Омилия XX 79 .

On the eighth Sunday morning Gospel of John 80; it also says that those who remain with piety to the end during Divine services in the church will be honored with great gifts John the Virgin, the only one who received, like a treasure, by grace into the Mother of the only Virgin Mother, who was especially loved by Christ, who was the “Son of Thunder”, whom Christ raised to heaven and thundered with, who, more than others, received the gift of being called the “Son of Thunder” and therefore used a more loud-voiced sermon, clarifying for us the events associated with the Resurrection of the Master from the dead, and telling us the image of His appearance after the Resurrection, - on the past Sunday, through the Gospel Scripture written by him, we heard in the Church telling: “On the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene came in the morning, while there was still darkness, to the tomb: and she saw a stone taken from the tomb. Then I flowed and came to Simon Peter, and to the other Disciple whom Jesus loved,” here he is talking about himself. Let us hear what he further says: “Mary stood outside the tomb weeping”; for John and Peter themselves, having heard from her, and running to the life-giving tomb, saw what had happened, and according to the signs (that were on their face), believing and marveling, they went home. Mary, remaining, stood outside at the tomb, weeping, because she did not yet have full confirmation of the Lord’s Resurrection, although twice, together with other wives, she came to the tomb: first, together with the Mother of God, as Matthew narrates, saying that: “On the Sabbath evening, having gone together from the Sabbaths, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, he was a great coward,” etc. (Matthew 28:1–2) 81. Then, now comes along with Peter and John, who, based on what they saw, believed and marveled, went away. Thus, having come twice together with others to the Tomb, while those who came with her believed and were convinced, she, as if she had not received any confirmation (of the Resurrection of Christ), cries inconsolably. It can be seen that something similar happens in relation to exploits in virtue: thus, Grace immediately comes to meet one of those who strive and provides them with full certification in the form of deposits, giving them a taste of the promised rewards, as if extending a philanthropic hand to them and accepting them, and anointing them for further exploits; for others he waits for the end of their feat, preparing for them, of course, crowns for their patience; as one of the God-bearing Fathers said: some - before labor, others - during labor, and others - in the exodus (from their body) perceive sacred rewards. This happens according to the all-wise Divine Providence, which arranges everything that relates to us in a variety of ways, and distributes to everyone what is due and serves for his benefit, both in relation to works of virtue and in relation to the Sacraments of faith. So, wisely and philanthropically arranging also in relation to Mary Magdalene, the Lord judged that she would not yet receive evidence of His Resurrection, so that in her example and those who follow, he would lead and incline to patience. Let us hear what gifts she was awarded after this for her steadfastness and patient endurance: “As she wept,” says the Evangelist, “she went into the tomb: and saw two angels in white robes sitting, one at the head, and one at the foot, where the body of Jesus lay.” The fact that she bent over and had her eyes fixed on the Coffin with deep emotion was a sign of extreme mental tension. But first we must examine this: how is it that, while there was still darkness, as the Evangelist says above, she clearly saw everything, both every detail, and from the outside she saw what was inside the cave. Meanwhile, it is obvious that there was still darkness from without, because the physical day had not yet completely dawned; this cave was filled with the light of the Resurrection, which, being divinely visible to Mary, inflamed her love for Christ even more, and gave the strength to her eyes to then perceive the vision of the Angels, and not only see, but also have the opportunity to speak with the Angels: because this light had such power. She saw them in white robes, not only because of the purity and luminosity of the Angelic nature, but also as proclaiming and showing with their radiance the Mystery of the Resurrection, and together and as if by deed co-celebrating with us the truly luminous Day of the Master's Resurrection. She saw them sitting, so that she would clearly understand that not only then did they come, but they had also been here before, although they had not revealed themselves before, and she would also understand: what dignity do some of them have, who are invisible even when they are present. The reason that they sat, I think, was also their love, wanting to get closer to the place where the Body of the Master had previously lay; because, imbued with love, they sat at the tomb: one at the head, and the other at the feet, and showed that for the Angels it was equally loved and honest: both the Divinity of Christ, whose symbol was the place where His head rested, and His Incarnation, whose image was the place of His feet. “And she said to her: “Woman, why are you crying?” “You see the sky in this cave, or better yet, a heavenly church, erected instead of an earthly grave and a prison, filled together with an earthly grave and a prison, filled instead of earthly guards, with heavenly Angels who have the great honor of guarding the Tomb of the Life-Giver of God and joyfully cherishing it when it is now empty. And you, oh wife, why are you crying?! - It is not out of ignorance of her condition (ta catantin) that they ask, but in order to restrain her anguish, make her capable of perceiving them and create favorable conditions for the fulfillment of their work; the work of the Angels sitting at the Tomb of the Life-Giver was to proclaim the glory of the Risen One. But to the question of the Angels about the reason for her crying, she replies: “For I have taken my Lord, and do not know where I have laid Him. And this reversal will be reversed." What prompted Maria to suddenly turn back? – Undoubtedly the slavish admiration and attention of the Angels to the appeared Lord; for she, behold, calls Him her only Lord (saying, “Taking my Lord”), and suggests the theft and movement of the body, revealing thereby, however, a disposition towards Him from the soul, but by no means thinking about Him as it is fitting to think about God. They in fact show that He is the Lord and the very Angels of God: because while He had not yet appeared, they were sitting at the Tomb, but when the Lord appeared directly, they immediately stood up, and with reverence and admiration, as it corresponded to their image, intensely listened to Him. Mary, turning around to see what, like a vision, shocked the Angels, sees Jesus standing, although she does not understand that it is Jesus in front of her, considering the Resurrection unheard of and hardly possible. Since, in addition, the twilight still prevailed over the light of day, and the Lord did not show her (His) Divine radiance, but was as He was known during life and during the Suffering, Mary did not recognize Him, but takes Him for the gardener of the local garden - the Cultivator of souls and the Creator of the world. When He called and called her by name, saying: “Mary,” then she recognized Him and answered, and, changing her mind, said: “Rabbi, who is spoken to the Teacher”; but even then, although she saw Him alive, it did not occur to her to somehow think of Him as God, but she treats Him simply as a Man of God and a Teacher of divine things, and therefore strives not only to fall, but also to touch, out of love, His feet - but hears: “Do not touch Me”; He seems to be telling her: since your thought does not touch the depth of the Sacrament regarding Me: that I am God, now visible to you in the flesh, and then in the flesh now especially divine, then therefore: “Do not touch Me.” And this had to be preserved for the Mother of God: the fact that She alone among the wives had to touch the Body after the Resurrection - God incarnate from Her for our sake; which is what happened, the Evangelist Matthew narrates: for because of Her, he says, that (the Myrrh-Bearing Wives), having approached, touched the feet of (the Risen Lord Christ). He says to Mary Magdalene: “Do not touch Me, for I shall not sigh to My Father,” which fully corresponds to the words that He then said to the Disciples: “I will ascend to My Father,” and now: “For I shall not sigh.” He says this so that they will react with extreme concern and in order to ignite their love and motivate them to a yearning desire to see Him. But these last words of the Savior also related to Mary Magdalene: “Do not touch Me” - because now the body in which I have put on is stronger than fire, rushing upward and more full of power, and not only is it able to ascend to heaven, but also to the Superheavenly Father Himself; but I have not yet ascended to My Father, because after the Rising from the dead, I have not yet appeared to My Disciples. “Go now to these My brethren” - for We are all from One Father, although not in the same way: for I am the Son by His nature and of one substance with Him; and they became His adopted sons through Me. “Go therefore to my brethren, and tell them, I will ascend to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God”; for He is our Father by the grace of adoption of the Spirit; His He is the Father by Divine nature; so He is our God, as the Creator of nature; He is His God, by virtue of the dispensation that He assumed human nature; and for this reason He said this in a separate form, so that we would understand the mutual difference (of these concepts: in what sense did Christ say: My Father, and your Father; My God, and your God). And through this mention that He ascends to the Father, He led them to understand about His body (after the Resurrection): that it is exactly the one in which He had always abode on earth before and was with them all the time. But Magdalene Mary, whom we glorify as one of Christ’s Myrrh-Bearers, into whom, after Christ had expelled seven evil spirits from her, instead the sevenfold active divine grace of the Spirit was completely infused... So, this Magdalene Mary, for her steadfast endurance, was awarded the vision of Angels and conversations with them, and, having seen the Lord Himself, becomes His Apostle for The Apostles, and from the divine lips themselves is taught, and having finally become convinced (of the Resurrection of Christ), she goes to the Apostles, announcing to them that she saw the Lord, and He told her this. Let us reflect, brethren, on how much Magdalene Mary was inferior in dignity to Peter, Corypheus of the Apostles, and John, the beloved Theologian of Christ, and, however, how much more than they she was then awarded. For they, running to the Tomb, saw only the shroud and the sir; she, thanks to her inner and persistent endurance - since she remained and remained at the entrance to the cave to the end - before the Apostles she saw not only the Angels, but also the Lord of the Angels himself, raised in flesh from the dead, and became His personal listener and through His divine lips was appointed to be the executor of His commands. And, behold, this church is the image of His Tomb; it is better to say - and in more than - way: otherwise, perhaps, only by imagining it. For it also has a place where the Body of the Master lies, in the inner room behind the veil, where the all-sacred Table is located. So the one who inwardly resorts to this divine, truly, and God-containing Tomb, and sits down and remains to the end, concentrating and extending his thoughts to God, he will not only recognize in this the divinely inspired words of Scripture, as if - some Angels proclaiming the Divinity and Humanity of us incarnate for the sake of God’s Word, but will also clearly see with the mental eyes of the Lord Himself; I will even say - and bodily: for he who looks with faith at the Mystical Table, and the Bread of Life resting on it, sees the Most Hypostatic (Existing) Word of God, Who became Flesh and dwelt among us; and if he makes himself worthy for It to dwell in him, then he will not only see, but also become a participant in It, and have Him dwelling within himself, and will be filled with the divine grace given by Him; and how this Mary saw what the Apostles longed to see; Likewise, this person is worthy to see and enjoy that into which, as the Apostle puts it, the Angels desire to penetrate, and through contemplation of this and communion, the whole becomes God-like. So, brethren, again correct your hands, which are lowered to the practice of virtues, and your weakened knees, and give your feet the right course, walking in the right paths of the Lord: righteousness, chastity, love, humility, truth; perverted and completely crooked paths, such as hatred, lies, deceit, murder, greed, pride, and the like, and not only committed, but even nourished in the heart, make a person worthy of God turning away from him: because man looks at the face, but God looks at the heart, and He Himself is the one who searches the hearts and insecurities. But you, having gathered in the church of God, “having girded your loins with your thoughts,” as Corypheus of the Apostles Peter says, “with sobriety, fully trust in the grace brought to you by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:13). For it is impossible for someone who stands in the sacred Church of God and gathers his mind and extends it to God and delve into the content of the sacred chants, listening to them from beginning to end, not to turn to God in accordance with the subject of thought about God and about divine words: for there is a certain warmth in the heart, as a consequence of such reflection, which, like flies, drives away bad thoughts and brings spiritual peace and consolation into the soul, and gives the body sanctification, according to what was said: “My heart warms within me, and a fire burns in my teaching” (Ps. 39:4). And this is exactly what one of the God-bearing Fathers taught us, saying: make every effort so that your inner work is according to God, and (then) you will overcome external passions. In addition, the great Paul, urging us, says: “Walk in the Spirit, and do not commit carnal lust” (Gal. 5:16). Therefore, in another place, exhorting, he writes: “Gird up your loins with truth” (Eph. 6:14); this happens when the thought is turned to the divine and abides in the Divine Truth, and the concupiscible inclination of the soul is kept within careful boundaries and carnal desires are banished; and when carnal thoughts are suppressed in us, then the soul, which is at peace, perceives the grace of the Spirit and arranges it to be able to taste those future and ineffable blessings that the eye of a passionate and careless person has not seen, and the ear has not heard, and has not entered the heart of such a person; and this tasting is also a pledge of these spiritual blessings, and the heart that has received their pledges becomes spiritual and receives complete confidence in its salvation. So, whoever wishes to acquire such confidence and accurately know such spiritual guarantees (eternal blessings), let him live as the word has now indicated and depicted: for in this way he will be a fellow citizen of the Saints of God, and a partaker of the eternal and ineffable blessings promised to them, which may we all receive, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom befits glory, power, honor and worship, with the Beginning His Father and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. PG.151:265–276. Homilia XX. In matutinum octavum Evangelii secundum Ioannem, in qua et de magnis charismatibus quibus digni habebuntur qui in sacris synaxibus usque in finem pie perseverant. See about this in great detail in the 18th homily of Palamas, printed above in this book. You might be interested in: