Слово на Святую Пасху. Святого Григория Богослова, архиепископа Константинопольского

Day of Resurrection!.. Let us be enlightened by triumph and embrace each other. Saying: brethren, and to those who hate us (Isa. 66:5), - how much more to those who, out of love (for us), did something or suffered. Let us forgive everyone for the sake of the Resurrection. Let's make peace with each other... Yesterday the Lamb was slain, the doors were anointed with blood, Egypt mourned the firstborn, and the destroyer, for whom one sign was terrible and terrible, passed by us, who were protected by the precious Blood. Now we have completely escaped from Egypt, from the cruel ruler Pharaoh and from the merciless overseers, we have freed ourselves from clay and plinth making, and no one prevents us from celebrating the feasts of the Lord our God, and celebrating not in the brew of wickedness, nor in the brew of malice and wickedness, but in unleavened purity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8), without any admixture of Egyptian and unholy kvass. Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, now I am glorified with Him: yesterday I died with Him, now I come to life with Him; Yesterday I was buried with Him, now I will be resurrected with Him. Let us bring gifts to Him who suffered for us and to the Risen One. Perhaps you think that I am talking about gold, or silver, or fabrics, or transparent and precious stones? This is an earthly substance, transitory and remaining on earth, of which the evil slaves of the earth, the slaves of the ruler of the world, always have more. No, let us offer ourselves - the most precious acquisition before God and most characteristic of Him. Let us render to the Image what was created in the image: let us recognize our dignity, let us honor our Prototype, let us understand the power of the sacrament (i.e., the real holiday), and for whom Christ died. Let us become like Christ: since Christ also became like us. Let us become gods for His sake, because He also became man for our sake. He took on the worst in order to give us the best, He became poor so that we could become rich through His poverty, He took on the form of a slave so that we could gain freedom, He condescended so that we could ascend, He was tempted so that we could overcome, He endured disgrace in order to glorify us, He died to save us, He ascended to draw to Him those who were lying down in the fall of sin. Let whoever gives everything, bring everything as a gift, to the One who gave Himself for us as the price of redemption. But no one will bring Him anything better than if he brings himself, and, having understood the sacrament, becomes everything to Him, just as He became everything to us. Amen. 5 In short. See Gregor. Nazianz. Opera graece et latin, 1690 ann., vol. I, pag. 673–675; cf.: Words of St. Gregory the Theologian - manuscript Moscow. Synod, bib. VIII–IX centuries (57/LVIII), l. 141 vol.–142; Created, St. Grigor. Theologian in Russian transl., ed. 1889, part I, pp. 3–6; Christian Read 1841, II, pp. 48–54; Resurrect. Read XXII (1858–59), pp. 1–2; Church Led. 1890 No. 14–15. You might be interested in: