For what is inherent in Himself, he assimilates to his own flesh, as if he were no other from it, since he entered into unity with it according to the economy.” - “But for the sake of the highest unity, we will not destroy the difference in natures, that is, the fact that according to His own nature He is the radiance of the Father, and according to another, further, He is flesh from the earth, or a perfect man, as the Holy Evangelist says: The Word became flesh (John 1:14), - é, pag. 568 – 69. In the words of Athanasius the Great, the preacher begins to expound, further, the doctrine of one Person in Jesus Christ, that is, one Christ with two walks in two natures, noting that we should not be confused by the ineffability of the image of the combination of natures: “the depth of the sacrament can be perceived by faith.” But if the flesh of the Savior was His own church, then it follows that, having become a man, Christ (that is, together with the flesh) receives worship from St. angels. This is what it says (Heb. 1.6) “when he brings the firstborn into the universe, he says: and let all the angels of God worship him.” But let those who recognize two Christs, or two sons, now answer: how is it fitting for the Word, who is from God the Father, to be called firstborn even before becoming man? How is He the only begotten if he is the firstborn? If anyone begins to divide the one Son into two and attribute to one of them the Word First-Begotten, and to the other the Only Begotten, then the entire Holy Scripture, which affirms both about Christ in the proper sense, will be opposed to this. So, when “firstborn”, then this is a man “in many brethren”; when “Only Begotten”, then this is a word from God and the Father. But there is one Christ, and knowing this, Paul combines (Col. 1:14-18) with the perfections characteristic of God the properties of human nature, calling one and the same Christ both the image of the Father and the firstborn of creation, etc. Meanwhile, those who separate two sons in Christ must admit or admit, for example, that the work of creation can be fitting for man (which, however, is characteristic of God alone), and dying is not alien to God. - So, God Tin lived in his own church, in a body taken from his wife, having a rational soul; but he turned what he perceived into his own glory. Therefore, Jesus Christ (i.e., God the Word together with the flesh) is due divine worship (Phil. 2:10 - 11), and the evangelists and apostles confess Him to be God and Lord who appeared in human form (1 Cor. 2:12; Rom. 9:11; John 20:29; Matt. 16:13, 17.19) “We too will follow this faith,” says Cyril. – Having then briefly outlined the history and mystery of the economy of human salvation, and having given a decent moral exhortation (of a general nature) to his listeners and flock, the preacher indicates the time of Easter celebration and ends the sermon. – ς, r. 572 – 577. Sermon of 421 (no. 9) The preacher compares the onset of Easter to the sunrise. As in the latter case, everything is illuminated and enlivened; so, when announcing the divine holiday, pious and zealous souls are especially enlightened. Therefore, one imbued with such jealousy is called a “war horse” in the Word of God (Job 39:25). And since a holy man is aroused to divine feat and God-loving behavior not by a fighting trumpet, but by a word telling about the beautiful, therefore the preacher, by virtue of his duty (Am. 3: 2), speaks with a church sermon, the subject of which is indicated by the prophet Joel (1, 14): “sanctify the fast, preach celibacy” and so on. Without following the advice of the prophet, it is not possible to receive the lot of heavenly blessing. And according to the word of the Lord Himself, the ministers of the church are obliged to help Christians in their exploits (properly: holy warriors in weapons and battle) and guide them in this sacred celebration (Numbers 10:9-10). - a, r. 577 – 580. An allegorical interpretation of the use of trumpets (before battles and holidays) in the Old Testament as applied to New Testament events - in the sense of a teaching word that awakens fighters against the lust of the flesh to chaste courage, and still peaceful idle lovers to glorify the Savior. – β, r. 580 – 581. A description of the coming spring in living and poetic features and images, and an allegorical interpretation of it in the sense of mental spring, that is, the time of the rise of the Savior and the general revival (of people) and renewal of life, when the Lord declared us, who were spiritual due to prevailing sin, spiritual through piety. Then the preacher makes a distinction between the two, that is, between the spiritual and the spiritual: the former give the dishonest and the evil one the name of worthy veneration and vice versa; the spiritual ones know one good thing and strive for it, profess faith in God and are flaming with love for Him, - β᾿, p. 581 – 585. Further, the preacher speaks about the weak and not yet strong in faith and divine love children of the church, about the morally sick, in need of special care, wavering between faith in the true God and idolatry. The responsibility of the shepherd of the church lies in caring for them and admonishing them with a word of edification. “How can we, asks St. Cyril, leaving what is sick, recklessly go to something that is not affected by any disease?” Cyril takes proof of the abomination of serving false gods from the example of a warrior who was captured by the barbarians, who there forgot about his fatherland and morals and slavishly submitted to the new king. ϒ, р.585 – 588. Application of the above example of the captive to the history of the human race to explain the origin of polytheism and slavery to sin and the devil. For this purpose, the preacher paints a picture of the first days of humanity, and the gradual drift of people into idolatry and polytheism, and submission to the tyranny of the devil. Primordial man did not know the cult of polytheism; Only since the time of Cain has the said disease of evil intensified. And so we gradually moved away from the union of love with God and stained ourselves with abominations. The devil darkened the eye of our soul and, having bound man with foreign pagan cults, made the one who was free bound and chained captives. But the end of the matter did not work out as planned. For the Only Begotten Word of God shone upon us and freed us from the bonds of the devil. – δ ’, r. 589. From here, from the proposed history, the preacher draws the conclusion that the knowledge of the one and true God has been implanted in human nature since ancient times; The disease of polytheism is a natural phenomenon and the fruit of perversity. And although we have been redeemed and delivered by Christ from this shameful and vile polytheism, among Christians there are still those who waver between this polytheism and the true knowledge of God; these are double-believers and generally “double-minded” hypocrites, against whom the preacher further directs his speech. Already among the Greek poets, the vice of “double-mindedness” and “hypocrisy” is strongly exposed (Pl. Hom. IX, art. 112, etc.). In fact, “why are you, asks the hypocrite Cyril, so jealously hiding in the darkness what you value so highly in your mind? Just by the passionate desire to “hide” you do not prove the shamefulness of what you are hiding? This is how they hide, venerable sir, what others rightly condemn, and what would be ridiculed if given freedom of speech.”... But if, the preacher continues, Christ is confessed by everyone and everywhere unanimously, then isn’t the one who hesitates and doubts the justice of this subject to a grave accusation? God himself threateningly denounced the double-mindedness of the Jews (Is. 29:13). But “do they not, in fact, honor God in vain by those who are far from Him in thought, who serve the creature more than the Creator, who only talk about the Christian and only with the brilliance of words play the role of believers in God?” But if a person can still be deceived by such hypocrisy and double-mindedness, then how can such a person hide from an angry God? Neither the brilliance, nor luxury, nor the fabulous wealth of Croesus will help anything here. The rage and enormity of anger God poured out on the dual-believer idolater is seen in the example of the Jews who were dishonored by fornication (Jer. 3:6): it is God who rejects them from Himself and dooms them to complete destruction (Jer. 7:29), in the image of which He orders the prophet to cut the hair on his head, and the Lord forbids even the prophet to pray for them (Jer. II, 14) and says that He would refuse the request - to pray for the Jewish people - even to greater prophets than Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15: 1). – έ, r. 589 – 596. Denouncing open idolatry, or double faith (in Cyril, “double-mindedness”), the preacher then proceeds to refuting the objection - “that God sends such a severe punishment, perhaps, only for open polytheism and idolatry; for secret polytheism, if at the same time a confession of God is made in words, does not send any punishment?” “You cannot say to God, “hidden” or “open,” the objector Cyril responds to this, for “all are naked and declared before His eyes” (Heb. 4:13). And therefore, secret dual faith or idolatry is punished with no less wrath or wrath of God. We also find an example of this in the history of the Israeli people, who invented entire galaxies of idols and hid them in shady and gloomy places and even in the vestibules of the Jerusalem temple (Ezek. 8, 7 - 11). But God, who sees everything hidden, as it is written (Ezek. 8, 12; Psalm 13, 1; 93, 7, 8, 9), through the prophet pronounces a terrible punishment for this wickedness - namely, wholesale extermination, “destruction from the roots.” - e, r. 595 – 600. But God, who so terribly punishes those guilty of the vice of dual faith, marks with the seal of supreme grace the one who completely worships Him and recognizes Him alone as God. For this reason, the preacher teaches, we must kindle in our hearts, first of all, pure and immaculate faith in God, as the Apostle teaches (Heb. 4:5). With sfm, the preacher briefly outlines the doctrine of the trinity of Persons in God, their consubstantiality and equality and mutual relationship. Having pure and undefiled faith in our hearts, we must, secondly, be adorned with good works, for faith without works is dead (James 2:26). But works without faith have no meaning (2 Tim. 2:5). Likewise, in order for an athlete to distinguish himself on the lists, he must also get close to the chairman of the lists before the competition. So, let us conform our lives to the divine law, and eradicate from our souls unclean pleasures and shameful lusts. Then we will be accepted by God and admitted to the holy celebration of Easter. – ς᾿, r. 600 – 601. Having mentioned Easter, the preacher sets out the law of its celebration (Ex. 12, 43 - 44), namely, he considers who could not be allowed to eat it according to the law of Moses; these are foreigners, strangers, mercenaries, slaves and purchased ones (the latter could participate if they were circumcised). According to the allegorical explanation of these names as applied to the New Testament Easter, foreigners mean completely alien to the faith of Christ; strangers are those who have not yet been strengthened in the faith, i.e., still inclined to return to their side (unbelief), a mercenary is one who sells to show love for God, that is, one who hypocritically approaches the sacraments in order to win a good opinion from those who see his hypocritical actions. Slaves and bought people have permission to start eating only after circumcision. This means that we were once slaves of evil demons, that is, of our own passions, but were redeemed by Christ, Who redeemed us and bought us with His own blood. Therefore, we must, having circumcised and cut off, as it were, the shame of ancient slavery, ascend to a free and God-loving state and thus unite with the Redeemer Christ. In conclusion, the preacher briefly outlines the fulfillment and essence of the sacrament of atonement and offers an equally brief moral edification to the listeners. – ς, r. 601 – 605. Sermon 422 (under no. 10) Having expressed sacred greetings to his flock (Rom. 1:7) in view of the approach of the beloved and longed-for time of St. holiday, proclaimed back in the Old Testament, the preacher, in the words of the Psalmist (Ps. 95: 11 - 12), characterizes the essence of what Christ accomplished and is remembered by the holiday of Easter. Thus “Christ judged the world in righteousness.” Meanwhile, the Savior Himself said about Himself (John 3:17): “God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but let the world be saved through Him.” But if “to judge”, or to pronounce condemnation, and “to save” are two things and different and even contradictory to one another; and at the same time, the truth cannot speak a lie; then in what sense or in what way did Christ judge the universe, or the world? To reconcile both named places and exegetical clarification of the words of the Psalmist (95, 11 - 12), St. Cyril draws in detail the history and picture of the devil’s dominion over people and over the entire universe (Isa. 14:14; 10:14). This impudent tyrant was judged by God’s decree (Isaiah 14:20–21) by Christ, who freed the inhabitants of heaven from the bonds of sin. And that it was really necessary to demand the tyrant to be judged because he kept us in sin, and that the Savior really condemned him and declared us free from him and from sin, this is clearly visible - the first from the Psalms of David (Ps. 34:23), and the second from the words of the Lord Himself (John 12:31 - 32): “Now is judgment for this world”... So, obviously, there is no contradiction in the words “judge” and “save” for Christ really condemned the beast defiled by the blood (Satan) and at the same time justified (saved) us with his own blood (1 Tim. 2:5). a’ – pp. 605–509. In connection with what has been said, the preacher further reveals the necessity of the appearance of the God-man for this purpose; to save our nature damaged by sin, and briefly depicts the mystery of our salvation (Luke 2:14; Eph. 2:14), the consequence of which (i.e. salvation) is that the image of the divine nature is imprinted on our souls (Galat. 4:19). This reflection of Christ in you is accomplished through blameless faith and evangelical activity. An excellent means for this is fasting, the source of all purity, and abstinence. But for the perfection of holiness and the full greatness of virtue, bodily fasting alone is not enough; it is necessary that purity in action and holiness in life be combined with it. Having been redeemed by Christ and freed from the devil, we can no longer work for two masters, but must completely love Christ, which we will achieve through strict observance of the commandments (John 14:15), unceasing piety, through the mortification of carnal passions and in general the feats of abstinence (Gal. 5, 24; 29; Col. 3:5). The fruit of good labors is glorious, but it is achieved only through a persistent and difficult struggle with the flesh and Satan, whose confrontation is terrible, as it is allegorically (1 Cor. 10-11) and depicted in the Old Testament Scriptures. - a, r. 609 – 613. The preacher further presents a gloomy picture of the Egyptian slavery of the Jews, the treachery of Pharaoh and his insistence on Moses' request to release the Israelites into the desert to celebrate the holiday. At the same time, “shaving” and “plinth making” are a symbol of slavery to the devil and images of the impurity of earthly affairs, by putting aside from which and leaving the country and power of the tyrant (the devil), only one can begin to serve God. In all the actions and words of Pharaoh, St. Kirill sees the cunning and cunning of Satan that he practices in relation to his subordinates. Having cited, for example, the words of Pharaoh: “go and devour a sacrifice to your God in this land,” Cyril notes: “you see how, despite the fact that the divine law removes us from sin, Satan still rebels and opposes ..., does not want to let us out of our own land (power), but persuades us to split into two: to please both him and the Lord of all.” But just as Moses, in response to the quoted words of Pharaoh, said that it was impossible,” so the Savior confirmed; “Nobody can work for two masters.” “Therefore, says the preacher, we must come to God with a noble and courageous spirit, come completely and strictly.” His image is depicted in the story of the lamb slain in Egypt. So, if the Israelites had not slain a lamb in Egypt in the image of Christ, had not anointed themselves with its blood and had not eaten unleavened bread, they would never have been freed from Egyptian slavery. In the same way, we will avoid the onslaughts of earthly passions in no other way than through communication with Christ, who has the power to destroy the power of Pharaoh, that is, Satan. On this occasion, the preacher offers a brief Christological teaching and characterizes the sacrament of salvation in its main point. – But sin, mortified by Christ, can be mortified in us only when we infuse Christ himself into our souls, through faith and the communication of the Spirit, making us conformable to Christ, according to the property of sanctification. Having mentioned the Son and St. Spirit, Cyril, apparently, shows in what sense the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of the Son, namely in relation (ὃ σον) to the identity of the essence and activity (energy) characteristic of God. Therefore, the Savior is called Truth (John 14:6) and the Holy Spirit (John 15:26), or, as in the apostle. Paul (2 Cor. 3, 17), ό δέ K ύριος τό P νεύμα έστιν ού δέ τό P νεύμα K υρίσυ έλευθερία . “You see,” Cyril notes in his last words, how skillfully the occultist has preserved what is characteristic of the Son and the Holy Spirit: both identity in essence and the conceivability of separateness, that is, I mean in relation to existence, which is attributed to each and actually exists; for the Spirit is naturally conceived of as the Spirit, and not the Son, or better yet, the Spirit of the Son, forming and transforming into Himself that in which it took part, so that God and the Father, seeing in us the properties of His own Birth, would love us as children and whiten us with the finest honors.” According to the identity of the thought just expressed with the teaching of St. Paul on predestination (Rom. 8:29–30), the preacher interprets in this sense the command of Moses (Exodus 13:2; 11–12) to dedicate the firstborn to God. Moses, says the preacher, could not communicate sanctification, which is characteristic of God alone; therefore, what Moses indicated was a type. Thus, it is commanded that all firstborn be sanctified; and these are precisely “all the saints in whom the image of the holy and firstborn, that is, Christ, shines.” – β᾿, r. 613 – 20. The just-mentioned transcendental beauty of the divine essence, the preacher continues, is imprinted on our souls only when we become participants in the divine nature, that is, those who have received the Spirit of the Father and the Son; and this transformation and rebirth, which occurs through sanctification, is reflected precisely in actions and energetic power towards virtue. For this reason, Kirill thinks, God commands that not every firstborn child, but only the male sex, be sanctified. Why is the female sex not sanctified, even if she were the firstborn? Because, answers St. father, that in the masculine and courageous field one sees, as it were, a certain particle of what is seen in the divine nature - this is masculinity and steadfastness. The female sex is not dedicated to God because it, being weak, easily yielding and overcome, cowardly and timid, etc., is recognized as incapable (άπειρηχός) of warfare and courage. An example of this is offered in the narrative of Moses. Thus, Pharaoh, who serves as the image of the devil in divine Scripture, armed himself against the growth of the Jewish race; The bloodsucker issued a law - only the female sex should be left alive, while the male sex should be drowned in rivers and swamps immediately after birth. What idea can an insightful person derive from this? – The one that the devil delights in weak, indecisive and feminine minds. Therefore, the evil one agrees to the continuation (ίέναι) of the increase of the female sex, without fear of ever being defeated by him. The male sex, on the contrary, considers it warlike and inaccessible to defeat and, knowing that it will be completely elusive to him if, having been brought up in the teaching of the truth, he ascends to the measure of the age of Christ and grows into a perfect man, he kills him before maturity. What from here? What is revered by God is hated by the devil, and vice versa: what the devil fears takes its rightful place with God. Therefore, for example, God commands Moses (Numbers 1:23) to register only the male sex and, moreover, already mature; the female sex, even in full girlhood, is not included in the enumeration. – ϒ, r. 620 – 624. Pointing again to the starting point of his reasoning, i.e. the thought of “conformity with Christ®,” the preacher continues; “just as the male sex is taken as a symbol of courage, making us conformable to Christ; so the woman is taken as an example of corruption and weakness of spirit, easily falling into pleasure. Thus, according to the image of the prophet Zechariah (5.5 - 9), in the image of a woman there is lawlessness; and souls trying to raise the height of this woman is lawlessness, they are female creatures with the wings of a hoopoe (Slavic “vdoda”), i.e., greedy for unclean actions and prone to carnality, for the hoopoe bird is unclean, especially voracious for worms (by which allegorically refers to human passions) and excrement. Every soul given over to sin and pleasure is seen as such. A pure mind is fed only by the teachings of the (church) truth, and by truth we mean Christ. In this very spirit, the preacher further makes a moral exhortation to the listeners, so that they are incorruptible and conformable to the body of glory of Christ. – δ,р- 624 – 625. And that what is truly corruptible by nature (over time) will change into something different from what it is now, that is, into the incorruptible, this can be seen from the words of God to Moses and Aaron (Exodus 16:32-33) - about the “lot of manna.” Explaining this passage of Scripture allegorically, the preacher says: “although the manna in its composition was subject to corruption and turned out to be worthless when they wanted to save it even for one next day; however, it remained incorruptible, having been placed in a golden container and placed by the hand of Aaron before God. The same will happen with us. Truly the holy Bishop of your souls - Christ will clothe our body with divine glory, as a certain a golden vessel, and we, placed before the face of God, will be transformed into incorruption. Manna is taken as an example. - In view of such goodness of the Savior, we must, the preacher cries, commit every kind of virtue and unswervingly follow the teachings of the Gospel; The greatness of the Savior’s sacrifice for us, revealed in the incarnation and mystery of redemption, obliges you to do this. In view of this, the preacher sets forth teachings about the Face of Jesus Christ, His divine dignity, consubstantiality and equality with the Father, His divine omnipotence, and the necessity of His appearance in the flesh, so that, thanks to it, we would be able to contemplate the unapproachable light of His Divinity. The accomplishment of our salvation by Jesus Christ through the incarnation and prophetic ministry. – δ ’, r. 628 – 629. The cruelty, unbelief, bestial rage and malice of the Jews against Christ the Savior, proclaimed by their prophets. The slander and slander of the Jews against the Savior, and their punishment for such fury by God: they themselves were rejected (from God), and their synagogue was destroyed to the ground. The crown of all atrocities is the delivery of the Lord to death. The fruits of the Savior's death on the cross, His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven. – Finally, the preacher offers a brief moral exhortation with a list of virtues recommended to listeners. – έ, r. 632 – 633. Sermon 423 (under number 11) Calling for joy in the Lord, all-holy fasting and, in general, for every virtue that is acceptable to right-minded people, the preacher convinces listeners to overcome all lethargy, laziness and cowardice, which are shameful even in everyday and worldly affairs and activities (for example, gymnastic exercises) that bring small and temporary glory. This is required of you by both the greatness of the work of the Word that illuminated us and the heavenly reward that awaits us - a reward whose value cannot be equaled by any suffering in this world (Rom. 8:18-19). And now, says Cyril, the time of hope, sobriety, the time of abstinence and holy fasting has come. The preacher preaches about these exploits and labors in the fight against bodily and mental passions, as directed by the Word of God (Ps. 119, 126; Num. 10:9–10). - a r. 633–637. In the Old Testament, the Word of God commanded to blow a trumpet when going to war against enemies; but the warfare about which the preacher preaches is directed against the flesh and passions. Therefore, our weapon is of a different nature - a spiritual weapon, as the apostle says (Eph. 6:11). At the same time, you need a brave and indestructible spirit, an unshakable heart. a horde of demons persists in their rage and cruelty against the holy warriors of Christ; it acts against them with the lustful excitements of the flesh. Souls besieged by evil forces are similar to the inhabitants of a city, besieged by the enemy and devoured by internal unrest and discord. This is how the Apostle Paul depicts our sinful state (Rom. 7:22-24). But if so, will we really cede victory to the enemies without any resistance and thereby refuse salvation? Meanwhile, our victory is ensured by very small means: cheerfulness of spirit, purity and abstinence (άσχήσεως). This is how Paul conquered his carnal passions (1 Cor. 9:24). As an example and explanation of what has been said, the author presents “horse handlers” and “helmsmen”. – But since the flesh is mortified (Rom. 8:1-2; 3-4), we should no longer live according to the flesh (Rom. 8:12-14) and be its slaves. β᾿, r. 637 – 641. To combat the flesh, the preacher, in accordance with the teachings of the apostles Paul (Rom. 12:1-2) and John (1 John 2:15-17), recommends to his listeners contempt for the world and its goods, as worthless in value and perishing quickly; He advises, on the contrary, to be adorned with virtues. But one should not limit oneself to physical fasting and should not struggle with the flesh alone; on the contrary, it is necessary to observe every other kind of abstinence, moderation and modesty in morals and behavior, food and clothing, treating with contempt for wealth and any excess in general. – ϒ', r. 641 – 644. But the crown of all virtues should be brotherly love and the union of mutual love, expressed in compassion for the needy and the poor. Without this love, strong faith in God and renunciation of idolatry will be fruitless and useless (James 2:14-16). Mercy and love for neighbors are required not only from someone living in a well-ordered society and brought up in divine laws (Luke 6:36; James 2:13), but even from a savage. The greatness and high price of love can be seen from the example of Job (Job 31, 16, 21). – δ᾿, r. 644 – 645. An example of cruelty and heartlessness is the rich man of the Gospel (Luke 16:19–25). Here, to the Gospel story, the preacher adds a living, perhaps taken from life, illustration of the life of a rich man. “Of course, this rich man had, says Kirill, the thinnest clothes, dyed in real purple, perhaps even sprinkled with gold. A magnificent house, which, I believe, surpassed all surprise and infuriated envious people. Quite a number of servants dressed smartly; colorful carpets spread all over the floor. Cupbearers, most skilled cooks and excellent bakers are all notorious experts in their craft. A table loaded with dishes (meals and snacks). But there was, of course, a swarm of flatterers who depended on the tongue of the rich man, ready with an oath to shower praise on everything that came into the rich man’s head, and on any stupidity that he respected, and to dishonor any virtue if he spoke ill of it. 0 God-hating and empty shamelessness, i.e. riotous feasts, applause, drinking songs and dances of flutists - why mention it?!.. Isn’t it better to keep silent about something that, just thinking about, you can no longer do without sin?.... A. the other was an unfortunate beggar, not covered, homeless, bloodless, sick, limiting the entire volume of his desired well-being to insignificant sizes - a piece of bread and a scrap rags.... No, the Gospel story even conveys that he reached such pity that he found himself in the community of stinking dogs as his comrades, gratefully accepting their services when they, bringing their tasty tongues closer to him, tried to soften his illness with what they themselves, according to natural laws, use to heal their own ulcers 3 (wounds).” Having presented such a vivid contrast between the lives of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus, and having mentioned that the rich man did not want to hear about the beggar, considering him worse than any last rubbish, the preacher notes that God, meanwhile, and nature do not know such a difference in the lot of people. And indeed, it is the same for everyone - conception, and the diseases of pregnancy, and birth, and growth, and life under the same sky, and so on. Wealth, next to amazing poverty, is an invention of human covetousness. God allows the acquisition of wealth in order to make the rich as stewards of the poor and thereby make them partners with those to whom they have benefited. “But ah..., I forgot,” exclaims the preacher: it happened that after his death Lazarus was transferred by angels to the bosom of Abraham; the rich man, exalted during his life as blessed, and perhaps even more so, having fallen into the claws of death, was imprisoned in deep darkness.” έ, r. 645 – 649. Next, the preacher talks about the advantage of poverty over wealth in general. Wealth in this life, he says, is certainly combined with many passions: pride, covetousness, passion for pleasure and effeminacy. But the poor man is free from all this. He only grieves with himself and sighs; as far from pleasure as it is from luxury. In addition, when discussing wealth, the personal character of each person must be taken into account. What colors produce in matter, the nature of things produces the characters of those persons in whose hands the things are handled. And this again leads to a preference for poverty over wealth: “for if a poor man is content with little and by the sweat of his brow obtains what in itself seems most likely, so to speak, to be achieved, then is he really not worthy of approval and preferential praise - he, who so reveres the law of abstinence, that he is inaccessible to any bad action, although in the face of need he has a strong advisor to evil?” “But man, famous for his countless treasures, how could he not be subject to accusation if he made wealth a servant of his own pleasure?’ - e, p. 649 – ς᾿, r. 652. Next, the preacher talks about equality between people, which is still practiced by the Law of Moses. Precisely, when the Israelites were in the desert and needed food, God sent them manna and established the law for collecting it (Ex. 16, 14; 16 - 17). It is precisely this law on collecting manna that clearly shows that acquiring wealth and necessities does not yet constitute a sin; but what is put aside for savings and insatiably increases beyond any need is the prey of worms.” Therefore, according to the commandment of the Savior (Luke 16:9), the rich must share their abundance with the poor. “By accepting the poor as partners in our wealth, we will take part with them in the reward prepared for their righteous life.” So, we must have mercy and bear each other's burdens (of which there are so many). Meanwhile, the preacher notices terrible examples of inhumanity and cruelty among his flock. – ς, r. 652 – 656. The preacher shows how terrible condemnation and destruction await hard-hearted people from the history of the Edomites and their relations with the Israelites. The Edomites (follows a description of the origin of the Edomites, their country, military pride, religion, with a parallel description of the same features of the life of the Jewish people) were an arrogant and hard-hearted people; when a terrible enemy attacked Judaea, instead of helping and protecting the Jews, they handed them over to the enemy. But for this God struck them with terrible anger: the Edomites were destroyed by the weapons of the Babylonians (Obd. 1, 2 - 7; 10 - 13). “So, you see,” Cyril concludes, how the Edomites, for not providing assistance to the Israelites, suddenly perished with their entire family. But the cruel Babylonian tyrant also received due retribution for his ferocity. When he was returning to his country and was already at the height of his glory, a rebellion broke out in Babylon, and Babylon itself was destroyed and burned along with the royal palaces, and the tyrant was killed. The prophet Jeremiah sang these events (Jeremiah 50, 14 – 15; 22 – 24). – ζ, r. 656 – 661. After this, the preacher offers a moral teaching appropriate to the subject being treated. We must have knowledge of God as a good, merciful Father, and therefore we ourselves must express generous and tender love for our neighbors in their misfortunes and disasters. The basis of virtues must be based on immaculate faith in God. In view of this, St. Cyril expounds a brief catechetical teaching about the trinity of Persons in one God, explains the image of the birth of the Son from the Father. Thus, the Son was born from the Father, not through an expiration, or cutting off, or suffering, and not through creation from Him, but was born incomprehensibly, spiritually and dispassionately, like God. After this we talk about the mystery of the economy, about the descent to earth of the Son of God, the incarnation of two natures in Jesus Christ under one Person, about his full humanity and full Divinity. The cruelty of the Jews against the Savior; the fruits of the death on the cross and resurrection of the Savior. In conclusion, a brief moral exhortation is offered and the time for celebrating the upcoming Easter of Christ is determined. – η᾿, r. 661 – 665. Sermon 424 (no. 12) Pointing to the Old Testament law as the canopy and image of the mystery of Christ, the preacher, in accordance with his command to “blow the trumpet on holidays,” preaches before the holiday of Easter. Precisely, in view of this holiday, it is necessary, having been sanctified by the deeds of an immaculate life, to prepare the way for the Lord and receive consolation from a good conscience, and this is achieved mainly through deeds of love and good deeds. Therefore, the preacher exhorts to the feat of courage against the deceptions of the devil by the example of brave warriors. At the same time, our courage must be accompanied by joy in the Lord, i.e., the aspiration of the spirit to the “things before” (Phil. 3:13), and the oblivion of the “behinds,” or polytheism. -a’, pp. 665 – 669. Indeed, we were once possessed by the disease of worshiping creatures, as if by darkness. But with the coming of the Savior, the true light shone for us; and therefore one must avoid God-hating unbelief or dual faith. The baseness and meaninglessness of dual faith according to the teaching of the Word of God (2 Peter 2:21-22) and the judgment of common reason. Explaining the last thought with an example of a disease from which they do not want to free themselves and exchange it for health. And polytheism, or dual faith, is precisely a vile and disgusting illness of the soul. To believe that one is the Creator and life-giver of everything and at the same time to worship demons is similar to the desire to equate the king with true royal dignity and power to his subjects, and vice versa - to equate the subjects who receive honor and respect from him according to their merits to their king. In the latter case, “only the most noble and close to the king are awarded awards and honors, demonstrating both by their deeds; the treacherous and rebellious are considered among the enemies: for the source of all honors and glory is the will of the king. Hence, those natives who tyrannically and with arms in their hands attempt to seize royal power and power, according to the verdict and judgment of wise people, are not only not worthy of dominion, but also require due punishment. So exactly one is the Lord of all, God, the giver of being and the Lord of all, who, by His goodness, brought existing things from non-existence into being and created an innumerable multitude of holy spirits, establishing order between them and endowing them with appropriate honor. – a’, r. 669 – 673. The faces of holy angels mentioned in Holy Scripture are Powers, Thrones, Dominions, etc. created by God; and therefore their names in the Holy Scriptures do not give rise to the proclamation of polytheism, or dual faith. Angels, as created beings, must be seen as servants of the Creator, worshiping Him and receiving glory and honor from Him. Confirmation of the expressed thoughts are the words of the prophet Isaiah (6, 1 - 3), representing angels in the position of servants, and the words of the psalmist (Psalm 102, 19 - 22), showing that among those obliged to praise the Lord are angels, ministers and powers, and about all of them in the conclusion it is said: “bless all His works.” God Himself, through Moses, commands to render divine worship only to Himself (Deut. 6:4; 13; 13:1 - 5), instilling that “an abomination before Him is idolatry and is subject to severe punishment. Therefore, says Cyril, “while we confess one God above all and in everything, we will not recognize any other, we will not crown with the royal dignity of any visible and generally created beings.” Everything that has been said about open idolatry also applies to the secret ministry of demons. – β ’ r. 673 – 680. So, it is necessary to cleanse yourself from the abomination of dual faith and have a firm and unshakable faith in God, in accordance with the advice of the Apostle (1 Cor. 15:58), - faith that God is one and the same, always existing and abiding forever, the source of wisdom and life (1 Tim. 6:16), known to us, but incomprehensible by nature (Is. 40:12). “Therefore,” the preacher instills, do not bother in vain about what is above nature, but accept by faith the knowledge that He exists and abides and has dominion over everything. But do not allow your thoughts to go beyond these limits set for human ability. It was in this way that the divine Moses also accepted faith” (Ex. 3:13–15). – ϒ’ pag. 680–681. Next, the preacher expounds the doctrine of the essence of God and the Father (“neither created nor begotten”) and the Son (“co-substantial and co-eternal with the Father, born from His essence”). Just as the Psalmist said about God the Father that He is the source of life and light (Psalm 35:8-10), so the Evangelist John said the same about God the Son (1:9). The oneness of the Son with the Father and the true concept of the divine birth of the Son from the Father must precisely exclude any thought about corporeality. “The incorporeal God who exceeds all our understanding, teaches Cyril, gives birth without separating from Himself, gives birth without dividing, as happens in the bodily human birth, which the preacher spoke about above.” “But when asked how the divine nature gives birth, I did not blush at all, Kirill continues, I will answer: what kind of mind do you have that is trying to cognize something that exceeds your mind? What word will explain to you that which is beyond every word? God-inspired men also teach us to think this way (Phil. 4:7; Proverbs 25:2; Isaiah 53:8; Hab.3:5). In general, while knowing that the Son is begotten and co-eternal with the Father, we must nevertheless admit that the nature of God, such as it is, and the image of the divine birth are not entirely accessible to our knowledge. – ϒ', r. 681–684. The human mind, the preacher continued, and the appearance attributed to bodies do not have an essential existence in themselves and do not at all have their own substantiality. The Divine and transcendental Birth, that is, the Son, has an essential existence, as in the proper sense born of the Father, who has an unborn essence.” The difference between the terms “begotten” and “unbegotten” should not confuse anyone, as the unfortunate (Jeremiah 23:16; Joel 1:5; Isaiah 74:6; Isaiah 59:5; John 3:31) heretics who deny the oneness of the Son with the Father want. They say that “begotten” and “unborn” are different, just as the concepts themselves are different. Agreeing that there really is a difference in these sayings, Cyril responds, however, “that no cunning will force him to admit that what is born is of a different nature than what gives birth. On the contrary, according to the true concept of birth, he says, what is born must be of the same nature and consubstantial with the one who gave birth. If the heretics themselves admit that the Father begat the Son, then in what way will He be alien and of a different nature, who by His nature shone forth as the Son from His Father? To admit the opposite means to place the divine, all-surpassing, nature in conditions that even created nature does not experience and is ashamed to endure, where each being produces from itself completely homogeneous and consubstantial with itself. But if God, endowing a creature with the ability of birth, recognizes this as beautiful, then why does He deprive Himself of this? – But maybe the heretics will say that the Father did not give birth? But in this case, why do they focus on this difference in terms, i.e. “begotten” and “not begotten”? If God the Father did not beget, then according to them it turns out that the Son was not begotten, therefore there is no point in presenting the difference of terms as a problem insoluble for Orthodox teaching. But in the same case, who is the only begotten of whom the Lord speaks: “from the womb before the daystar I begat Thee” (Ps. 109, 3)? And the divine Paul affirms that the first and only “Father” in the proper sense is God the Father; nevertheless, everything created by Him receives the name Father in its likeness to Him (Eph. 3:15). According to the heretics, it turns out that the Father did not give birth to the Son, that He is falsely the Father: “But, wise men! says Cyril, “if God is not by nature and truly a Father, and if He did not beget from Himself, that is, from His essence, His own Son, and we at the same time are true fathers, having children of our own from ourselves, then how is it possible that from Him “the whole fatherland,” as it is written? It turns out that He is called Father in His likeness to us, and we are not fathers through Him?! But one must follow not their chatter, but the voice of the saints; The divine Paul does not lie when he says that God is the first and truly Father and has one in essence, begotten from Himself, the Son.” – δ᾿, р, 684–688. So, if the terms “born” and “unborn”, the refutation of St. continues. Cyril, according to the teachings of the heretics, they do not indicate either the birth of the Son or the ungeneration of the Father, but represent only characteristic names for entities - then how did the heretics learn about the difference of the Son in comparison with the Father? If begotten and unbegotten are the names of essences, then who revealed to the heretics that the Son is alien to the Father and is not identical with Him in essence? For an essence in comparison with another essence, since they are thought only as essences, has nothing contrary to each other. So, what prevents the Son from being similar in essence to the Father, if what these sayings mean is not contrary to each other? – ε ’, r. 688 – 689. Continuation of the refutation of the heretical opinion that “unbornness” designates an essence. For this purpose, St. Cyril expounds the logical (Aristotelian) doctrine of "definitions" and "essences", "genera" and "differences" (with examples of both) and applies these concepts to the terms "born" and "unborn". heretics? Under what “genus” does the supreme God fit? What kind of “difference” is allowed? In addition, essences are rationally and logically signified not through that which does not exist, but through that whose existence is recognized. Therefore, the concept of “unborn” in relation to God (the Father) is given not on the basis of what God is, but on the basis of what He is not, because this term shows that He is not begotten. So, in conclusion, the preacher confesses faith in the Trinitarian God, briefly outlines the history of the economy of our salvation; its accomplishment by our Lord Jesus Christ and the fruits of salvation; a brief moral exhortation is offered to the listeners. Easter date. – ς, r. 689–693. Sermon of 425 (no. 13) Having expressed a sacred greeting to the listeners and flock (Galat. 1, 3 - 5) in view of the approach of the holy and all-praised feast of Easter, the preacher in a living and visual image represents the humiliating and disastrous state of people under the tyranny of sin, pleasure and death and hordes of demons, and the ineffable mercy of God towards people, revealed in the economy of our salvation, when God took away every tear and reproach from his people, his only begotten Word sent us from heaven, becoming human and putting to death sin in the flesh, presenting us as superior and inaccessible to destruction and corruption. - a, r. 693 – 696. The preacher, in accordance with the Word of God, depicts the appearance of Christ on earth, or the time of his incarnation, under the guise of spring. “Through the Son of God we all blossomed into incorruption and life, for He appeared as spring on the mountains.” To illustrate his thoughts, St. Kirill paints a picture of springtime and applies it to the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. The groom of the “Song of Songs” (the image of Christ), indicating to the church, as his bride, the onset of spring (Song. P. 2. 10 - 12). Christ, further, appeared as the gospel of peace and good; for He freed us from Satan and the hordes of demons who tyrannized over the entire universe and forced people to worship creation - the sun, moon, water, earth, air, fire, etc. But God the Word, appearing on earth, preached, as predicted (Isaiah 61:1-2), release to the captives and gave us the power to attack all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). But if the kings of the earth turn those they save into their slaves and subject them to laws, then therefore we, as redeemed by Christ and taken by Him from the error of polytheism, will offer Him our own life as a gift, which is what the Apostle inspires (2 Cor. 5:14-15). – β᾿ pag. 696 – 700. The order of 6 Moses (Ex. 30, 12 - 16) regarding the tribute (gift) to the Lord of half a didrachm from each adult soul, and therefore - a whole didrachm, or statir, in tribute for two souls, or heads, the preacher considers to be an image of the New Testament gospel event, namely the payment by the Lord of a whole statir, or didrachm, for two - for Himself and Peter ( Matt. 17, 23 – 24 – 26), and the Gospel story itself is conveyed in detail. “In this sense, understand,” says Kirill, that for two heads one or a whole didrachm was offered. What image is hidden in this shadow of the law? The true statir is the image of the great King, - that is, the Son, the image and radiance of the essence of the Father, who betrayed Himself and gave his own soul as a ransom not only for Israel, but also for countless nations... Consequently, the divine and heavenly statir was given for two heads.” Next, St. Cyril speaks of God’s liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, of the defeat of the Egyptians by executions and by Him (God) demanding from those freed a reward (gift) equal to Himself, namely the dedication of the first-born males to Him (Ex. 13:2; 11–12; 14–15). “Therefore, the preacher cries out to God, who defeats our enemies and delivers us beyond our expectations from the tyranny of the devil.... We, beloved, must offer to His benefactor sufficient gratitude, that is, right and unshakable faith and unslothful deeds,” ϒ', pag. 700 – 704. It is precisely in view of the holiday that we need to decorate ourselves with abstinence and fasting, and since this alone is not enough for the perfection of virtue, let good morals and a sober lifestyle be added to it. – Reassurance and encouragement to those who despair, due to the multitude of sins, in the opportunity to appease God, the righteous Judge, and to be justified before Him – reassurance with the words of Paul (Eph. 2:1-5) about the riches of God’s mercy. Proof of this great and ineffable love and mercy of God for us is the sacrament of our redemption from sin. In view of this, the preacher reveals sotereological (relating to the mystery of our salvation) and Christological teaching, i.e. that Jesus Christ is Lord, the true Word of the Father, that He was not only in man, but became full man: “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14), did not pass (change) into the nature of the flesh - for this would be a change that is completely alien to the divine nature, but only bound in His Person that which, according to natural laws, was separated from kinship with each other, remaining God even after the incarnation and not allowing the superiority of the flesh above the all-exceeding Divinity, but better - elevating what was perceived to one’s own glory, i.e. Unbelief and cruelty of the unfortunate Jews against Christ; refutation of their objections and slander against the Lord. The death of Jesus Christ, His descent into hell, resurrection and ascension to heaven. The fruits of all this are for believers. A short moral message to the listeners. Easter date. – δ᾿, r. 704 – 709. Sermon of 426 (no. 14) The Old Testament sacred writings, which sang the properties of our holiday, the preacher begins, commanded the trumpet to be blown on new moons and holidays. With the transition of images into truth itself, this means that it is necessary to preach a sermon about the holiday of Easter, as about “a new time of the resurrection of the Savior, for whoever is in Christ is a new creation.” Obeying this command, the preacher teaches his listeners to sanctify fasting, and then, following the example of generals who instruct soldiers to be courageous before battle, offers spiritual warriors advice: courageously fight passions, mortify pleasures and direct thoughts to everything that is worthy of reverence. The importance of this feat according to the Apostle (2 Cor. 4:16) and the reward that awaits us for our labors of abstinence, justice and prudence, namely access to the “marriage supper.” Proof through everyday and generally everyday examples - for example, a person who appears to a noble person and at a national celebration - of the need, in view of the festive celebration, to adorn himself with virtues, like shiny and expensive clothes, and to wash himself from the dirt of vice (fornication, greed, gossip, talkativeness, deception and deceit). – a’, r. 709 – 712. In the words of the Apostle John (1 John 2:15 – 17), the preacher further convinces listeners to abstain from sins of the flesh, selfishness and worldly pride. The lust of the flesh is the pleasures of the table, the belly and luxury in general; lust for hair - the contemplation of bodily beauty, shiny matter and everything that pleasantly irritates the eyes - convinces us that we, as those buried in Christ, should not live for the world, but are obliged to walk in newness of life. At the same time, St. the father teaches that a truly good life must be evidenced by deeds themselves (James 3:13), strongly denouncing the hypocritical way of life, that is, when they say one thing and do another. Comparison of such hypocrites with a person who, when asked to choose health or illness, would choose the latter. Meanwhile, the health of the soul is incomparably more valuable than the health of the body. The health of the soul is love for God and worship of the Creator with complete faith, thirst for virtue and aversion to sin. This is instilled in us by the ancient law (Deut. 6:5 – Matt. 22:37) and everyday examples. Thus, servants close to and devoted to the king must show their goodwill towards the ruler by their very deeds and actions. Hence, to confess one God only in words, but in reality not to turn away from the worship of demons, what else does this mean, if not to verbally express goodwill towards the king, but in the soul to be devoted to enemies? God himself denounces such people through the mouth of Isaiah the prophet (Is. 29:13). β ’ – r. 712 – 717. Next, the preacher directs his speech against astrologers, soothsayers and sorcerers, who deceive people with knowledge of other people's life circumstances and knowledge of the future, which is characteristic of God alone. “They,” the preacher says about soothsayers and fortune-tellers, gather crowds of pitiful old women, whisper to them their inventions, passing them off as the divine will.” Such wickedness was menacingly denounced in the Israelis by God himself through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel (8, and - 9; 17 - 19). “These,” continues Cyril, prophets not called by God, trying to proclaim what is characteristic only of our true prophecy, and posing as insightful seers of someone else’s fate, they are so mistaken in their own affairs that, having fallen into misfortune, they complain that they did not expect to be exposed to disaster at all. Meanwhile, someone who knows the future could easily avoid what is about to happen. Why can't these priests of divination prevent their own misfortunes? – ϒ’, r. 717–720. But they object to this that some of what was predicted is still coming true. In response to this, St. Kirill says: “From the fact that something happens in accordance with the prediction, we do not draw stupid and trivial conclusions, but attribute such a coincidence only to an innocent coincidence of circumstances. But the fact that not everything comes true with the truth serves as a clear exposure of your characteristic shamelessness, idle talk and talkativeness of your science. What is from God is free from error and deception, for it is based on omniscience and complete knowledge of the truth, while human inventions are based on mere assumptions.” Such soothsayers, according to Kirill, are like a shooter who has lost his sight and still aims at the target and shoots arrows one after another, most of which fly past the target. “Nevertheless, it does not in the least prevent him, says Kirill, from hitting the target. But although, the father adds to this, he boasts of one such accidental success, for all the other times he is ridiculed. Because of one happy time, no sighted person would be proud; on the contrary, he would be ashamed even for the accidental mistake of others. Only holy and inspired prophets had knowledge of the future, according to the revelation of the Holy Spirit, after a distant period of time and without error. Through the latter, God denounces astrology (Jeremiah 10: 2 – 3). - The stars were created to illuminate the earth and show the seasons to farmers, and not to show the future, the knowledge of which belongs to God alone. Therefore, God strongly reproaches false soothsayers (Deut. 18:9-14), even though what they predicted sometimes came true (Deut. 13:1-3), - he calls this deed most shameful and abominable. Therefore, let us not succumb to their Tricks, says the preacher, but let us march toward all goodness and true knowledge of God. – ϒ', r. 720 – 25. A brief statement of faith, or teaching about God, threefold in persons, about the Son as the Creator of the world and Provider. – The Fall of people and hence the dominion of sin and death over the human race. The economy of God about our salvation: the incarnation of the only begotten Word of God, the Christological teaching about the person of Jesus Christ; the unbelief of the Jews and the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross; His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven; the fruits of all this are for the believers. In conclusion, the preacher gives a brief moral admonition to the listeners and flock and defines. time for the upcoming Easter. ϒ’ – r. 725 – 728. Sermon of 427 (no. 15) Calling believers to spiritual joy and celebration in view of the upcoming Easter holiday, the preacher shows what the nature of this celebration should be. Our holiday has a spiritual and sacred character, and not a carnal one, consisting in the pleasures of the womb. At the same time, the appropriateness of the preaching word for inciting the exploits of spiritual life is pointed out, as can be seen from the words of the psalmist and Moses about the law of the trumpet before going to war. “But among the ancients,” says the preacher, the war took place with blood and flesh - with the Moabites, Midianites and other countless tribes adjacent to the Judthian country. For us, who struggle by faith in Christ, the war is not with flesh and blood; we are waging a holy war against the most ancient enslavers and against every passion that arises in us. Therefore, let the mental trumpet sound among us, that is, the preaching of the holy and inspired Scripture, directing courageous fighters to the highest feats of holy warfare, to shirk from which is a matter of cowardice.” To explain this, the author cites the words of the prophet Joel (3, 9 – 10) about the unforging of sickles and plows into swords and spears, and their (allegorical) interpretation in the sense of the onset of a spiritual war with passions and sin and neglect of earthly interests with the coming of Christ to earth. “Plows and sickles,” says the preacher, are the most useful tools for farmers. Is it possible, therefore, that the law removes us from a calm and hardworking life and inspires us to lead a fierce and warlike life, as the best? No, answers St. Father, - the law subtly shows you that the time is coming when those justified in Christ and sanctified in the Spirit will wage war against passions and sin and will be imbued with unearthly interests... but will show themselves the sweat of exploits of virtue, above all laziness.” The words of the Apostle Paul about spiritual armor (Eph. 6:14-18) and a courageous Christian warrior lead to such an understanding of this. - a, r. 728 – 732. Those who are incapable of this holy war, that is, those who lead a life contrary to what has been said, must be expelled from the regiment, or the host of saints, that is, those capable of war. The preacher sees an indication of this in the law of Moses (Num. 5:23) on the removal from the camp of the “leper”, the “shedder of semen” and the “unclean in soul” - a law motivated by the fact that there would be no chance of infection to other healthy people. This law cannot be understood in a literal sense: for “for the first author of all holiness and righteousness it would be more natural to honor with favor those innocently visited by misfortune. So, leprosy, loss of natural seed, etc. - do not depend on our will, since no one is sick at will - and therefore cannot be considered an accusation for those suffering from these diseases. Criminal morals and evil will are subject to punishment. So, it means that the law is unfair to lepers, but for the rest it prescribed too harsh a punishment? Not at all, Cyril answers: the law is holy... (Rom. 7:12). But the fact is that he showed the truth through shadow and image. So, by lepers we mean people who are morally corrupt, changeable, and knowledgeable; under seed-bearing ones - carnivores, overwhelmed by the most shameful passion (fornication); under unclean souls - those who cry and grieve for the dead. So, “incapable of battle and in no case can they show themselves conquerors of passions, infected with a variety of diseases of depravity; Those who are unbridled in shameful pleasures and immoderately sad for the dead are not counted among the saints; because God clearly says that the dead will be resurrected (Is. 26:19). Therefore, we must be courageous in overcoming passions and endure harsh labors with firmness, like our Savior, who endured the cross for us, as the apostle teaches (Heb. 12:2) - β᾿. r. 732–736. About the ineffable and beyond the mind of man birth of the Son of God from the Father, with the removal from here of all those base and carnal ideas that are thought at human birth. “Therefore, let us not think,” the preacher teaches, “as if what is born must be preceded by non-existence (ὃ τι πρεσβύτερον μέν τοϋτό που τψ ϒ ε ϒ εννημένϕ το μή ύπάρχεινὄλως ). Moreover, here there is also a division, so that the one who is born receives his special Form from the one who gave birth. But it would not be foolish to allow division, or cutting off, as well as the temporality of birth in the essence, which exceeds and surpasses everything that is born. For if the Father is always the Father and did not come from potency only, but from time, to the very act of birth, then it is necessary that He through Whom He is the Father always exists. Or; when nothing is presupposed to the One whose “be” (John 1:1) is called, then where would the running of thought stop and to what limit would it reach if our mind, soaring in the imagination, wanted to catch up (catch up to the end) with this “be”? - “So, the Only Begotten shone like light from the essence of God the Father and exists in its own image and is conceived in its separate substantial existence” - consubstantial, co-worshipped, equal in power with the Father. “But if we theology about the Holy Spirit as co-existing in exactly the same way, then the faith about the Holy Trinity is right and free from any reproach.” – ϒ’. r. 736 – 737. Following this, the preacher moves on to the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son of God and the mutual relationship of natures - Divine and human after their union in the Person of Jesus Christ. “It is very dangerous to think and say, teaches Cyril, that human nature has been enriched by the divine and ineffable nature, plunging it into its characteristic ugliness and depriving it of its own superiority. On the contrary, we should think that everything inherent in our nature is subject to the nature of the Divine and, having been overcome by superior glory, passes into that which is better and more excellent. If the sun, striking the dirt with its rays, retains its shine intact, then how could the purest and highest and dispassionate divine nature suffer harm through treatment of the lower? But some arrogant people do not recognize this secret, the preacher continues; in their mockery they consider all this a pointless matter, claiming that we believe empty chatter; and yet they themselves, when they want to boast about something, blindly believe and repeat: “he said it himself.” – ϒ, r. 737 – 740. The Preacher further refutes the objections made by such heretics. To their first objection: “How could the purest spirit (own mind), completely free from volume and limitation, inhabit the body of one person? St. Cyril replies: “Yes, and we affirm that the nature of the Word is unlimited, although it is said that It dwelt, as if in the Holy Church, in a body (born) of Mary, and, like God, It filled the heavens, the earth and what is under it; but at the same time it was also a man. And if thought yours cannot understand this, then many other things in the world are incomprehensible to her: on what, for example, is the earth founded? And so on. They say, further, that it is humiliating for an all-exceeding God to become like us.” “So, you complain, the preacher asks, that, being humane and good by nature, He showed an excess of concern for us” But even just by the mention of “goodness” such an objection collapses. accusation. In fact: would it be better for God not to pay any attention to a person who has fallen into all sorts of indecencies, or to deign to care for someone in need? Prudence requires recognizing that it is better and more fitting for Him who is good by nature to share with His creatures the benefits of His own goodness.” Confirmation of the expressed thoughts by the example of doctors, the words of Scripture (Ps. 55: 8 - 9) and the opinions of philosophers (Theoktist in Stobaeus). – ϒ, r. 740 – 741. The original state of man before the Fall - it was God who created him incorruptible and immortal, capable of knowledge of all good and awarded him with freedom to strive for all virtue. The Fall of man and, hence, corruption and death, as punishment for transgressing the will of God. The means of salvation for man in the Old Testament: “law” and “prophets”. The insufficiency of the latter for salvation, and the necessity of the descent of God himself to earth. But for people it is impossible to contemplate God in His pure and undisguised divine nature and essence, as can be seen from the words of even pagan writers (Hom. Iliad. 5:72) of the history of the Israelites (Ex. 20, 19). In view of this, a mediator was needed between God and people; such was Moses in ancient times. But God, presenting the ministry of Moses as a kind of prototype of the ministry of Christ, promised that, after the fulfillment of times, He Himself would appear to us (Deut. 18.] 7 - 18) Therefore, the Only Begotten Word of God became the goal of the incarnation; 40, 10 – 11, Ezek. 34, 20 – 25). Death of the Savior, rebellion and ascension to heaven; the fruits of it all. In conclusion, the preacher offers a brief moral lesson to the congregation and indicates the time for celebrating Easter. – δ᾿, r. 744 – 748. Sermon of 428 (no. 16th In the “prologue,” the preacher shows that he does not mean to shine with an abundant flow of words, oratorical eloquence and rhetorical devices. His preaching is the fulfillment of a fatherly duty to imitate good and wise mentors, and as such must be accepted by the listeners. – pag. 748. Metaphorical application of the Old Testament decrees on the strict preservation and celebration of holidays (Zech. 14, 16; Am. 3:13) and especially the holiday of Easter (Num. 9. 2 - 3) to the Christian holiday of Easter. From here the preacher derives his duty to preach about the celebration of the holiday with the holiness, zeal and highest joy that is due to it (Isa. 61:10). the need for the latter is clear from the example of merchants and farmers, having fun and rejoicing over their soon-to-be-perishing profits and abundance of harvest - so insignificant in comparison with the immaculate life and contrition of the power of corruption and death that is prepared for the saints and that surpasses all minds. – a’, r. 748 – 749. According to the law of Moses, Passover is supposed to be celebrated on the 14th day of the first month in the evening and “according to the law.” So, why is it commanded to celebrate it in the spring and in the first month? Before answering this question, the preacher teaches how to expound the Scriptures. The Word of God, says Cyril, inspires in no way to move away from the correctness of thought, saying: “Dwell with Me” (Is. 21:12). For all correctness is together with God, with Him and from Him. - a, pp. 749 - 752. “Spring time, the author answers the question posed above, is more appropriate than all other seasons because with its events, as if on a table, it depicts the nature and essence of the deeds accomplished by Christ.” Therefore, the preacher picturesquely depicts a picture of spring time, presenting spring itself as the speaker, for example, in this way: “let me, finally, let the mountain peaks and valleys be decorated with densely leafed trees and the bare fields be covered and bloom with greenery; let the lily flaunt in the meadows; let the most fragrant flowers smile in the gardens; let the bee herself burst out of her cell and fill the fields with her buzzing...., let herds and lambs come out of the sheds, jumping on their tender and young legs around their mothers....; let him use a garden knife” and so on. And so that such personification of an inanimate object does not seem strange, Cyril shows the use of this turn of phrase in the Holy Scripture itself (Ps. 18:2-3; Isa. 23:4). Β ’ – р', р. 752. Then the author makes a detailed application of the circumstances of springtime to the matter of the appearance of the Savior on earth and His atonement of people. Winter time before spring is the time of Satan’s reign, when everything was enveloped in darkness and darkness, and everyone’s thoughts were weakened to the point of deadness by the deadly devilish cold. But winter has passed and darkness has been banished, the Sun of righteousness, Christ, illuminates us with mental rays of light; everything blossomed and turned green with the gospel preaching, with the writings of the holy apostles... Herds of verbal sheep and lambs graze on the rich pasture, that is, those who have not yet reached spiritual strength. Like laughing lilies, these believers bloomed in the gardens of the church, fragrant with the glory of Christ,” and so on. The Bridegroom of the Song of Songs (i.e., Christ), who points out to His bride (the church) the onset of spring, leads you to such an understanding of the matter, that is, contemplation of the Savior’s deeds in the circumstances of spring. – ϒ', r. 752 – 753 Then, posing the question why the laws on festivities were not immediately determined, but only in the second year of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, St. Cyril answers: “It was necessary for the sacrament of Christ to be removed for a while during the period of existence of the law. It was necessary that images of the truth be revealed in advance, and that preliminary exercises for them be shown before the competition itself.” The development of this thought through the example of a warrior gradually mastering his art is the order of studying the sciences (“the elements are studied first”) and different types of food for different ages (1 Cor. 3:2). – Further, the Old Testament tabernacle, in accordance with the command of God (Exodus 25:40; 40:2), was erected by Moses also in the second year in the new moon of the first month (Exodus 40:15). And “it was then,” says the preacher, that the lamb was slain, signifying the truly sacred and immaculate sacrifice, that is, Christ... The image of the new age is very clearly seen in the new moon (2 Cor. 5:16)”, for the tabernacle means the church, which our Savior himself erected when the times of the ancient images, during which death and sin reigned, had passed. “But the very structure of the tabernacle shows very clearly that the time of the law was usefully preceded by what was revealed by Christ - the time of the law. after which a better and more sacred time was finally to appear, opening communion with God.” Thus, according to the description of the tabernacle by the Apostle Paul (Heb. 9, 2 – 4; 6 – 7) and his explanation of its structure (Heb. 9, 8, 12), the first tabernacle (i.e., its first compartment or sanctuary) “is still accessible to many”; the second and inner part, that is, the Holy of Holies, is inaccessible, for only the high priest entered it, with blood, once a year. “By the Forerunner for us,” Jesus entered the Holy of Holies, having gained eternal redemption, “not without blood, as it is written, for He was sacrificed for us, as a most blameless sacrifice to God the Father. Therefore, the standing of those offering sacrifices in the 1st tabernacle (i.e. 1st section of it) was appropriate, or made sense at a time when the law did not allow entering the “Holy of Holies”: “for the way of the saints was not revealed, even though the first tabernacle had standing.” – δ᾿, r. 753 – 760. The preacher moves on to reveal the image of eating Easter. According to the command of Moses, the Passover lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, having the following position of the body: “let your loins be girded, and your saps on your feet, and your staffs in your hands, and carry them with care” (Ex. 12:11). “So, what does the command indicate, asks the preacher, that those who eat the lamb should gird their loins, put on boots and hold a staff in their hands? This image clearly speaks of the plan of economy, Cyril answers: “for those who truly celebrate the all-holy festival and are called to participate in the blessing of Christ will consider their stay in this life as nothing; but, far removing themselves from addiction (their own “choice”) to the carnal life, they finally think about the above, hurry to the High City and move, as it were, into another life, befitting, of course, saints and completely removed from earthly; That’s why the law prescribes that those who partake of it should have themselves in the way of the road, as if they were about to move on to a better and higher life.” At the same time, Easter must be “consumed with care,” for those who lead a God-loving and praiseworthy life must seize every convenient moment and not allow time precious for work and activity to flow away. The preacher cites proof of this from the example of sailors who carefully use the time convenient for their business and activities. – Next, Passover should be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. “In inspired scripture,” says Cyril, there is a habit of likening corrupt morals to leavened dough. Bitter herbs are taken as a prototype and symbol of that which causes torment to the spirit, that is, I mean persecution and temptation and labor for Christ to the point of sweat. So, if anyone has managed to have participation with Christ, let him not neglect virtue, let him move away from everything that disturbs his conscience, and let him appear as a sufferer. It is necessary that those who celebrate Easter properly should be enlightened by the teaching of the purest Divinity, by the explanation of sacred dogmas, alien to curious inventions, and consider this bliss: for this food is pure and unleavened.” The Lord Himself commands us to guard ourselves from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:6), for not far from Jewish inventiveness are the inventions of heretics and the inventions of worldly fables and old woman stupidity. “Let us therefore saturate our minds with the teachings of the holy prophets, the commandments of Moses, the teaching of the gospel and the apostolic writings.” ε᾿, r. 760 – 764. What was indicated by the command just discussed, that is, that we should follow the divine path, is charged to us by the Lord himself (Matthew 16:24), who gave Himself for us so that we would follow in His footsteps. Having mentioned the Savior, the preacher proceeds to reveal the doctrine of the economy, and first of all names the reason for it: the tyranny of Satan over the human race after the fall of people, sin, polytheism and idolatry (namely, “the sun, the moon, the stars”), as the work and invention of Satan. The Creator's mercy towards distressed humanity and the means of salvation used by Him in the Old Testament (the law of Moses and the prophets). Opposition to this is Satan and the need for the Son of God himself to descend to earth. The Savior's completion of the mystery of the economy is the destruction of sin, the mortification of death and the abolition of the dominion of the devil. “Therefore,” says the preacher, the only begotten Word of God became man, through whom all things came into being and, having been created, are preserved. But what is the image of the economy, i.e. the connection of the Word with our flesh, this is not entirely safe to explore, for what exceeds the mind and the word is always worthy of being above research and not subject to research.” Then the preacher speaks about the miracles of Jesus Christ, His death on the cross due to the stiffness of the Jews, its purpose and fruits. – In conclusion, a brief moral exhortation is offered, as usual, with a list of virtues. Easter date. – τ ’, r. 764 – 768. Sermon of 429 (no. 17) In the “profeoria” (introduction), the preacher points out the subject of his church word - an exhortation to maintain the right faith and lead a praiseworthy and impeccable life. Following this, with reasoning and examples of gymnasts and their mentors, the preacher shows the usefulness and appropriateness of his word, encouraging listeners to good deeds - patience and courage (Ps. 30:25). The preacher realizes that his word does not shine with eloquence, but in this case he encourages himself with the good purpose of his word and the words of God to Moses (Ex. 4:11), as well as the law of Moses - to dedicate turtle doves to God, although they are not distinguished by either the size or the beauty of their feathers, but for that reason they sing well. Meanwhile, “he accepts the word (i.e., sound) as the Father of the Word, the One who exceeds all understanding, that is, God, and makes the birds that sing beautifully dear to himself, and prefers them to others..., teaching us in an indirect way that the best and most sacred are those who are entrusted with the gift of speech and who are able to teach lovers of beautiful explanations” a’, pag. 768 – 772. A presentation of the Gospel narrative (Luke 22:7 – 10) about the Lord’s orders regarding preparations for the upcoming Easter holiday. After some pious reflections on the story conveyed, the preacher reasons: “if anyone has the intention of having Christ himself settled and dwelling in the soul and celebrating the holiday with Him, 7 then, having performed abundant cleansing with water, 8 let him wash away the sin of his soul and be cleansed from the filth of ancient mysteries (αίνι ϒ μάτων), as the prophet Isaiah inspires. (1, 16 – 18): for “what fellowship is there between light and darkness (2 Cor. 6:14), virtue and vice? To combine virtue and vice means to be changeable, lame on both legs (1 Kings 18:21); and such a connection is prohibited by the law (Deut. 22:10-11), which did not allow harnessing a youth and a donkey together, etc. Consequently, only by cleansing ourselves from the filth of vice and sinful filth can we build a high room for Christ and celebrate with Him. – β ’, r. 772 – 3. Having then moved from the previous words to the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son of God, who was born before every age and time from the Father, co-equal and co-eternal with his Parent, equally active and co-throne with Him, the Creator and Artist of everything, etc., and in recent times who took human birth according to the economy, the preacher dwells in detail on the disclosure of the so-called Christological teaching 9 and, first of all, on the proof divine dignity of the incarnate God the Word. “It was not for this, says Cyril, that the Only Begotten Tin of God became a man in order to cease to be God, on the contrary, in order to preserve the glory of his own superiority through the perception of the flesh... Although He was always, like the Word, co-throne with His Father and from Him and in Him by nature, yet He again, being already with the flesh, heard (the Father) speaking: “Sit at My right hand, until I will put your enemies under your feet” (Psalm. 109, 1 – 2). Thus we attribute to Him the worship of all of us and of St. angels, not recklessly reducing Him to human nature alone, but in accordance with the divine Scripture, introducing into unity with our nature the Word, born of God, and linking into one what belongs to both (natures), so that He was thought of not simply as a man who bore divinity, but on the contrary, God became human, accepting the unity predetermined by Providence, that is, his own flesh and birth from the Holy Virgin. Thus, only in this case, and not otherwise, can one think of one Christ and one Lord, not divided after an ineffable union on the one hand into man, and on the other into God. But although there is a difference in the natures that have entered into unity, He must still be accepted and considered as one Son.” Having compared Christ with a precious light-refracting stone 10, the preacher continues: “Inexpressibly, so that we can neither understand nor express, Divinity and humanity were united into something that is already thought of as one, so that in Him (Christ) both a man like us and a God who is superior to us, that is, the Only Begotten and the First-Begotten, were thought.” The direct conclusion from here is that Christ was the God-man. This idea is further expressed by Kirill. Citing the words of the prophet Isaiah (7, 16) - “before you know how to reject good or evil, you will reject evil, even if you choose what is good” - Cyril interprets: “As for the human mind, age has not yet given the baby the ability to discern the nature of things. But He was also God in humanity, leaving human nature to follow the path of its own laws, while at the same time preserving the purest Divinity. For only in this way, and not in another way, can something begotten be considered God by nature, and the Virgin who gave birth can be considered the mother of not just flesh and blood, like our mothers, but rather the matter of the Lord and God, clothed in our likeness. This is what the divine Paul writes: “God sent forth his Son by a woman”... (Gal.4:7). We do not think that the Word of God dwelt in a man born of a woman; but, on the contrary, we crown with praise the voice of John, who wisely and clearly said, “And the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). We think of the Word then as having become flesh, when He partook of flesh and blood like those who are in flesh and blood, that is, us.” At the same time, the preacher shows that human birth was not humiliating and contemptible for the Word, that in itself it has the birth from God as sufficient for itself, and if it takes carnal birth, then not as some kind of new beginning of being. Here, by the way, the preacher gives a new type of evidence in favor of the term θεοτόχος. “Just as the pure and all-holy flesh borrowed from the Holy Virgin became the own flesh of the Word, who is from God and the Father, so is everything that is characteristic of the flesh (except sin); and for the flesh in particular and more than anything else, birth from a mother should be decent. But the Divinity in itself, outside the flesh, of course, must and certainly be motherless. – β᾿, p. 773–77. Then again, confirming the teaching that he who was born of a Virgin is Immanuel and therefore the one who gave birth should be called the mother of God, the preacher proves the divine dignity of Emmanuel with the words of St. Paul (1 Cor. 15:47) and prophet. Isaiah (1:1 – 7), who saw the Lord Almighty and God Himself almost accomplishing the creation of the divine fruit in the Holy Virgin. Every word of Isaiah St. Cyril explains in a prophetic sense about Christ. So, the scroll is great and new - this is the new and great sacrament of Christ; “Human writing” is written so that when the Only Begotten Word of God became a man and dwelt in us, then everything characteristic of Him is depicted in a form or image similar to us. The word “approach” figuratively means the law of copulation; St. is called a prophetess. Virgo; The newborn Son is given a name - “quick to capture, brazenly to plunder” - characteristic not of a person, but because of his excellent actions, as of God. Indeed, although the divine and transcendental baby was in swaddling clothes, by human nature, as God, with ineffable power he plundered the vessels of Satan (Matthew 12:29). - Having mentioned the adolescence of Jesus Christ, the preacher clarifies the true meaning of the expressions “advanced in age and wisdom.” “When you hear these words, do not think, he teaches that the Word of God became wise through a gradual increase in wisdom. Remember better Paul, who wrote: “Christ is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). But do not dare It is also unreasonable to say that “to prosper in age, wisdom,” etc., we acquire to man. This, in my opinion, would mean nothing more than dividing into two one Christ.” “But how could human nature accommodate the power of the ineffable Divinity,” asks Cyril? If man cannot endure the sight of God (Ex. 33:20), then how was the considered union possible? to this, Cyril says, that this is a miracle that exceeds the Word, and that the image of economy is completely incomprehensible to our human mind.” But a wise and clear example of this was given by God himself to Moses in the vision of a fireproof bush (Ex. 3:1-6). At the same time, God, not allowing Moses to reach the bush, showed that if anyone began to use the guidance of the law and the shadows of images, he would not come closer to Christ. In the form of a fire that engulfed the entire bush, but did not burn it, there was the Lord Himself. How is it that a substance so thin and easily combustible did not suffer at all from the approach of fire? But in this example there was a clear image of the sacrament of Christ: for just as fire could be endured without harm to the bush, in the same way the immensity of the Divinity could be endured for our nature. Consequently, as far as our understanding and word of expression are concerned, then, perhaps, for them Divinity and humanity seem incompatible with each other in the unity of nature. But nevertheless they came together precisely in Christ, and of both one Emmanuel appears. But he who presents both man and the Son as separate from Him who is from God by nature, has, therefore, not understood the depth of this sacrament. For we did not learn from the saints who taught us to perform service and worship man, but precisely God made man. Therefore we affirm further that Emmanuel has been declared king over us.” The preacher proves the last thought with the words of the prophet. Isaiah (3'2, I) and the Psalmist (2, 6). – ϒ', r. 777 – 784. The author further proves the divine dignity of Jesus Christ by the story of the reign of Saul over Israel (1 Samuel 8:5 - 7), who, according to the prophet Hosea (13:II), in anger was made king over those who rejected God’s rule over them. Christ, as appointed by God as king over us, could not be a simple man, “If, says Cyril, Christ is a man like us, and not the Word who appeared in human form, but at the same time was appointed king and rules over earthly beings 11, then who would fall into such idle talk as to think and say that He (Christ) also received the kingdom in the wrath of God and the Father, and since we were in hostility (with God) and in sin, then he put us under the yoke of man 12?... So, why, driven by anger, does he punish those who have received sanctification? But I answer, Kirill continues, that we are freed from sins and our circumstances are imbued with divine mercy. Consequently, it was not man who reigned over us, but more correctly, God, who appeared in human nature, the Son, who did not lose the glory of divine properties through the incarnation of man, and did not, out of the wise intention of salvation, despise human likeness.” It was precisely this kind of recklessness that the stiff-necked Jews expressed, like dogs, attacking the Lord and calling Him a simple man (John 10:33). The purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God is to destroy the sting of death and transform human nature to incorruptibility: “for like iron, the author says, thrown into the flaming waves of fire, it is immediately painted in the color of fire and reveals the power of the heat; Thus, the nature of the flesh, having received into itself the incorruptible and life-giving Word of God, no longer remained what it was, but finally appeared as a higher corruption.” In conclusion, the preacher speaks about the fulfillment of the mystery of our salvation by Jesus Christ, about the purpose and fruits of salvation, and finally offers a brief moral exhortation. Easter date. – δ ’, r. 784 – 789. Sermon of 430 (under no. 18 m) In the “profeoria” the preacher speaks about the greatness of the Feast and the church word appropriate to it, his readiness to preach and at the same time about his powerlessness in eloquence and about the true purpose of his word - p. 800 – 801. Pointing to the approach of the time of the holy holiday and the duty of the priests in this case, the preacher testifies that the time has come for the right-minded to be adorned with the virtues befitting the saints and to be enriched by the perfections of the gospel life. Proof of the moral obligation and usefulness of the above-mentioned feats, both from the concept of good in general, and from the examples of the farmer and sailor who actively rush to work and long labor when the time that is favorable for them (namely spring) arrives. Therefore, one must courageously and cheerfully go wherever the Lord commands (Jer. 46:34), that is, fight the pleasures and passions of the flesh in view of the moral height of the victory of the spirit over the flesh or evil and the reward for this victory. All this is illustrated by the example of treating a bodily illness. Therefore, just as it is cured by diet and abstinence, so the health of the soul is acquired through abstinence and fasting, as cleansing from all filth of the flesh and spirit. By the example of a husband exposed to danger to save his wife and children, and a faithful citizen laying down his life for the good of the fatherland, the preacher proves the need to fight for the good of the soul - to fight through the medium of labor. The hope of eternal life also prompts us to this: “because we are all strangers and strangers in this world, and the time of carnal life is extremely short, on the contrary, the continuation of the future life is endless,” and the reward awaiting the saints is high. - (Ps. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9). The way in which those who loved God pleased Him was, firstly, by fasting, as can be seen from the example of David, who, when attacked by enemies, despite the military forces of his state, fasted and covered himself in sackcloth, was sad and shed tears (Ps. 34:13), and to whom for this God sent favor from above, triumph and victory in battles. The same can be seen from the example of Ananias, Azariah and Misail, who, despite the splendor of the royal Court, the abundance and luxury of dishes offered to them at the Persian court, loved fasting, like the mother of all beauty, and therefore defeated the fiery flame and rejoiced along with the heavenly powers, and for the earth-born they became mentors, as if convincing all creation to give the Creator due praises. “So, whoever decides to imitate the beauty of the virtues of the saints will undoubtedly receive equal rewards... Christ, through the Holy Spirit, having entered our mind and heart, will undoubtedly tame the fierce flame of vicious desires and, having made us victors of the machinations of demons, will make us citizens of heaven.” The guarantee of this is the story of Ezra (2 books 8, 49 - 53) that the Jews, by fasting, asked for a safe path and help from above. Consequently, the preacher says, if we fast, God will deliver us from all evil, - β᾿, p. 805 – 809. Another virtue that should be added to fasting is prayer. “Both of these virtues,” says Cyril, live as if next to each other, and act very savingly when they are in union with each other; the absence of one of them makes the other less useful.” The great power of prayer to God is visible from the raising of the hands of Moses to heaven during the war of the Israelites with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:9), namely: when they were extended to prayer, Israel was invincible until then, and when they were lowered, Amalek was able - as well as from the actions of Samuel and the Israelites (fasting, prayer and burnt offerings) in Mizpah (1 Samuel. 7, 5, 7 – 10). when, through the prayer of Samuel, the foreigners who went to war were struck by thunder, so that they, struck by fear, fled, and the Israelites defeated their conquerors by the power of fasting and prayer. – ϒ, r. 809 – 813. Allegorical interpretation of the mentioned action of the Israelites in Mizpah (1 Samuel 7, 5, 7 - 10; - drawing water, pouring it on the ground and burning a lamb. “The Law commanded through Moses, says the preacher, to sacrifice oxen and dedicate turtle doves or doves to God (Lev. 5:14), but nowhere did it command this kind sacrifices to pour water on the earth. What did the ancients and the prophet, who had the coveted knowledge of sacred and sacrificial commands, do with them? We affirm, Cyril answers, that he, as a prophet, having a mind filled with the Holy Spirit, certainly knew the venerable and great mystery of the incarnation of the Only Begotten and reasoned that the very image of the truth could save those in need; would have on oneself the power of salvation given by Christ." On this basis, the preacher considers the spilled water as a symbol of life, and the earth as a symbol of flesh: for the Word of God, by its nature - life, was clothed with earthly flesh. "And the life-giving Divinity and earthly humanity came, says the preacher, into a wonderful and incomprehensible unity. And so we see one of the two, Emmanuel, who did not emerge from the boundaries of the Divinity for the perception of the flesh, and who did not refuse to become like us.” The death suffered by Emmanuel, in order to bring life to all, was foretold by Samuel through the slaughter of a lamb in the image of the true God, as Blessed John says (1:29). - “God and the Father commanded this secret to be depicted through the wise Moses,” when the Israelites were in heavy slavery to the Egyptians (in which the liberating mission of Moses is briefly outlined), - it is depicted in the fulfillment by Moses of such a command of God (Ex. 4: 8 - 9): “let the water of the river be stirred up, and let it pour out on dry land: and there will be water, stir up the river from the south, blood on the sus." – δ᾿, r. 813 – 816. It is to the source that the nature of God and the Father and the Son is likened, and sometimes the Father is called a river and water, sometimes the Son, and sometimes the Holy Spirit. Having confirmed his thought with the words of Scripture (Jer. 2, 12 - 13; Is. 66, 12; Ps. 35, 8 - 9, John 4, 10, 13 - 14, etc.), the preacher concludes: “So, the nature of the Father is very decently likened to the river, and to the water - the Son born of Him by nature. This water from the river was mixed with the earth: for the Word was flesh (John I, 14). And that the Son, having become man, wanted to die for us in the flesh, God showed this in the words: “And the water of the river shall be mixed with blood.” Blood here means nothing other than death, because until the Word was made flesh, there was no blood.” salvation (Ps. 13:3); the appearance of the Savior on earth, the unbelief and brutality of the Jews, and despite the fact that the Lord accomplished our salvation and the fruits of salvation. A brief moral admonition to the listeners, and the date of Easter - e’, p. Sermon 431 (no. 19) In the “prologue,” the preacher praises the zeal and wisdom of the listeners who had gathered for the sermon in large numbers, and admits the poverty of his words, for which he asks them for apology and leniency. – r. 320 – 321. Having announced the approach of the time of the holy holiday, the preacher excites the listeners to spiritual joy and sacred Triumph, for the sake of the great benefits of the Savior, who snatched us from the devil and delivered us from sin by tasting death, and in view of this charges them with the duty to walk according to the Gospel commandments, abandoning all laziness, slowness and carelessness. The divine word (John 3:13) and the example of the farmer and reaper, who diligently take advantage of the favorable time of the coming spring, encourage us to do this. Since our Easter is Christ, devoured for us, we must now cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit in order to celebrate the holy and all-pure holiday without condemnation. – a’, r. 821 – 24. Having reminded the listeners about the slaughter of the lamb by the Israelites in Egypt and about the command of Moses to eat this lamb (Ex. 18:8), and adding that we need to understand both in a spiritual sense (Rom. 7:14) and fulfill them in this spirit (Matthew 5:17-18), the preacher says; “Ours was also slain, called through faith to sanctification, the true lamb who took away the sin of the world. At the same time, we will create mental and truly sacred food, depicted in unleavened bread according to the law, but spiritually understood. Thus, sour dough is always accepted in inspired Scripture as a symbol of depravity and sin (Matt. 14:6; 1 Cor. 5:7).” Thus, in order to have spiritual participation with Christ, our Savior, we must, the preacher teaches, cleanse our thoughts, remove ourselves from defilement and flee from sin. “But let everyone eat bitter herbs, that is, let him walk the path of bitter labors and let him place patience above all else among them. For the path to virtue is cruel and precipitous, requiring continuous tension, labor and sweat. Christ commanded this, admonishing us to walk through the narrow gates and the thorny path (Matt. 7, 13 – 14), since the broad path leads to sin.” - From here the preacher moves on to a discussion about the strong inclination and accessibility of human nature to sin - namely, about the law of sin, living in our flesh and cruelly fighting against the spirit, through carnal lusts, which inclination God protects with the law (Isa. 8:20) and the weapon of abstinence. Confirmation of this thought by the teachings of St. Paul about sin living in the flesh and resisting the good desires of the spirit (Rom. 7:14-15). At the same time, the author, using the figure of “bewilderment” (άποριά) and a dramatic turn of speech, clarifies the meaning of the indicated words of Paul, however, not discovering anything new, but only paraphrasing the word of the Apostle. The preacher reveals the further words of the apostle in the same way. Pavda about the law of sin (Rom. 7:18 - 21). However, says Cyril after the explanation, the Creator did not allow human nature to be easily destroyed by vicious pleasures. The law condemns such inclinations and wisely resists raging passions, showing the beauty of abstinence and virtue. Therefore, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that is evil, let us stop caring about food and drink (2 Cor. 7:1; Colossians 3:5), - for for this purpose the Son of God descended to earth and took on flesh from the Holy One. Mary the Mother of God, in order to kill sin in the bodily nature of man and raise it to godly and ineffable purity, as the divine Paul taught (Rom. 8:3-4) - β ’, p. 824 – 829. It is necessary to add other types of piety to abstinence - mutual love, mercy and compassion for the poor, this is instilled in us by the Savior Himself and the Old Testament law (Luke b, 31; Deut. 15, 11). The dignity and greatness of this last virtue (love of poverty) from a moral point of view and from the side of the reward for it in the future life (“the light of love of poverty will accompany them”), as can be seen from the words of the Savior (Matthew 25, 34 - 36, 40). – Refuting the excuses of hard-hearted people from practicing this virtue. Thus, the ruthless at heart says: “If I give my property to others, then I will offend my children, for what will be left for them as an inheritance? My wealth, after all, is not particularly great.” “But, my dear,” Cyril objects to this, because while you are zealous in your love for children, you do not exclude yourself from the living and do not in the least give up peace and luxury. Therefore, it would not be bad to think about the future life and choose it as the measure of your disasters,” imitating in this case the foresight of sailors who stock up on everything in abundance when setting out to sea. “You will not offend your son by compassion for the poor; you will not upset your heir by freeing him from punishment and fire (James 3.2, etc.) - ϒ, 829–833. “To rejoice us with such a teaching, the Only Begotten Word of God became man,” says the preacher and, in view of this, depicts the pitiful state of the human race before the coming of the Savior. “People lived not knowing the path of righteousness, and even without knowledge of the true God, honoring the creature more than the Creator.” Then the Creator took pity on us, and in order to save us from the tyranny of Satan, he gave the law through Moses. But the law only revealed sin and was an exposer of our powerlessness, as the Apostle Paul teaches (Rom. 3, 19 - 20; 5, 20). The law itself is holy (Rom. 7:7) and did not teach sin, but it was an exposer of the weakness of the law and an indicator of innate corruption (as the sun with its rays allows you to see the shame of garbage pits). and the uncontrollable inclination to sin, no one could fulfill the law and the whole world became guilty of God (Rom. 3:19), - the truth of God appeared, saving people through the faith of Jesus Christ (Titus 3:5; Rom. 3, 21 – 24); Therefore, that which is above every creature, the Word from God the Father, has become truly like us, a brief teaching about Whose Person (Christology) and is further expounded by the preacher. Salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, its purpose and fruits. A brief moral exhortation to listeners with a list of virtues recommended by the preacher. Date of Easter, – δ᾿, r. 833 – 837 Sermon 432 (under number 20) Having said that the Old Testament served as a prototype of the truth of the Gospel, the preacher in God’s command to Moses to forge two silver trumpets to convene the assembly (Num. 10:2) sees an indication of preaching about the sacrament of the Savior in churches, and the “forgedness” of the trumpets showed that the discovery (δήλωσις) of the sacraments of the Savior belonged to future tense: “for the blows of the hammer always give, as it were, the longest stretch (extension); the silver of the trumpets indicated the brilliance and purity of the word about the sacrament of the Savior.” Further, since the control of the trumpets was entrusted to the priests (Num. 8:10), the preacher sees in this the natural privilege of the priestly class to proclaim through preaching about the sacrament of Christ, to show the flock under their control the rules of pious life and to excite the flock to courageous deeds against the enemies of the truth and glory of Christ and to celebrate holidays in purity. God Himself commanded to do this through Moses (Numbers 10:8-10). But the weapon of the saints, according to the word of the Savior, must be spiritual, consisting not in visible and sensory things, but in the power of the Spirit, righteousness and reality (Eph. 6:1i-15). It is the sword of the Spirit - the word of God - that can frighten and defeat every enemy who raises his horn high and slanderes lies against God. “Therefore, says the preacher, let us use against them (the enemies) the sacred and irreproachable preaching of the truth, let us sing songs of victory to the One who became like us for our sake and even appeared in the form of a slave.” With these words the preacher moves on to the doctrine of the incarnation and Christology. The Word of God remains God even after the Incarnation, “but the inventors of wicked dogmas, says Cyril, are the enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18) - they revile the birth according to the flesh of the Only Begotten; they say that St. The virgin gave birth to an untrue God in the flesh, while St. The evangelist proclaims: The Word became flesh (John 1:14) - they claim that the Word only dwelt in man in order to place the Savior in the ranks of the prophets, as a God-bearing man (θεοϕόρος), so that He had nothing more in Himself than only one similarity with us, for the Almighty God also dwells in us (1 John 4:12). So, what is special about Christ, compared to all other Christians, asks Cyril, “if He was only a man bearing the Almighty God dwelling within Himself, and not in fact and in truth the Son of God the Father and the true God together with the flesh? For he suffered birth according to the flesh and remains God. But such legalism cannot be tolerated by the minds of heretics.” They further assert that the name of sonship is attributed to Christ as if by communion and by grace (έν μεθέξει χαί χατά χαριν), they reduce Him to a simple man, alienating the Word of God from the latter and barely attributing to him only a simple contact (i.e. with God), similar to his own, as if in equality of dignity.” But leaving the heretics to err, Cyril teaches: “We will adhere to the right and unperverted path of faith, confessing that the Word, being God, became flesh, that is, man, taking on not a soulless and not devoid of reason body, but, on the contrary, an animated and rational one, so that, being like our brothers in everything, except for sin, we could offer Himself to the Father in the stench of a spiritual fragrance for us.” Like this, So Cyril further confirms the theological thoughts related to it with the words of Scripture (Rom. 14:9; Philip. 2:10) and with it he denounces the heretics (1 Tim. 4.2; 1, 19; Psalm 63:8; Psalm 80:16 - a’, p. 837-844). In the ancient Amalek, who fought against Israel (at the same time, the very history of the event is outlined), the preacher sees a contemporary cursed Amalek (that is, of course, Nestorius), “fighting against the glory of the Savior and attempting to subvert the power of His sacrament. But, having called the elect from all over Israel, our Lord Jesus Christ took up arms and won and “with destruction he will destroy the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” – β ‘, r. 844. “So, let us,” says the preacher, celebrate the holiday, for we have lost the power of the enemy, Satan has been driven out, the church has been cleansed, and no one will talk idle words that Emmanuel is not truly God; on the contrary, everyone will confess His glory and offer praises to Him with silent lips.” We are prompted to do the latter by the greatness of the work accomplished by Jesus Christ, who tamed Satan, took away the power of death from the latter and destroyed sin. Hence we are talking about the sacrament of economy and salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ. In view of this, our moral duty is to wash ourselves from all filthiness of soul and body, to appear holy in both body and spirit, and, as the apostle advises (Col. 3:5), to put to death our desires on earth - fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust.” This can be achieved through abstinence and fasting (1 Cor. 3:5), “the source of all decency, the mother of sanctification and the giver of the highest blessing. But by subjecting the body to fasting, let us strictly strive in the morals of good living, so that we may be whole and not lacking in anything. – ϒ, r. 844 – 848. The cruelty and unbelief of the Jews against the Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared in the flesh; their blasphemy and slander against Him and, finally, the tradition of crucifixion. The death of the Savior and its fruits. Resurrection from the dead and Ascension into heaven. In conclusion, a brief moral exhortation is offered and the time of the upcoming Easter is determined. – δ ’, r. 848 – 849. Sermon 433 (under number 21) At the beginning of the sermon, the preacher expresses his sincere desire and zeal, combined with pleasantness, to speak before the listeners with his usual word at the present announcement of the holy holiday. But the serious illness that had tormented him until now did not allow him to fully realize his intention, and therefore he decided to say what he could, especially since his flock is in sound concepts, preserves the wise prudence of the holy fathers and adheres to the incessantly heard instructions of the best teachers, - a’, p. 849 - 52. Pointing to the onset of the happy and saving time of the holy holiday, the preacher invites the listeners to lift up in a general, sacred and unanimous assembly songs of thanksgiving to Christ, who redeemed us from the legal oath (Gal. 3:13). The history of the “legal oath” since the fall of people; humiliating and hopeless slavery to the devil; the love for mankind and the inexpressible mercy of God, who sent us our own Son as our Savior and Redeemer. Doctrine 0 of the Son, or the Word of God and Christology. Here, having said that the Savior was like his brothers in everything, except for sin, the preacher says: “That is why he endures hunger and fasts at a certain time, in order to show us an example of a sinless life and the beginning of salvation. Consequently, we must precede the time of the holy holiday with fasting and a life pleasing to God, in order to hear the Lord’s blessed response to us (Matthew 25:9). But it is not the Jewish fast (Isa. 58:5, 7) that we must undertake, but its bright beauty, combined with an honest life, a true fast, to the panegyric praise of which the preacher comes. – β ’, r. pag. 852 – 853. The cruelty of the Jews, exposed even by the prophets (Isa. 1:4), was especially expressed in their attitude towards the Savior, when they, “not heeding either the extraordinary deeds performed by the Savior, or reverence for the divine signs of His power, said: “About Beelzebub the prince of demons he will cast out demons (Matthew 12:24). Polemical proof of the messianic dignity of Jesus Christ against the Jews. “When have you seen, the preacher asks the Jew, fulfilled that which was predicted of old, then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will hear, etc. (Is. 35: 5-6)? Do you not wait day after day for the coming of Emmanuel and for what you now see accomplished? Do you close your eyes and stop your ears from hearing about the miracles of Christ?! Therefore, you bear a worthy reward for the swap of sins. So, you no longer have any signs of worship of God, no city, no festive sacrifices; but you wander, scattered throughout the entire universe,” which was predicted by the prophets (Bar. 3:10), the treacherous betrayal of Jesus Christ by the Jews to death, despite the greatest benefit He brought to people (“incorruptibility”) and teaching, - ϒ’, p. 853–856. In view of such good deeds of the Savior, it is necessary to thank Him (Ex. 15:11) and exalt Him with solemn hymns, containing the right faith in the Holy Trinity, and also to embellish one’s life with deeds of virtues, the types of which are then shown by the preacher. Easter date. – δ᾿, r. 856 – 857. Sermon 434 (no. 22) In the "prologue" the author rejects his ambitious goal - to shine with oratorical eloquence, and points to the true reason for the appearance of his word or news; this, on the one hand, is the fulfillment of an ancient custom (to precede the holiday with a sermon), and on the other, an explanation of the Holy Scriptures - p. 857. Having pointed out the duty of the clergy to guide and teach their flock (Hos. 5:1), the preacher notices the subject of his church word, befitting a celebration celebrated for the glory of the Savior: this is fasting (Joel 1:14), which cannot be compared with anything in the world (Prov. 16:26; Matt. 16:16), and deeds of piety, accompanied by courage, firmness of heart and patience. To prove the last thought, the preacher gives the example of horse trainers. Just as it is not enough for them to resort to a bridle alone, but one must teach the horse to make the correct rhythm with its legs, to run quickly and beautifully; so we, in addition to practicing in labor, must also know the way of what we should do and what not to do. “Precisely, we use, says Cyril, all-purifying fasting, as a bridle that restrains thought from deviating to the worse and keeps us from unreasonable excitement of the flesh. The help of fasting can extend to such extent. But those who zealously try to foresee what they should do and what they should not do, obviously need to be armed with every kind of virtue. For actions performed with the highest intelligence are glorious and worthy of admiration,” as the apostle teaches. Paul (1 Tim. 4:7 – 8). Fasting alone, consisting of non-eating, in the absence of any other virtue, is not pleasing to God. The proof of this is the Israelis, who fasted in this way (Is. 58:3-5), but did not hear God. Those who fast are least allowed to have their own desires, that is, inclinations to the vicious. - a, r. 857 – 861. It is our duty to present to the Lord, who became man for our sake and called us his brothers, to offer spiritual sacrifices and thanksgiving, for material sacrifices are displeasing to God (Isa. 1:12; Ps. 49:13). God especially requires us to make sacrifices on holidays (Numbers 28:2). But what should our “offerings” consist of, if God rejects the legal “shadow,” since the law was a prototype and shadow of the truth of the Gospel, and therefore lost its power and was abolished with the advent of the new, Gospel law. But the Savior said at the same time that He did not come to destroy the law (Matthew 5:17-18). If so, “then it is necessary, says Cyril, to conclude that the fulfillment of the ancient law was completed in the New Testament.” - “So, how do we make the sacrifices required by the law? Only when considering, He answers, that the instructions of Moses served as images and pre-indications of spiritual extraordinary phenomena. So in ancient times we sacrificed a calf; but see in him one of those who believed, offering himself as a sacrifice to God for the aroma of fragrance” (Rom. 12:1). – β᾿, r. 861 – 864. Having further posed the question, “What should be our mental and spiritual image of sanctification,” the preacher cited the law of Moses (Lev. 1:2–9) about sacrificing a calf to God and revealed what this image meant. “Since the calf was a strong animal, we must approach God in the strength of mind; he was male, for the feminine and effeminate are not characteristic of character saints (Ps. 30:23). The animal brought before the very door of the tabernacle was slaughtered before the Lord; so we, when we come to the church, are rewarded with the blessed heavenly contemplation (Ps. 85:16; 33:16). world and move into a holy and blameless life (Ps. 115, 15; Gal. 2, 19, Rom. 6, 3 - 4). “Consequently, the death of the calf indicates dying to the world; the shedding of blood on the altar means the sacrifice of a holy soul or life: for blood is a symbol of the soul, or life, the skinning of an animal means, according to the teaching of Paul (Heb. 4, 12), exposure (i.e. souls), so there is and cannot be anything in us hidden from the divine mind, for He penetrates to the members and brains, and this is precisely indicated by cutting the body into members. It was commanded to coat the womb and legs of the calf; and the Savior Himself explains this to us with the words: “Blessed are they, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). The legs served as an image of the path in business, precisely as an image of the path to virtue (Proverbs 4:12) and zealous fulfillment of the commandments of the Lord.” Moreover, the preacher offers a brief teaching about the Face of the Savior, - ϒ', p. 864 – 869. Polemics and denunciation of the Jews, who were once chosen by God as His inheritance, but did not accept the Savior. The brutal and wicked attacks of the Jews on the Only Begotten Son of God, who became man and became incarnate. Defending against them the divine dignity of our Lord Jesus Christ on the basis of His life, greatest works, signs and wonders. “Marvel,” says Cyril to the Jew, at the multitude of believers who outnumber the number, and thus pay attention to the attitude of David who sang about Him (Ps. 85:9). The power of serving under the law was predicted to end in the Old Testament. – The Jews’ betrayal of Jesus Christ to death on the cross and His three-day resurrection. The fruits and results of the Savior's death on the Cross, His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven. – In conclusion, the preacher offers a brief moral exhortation to the listeners and announces the time for celebrating Easter. – δ ’,р. 869–873. Sermon of 435 (no. 23) In the preface, the preacher expresses the true purpose of his sermon - to benefit the listeners and guide them to a good life - and not to gain oratorical glory. – pag. 873. In the words of David: “Come, let us rejoice in the Lord” (Psalm 94:1), St. Kirill sees an invitation to the most pure feast of Christ the Savior - an invitation addressed to pagans, Jews, heretics and devotees of vice. Through the sacred sermon, both are inspired to stop the errors and sins inherent in each. Thus, the pagans must stop worshiping the creature, the Jews must free themselves from their unbelief in Christ, the heretics must free themselves from their perverted faith and false teachers, those who have fallen into the ditch of sin must free themselves from their destruction and snare. – The difference in the joy of a carnivore and an ascetic: the first does not run from any vice. “But for the one who zealously strives for the feat of abstinence and has placed himself above every passion, as far as is achievable for human nature, for him the duty to glorify the Lord is especially fitting.” It is necessary to put off the old man, decaying in the lusts of the flesh, and put on the new one, transformed in Christ for the renewal of life. – a’, p. 873 – 877. The law and its propaedeutic meaning in relation to the sacrament of Christ. “The Law of Moses,” says the preacher, if it is thought spiritually, corresponds to the gospel teaching, for it leads to the sacrament of Christ” (John 5:46). This law announced that Salvation would come not to the Jews alone, but to all nations, which was symbolically indicated in the slaughter of the sacrificial lamb on the left side of the altar facing to the north. “Judea,” explains Cyril, is the country of the south; the northern one and extending beyond the sea, as they say, is the country of the barbarians. Therefore, the Jewish lamb was slain not without significance for the land of the pagans,” as can be seen from the words of the psalmist (35, 38) and the prophet. Zechariah (2, 10 – 11). “So Christ was sent to bring both nations into one new man and to break down the middle wall between them.” All this, i.e., the fact that the best of the Jews will believe in the incarnate Word of God, and the other part of them will offend Him by unbelief; and the fact that the pagans will be called through faith - all this was predicted in the Old Testament - β᾿, p. 877 – 880. For this purpose, the author cites the story of the 2nd book of Samuel (5, 1 - 3) about the reign of David over all the tribes of Israel and gives an allegorical interpretation of all the details of this story in the sense of the mystery of the incarnation and its circumstances. Thus, the tribes of Israel recognized themselves as the flesh and bone of David; so those who have come to faith in Christ confess that, being God by nature, He became man, and thus becomes, as it were, His flesh and bone due to its affinity with Him in human properties. David, even during the reign of Saul, was “leading and destroying Israel”; so Christ, even before His incarnation, as God, had power over everyone, providing for human affairs and so on. David reigned over Israel according to the good pleasure and will of God the Father (2 Ts. 5:2), and so did the Savior (Matt. 16:16; John 1:49; Ps. 2:6). David made a covenant with the elders of Israel in Hebron. What does Hebron mean? This word means unity. In Christ everything became one, and the higher was united with the lower, and the lower with the higher. The fleshly descendants of Israel and the ancient worshipers of idols entered into unity and unanimity of faith. In the story about the Jebusite and the blind and lame (2 Ts. 5, 6 - 8), the preacher again sees an indication of the gospel events. “There were blind and lame,” says Cyril, “and we remember what Christ (Matt. 15:14) and David said about the scribes and Pharisees” (Ps. 17:46). “So, they rejected Christ, they could neither walk the right path, nor carry mental and divine light in their hearts and minds, and therefore they fell (perished) with the sword.” And that the place of the Israelis hostile to him was taken by many pagans who recognized Christ as Lord and King,” this is clear from Hiram’s embassy to David (2 Ts. 5:11). “Hiram was a foreigner and an idolater from the flock of the lost, but he built the church of the Lord. This is how the Church of Christ was erected, and not in just one place or country, but throughout the whole of heaven. – The ark, carried by David to his city (2 Ts.6:12), meant those under the law and the shadow. These latter were once blind and lame, but when they, having accepted faith, worship him, then they, along with us, will be admitted into the house of David, or Christ. - After this, the preacher again invites the listeners to joy in the Lord and resolves the bewilderment of how the cross and death of the Savior can be for us the subject of solemn remembrance and celebration. If someone, having given himself up to death, did not come to life, says the preacher, then no one would celebrate; but if, despite the opportunity not to suffer, Christ suffered and then rose from the dead, then doesn’t this serve as a source of all joy? – The accomplishment of our salvation by Jesus Christ, its purpose and fruits. – ϒ', r. 880 – 84. A short moral exhortation to the listeners. – Easter date of the current year. – δ ’,р. 884 – 885 Sermon of 436 (no. 24) At the beginning of the conversation, the preacher calls on the listeners to joy and joy in the glory of the Savior, and proves that even the ancient prophets (David, 17, 42; Zechariah 2, 8 - 11) invited people to the highest joy, calling our greatest Christian holiday a blessed and most welcome day of salvation - a’, p. 885 – 888. The reason why we now need to especially triumph and rejoice: “having destroyed sin, the evil that had grown out of it, that is, death, was torn out, as if at the very root,” whose tyrannical dominion over people is represented by the preacher. Therefore, in view of the almost approaching time of the holiday, it is necessary to “wash yourself from the filth of sins and cleanse yourself from mental and physical defilements. The best way to achieve this is through fasting and patience in deeds of piety (Heb. 12:1). God Himself imposes on us the obligation to be holy (Lev. 11:44), so as not to take away our spiritual joy. A clear confirmation of this is the parable of those invited to the supper (Matthew 22:12), when the one who appeared there in indecent clothing was expelled. Here, by the way, the preacher solves the question: why was it not immediately prohibited to enter without clothes appropriate for the occasion? “The Savior,” says Cyril, calls everyone through faith and wants to give everyone a share in His highest bounties, and therefore everyone enters without hindrance: for the grace of faith extends to all of us. But some, having brought along with faith the splendor of good deeds and virtues, will enter with the Bridegroom and take part in the holy and mental celebration; others, having brought nothing but faith, and still covered with uncleanness, these will be decisively expelled from the sacred wedding supper: for they entered without having the wedding garment.” – The best means of beautification is, as said above, fasting. – β᾿, r. 888–889. Establishment by faith in Christ is the source of eternal life (John 17:3). Hence the obligation to maintain a right, simple and uncorrupted faith in God: “researchers and critics, says Cyril, are not very tolerated; for it is not harmless to interpret too much about what has been handed down by faith.” Condemnation by the words of Scripture of those who subject saving faith to the utmost scrutiny. “It is our duty in our very deeds to reveal the light of the divine knowledge that has shone upon us. (Jer. 48, 10). We must do this with all diligence and courage. The image of a warrior serves as an example for us. - Since the law was powerless to justify us; then God the Father has granted us justification through faith in Christ. From here the preacher moves on to the doctrine of the incarnation and to Christology, which mainly proves the divine dignity of Jesus Christ, despite His human image, - it is proven on the basis of His extraordinary works, or miracles (John 10:37; Matt. 4:11; Mark 6:10). The unbelief, savagery and recklessness of the Jews, who rebelled against the Savior and demanded from Pilate that the Lord be crucified because “he had created for himself the Son of God” (John 19:7). But He truly was. – ϒ', r. 889 – 896. Polemical, against the Jews, proof of the divine, or messianic dignity of Jesus Christ in the words of the apostle. Paul about dividing the tabernacle into two parts (Heb. 9, 2, – 3; 8). “The first tabernacle, says Cyril, having a standing position, signified the power of service according to the law, which did not allow anyone into the “Holy of Holies.” Christ opened this holy and longed-for entrance to us alone,” that is, access to the truth. – The death of Jesus Christ (against the Jews, in a polemical spirit, with the denunciation of their treachery) and its saving significance for believers. “He (Christ) allowed his own flesh to taste death, supposedly to give earth-born power to prevail over death and corruption.” Comparison of the Savior's death on the cross and its fruits with the slaughter of the Passover lamb by the Jews in Egypt and through this (slaughter) deliverance from slavery and destruction. By the death of the Savior we were given the hope of eternal, blessed life. “Having put on the tunic of incorruptibility, that is, Christ, we will remain incorruptible.” This was prefigured by the stock of manna, which was generally perishable, but which, having been placed before the Lord in a golden vessel, did not spoil (Ex. 16:33-34). “So, when Christ embraced us like a golden sheath of manna, then we too will remain incorruptible under God’s watching over us. Removed from the face of God due to the crime of Adam and being outside the supervision of God, we fell into corruption” and so on. – A brief moral exhortation to the listeners in view of all the blessings God has shown to us. Easter date. – δ᾿, r. 896 – 901. Sermon of 437 (no. 25) Having invited the listeners to joy in the Lord, the preacher finds out the reason for this joy and triumph - the descent to earth of the Only Begotten Word of God and the bestowal of the highest blessings on our nature. “Therefore,” the preacher continues, the Savior Himself and the Lord of all reveals the power and meaning of His coming, as in the image in the parable of the wedding supper (Matthew 22:24). Spiritual kinship is compared here with carnal marriage.” In view of this, the preacher exhorts true lovers of leisure to clothe themselves and be adorned with virtues, and not to rejoice in the world, that is, not to indulge in luxury and all sorts of evil pleasures, for which severe punishment awaits (Gal. 6:8; Am. 63:4-7) and from the love of which the beloved disciple of Christ warns us (1 John 2:15; John 4:4). ). By moving away from worldly passions and celebrating the holiday in purity, we will receive a great reward (Matt. 25:54; 1 Cor. 8:9). The measure and meaning of punishments sent to a Christian from God: they are the ones that have educational significance and stem from God’s paternal love for us. “Although for God, says Cyril, it would be quite possible to punish us according to our sins, but God rather only frightens us than punishes us according to our deserts. – a’, r. 901 – 905. The law given to the Israelites as a guide for good; the deviation of the Israelites into disobedience and their reproof by the prophets for this (Hos. 4:1–3; Micah 2:1–2; Isa. 5:8–9), a call to repentance (Jer. 3:12–13). But since the Jews suffered from unrepentance, God finally turned his wrath on them, although now not according to the extent of their sins, but rather mixing mercy with wrath (Amos 4:6-9), for it is not fire that brings down on those who have sinned, but only terrorizes for now, reducing only the food supply of life, and as if exhorting them through this to leave a lawless life. – From the Israelis, the preacher goes to his flock and says: “For some time now, rains have begun to fall rarely among us, although time demands their abundance; The rivers have become shallow, the labors of farmers are in vain; the fields are empty; the trees have no fruit. Terrible and painful bodily illnesses developed. Hence – grief, sobbing and crying, a shortage of men in cities and villages.” – β᾿, r. 905 – 909. The preacher explores, daleph, the cause of these disasters. “It (disaster), he says, has its root in evil and manifold sin, hence misfortunes arise.” Therefore, in order to gain the mercy of God again, you need to give up your sins and turn to something better. Then again God will reveal to us the source of blessings (Hos. 2:21) and will give us an abundance of wheat, wine and oil. In view of this, the preacher calls the listeners to repentance (Ps. 94:6), to move away from laziness and carelessness. This is all the more obligatory for us since the Son of God Himself appeared to us from heaven for our salvation. – The doctrine of the Son of God and the Person of Jesus Christ in connection with His atonement for people. A brief moral admonition to the flock and the date of Easter. – ϒ, r. 909 – 912. Sermon of 438 (no. 26) Having reminded the listeners of the onset of the joyful Easter celebration, the preacher calls on them to pre-prepare themselves for this holiday through feats of courage, patience and fasting. Laziness is most inappropriate here: “for the best deeds are unattainable for it, just as the rewards prepared by God are unattainable. Virtue loves labors irrigated by this; The path leading to it is hard and steep, but it makes it smooth and easy for those who have undertaken feats of patience... Virtue can be the chosen one.” According to the law, the struggle of a zealot for life must be persistent, for it is waged with the devil (EPH. 6:10-13). The idea that the struggle must be persistent can be understood from the example of citizens who are warlike and constantly ready to fight their enemies. In the same way, the champions of piety, having put on spiritual armor, emerge victorious over numerous enemies. “Christ himself supports those who love Him in battle and stirs them up in courage,” - Therefore, you need to cleanse yourself of all filth, etc. “Then we will be true lovers of leisure and, adorned with the splendor of praiseworthy virtues, we will have the opportunity to enter the “Holy of Holies” of moral perfection, where not everyone, by sanctification and sonship alone, has access, but only after having washed away the dirt of sin and carnal passions.” This is clearly stated in what is written in the book of Exodus (30, 17 – 21). - a, r. 913 – 917. The said law of Moses commanded those who wished to enter the Holy of Holies to wash themselves; those who disobeyed were punished by death. Therefore, everyone who wants to get closer to God must perform spiritual cleansing, which, according to the clear teaching of St. Jeremiah (4:14), should consist in cleansing the heart from wickedness, namely from sorcery, carnality, covetousness, slander, perjury, deception, especially from the distortion of accurate and genuine faith. “And some of those who have taken the name Christians are devoted to an apostate way of thinking,” the preacher notes. This apostasy is nothing more than polytheism and idolatry, so strongly condemned by God (Deut. 6, 4, 5, 8). The enormity of the punishment sent by God for such a deed is visible from the divine Scriptures (Ezek. 8, 7 - 12; 17 - 19). Thus, the corrupt, arrogant, wicked and apostate Israelites were finally subjected to the most severe punishment of all: they died, destroyed by the sword of war, fell into slavery to their enemies and were subjected to all kinds of disasters. “Therefore, says the preacher, we must take off the mask of hypocrisy and double-belief, and adorn ourselves not only with external embellishments; on the contrary, it is necessary to nourish true love for God and strive with all effort and energy for piety and unshakable faith. - The vileness of idolatry and the severity of the punishment for it (Ezek. 2, 27; Heb. 10, 31). The disgusting and vile nature of hypocrisy, as is clear from the example of traitorous warriors. “So the words just spoken show that the source of war is double-mindedness... But they also teach where obstacles arise for us towards other gods. So God does not send rain; from which it becomes impossible either to plow the land or to indulge (in general) in the labors of agriculture; Cities and countries are oppressed by hunger and thirst. This was exactly what happened during the reign of Ahab over the 10 tribes in Samaria. Here the author relates in detail the account of the wickedness and idolatry of Ahab and the Israelites; about the terrible lack of rain that struck them for this according to the word of Elijah the prophet, and finally, “about their repentance and God sending them his bounties, that is, abundance in food and drink. – β᾿, r. 917–924. Therefore, we need to renounce vice, adorn ourselves with deeds of good behavior, maintain purity of faith and firm love for the Almighty God, who gave up his Son for us. The doctrine of the Son of God, the Person of Jesus Christ, the necessity or reason for the incarnation of the Only Begotten Word of God and the salvation accomplished by Him. The Savior accomplished two good things for us: He abolished death, which He Himself did not create and which came from sin, and secondly, He appeared as a merciful High Priest to all of us. Proof and disclosure of the last position. It is “God who is good by nature,” and this was expressed in the fact that “while the law of Moses, given through the angels, put to death those who fell into crime (Heb. 19:28), Christ meanwhile appeared as a merciful bishop. He did not demand the punishment of earth-born people for sin, but out of His goodness He justified everyone.” – Christ did not destroy the law, but only removed the shadow from the letter of the law and changed the images to worship and service in spirit and truth (Matt. 5, 17 – 18).. Understanding this idea from the actions of painters who do not destroy the originally sketched shadows and strokes on the canvas, but only give them a brighter and more expressive look. - Unbelief of Israel, despite the predictions of the prophets about Christ. – The divine dignity of Jesus Christ (against the Jews), evident from His extraordinary deeds. The death of Jesus Christ and its saving fruits for us; future coming of the Lord. – ϒ', r. 924–928. Sermon of 439 (no. 27) Calling the faithful to festive celebration and glorification of the Savior, the preacher compares the deliverance of people from the power of Satan accomplished by Jesus Christ with the ancient liberation from Egyptian slavery. This deliverance encourages believers to glorify and thank the Author of the salvation of the human race, since He led us to God and the Father, to live the time with fear of life (1 Peter 1:17-19) and to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, - a, p. 928 – 929. Piety and good morals are never untimely or superfluous, but they are especially decent and appropriate at the present time. Proof of this last thought is provided by the examples of the farmer and the navigator, who take up their work with all their energy when the time itself calls them to the activity characteristic of each of them. Laziness is always dangerous and leads to destruction, for it is written: “Woe to those who do the work of the Lord carelessly” (Jer. 48:10). But if, therefore, for sloppy and careless service to God, a bitter punishment awaits us, then how great is this punishment for those who completely refuse to fulfill this service? Therefore, you need to heed the advice of the Ap. Peter (1 Peter 1, 13 – 16). Just as brave and experienced people are chosen to be close to earthly kings; Likewise, only those distinguished by the glory of virtues will be close friends of the All-Holy God. “Nothing from the objects and manifestations of real life can compare with the greatness and importance of divine service—and above all, no wealth and luxury in table and clothing. Refined dishes bring mental and physiological harm, for example, stomach catarrh. Divine John warns us against love for the world and its blessings (1 John 2:15-16). The lust of the flesh, mentioned by John, is the satiety of the belly, the pleasure of foods and dishes with their ever-present companion - uncleanness. Pleasures and pleasures of combing are the colorful decoration of a costume, the brightness of colors and the gloss of material, which delights wealth. The highest degrees of rank and the highest peaks of honor and glory are called worldly pride. – β ’, r. 529–533. The preacher further proves the uselessness of wealth in the words of Job (1:21), ap. Paul (1 Tim. 6:7) and Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:20), and the example of the rich man of the Gospel (Luke 12:16 – 20). "Oh, an amazing thing! exclaims the preacher, relaying the Gospel story about the rich man: “the rich man is in difficulty, worried, taking on a burden that is heavier than others. What will I do? says the rich man is attributed to cries of poverty: where will I gather my good things? And in fact: the rich man had a lot of goods; the fields laden with fruits, the countless number of reapers in the fields, and so on... So, rich man, you have everything in abundance. But your life is cut short - and who will get everything you have prepared?! - Charity, love for brothers and mercy - these are the virtues that are especially useful for the rich. – Having said that the Heavenly Father is merciful, Cyril continues: “As a child-loving Father, seeing his image perfectly imprinted in his own son, he does not rejoice over his brainchild and is even more inflamed with love for him; so God, who loves virtue, when he sees that a soul has imprinted on heaven the image of His characteristic goodness, does not leave this deed unrewarded.” The high dignity of mercy (Tov. 4, – 224 – 11; Matt. 18, 82 – 33). – But for the fullness of a virtuous life, other virtues are also needed: justice, temperance, meekness, humility, kindness, peace. Comparison of someone decorated with these virtues with a painting dotted with multi-colored paints. – ϒ', r. 933 – 936. The disastrous state of people before the coming of the Redeemer under the dominion of sin. Vozhestveyanof mercy in people, expressed, according to the teachings of Bishop. Paul, in the message to the earth of the prophets and, finally, the Only Begotten Son of God (Heb. 1, 1 - 4). The teaching about the Person of the Accomplisher of our salvation: Divine dignity, equality with the Father, incarnation, image of union with the flesh: “He became (i.e., the Son of God) man, and did not enter into man or unite man to Himself, as some say idle talk.” The necessity of the appearance of God in the flesh: “for it was not possible for anyone to look at the naked and pure glory of the Divine (Exodus 33:20). If it is impossible with bodily eyes to bear the brilliance of a sunbeam, would it be possible to bear the Son if He appeared to us in the naked glory of the Divine”? – The purpose of the Savior’s coming is “to call Israel in grace through faith before others.” But the unfortunate Israelis They did not recognize the Son of God because of His bodily appearance, although this was predicted to them by the prophets (Isa. 7:14; Ps. 49:1-3). Suffering and Death on the Cross of the Savior: “he suffered voluntarily in his own flesh, remaining impassive by his own nature. “However, we assimilate suffering to Him, for His own body suffered in order to free us from suffering (Isa. 53:6). The fruits of the Death on the Cross, resurrection, ascension and future coming. – δ '', p. 936 – 941. In view of this, a brief exhortation is to cleanse yourself of sin and beautify yourself with virtues. Easter date. – e’, r. 941. Sermon of 440 (under no. 28 m) In the “introduction” the preacher shows that the purpose of the conversation is to edify the listeners, and not to gain praise for himself. Having then reminded the listeners of the approaching time of the holy holiday of Easter and the onset of its harbinger, i.e., fasting, the preacher calls on the listeners and flock to cleanse themselves of vices and to live a good life. The author finds confirmation of this in the order of Moses (Deut. 16:16) about men visiting a sacred place on three holidays: unleavened bread, weeks and tabernacles. Reasons or reasons for the establishment of these holidays in the life of the Jewish people and the manner in which the holidays themselves are celebrated. – “The Feast of Unleavened Bread was the occasion for the liberation of the descendants of Israel...; the Feast of Weeks was celebrated during the wheat harvest...; the feast of tabernacles, or “skinopegia” of Wesflo, was celebrated after all the work had been completed, when all the various harvests were gathered into the granaries...; Then they went out with palm branches, as well as with bunches of poplars and willows, and, having thus set up tents, freely and lordly spent the whole seven days in them.” The allegorical meaning of all these holidays for us. - a, r. 941 – 945. Revealing the allegorical meaning of the holidays."Pharaoh served as an image of the devil's cruelty; he oppressed the descendants of Israel with "shine and plinth work"... the inventor of sin, Satan, the thief of the highest glory, commanded the inhabitants of the earth to worship himself and kept them in this vain enslavement through carnal desires, as if with clay and plinth work... But Christ shone to the world, through Whom and in whom we were all redeemed and taken away through His slaughter from the power of the ancient enslaver. But if we are all redeemed in Christ, then “we will sow unto ourselves righteousness, we will reap the fruit of life” (Is. 10, 2 – β ’, p. 945). The preacher refers the last words to the Feast of Weeks. “Having, he says, achieved the greatest glory and been adorned with every kind of virtue, having collected in our souls the wealth of a varied harvest and concluding it, as it were, in granaries, then we will be imprisoned in the highest tabernacles, receive heavenly pleasures from God and will lead a life free from all sweat and labor. The image of this is the third holiday of Kushchfi.” – ϒ, r. 945. Next, the author finds out why God established these three seasons in which every male sex had to appear before the face of God. “The female sex,” says Cyril, is always weaker in both thought and deed; the masculine in both respects is distinguished by superiority and advantage. Therefore, the masculine sex, as filled with the strength of spirit and thought, and has been awarded the greatest honor, appears before God and is worthy of His gaze. Further, what is revered by God is completely despised by the devil and his angels; “for he approaches every saint and ferociously attacks those armed with spiritual courage.” Such hatred of the devil for the male sex in the spiritual sense is visible from the order of Pharaoh (Ex. 1:16) about the male newborn sex, namely, that he should be thrown into the river immediately after birth; according to the order of Pharaoh, he was left alive. - Therefore, one must courageously approach God through cleansing from sin, or holiness, - ϒ', p. 948 - 949. The need for cleansing from the dirt of vice is visible from the words of God to Moses, when he, while tending his flocks on Mount Horeb, saw a burning bush and wanted to get closer to the nthm (Ex. 3:5). – But what image of sin is meant by boots? asks Cyril and answers: “When Moses lived in Egypt, a custom was established there so that those who had carelessly shod in the skins of dead animals would not be allowed into the sacred places of idols. They considered this nothing more than desecration. Therefore, the Almighty God, in order to show that those who have not purified themselves cannot approach Him, calls, as if applying the custom of the Egyptians, the sacred Moses to spiritual purification.” Therefore, those who serve God must withdraw from dead works, that is, bodily pleasures, revelry. drunkenness, bribery, greed, gossip, arrogance, etc., which is also instilled by the Apostle John (1 John 2, 15 - 17). - δ᾿, p. 949–952. “The path to such a life,” says the preacher, was predicted by the ancient law of Moses, which through the image and shadow showed us Emmanuel. But the truth has shone forth in its purest form only now,” with the incarnation of the Only Begotten Word of God. The need for implementation. Israeli treachery. The divine dignity of the incarnate, and the methods of knowledge of God in general. The purpose of the appearance in the world of the Creator: “not for this (the Creator appeared), says Cyril, so that, having destroyed the real earth, now to open to us another and new one, not in order to create other heavens, destroying the existing ones, or in order to produce something new and unexpected in the solar cycle and re-create visible nature anew; but in order to transform us, who have risen to the power of the devil and were subjected to corruption as a result of sin, into incorruption, to appear holy and blameless”... Unbelief and stiff-necked Jews, despite the Old Testament prophetic predictions about the Savior. The fruits of the Ascension to heaven and the future coming - δ᾿, p. A moral exhortation to the flock with a list of virtues with which they should adorn themselves in view of the approaching Easter holiday. Easter date. – έ, r. 956 – 957. Sermon of 441 (no. 29) In the introduction, the preacher, pointing out the true purpose of his conversation (not applause and praise, but communicating something morally useful to the listeners), asks for forgiveness for his inexperience and lack of skill in eloquence. -r. 957. The coming time of the holy holiday, says the preacher, will excite the faithful to energetic activity on the path of exploits of virtue. According to the rules of decency, it is required that the celebrants generally wear shiny clothes: this also applies to the present time. But the truly brilliant adornment and attire for valiant idle lovers should consist in keeping away from defilements and in dressing in holiness, that is, “the purity of faith and the glory of good deeds.” – a’, r. 957. Spring is the time, as legalized for the celebration of Easter according to the Law of Moses, the pleasantness and beauty of this time. From here follows the moral requirement that we too should show ourselves flourishing in good deeds. This requires courage and indefatigable energy; We will achieve nothing through despicable laziness. But the most important thing for receiving the highest reward is tirelessly enduring suffering for the sake of virtue. This is proven by the examples of the farmer and the merchant. Therefore, adorned with virtues, let us stand, says the preacher, to God, about whom the Son of God announced to us, “the image and radiance of the hypostasis” of God the Father. The incarnation of the Word of God, and the earthly life of Jesus Christ for the sake of bringing people to sonship with God through sanctification and justification, since the law of Moses did not justify anyone. – a’, r. 960 – 964. And since from this last one one might think that the “law of Moses” in this case was completely unnecessary and useless, the preacher found out the true reasons why the law was given. Firstly, he was an image of the truth of the Gospel and a mentor to Christ, constituting an invention of the highest wisdom. “Just as those involved in metal work first develop their hands,” says Cyril, and do not immediately take up the substance necessary for their work, but, on the contrary, first practice the said art through wax, fashioning samples for utensils from it; In exactly the same way, he asserts, Israel was at first guided only by images of truth, in order through gradual exercise to reach, little by little, the perfect good.” Secondly, the “law” exposed sin and thereby aroused the thirst and hunger for salvation through faith, which was given by Christ in accordance with the prophecies. – β᾿, r. 964 – 965. The mystery of our salvation, performed by our Lord Jesus Christ. The teaching, divine signs and wonders of the Savior - and with all this, the stiff-neckedness and unbelief of the Jews, their anger against Jesus Christ, persecution and, finally, His delivery to death on the cross. The fruits of death on the Cross and resurrection; the second coming of the Lord. A brief moral exhortation to the flock and the timing of the upcoming Easter. – ϒ, r. 965–68. Sermon 442 (no. 30) In the command to “blow the trumpet in the new moon” (Ps. 80:4-5), the preacher sees an incentive for church preachers to preach in the true new moon, that is, the time of the coming of the Savior, or better, a holiday commemorating this coming. Obeying this command, the author takes the words of Psalm 117:27 as the subject of his sermon, and clarifies the meaning of the words; “to create a holiday in those who teach the ways of the altars.” For this purpose, the preacher offers a description of the tabernacle of Moses, which was divided into two parts, etc. (Heb. 9:6-9). “So,” says the preacher, while the ministry under the law was in force, those who lived under the images stood in the first tabernacle (i.e., the first compartment of the tabernacle, or sanctuary); “They were not allowed to enter the holy and inner tabernacle. Only one bishop entered there, not without blood,” but he was the image of the true Bishop (Heb. 9. 11–12) - Christ, “who alone entered the Holy Place with His blood.” In this way, we too, having left the first tabernacle, will follow Christ into the Holy of Holies and thus establish a feast for those who teach.” Here stands a purgatory in the image of Christ, with cherubim covering it with their wings (the fact is that the words “in teaching” and “closing” are expressed in the text in one word: “έ and ποχάϚουσιν and ποχαϚόντων”). But for this it is necessary to wash oneself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, which was figuratively required by the law (Ex. 30:18-21), which commanded the priests to wash their hands and feet when entering the Tabernacle of Testimony. a’ – .. r. 969–972. But we are cleansed by Christ Himself, who spoke about this in ancient times through the mouth of the prophets; - cleanses spiritually, by grace, through holy Baptism, “clamping the mouth of sin and expelling from us all uncleanness.” The power and action of the Holy Spirit, who cleanses us in baptism, like fire, destroys the defilements of sin. Baptism serves as the door to justification, which the law did not provide. The latter only exposed sin, and did not wash it away; justification is given through Christ by faith. – β᾿, r. 972–973. A refutation of the objection that the law of Moses was first given as completely sufficient for the justification of people; but then, when he achieved this goal intended for him, God invented the path of faith in Christ. God knew everything before the foundation of the world; and since He foresaw the deceit of the devil, He first established the “law” to expose sin and our weaknesses... and wisely predestined the commandment of accusation to the grace of justification, so that grace would be received with greater desire. Confirmation by the words of Scripture of the idea that the mystery of Christ was predetermined before the foundation of the world, and even the saving destruction was prefigured by the ancients in the flood and Noah’s ark. Explanation of the words of the ap. Peter (1 Pet. 3, 20 – 21), cited to confirm the previous thought (“that baptism was prefigured by the flood”): “it is good for the conscience to ask God” means “the confession of faith in Christ, which we usually give in the presence of many witnesses, and not only from people invested with the dignity of divine priesthood, but also from intelligent Powers who serve God, zealously caring for His glory.” – ϒ’,р. 973 – 976. About the divine dignity of the incarnate God of the Word and about the one Person in our Lord Jesus Christ. So there are some of those who have already believed - ignorant men, filled with insidious perversity, “who are trying to overthrow from the highest throne the Word, begotten of God the Father, counting in the ranks of creatures the Creator of all and the Artist, before whom all works (His) waver and tremble, and to whom every tribe of heaven and earth and the underworld worships”, etc. (Phil.2:10). “There are also those who divide the Indivisible, that is, the one Christ, and pervert the bright beauty of the truth, although the Divine Paul wrote to us clearly and decisively: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4:5). But if there were two Lords, there would be two faiths, there should be as many baptisms,” etc. - The sacrament of the redemption of people accomplished by Jesus Christ, the divine dignity of Jesus Christ, despite his human image, the malice and deceit of Satan and the Jews. The final delivery of the Lord to the crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension into heaven and the Second Coming of the Savior. – β᾿, r. 976 – 981. – A brief moral exhortation in view of this. Easter date. – έ, r. 981 He preached Neoplatonic-Stoic philosophy in Alexandria. That is, he uses evidence - “ad hominem”. i.e. simply - licking the pus on the wounds That is, if the heretics claim that the Father did not beget the Son. “Genus” and “difference” are part of the complete definition The connection with the previous all subsequent points is that the preacher earlier said about bringing a gift to the Lord - p. 700. In the text it’s the other way around: χαί συνεορτάζοντα τόν χρίστόν - which, given the Russian construction, is inconvenient for literal translation. In parallel with the “lack of water” in the Gospel. In this sermon, St. Cyril, extensively revealing the Christological teaching, had in mind the heresy of Nestorius that had just appeared; this is indicated by the terms: θεοϕόρος, θεοτόχος, caused by this heresy. We don’t say for sure, but it seems the meaning of the comparison is that those who look at a precious stone from different sides see each from their own side as a special center of light refraction (brilliance), while the stone and its center are one. As the above words of the prophet Isaiah (32, I) and the Psalmist David (2, 6) show. The preacher’s thought can be briefly expressed in the following syllogism: Christ reigns over us as a righteous King (Ps. 32, I) and proclaiming the commandment of the Lord (Ps. 2:6); but the king is a man, as can be seen from the story of Saul (1 Samuel 8:5–7) and the words of the prophet. Hosea (13, 11), delivered by God in anger, as punishment for Israel; hence, if Christ is a righteous king and proclaimer of the commandment of the Lord, then He could no longer be a man - a king, like Saul, but was a King - God.