Catechesis de juramento

Of John Chrysostom, Catecheses. By the same. In the previous catechesis, having discoursed about oaths, he delivered this one on the same subject again, showing that not only perjury, but also keeping an oath entails punishment, and that Christ usefully rose after three days. Discourse 2. Have you then driven out from your mouth the evil habit of oaths? For I have not forgotten either what I myself discoursed to you, or what you promised me concerning this matter. For I discoursed, and you promised, if not in word, then by your praises of what was said. And this promise is greater than one made by word; for he who promises by word often assents with his tongue but not with his mind, whereas he who praises what is said gives his consent from the soul. Have you then wiped your tongue clean of that grievous stain? Have you banished the corruption from your sacred soul? I conjecture that you have wiped it clean; for you are about to receive a great king and to enjoy much teaching, spiritual teaching from the more understanding fathers. And the time is sufficient, and the deadline given for correction is now at its end, and you are docile and compliant. "For obey your leaders and yield to them," says the apostle, and in everything listen to them. From all these things, conjecturing, I think the whole matter has been set right. But I would not wish to conjecture and think, but to know clearly.

For I would have touched more eagerly upon the more mystical discourses, having set aside the concern about oaths, and with greater freedom I would have led you by the hand to this awe-inspiring initiation, and I would have introduced you into the innermost sanctuary itself and shown you the holy of holies and everything there—not a golden jar containing manna, but the Lord's body, the heavenly bread. I would have shown you not a wooden ark containing stone tablets and the law, but a spotless and holy flesh containing the lawgiver himself. I would have shown within not a spotless slaughtered sheep, but the sacrificed lamb of God, a mystical sacrifice, which even the angels tremble to behold. I would have shown you not Aaron entering in a golden robe, but the only-begotten entering, bearing the firstfruits of our nature, displaying to the Father himself the magnitude of the achievement: "For Christ did not enter into handmade sanctuaries," he says, "which are copies of the true ones, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God." There is a veil there, not like the one the Jewish temple had, but far more awe-inspiring. Listen, then, to what this veil is like, so that you may learn what that holy of holies was like, and what this one is. "Having," he says, "great confidence for entering the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, which inaugurated for us a fresh and living path through the veil, that is, through his own flesh." Do you see how this veil is more awe-inspiring than that one? I wished to initiate you into all these things today. But what am I to do?

The concern about oaths does not let me go, melting my soul. And I know that many will condemn the exaggeration of what is said, when they hear that it melts my soul; for they consider the sin a small one. But I lament all the more for this reason. For other sins are both grievous and are considered grievous—for example, murder and adultery are grievous and are considered grievous—but an oath is grievous, yet is not considered grievous. For this reason I lament and fear the sin. For this, this is the devil’s method: to introduce sin concealed, and just as one mixes poison with familiar food, so he contrives to hide the oath in the preconception of men. What then? Shall we expend all our teaching and time on the oath? By no means. For I also conjecture that there are some who have succeeded. For just as when the sower goes out, not all the seed falls among thorns, nor all upon rocks, but much also falls upon good ground, so now it is impossible that with so much teaching given to so great a multitude there should be no one able to show the fruit. Therefore, since many have succeeded, but not yet all, let us also divide the discourse. For it would have been necessary that those who have not succeeded should not hear mystical discourses at all. But that those may not be injured, let us grant a favor to the more careless for the sake of the more diligent. For it is much better to grant this to them for the sake of those, than to injure the more diligent for the sake of the more careless.

I wish to remind you of a debt, which I promised in the previous discourse but did not discharge, because more urgent matters of the discourse pressed upon us. What then was that debt? I sought to tell you why our fathers, passing over the entire time of the year, legislated that your souls be initiated at this season; and I said that the observation of the season did not happen simply or at random. For the grace is always the same and is not hindered by time; for the grace is divine. But the observation of the season also has something mystical. For what reason, then, did the fathers now legislate this feast? Now our king has conquered the war against the barbarians; for all demons are barbarians and more savage than barbarians. Now he has destroyed sin, now he has extinguished death and subdued the devil, he has taken the captives. Therefore, we celebrate the present day as memorials of those victory celebrations. For this reason the fathers now legislated that the royal gifts be distributed; for this is the law of victory celebrations. So also do external kings: they honor the days of victory celebrations with many honors. But the manner of that honor is full of dishonor; for what honor are theaters and the things done and said in theaters? Are they not all filled with shame and much laughter? But this honor is worthy of the great generosity of the one who honored. For this reason they now legislated, so that through the season they might remind you of the victory of the master, so that during the victory celebrations there might be some who wear bright garments and enter in honor of the king.

Not only for this reason, but also so that you may commune with the Lord at the proper time. He was crucified, it says, on the wood; you be crucified through baptism. For crucifixion, it says, is both baptism and death, but death of sin, but crucifixion of the old man. Listen, then, to what Paul says, how he speaks of both concerning baptism, that it is death of sin and the cross: "Or do you not know that all of you who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death?" And again: "Our old man was crucified with him, so that the body of sin might be abolished." So that you might not be afraid upon hearing "death" and upon hearing "cross," he added that the cross is death of sin. Do you see how baptism is a cross? Learn that Christ also called the cross a baptism, giving you in return and receiving the name of baptism. He called your baptism a cross; he says, I call my cross a baptism. And where does he say this? "I have a baptism to be baptized with, which you do not know." And how is it clear that he speaks of the cross? The sons of Zebedee came to him, or rather, "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" said: "Say that these two sons of mine may sit, one on my right and one on my left, in your kingdom." A mother's request, even if thoughtless. What then does Christ say? "Can you drink the cup which I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Do you see that

He called the cross baptism. How is this clear? "Can you," he says, "drink the cup which I am about to drink?" He calls the passion a cup, and because of this he says, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me." You see how he called the cross baptism and the passion a cup? He called it thus, not because he himself was being purified (for how could he be, since "he committed no sin nor was there any guile in his mouth"?), but because the blood that flowed from there purified the whole world. Because of this, Paul also says, "We have become fellow participants in the likeness of his death through baptism." He did not say "in his death," but "in the likeness of his death." For that death and this death are both death, but not of the same thing: that one is of the body, this one of sin; therefore it is a likeness of death. What then? Do we only die with the master and share only in the sorrowful things? Not at all—this is not even sorrowful, to share in the master's death. But wait a little, and you will see yourself sharing also in the joyful things: "For if we died with him," he says, "we believe that we will also live with him." For both burial and resurrection are in baptism at the same time: it lets the old man go below and takes the new man and rises, "just as Christ rose through the glory of the Father." Do you see how he speaks of resurrection again? But why is it that our resurrection, burial, and death occur at the same time (for we are both buried and rise together), while the master's was delayed? For he rose in three days.

Why then is our resurrection sudden, but the Lord’s slower? Yes, advantageously, so that you may learn that the slowness is not due to weakness; for he who was able to raise the slave in a brief moment of time could much more raise himself. For what reason, then, the slowness? For what reason the three-day burial? So that, by the death lingering and through the slowness, the proof of the resurrection might be indisputable. For even now, after such proof, there are people saying that he suffered in appearance; if such slowness had not occurred, what would those people not have said? For the devil wished to plot not only against the doctrine of the resurrection, but also against the belief in the death; for he knew, he knew clearly that the saving death was a common remedy for the world, and he strove to remove this from the faith of men, so as to destroy salvation. For this reason the Lord delays in the resurrection, and the Jews come saying, "Give us soldiers, so that we may guard the tomb.

Oh, the shamelessness! When have you seen a corpse being guarded, O Jew? For if the crucified one was a common corpse and a mere man, why do you do strange and paradoxical things? Why do you fear and tremble and gather guards? Yet God did not prevent even this, but allowed him to be guarded, so that the sinner might be caught in the works of his own hands. For they said, "Give us soldiers, so that his disciples may not steal him and say that he rose." But the opposite happened; for they took soldiers so that, if he rose, they might not say that his disciples stole him and that he did not rise, and the things contrived against the resurrection became for the resurrection, and Christ made the plotters themselves witnesses of the resurrection, in order to cut off their defense on that day. For what reason, then, the fathers commanded that you be initiated at this time, we have, I think, sufficiently set forth through what has been said to you. But I wish also to discharge another debt to you, if you have not grown weary of listening, and to say why we send you forth from here barefoot and with unshod feet to the voices of those who exorcise; for here too the same reason will appear again, that the king, having conquered in war, took captives. Such is the condition of captives. Listen, then, to what God says to the Jews: "As my servant Isaiah went naked

and barefoot, thus shall the sons of Israel go into captivity, naked and barefoot. Therefore, wishing to remind you of the former tyranny of the devil, through this form he sends you to the memory of the baseness of old. For this reason you stand not only naked and barefoot, but also with your hands outstretched, so that you may also confess the lordship of God, to which you now come, after this. You are all spoils and booty; and Isaiah mentions these spoils from afar, before the outcome of events, proclaiming beforehand thus: "He himself will divide the spoils of the strong." And again: "He came to proclaim release to captives." And David, along with him, prophesying this captivity, said: "You ascended to a height, you took captivity captive." But do not be saddened hearing of captivity; for nothing is more blessed than this captivity. For the captivity of men leads from freedom to slavery, but this one transfers from slavery to freedom; and the captivity of men deprives one of a homeland and leads to a foreign land, but this captivity casts out of the foreign land and leads to the homeland, the upper Jerusalem. The captivity of men deprives one of a mother, but this one leads you to the mother common to us all. That one separates you from relatives and fellow citizens, but this one leads you to the citizens above; for "you are fellow citizens," it says, "of the saints." So the form has this meaning.

Why then do the voices of the exorcists, those fearful and terrifying ones, remind you of the common master, of punishment, of retribution, of Gehenna? Because of the shamelessness of the demons. For the catechumen is like an unsealed sheep, and a deserted inn, and a shelter without doors, lying open to all simply, a haunt of robbers, a refuge of wild beasts, a dwelling of demons. Since, therefore, it seemed good to the king, out of great philanthropy, that this deserted inn, this unbarred place, this refuge of robbers, should become royal courts, for this reason he sent us, the teachers, and those exorcists, to prepare the lodging beforehand. And we, the teachers, make the walls, which are rotten, strong through teaching; for it says, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be likened to a prudent man who built his house upon the rock." We lay secure foundations until the king arrives. If we see any filth and mire, we drain it out; for such is the habit of sin, foul and unclean. Listen, then, how David describes its nature: "Like a heavy burden, they weighed heavily upon me; my wounds stank and festered from the face of my folly." We drain out the foulness and place the spiritual ointment, while the exorcists, through those fearful voices, look around lest there be a wild beast, lest a serpent, lest a viper, lest a scorpion.

After hearing that fearful voice, even if the beast is savage, it cannot sink down nor hide in its lair, but it comes up and flees, even unwillingly. I wished to say also another thing, which I did not promise to say; but it was necessary to say why we are the faithful, while the others are the uninitiated catechumens. For it is truly shameful and ridiculous to receive a title and not even know the name of that title. But what am I to do? The concern about oaths has again beset me and accused me of slowness and draws the discourse to itself. Therefore, postponing these words to the next day, let us now turn to the exhortation concerning oaths. Terrible is the oath, beloved, terrible and harmful: a deadly drug, a grievous poison, a hidden wound, an unseen ulcer, a concealed corruption that brings its venom to the soul; a satanic dart, a fiery javelin, a two-edged sword, a sharpened blade, an unforgivable sin, a lawlessness that admits no defense, an abyss.

deep, a sheer precipice, a strong trap, a spread net, a bond that cannot be loosened, an inescapable noose. Are these things enough, and do you believe that the oath is a terrible thing, more grievous than all sins? Be persuaded by me, be persuaded, I beg you. But if anyone disbelieves, I offer the proof even now. For what no other sin possesses, this sin has. For while we escape punishment by not transgressing the other commandments, with the oath we are often punished alike both when we keep it and when we transgress it. Perhaps you did not understand what was said? Therefore it is necessary to say it again more clearly. Often someone has sworn to do an unlawful deed and has fallen into an inescapable snare. For then it is necessary either to keep the oath and act lawlessly, or not to keep the oath and be caught by the charge of perjury. And the precipice has become deep on both sides, death inexorable on both sides, both for those who keep the commandment and for those who do not. Is there, then, anything more destructive than this offense, when it is both kept and not kept? And so that you may learn that this is so, and that many have often made themselves liable to punishment not only by breaking the oath but also by keeping the oath, I will tell you such a story. Herod once celebrated his birthday and kept the day on which he was born. And wishing to make it splendid, he brought in the daughter of the queen to dance, not knowing that he was rather disgracing her.

For one ought to give thanks to the benevolent God, that He made him from nothing, that He gave him a soul, that He brought him into this noble theater of creation, that He made him a spectator of this most beautiful and marvelous work of creation; one ought to honor the day with hymns and thanksgivings to the Master, but he honored it with dishonor. For what is more dishonorable than dancing? On this day the daughter of Herodias danced. Listen, both men and women, all of you who honor your best possessions with such dances and such songs: these are not small evils, even if they seem indifferent; for they are great evils precisely because they seem indifferent; for they do not receive much attention. For a great disease that receives care is extinguished, but the one that seems small, because it is despised for this very reason, becomes great. What are you saying? Does anyone dare to bring dancing into the house of a believer and not fear that a thunderbolt from above might be hurled down and burn everything? I say these things also to the women, so that they may discipline the men and lead them away from such pleasure. On this day the daughter of the queen entered and danced. Blessed be God, to what sobriety He has transformed our life. Listen, you faithful, to what kind of bridegroom you approach, who adorned our life, which before this was unseemly, with modesty, sobriety, and dignity; for what the queen then was not ashamed to do, now a lowly maidservant would not choose to endure. So that woman danced, and after the dance she committed another, more grievous sin.

For that foolish man was persuaded to promise her, under oath, to give whatever she might ask. Do you see how the oath makes even men foolish? He swore simply to give whatever she might ask. What then, if she had asked for your head? What if she had asked for the entire kingdom? But that man understood none of these things. For the devil stood by, making the trap strong, and as soon as he completed the oath and set the trap and spread the net everywhere, then he brought forward that request, so that the hold might become inescapable. "Give me," she says, "the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The request is shameless, the giving is foolish and harmful. The oath is the cause of both. What then ought to have been done? Remember what I was saying, that both keeping the commandment and transgressing it, we are punished alike. Ought he to have given the head of the prophet? But the punishment is unbearable. But ought he not to have given it? But then he would incur the charge of perjury. Do you see how the precipice is on both sides? "Give me," she says, "the head of John the Baptist here on a platter." O the accursed

of the request; but nevertheless she persuaded and thought to muzzle that sacred tongue, yet it cries out even until now; for every day, or rather in every church, you hear John crying out through the Gospels and saying: "It is not lawful for you to have the wife of Philip, your brother." He cut off the head, but he did not cut off the voice; he muzzled the tongue, but he did not muzzle the reproach. See what the oath does: it cuts off the heads of prophets. You saw the bait, fear the destruction; you saw the net, do not fall into it. But it is necessary now to spare, so that the cut may not become deeper; it is necessary now to stay the hand and the bloodied iron, and to put the word to silence from the wounds of perjury. Remember this, and you will never sin, that both keeping the oath and not keeping it, you are punished alike. Where now are those who say, "If I swear on a just matter"? For where is this just, when it is a transgression of the law? Where is it just, when God forbids, and you do it? But now bear with us as we bind up the wounds; for the bandage also has something painful. For the punishment of both perjury and keeping an oath is severe even before our teaching, and more severe after our teaching. "For if I had not come," he says, "and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but now they have no excuse for the sin." This too can be said of you, that you have no defense left when you transgress.

Now then, baptism washes away and cleanses with great precision, even if it finds perjury, even if it finds a lawful oath, even if it finds fornication, even if it finds adultery, even if it finds every kind of wickedness; may it be that henceforth you also preserve this purity, free from every stain, and that we may be able to partake of some freedom of speech through your prayers; for it is permitted to you to pray even for teachers from now on. For after a little while you are about to appear from the heavens, shining more brightly than the stars themselves. May it be, then, through your prayers, that we all partake of freedom of speech before the tribunal of Christ, through whom and with whom glory is to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.