On Holy Week

Of the Fifth Day of the Week of Passover The Nineteenth Memra And it is said of the Fifth Day of the Week of Passover A Homily He who puts an end to battles from the ends of the earth: he puts an end to the battles of the Evil One. The champion went forth to battle to rescue his captive from the Evil One. And he put on armor of flesh to do battle with the spirit. The athlete armed himself for the contest with the Evil One. And he placed his authority upon his shoulder to show his great power. At the head of the arena he opened the house of the contest for him. Angels and men were spectators of his athletic contest. The enemy saw and became enraged that the athlete had descended to the arena. And with the armor of the accuser he prepared himself for death. In the guise of armor the rebel was armed with a handful of insults. For I am guilty of death, servitude as to a lord. The Evil One, who was wholly free, became the athlete of righteousness. When he said, "Behold, the judge of judgment comes." Now is the great judgment that runs with me, the accuser. And like a dog he follows at the hands the entrance of death and sin. The judge of the world cried out with the sounds of lamentation. When he thought to frighten the son of Adam in the likeness of Adam. You do not know that to me is delivered the whole world and its authority. You do not understand that by my valor I have enslaved your entire race.

And you, do you not serve servitude from beginning to end? Have you not heard of the contest that you waged with Adam? How you were defeated and he conquered you, the living image of the Creator. With voices full of death, he terrified the athlete. And he did not know that he was hastening within himself while laughing at his weaknesses. The cause of death, he thought, would conquer him as it conquers everyone. And he did not know that through his death he would deliver the captivity from his hands. The wanton one completed his desire and laid down his life by means of death. And the dead one on the wood turned and overturned him and abolished his dominion. The dead one died in his victory and his strength grew strong, the power that dwells in him. And through the victory of his strength, he delivered the captivity from the evil one. He sent and cast it into mortality and ascended above the sufferings. And he abolished the decree of the guilty ones and with his blood he pacified the enraged. And he bound the tongues of the rational ones with love towards the Creator. His death became the cause of life for the dead and the undying. And hope and renewal stood equally for the rational and the deaf. The dominion of the rebel who enslaved man was destroyed and vanished. And he began to speak while crying out, "What is mine and what is yours, son of David?" His heralds proclaimed with voices from all sides, from the preachers full of spirit, while they pursued the cunning one so that the tempter of man would not disturb.

He revealed the hidden treasuries to the rebellious one over his market. And he cast into his hands the hopes that his flame would not be extinguished. And when he saw that his authority was nullified and the market was prepared for him, he became embittered, broke out, and raged, and became entirely contrary. He saw that his plots were scattered by the light of the fear of Christ. And he began to openly gather and snatch the honored name. In Christ, the angel of light, the arrogant one covers himself. And he calls the accomplices of his will, the angels of righteousness. He heard that the coming of Christ was destined at the end of the sacrifices. And he began to confuse the foam with the name of the revelation of Christ. From the sacrifice he cast a thought and will stumble in his bitterness. And his burning passion is like a fire that will bring his will to light. The sign of the power of the Creator will conceal his bitterness. Until the sacrifice, which is cut off at its end, receives completion. He knows how necessary it is to maintain the duration of the sacrifices. And he takes the sign of the one who holds, and then the iniquity will be extinguished. At the end of the sacrifices, he will send forth to show his bitterness. And the arrogant one will strive and ascend to the height of the name of Christ. In everything he is imitated in him in form and not in truth. When he performs powers in his likeness in a phantom without body. The rebellious one does not make his coming spiritually.

through the son of man he completes his errors in his hands. In the ordinance of the passion of Christ the slanderer is likened. When the son of man chooses him and completes in him the fullness of his wickedness. In the likeness of the word from the father the rebel likens himself. That he descended by his will to the dwelling of the abyss. In that greatness he is likened to the ember of life of salvation and that son of man also puts on and hunts with him the abyss for death. One son of man chooses him from the corpse of his dead. And clothes him with the spirit of falsehood and sets in motion through him the forces of his errors. He gives him to drink the cup of his bitterness and intoxicates him with the venom of his wrath. And he stirs up in his bitterness the banks of the likenesses that are likened in him. All his will he completes the reveler in that son of man. When he honors him he honors him the greatness of the glory of Christ. He sends before him messengers thousands of demons to all regions. When they disturb creation with the wiles of the forces of his coming. The names of the filled with deceits they sow in the ears of all peoples. When they leave their works and go out to see the accuser. Groans and bitter wiles run throughout the whole earth. That now the meaning go out receive the king who comes. The host of demons disturbs the dwelling upon its inhabitants.

When he falls from his tricks to the sight of the slayer of man. Visions of powers are revealed to the buried in the nights. And in the wakefulness of days the wiles of the disturber of minds. The knot of demons weaves deception against the tempter. When the troubled ones bow down to the worship of the wickedness of the rebel. In thousands of demons he is mixed, that one who is the vessel of all their error. When the rebels cry out to him, "Peace, king!" he cries out, "Authority!" He makes his self fly through the air when he is mixed in the clouds. And he appears to the eyes of the seers in a spirit of falsehood like a flier. Unclean demons sanctify that unclean one as a victor. When they raise praises to him, to the wanton one as a victor. He opens his mouth and speaks in echoes of voices full of clamor. When he weaves deception in the guise of love and concord. With confessions of falsehood he weaves all his orders after his words. When he confesses the resurrection and the standing to the corpses that lie. He warms the dead without body with shadows and images. And he makes processions stand for the dead when they do not tread on the earth. Falsely are performed the signs of deceptions. And in the spirit of their error he leads astray the tempter in the son of perdition. And he increases and compounds all opportunities that he may increase and lead astray all orders. He deepens and buries all traps.

He multiplies and forms all kinds of shapes. He begins the powers of the demons. He makes his own authority rule, abolishing kings and their crowns. He alone is called king. He passes through weights and service, and he covers the head and the mind. When he withdraws from service, the snares of the works are strengthened. He proclaims peace and concord, like a king who loves peace. For the sake of peace, he binds all the troops in his nets. Messengers go before him, who prepare the way for him. And from place to place he goes in the likeness of a king and authorities. In the name of God, the rebel covers himself from his servants. When he enters the temple of holiness, they bow down to him as to the Lord. Like the Creator, the vagabond is honored by the oppressors. He calls himself the Messiah, a lying mouthful of falsehood. In the temple of mercy sits that unclean one who loves iniquity. And he receives the worship of iniquity from the unjust ones unjustly. Woe, woe, O Messiah, who is hidden! This the oppressor proclaims. Be silent now and cease, mysteries, types, and wonders. He abolishes the service, that he alone might serve. He passes over the word of teaching, that his own word might be received. He silences the holy voices, the preachers of the words of the Spirit, so that the people may not hear the proclamation of the living word. The preachers have come to us, when they are revealed concerning my coming.

Leave aside the spectacles of wonders and look at the true substance. He stops the baptism of the waters and sinners are not justified. And he opens the gentle will of his mercy and seals the pure with it. This one, this one justifies sinners and leaves aside iniquity and sin. He gives remission of debts instead of water for body and soul. He abolishes the table of remission which was not consecrated according to the rite. While he proclaims with all his hands the abolition of the living mystery. He reveals the gentle will from the lips of his drinkers. And to that spiritual food he puts a stop from his partakers. The dissolute one cries out in the street shouts full of blasphemy. "This one, this one is truth and interpretation; leave aside mysteries and honor truth." Oh, the bitter mockery of his goodness which the rebel is destined to perform. He calls the mystery that is his own the mystery of his body that gives life to all. But now the interpreters have been confounded by this mockery. And the envious ones, from the truth, have poured forth tears of sorrow. Lovers of thought and teaching have composed hymns of praise. For the envious one abolishes the petition of the words of the spirit. The pure ones who were consecrated by the washing of baptism weep. For the rebel silences the spiritual birth. All the partners of the living mystery cry out equally. Which is revealed from the poison of life at the tables of the Messiah.

In the terrors of the accuser, the priests are silent in the sanctuary. The slanderer looses the order of their canons. All the melodies with all the hymns and the singing of the voices of the festivals. The voices of the praises cease and are not sung in the sanctuary. Why does he not weep and lament over this bitter calamity? The worship of the spirit ceases and approaches the slanderer. David, all the ordinances, the reveler on the day of his revelation. And he looses the orders and laws of his own error to be honored. With false signs he hunts the simple. And by the change of visions he leads astray the heart of the knowing. He abolishes the worship of gods and looses the priests and the ascetics. So that he alone may serve, priest and king and lord. They take before the end the festivals which the Saviour said. The sounds of wars and battles, and then the wicked one is troubled. There will be earthquakes and deaths and calamities full of sorrows. And people rise against people, and kingdom against kingdom. The world ceases from labor in harsh and bitter winters. And the rod is stretched over everyone, and famine consumes the mighty. By a sacrifice that is abominable and horrifying, and wars and battles grow strong. In it the reveler reveals his bitterness. And over this he mocks everyone and multiplies his error among the mighty.

They see the sacrifice that is changed, and the thrones are lowered from the earth. He silences the battles and the censers, and increases the noise for all the peoples. So that they do not desist from the course of the service of his bitterness. In these days he binds up the church and makes it rich. For when they saw the noise in the tumult, they received him as if he were true. In the form of the cause of the noise, he hunts down all the peoples. While they abandon their services and honor him like a king. Every order that is not established wanders after his teaching. For even the chosen ones, if they are able, he changes and hunts down their persuasion. With love and mercy that are fitting, a curse kills a man. And peace seeks out every man, the helper of all the church. The chosen one alone helps, to whom they do not give a hearing. When he brings afflictions in anger against the sick who have no remedy. From place to place he goes, that he may rest upon all his authority. When the rebel is kindled against all fears and gods. Not the errors of the fears does the erring one loose and abolish. He arranges the portions that he may expel the fear of truth from the earth. In the form of the noise he relaxes love for the Creator. In the form of righteousness his servants run before him. And the gospel of the noise brings that the Savior has not yet arrived. The cities go out to meet him with hymns and praises.

When he cries out in the Hosanna, Glory to the King who sacrificed for us. The great mourning turns Into the joy of the Church of the peoples. And the pure sanctuary is profaned By the wicked worship of the serpent. The lips that cried out glory Kiss the mysteries that set life. The voices of blasphemy cry out And torment the accuser. The mouths that praised in the sanctuary Hymns filled with spirit. They defile the sanctity of their mouths With the hymns of the deceiver. With a voice of glory he sins, The insolent one against the worship of his Lord. When he lowers the humanity From the heights to the low places. He completes all his will, The rebel against the son of the covenant. And then the Creator gives A sign of mercy upon the earth. He sacrifices from the silence of Elijah, And arranges the step of the deceiver. And he silences him from his course, So that he does not increase and begin for everyone. By this sign is sent Elijah at the end of the sacrifices. That he may come and arrange everything Before the revelation of the Messiah. Elijah comes before To silence the voices of error. And to appease the heart of the fathers Who were separated from their children. The lot that is full of clamor The king sends to the dwelling. In the revelation of his words He calms the wrath of the angry one. Like a lamp he shines in it For the darknesses toward knowledge. And like a guide he appeases in it The erring ones to the path of life.

The sounds of Elijah Silence the voice of the deceitful one. And they cut off his bound praises And the signs from iniquity cease. Elijah multiplies and sows The sounds of the foundations of the soul. And he increases the dew of his words, The repentance of the people and the nations. In the order of John the servant who ministered Before the earthly fear. In that same one Elijah comes Before that heavenly fear. Two heralds in the flesh He chose for his two revelations. That he might prepare on earth The conditions of love for his two revelations. That he might prepare on earth The conditions of love in the soul. John proclaimed his birth And Elijah his revelation. And they rejoiced at the time of both of them, That they might turn his commandments to the lost. Elijah multiplies and warns That the end is now near. Turn from the error of the straying ones To the straight path of the words. The arrogant one persists in his madness While he errs and leads the people astray. Until the covering covers The face of the whole earth. That revelation he keeps For the wicked one and utterly destroys him. That the people and the angels may see The pursuit of the judgment that awaits. Before that day are shown The signs that the Savior gives. And everything that is written is fulfilled And the world ceases from its course. The sun darkens its rays And the moon does not show its light.

And the stars follow after him like leaves, And he stops the course of the watchers. The thousands of their ranks pass by, Of the heavenly hosts, as they perform their authority For the answer of the King of the Height. The door of the firmament opens, Christ, the Lord of glory. And he reveals from his hidden silence And conceals him from the watcher. By the measure of the light before him, His light is the darkness of the sun. And at the slightness of his trembling, The rising of the lightning is something that arrives. There is no measure for that glory In which his revelation is shown, And no likeness for that greatness In which he is magnified by the watchers. Thousands of spiritual toils Come to the glory of his greatness. And innumerable seraphs Sanctify him from all sides. Their voices are not spoken In earthly languages. And the dead cannot hear The melodies of their songs. They shake the earth with their voices And the heavens with their beauty, as they run to the four directions To hear the sound of salvation. The sound of the calls disturbs The dwelling place for its inhabitants. And the beauties of the hosts cast Trembling into the heart of the natural beings. Above all of them is magnified Christ, the Lord of glory, As they cry out to him with their voices, "Holy, victorious King!" The head of the angels magnifies him, The living sign of the cross. And with unspeakable glory He shows himself to the seeing eyes.

Before him comes the victory of the king who conquers by his cross, and he sanctifies the spirits in place of the sacrifices of the pagans. The tribes of the house of Israel are crowned in his vision, and with holy melodies the sounds of the lyres resound. In great splendor he reveals himself to that people who suffered for him on earth. And when they see the greatness of his glory, his crucifiers are crowned by him. He, together with his people, is mingled with the heads of the spirits, and the heavenly and earthly beings see the glory of his greatness. In his victory he is revealed to spirits and to bodies, and he who ascended in clouds is he who comes in peace. Angels precede him, proclaiming his ascension to the heights, for in the vision in which he ascended, in that same vision he comes in his great glory. It is not the nature of essence to move and travel in its victory; it is the body that comes to be honored, that it may receive judgment and authority. There is no natural way for essence to move from place to place; it is will alone that travels, the word of being with the body. The descent without end descends with him from the height, and it renews the speakers and changes their actions. In great splendor he is revealed, shining like lightning, and he shows his vision from one end of the earth to the other. The great angels cry out with spiritual trumpets.

...and with the completion of their beautiful forms, he calls the battle of the spirit. The chief of the angels cries out in the final battle of the spirit. And with the voices of the mighty ones he commands the earth to give birth to the prepared ones. The pains strike the earth to give birth in place of the seeds. When the command constrains her that no dead one remain within her womb. The voice of the mighty one terrifies him, Death, the great master of the house of Sheol. When the thought pursues him of the number of the sons of Adam. The dead one does not stray in Sheol, nor does a limb remain in her. A single voice that burns the good and the evil equally. A resurrection equal for all, a vision of all that is not equal. It is the will that reveals the glorious body from its companion. By night he strikes his revelation, the king of height against the earthly ones, and he extinguishes the darkness with the light that flashes from his body. A cloud of wonder falls upon all with the sound of the trumpet of the angels. And the earthly ones are terrified at the vision of the spiritual ones. The heart of man is bewildered by a voice that resembles thunder. And the pains and the pangs seize with a movement that expels the souls. The voice of the mighty one terrifies him, the rebellious slanderer. And all his power ceases at a single sign, a blink of an eye. With the pains of fire he binds him and casts him into the flame. When the spectators are amazed at his silence without end.

...and with the completion of their beautiful forms, he calls the battle of the spirit. The chief of the angels cries out in the final battle of the spirit. And with the voices of the mighty ones he commands the earth to ...the man, then, he has chosen him and fills him with the desire of his wickedness. He destroys him from life by the destruction of his body and his soul. He does not cease to contend with his master in the midst of the market. He has finished and completed all of him and destroys him from life. A new wonder works the Creator in the son of destruction. That with the ruin of his members the release of his soul is added. He shows a great blow in the extinction of his life to the rational ones. That as he perishes from life the soul, a nature that does not die. It is fitting that it be a spectacle that one who errs the whole of their error. That he errs man from truth and man knows his destruction. To the accuser who eats the morsel he has destroyed him from life. That over what dwells in him his will that he be silenced in the destruction of his life. Thickened cords go to the rebel in the midst of Gehenna. That the temple of his will be destroyed and he be silenced forever. Before spirits and bodies he has destroyed that man. And to the heavens and the earths he shows the fall of the insolent one. First he binds the rebel and casts him into Gehenna. And then he opens the gates of height and casts down his sides to his sides. A great separation works in that which casts down the sides. That the good fly to heaven and the evil remain on earth. Here it takes an end that which was woven before the pure ones.

...be divided and to be separated, that the good may be distinguished from the evil. They stand before the prepared ones and cast off mortality. And then life is changed into the likeness of immortality. Then the word of Paul the preacher receives its completion: that the sleep of death does not overcome those who attain the completion of life. The dead and the living are changed and become in the likeness of spirits. And the body and soul are renewed and no longer fear sufferings. A single voice terrifies and raises the dead from the sleep of death. And with the joy of the prepared ones, life proclaims a transformation. At a small sign, all these distinctions are set in motion. And in the twinkling of an eye, the heavenly and earthly are changed. Swifter than lightning is that light which shines from the abyss. And with the terror of its vision, it transforms all and renews all. The bodies of the righteous become fragrant and spiritual. As they are sprinkled with clouds, they proceed to the gate of the firmament. Clouds of light are scattered, and the bodies of the saints are adorned. And they are snatched away on the path of the sinner, that they may ascend with him to heaven. The voice of the command is raised before the face of the gate of the firmament. And before the entrants, the great gate of heaven is opened. The king enters at the head of his host, and all who loved his revelations. And he seizes the gate of the height in the face of the evil and the deniers.

At that time the demons and wicked men are confounded, when they see the glory of the chosen ones as they are purified by prayers. They knock at the door of repentance, but grace does not enter for them. And they ask mercy from the judge, and the sinner is silent from that. They loved the earth of curses and did not desire the heavenly blessings. In the place which they loved, they are left behind, as they are tortured harshly. Bitterness and hatred of self grind them more than swords. And there they judge their own defects and spread out their actions. There they receive knowledge and become discerners of values. And they justify repentance by the pursuits of their own persons. By knowledge they see there, through the slight perceptions of the air. Crowns of glory that are adorned, the holy ones in the high kingdom. They weep and lament in bitterness, as they look upon the face of the height. And they see the path which in the midst is difficult to cross to the good ones. "Open for us," cry the violent ones, to the Lord of whose love they are full. And a voice is heard for them, "Daughter of the voice, which does not know your labors." The wailings are not numbered that the sinners pour out there. And the lamentations are not spoken that are offered from the abyss. The earth becomes like Gehenna for the sons of earth. And the firstborn of their thoughts burn the stench of their defects.

In the sight of the living they see the hidden mysteries of their actions. And by the weight of the mind the burden of evils is weighed. The thread of forgiveness is not equal for all the guilty. For against the multitude of wickedness the thread is bitter from thread. Nor in the glory of the exalted is the growth of their flames equal. For against the labors that are given, crowns of glory are given to the victorious. With bright shining stars, Paul kindles their flames. So that body sprouts from body in the likeness of stars from their companion. For each one, according to his labor, his reward is weighed and gives righteousness. And according to the love of the mind, the glory of the diligent increases. They have a place on earth beneath the expanse of the firmament. And the heaven above overshadows that which was established from the beginning. They dwell in a bright place where darkness does not rule. And there is no end to the delight of their spiritual joy. They do not labor in their limbs and do not weary in their frames. Spiritually they are adorned with blessings that never fade. Their labors, their praises, their vigils, their sanctities. And the melodies that sing glory to the Being are not exhausted. There is no carnal desire there nor change of mind. For soul and body are raised above sufferings and changes.

In great glory are consumed the forms of their divisions. And the male and female are equal in the garment of the light of the righteous. The distinction between servitude and freedom ceases entirely. For one who rules alone and extends his authority over all. God would be entirely in the soul of the rational ones, when sanctified from all, from spirits and bodies. All authority of one authority ceases entirely, being named, and he subjects under his feet all the power of the rebel. The accuser and sinners cry out from the darkness: "Righteous is your judgment, judge, and true is your judgment of your justice." The good sanctify him in the light, in glory that never fades, for by the power of the spirit they are empowered to repay glory to his greatness. Over all and in all is distributed the knowledge of his faith. And good and evil clearly confess that the essence is one. There cease entirely the disputes and the justifications that begot heresies. And one God is believed in three equal persons. They learn the power of the essence that is high and elevated above sensations. And they see in manifest faces the beginning that took from them. They do not see it as an image in the vision of external senses. And in the intellect it is sought in the essence that is without image, in the vision of external senses. And in the intellect it is sought in the essence that is invisible.

In it they offer thanksgiving, as in a temple of reconciliation. While they worship at the threshold of his body, the unending one. To him they become partners in the inheritance of the greatness of glory. Through his humanity, with him they are honored in his glories. There is no height of his dominion that is not ascended through his humanity. For he is honored with being, more than spirits and bodies. In the heirs of his inheritance they are covered with the name of immortality. And from the light of the greatness of his glory, the bodies of them put on glory. For these blessings let us remember, and let the desire for virtues be kindled. And for that light let us yearn, and see in the light the foundations. Let that day be for us like a mirror, and let us be examined in it. And let us go out from it, the blemishes of our soul before the furnace of truth. Awaken the sleep of your thoughts with the wakefulness of the love of truth. Lest the judge come and exact the wealth of our soul. Before that day, prepare for us oil for the light of your lamps. So that the bonds of sins do not bind you with hard chains of sin. And be turned away from the discipline of the straight path of truth. For the gate of the kingdom is narrow, and the way of life is constricted. In the purity of the soul, let us acquire wings for the weight of your members. So that the day of coming may cover you, and in the end, preserve your treasures.

Lest he come from silence and find you like a debtor. Arrange here your courses splendidly, like wise men. And by the knowledge of the Spirit, acquire spiritual benefits. For the bridge was difficult in the midst between the upper and lower ones. By the ladder of love, ascend to your dignities. By the anchor of faith, bind the ships of your thoughts, that they may not be sunk by the billows of the divisions of the slanderer. Refrain: Glory to your power, our Saviour, by which you have conquered the slanderer.