De cruce et latrone i

On the Cross and the Thief, and on the Second Coming of Christ, and on Continually Praying for Enemies. Homily 1. 1. Today our Lord Jesus Christ is on the cross, and we celebrate a feast, so that you may learn that the cross is a feast and a spiritual festival. For formerly the cross was a name of condemnation, but now it has become a matter of honor; formerly a symbol of judgment, now a foundation of salvation. For this has become the cause of countless goods for us; this has delivered us from error; this has enlightened us sitting in darkness; this has reconciled us, who were at war, with God, has made us, who were estranged, familiar, has made us, who were far off, to be near; this is the abolition of enmity, this is the security of peace, it has become a treasury of countless goods for us. Because of this we no longer wander in deserts; for we have come to know the true way; we no longer dwell outside the kingdom; for we have found the door; we do not fear the fiery darts of the devil; for we have seen the spring.

Because of him we are no longer in widowhood; for we have received back the bridegroom; we do not fear the wolf; for we have the good shepherd. "I am," he says, "the good shepherd." Because of him we do not shudder at the tyrant; for we attend upon the king; and for this reason we keep a feast, celebrating the memory of the cross. Thus also Paul commanded that we keep a feast because of the cross: "For let us feast," he says, "not with old leaven, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Then, adding the reason, he continued: "Because our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us." Do you see how he commands us to feast because of the cross? For on the cross Christ was sacrificed. And where there is a sacrifice, there is a removal of sins, there is a reconciliation with the Master, there is a feast and joy. "Our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us." And where was he sacrificed, tell me? On the high place of the scaffold. The altar of this sacrifice is new, because the sacrifice also is new and extraordinary. For the same one was both sacrifice and priest: sacrifice according to the flesh, priest according to the spirit; the same one both offered and was offered according to the flesh. Listen, then, to how Paul indicated both these things: "Every high priest," he says, "taken from among men, is appointed by men; hence it is necessary that he also have something to offer." Behold, he offers himself. Elsewhere he says that Christ, once offered to bear away the sins of many, will appear to those who await him for salvation. Behold, here he was offered, and there he offered himself. Do you see how he became both sacrifice and priest, and the cross was the altar?

And why, it is said, is the sacrifice not offered in the temple, but outside the city and the walls? So that this might be fulfilled: "He was counted among the lawless." And why is it slaughtered on a high platform, and not under a roof? So that it might purify the nature of the air; for this reason it is on high, with no roof above, but with the sky above. For the air was purified by the sheep being sacrificed on high; and the earth was also purified, for the blood dripped from its side onto it. For this reason it is not under a roof, for this reason it is not in the Jewish temple, so that the Jews might not appropriate the sacrifice, nor might you think that it is offered for that nation alone; for this reason it is outside the city and the walls, so that you may learn that the sacrifice is universal, that the offering is for the whole earth, so that you may learn that the purification is common, not partial, as in the case of the Jews. For to the Jews, for this reason, God commanded that they leave the whole land and offer sacrifices and pray in one place, since the whole land was impure, from the smoke and savor and all the other pollutions from the Greek sacrifices carried upon it; but to us, since Christ came and purified the whole inhabited world, every place has become a place of prayer. For this reason Paul also confidently exhorted that we may henceforth pray fearlessly everywhere, saying thus: "I want men to pray in every place, raising holy hands." Do you see how the inhabited world was purified? For we are able to raise holy hands everywhere because of the place, since the whole earth has become holy, holier than the holy places within.

There, an irrational sheep was offered; here, a spiritual one. And by as much as the sacrifice is greater, so too is the sanctification greater. For this reason, the cross is a feast. 2. Do you wish to learn another of his achievements? The paradise, closed for five thousand years and more, he has opened to us today. For on this day, at this hour, God brought in the thief, accomplishing two things: one, that he opened paradise; the other, that he brought in a thief. Today he gave us back our ancient homeland; today he led us back to our ancestral city, and granted the house to the common nature of mankind. For today, he says, you will be with me in paradise. What are you saying? You are crucified and nailed, and you promise paradise? Yes, he says, so that on the cross you may learn my power. For since the event was grim, so that you might not attend to the nature of the cross, but learn the power of the one crucified, he works this wonder on the cross, which especially shows his strength. For not by raising a dead man, not by commanding the sea and winds, not by driving out demons, but while being crucified, nailed, insulted, spat upon, reviled, mocked, he was able to change the wicked mind of the thief, so that you might see his power from both sides. For he both shook the whole creation and split the rocks, and he drew in and honored the soul of the thief, more insensible than rock. For today, he says, you will be with me in paradise. And yet the cherubim guarded paradise; but he is master even of the cherubim. A flaming sword turns there.

But He Himself has authority over both flame and Gehenna, and over life and death. Indeed, no king would ever tolerate a robber, or any other fellow slave, sitting beside him and being brought into the city in such a manner. But Christ did this, and entering the holy fatherland, He brings the robber with Him, not trampling Paradise, nor dishonoring it with the robber's feet, but rather honoring Paradise; for it is an honor to Paradise to have such a master, who can make even a robber worthy of the luxury in Paradise. For when He brought tax collectors and prostitutes into the kingdom of heaven, He did not do so to dishonor it, but rather to honor it, showing that the Lord of the kingdom of heaven is such that He can make even prostitutes and tax collectors so refined as to appear worthy of that honor and gift. Just as we most admire a physician when we see him freeing people from incurable sufferings and restoring them to health, so it is right to admire Christ when He heals incurable wounds, when He restores a tax collector and a prostitute to such health as to render them worthy of the heavens. And what such deed did the robber display, one might say, that he should obtain Paradise after the cross? Do you wish me to state his courage briefly? When Peter denied below, then that one confessed above. And I say this not to accuse Peter—far from it—but to praise the robber.

wishing to display magnanimity. The disciple could not bear the threat of a lowly girl; but the robber, seeing an entire crowd standing around, shouting, raging, hurling blasphemies and mockeries, paid no attention to them, took no notice of the apparent lowliness of the crucified one, but with the eyes of faith passing over all these things and leaving aside the humble obstacles, recognized the Master of the heavens, and falling before him said: Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom. Let us not simply pass over this robber, nor be ashamed to take as teacher one whom our Master was not ashamed to bring first into paradise; let us not be ashamed to take as teacher a man who proved worthy of the citizenship of the heavens before all nature, but let us examine each detail precisely, so that we may learn the power of the cross. He did not say to him, as to Peter: Come after me, and I will make you a fisher of men; nor did he say to him, as to the twelve, that You will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel; rather, he did not even deign him with a word at all; he showed no miracle, he saw no dead man raised, no demons driven out; he saw no sea obeying, he said nothing to him about a kingdom, nothing about Gehenna; and before all this, he confessed him, and this while the other was reviling him; for the other robber was reviling him. For there was another robber crucified with him, so that this might be fulfilled: He was counted among the lawless.

For the Jews wished to slander his reputation as well, and from every side they harassed what was happening; but from every side the truth shone through, and it grew through their hindrances. So the other robber reviled him. Do you see a robber and a robber? Both on the cross, both from a life of robbery, both from wickedness; but not both in the same state, for one inherited a kingdom, the other was sent to Gehenna. So also yesterday: disciples and a disciple, Judas and the eleven; but those said, "Where do you wish us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" while this one was preparing betrayal and said, "What do you wish to give me, and I will hand him over to you?" And those were preparing for service and the divine mystagogy, while this one hastened to betray. So also here, a robber and a robber; but one reviles, the other worships; and one blasphemes, the other praises, and silences the blasphemer, saying, "Do you not fear God? For we are receiving what we deserve for what we have done.

3. Have you seen the boldness of a robber? Have you seen boldness on a cross? Have you seen philosophy in punishment, and reverence in chastisement? For that he was in his right mind, that he had his wits, with the nails driven into him, who would not be amazed? But he was not only in his right mind, but also, leaving aside his own affairs, he cared for those of others, becoming a teacher on the cross, and rebuking and saying: Do you not fear God? Pay no heed, he says, to the court below; there is another invisible judge, there is an incorruptible court. Do not, then, look at the fact that he was condemned below; for things above are not like that; for here, in the court below, both the just are condemned and the unjust escape, and the guilty are acquitted and the innocent are punished. For willingly and unwillingly, those who judge often err; for either, being ignorant of what is right and being deceived, or, knowing it but corrupted by money, they have often betrayed their verdict. Above, nothing of the sort exists; for God is a just judge, and his judgment will come forth as light, having neither darkness nor ignorance.

For lest he say, "I was condemned below and judged," he led him up to the higher tribunal; he reminded him of that fearful court, all but saying: "Look there, and you will not bear the condemning vote, nor will you stand with the corrupt judges below, but you will accept the judgment that took place above." Have you seen the philosophy of a robber? Have you seen intelligence and teaching? Suddenly from the cross he leaped into heaven. Then also, from an excess of confidence, silencing him, he says, "Do you not fear that we are in the same judgment?" What is, "That we are in the same judgment?" In the same punishment. For are you not also on the cross? So, reproaching him, he puts himself forward before him. For just as one who is in sins, accusing another, accuses himself before that other, so also one who is in misfortune and reproaches another for misfortune, reproaches himself before that other. "That we are in the same judgment." He reads to him an apostolic law, saying evangelical words: "Do not judge, lest you be judged." "That we are in the same judgment." What are you doing, O robber? Attempting to defend him, you have made yourself a partner of the robber? No, he says; I correct this suspicion through what follows. For lest, because of the partnership in punishment, you think that he made him a partner in the sin, he added the correction, saying: "And we indeed justly; for we have suffered what is worthy of what we did." Have you seen a complete confession? Have you seen how on the cross he stripped off his sins? For, he says, "You speak your sins first, so that you may be justified." No one compelled, no one forced, but he himself paraded himself, saying:

And we justly; for we have suffered what we deserved for what we did; but this man did nothing evil. And after this he says: "Remember me, Lord, in your kingdom." He did not dare to say earlier, "Remember me in your kingdom," until through confession he laid down the burden of his sins. Do you see how great a thing confession is? He confessed, and he opened paradise; he confessed, and he gained such boldness as to ask for a kingdom from a life of robbery. Do you see how many good things the cross has brought us? You speak of a kingdom? For what such thing do you see, tell me? Nails and a cross are what is seen; but this very cross, he says, is a symbol of the kingdom. For this reason I call him king, because I see him crucified; for it is the mark of a king to die for his subjects. He himself said through himself: "The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." Therefore also the good king lays down his life for his subjects. Since he laid down his life, for this reason I call him king. "Remember me, Lord, in your kingdom." 4. Do you see how the cross is also a symbol of the kingdom? Do you wish to learn this from another source? He did not allow him to remain on the earth, but drew him up and led him into heaven. How is this clear? Because he is to come with him at his second and glorious coming, so that you may learn how venerable a thing the cross is, for which reason he also called it glory. But let us see how he comes with the cross; for it is necessary to bring back the proof.

If they say, he says, "Behold, Christ is in the chambers, behold, he is in the desert, do not go away"—speaking about his second glorious coming on account of the false Christs, on account of the false prophets, on account of the Antichrist, so that no one, being deceived, might fall in with him. For since the Antichrist comes before Christ, so that someone seeking the shepherd might not fall in with the wolf, for this reason I tell you a sign of the shepherd's coming. For since his first coming happened in a hidden manner, so that you might not think that the second also happens in such a way, he has given this sign. For the first came in a hidden manner fittingly; for he came seeking the lost one; but that one is not so. But how, tell me? For just as lightning goes out from the east and appears as far as the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. He will appear suddenly to all, and no one will need to ask whether Christ is here or there. For just as when lightning appears we do not need to examine

If it happened—thus, with the coming of Christ taking place in this way—we do not need to examine whether Christ has arrived. But the question is whether he comes with the cross; let us not, indeed, forget the promise. Listen, then, to what follows. Then, he says—then, when? When the Son of Man comes, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. For such will be the excess of light then that even the brightest stars will be hidden. Then also the stars will fall, then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Do you see how great the virtue of the sign of the cross is? The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not appear; but that sign shines and gleams, so that you may learn that it is brighter than both sun and moon. And just as when a king enters a city, the soldiers, carrying ahead the so-called standards, bear them on their shoulders, announcing his entry; so also, when the Lord descends from the heavens, the hosts of angels and archangels come forth, bearing that sign on their shoulders, and proclaiming his royal entry to us. Then the powers of the heavens will be shaken—he speaks of the angels; trembling and great fear will seize them then. And why, tell me? That judgment will be fearful; for our entire nature is about to be judged and to stand before the fearsome judge.

Why then are the angels afraid and trembling? For they are not the ones who are going to be judged. Just as when a ruler is judging, not only those who are liable, but also those of the order, who are conscious of nothing in themselves, are afraid and tremble because of fear of the judge; so also then, when our nature is being judged, even the angels who are conscious of nothing in themselves are afraid because of the excess of fear of the judge. But why does the cross appear then, and why does he come bearing it? So that those who crucified him may learn their own ingratitude, for this reason he displays that very symbol of their shamelessness. And that he bears it for this reason, listen to the prophet saying: Then the tribes of the earth will beat their breasts, seeing the accuser, and recognizing the sin. And why are you surprised if he comes bearing the cross, when indeed he also shows the wounds themselves then: For they will see, he says, the one whom they pierced? Just as he did in the case of Thomas, wishing to correct the disbelief of the disciple, and after rising he showed him the mark of the nails and the wounds, saying, Put your hand and see, that a spirit has no flesh and bones; so also then he will show the wounds and the cross, in order to show that this was the one who was crucified.

5. Not only from the cross, but also from the very words spoken on the cross, is it possible to see his ineffable love for humanity. For while still nailed and mocked and derided and spat upon, he said: Father, forgive them their sin; for they do not know what they do. And while being crucified, he prays for those who are crucifying him; yet they said the opposite: If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we will believe you, they say. And indeed, it is for this reason that he does not come down from the cross, because he is the Son of God, and because he came for this purpose, to be crucified for us. Come down from the cross, they say, and we will believe you. These are words, and a pretext for unbelief. For coming down from the cross was far less than rising again, with the stone placed upon the tomb; coming down from the cross was far less than bringing forth Lazarus, bound and four days dead, with his grave clothes, from the tomb. So they said: If you are the Son of God, save yourself; but he did everything to save those who were reviling him.

him, saying: "Forgive them their sin; for they do not know what they do." What then? Did he forgive them their sin? He forgave, if they were willing to repent. For if he had not forgiven them their sin, Paul would not have become an apostle; if he had not forgiven them their sin, three thousand would not have immediately believed, nor five thousand, nor many myriads. For that many myriads of Jews believed, hear what the apostles say to Paul: "Do you see, brother, how many myriads of Jews have believed?" Let us therefore imitate the Master, and pray even for our enemies. For I take up again this same exhortation; this is the fifth day today that I have been discoursing to you on this subject, not condemning your disobedience—far from it—but rather hoping that you will be persuaded. But if there are some who are hard and wrathful and intractable, so as to disobey what has been said about prayer, let them, if only out of respect for the number of days, at last put away their enmity and pettiness. Imitate your Master; he was being crucified, and he interceded with the Father on behalf of those crucifying him. "And how can I," you say, "imitate the Master?" If you wish, you can.

For if you were not able to imitate, how would he say, "Learn from me, that I am meek and lowly in heart"? If it were not possible to imitate, Paul would not have said, "Become imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ." But if you do not wish to imitate the Master, imitate the fellow servant—Stephen the apostle, I mean; for he also imitated the Master. And just as Christ, among those crucifying him, setting aside the cross, setting aside his own concerns, intercedes with the Father for those crucifying him, so also the servant, among those stoning him, pelted by all, receiving the blows of the stones and setting aside the pains arising from them, said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Do you see how the Son pleads? Do you see how the servant prays? The one says, "Father, forgive them this sin; for they do not know what they do"; the other says, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And that you may learn that he prays with earnestness, he does not simply pray standing and being stoned, but, having knelt, he spoke with compunction, with great compassion. Do you wish me to show you another fellow servant who suffered much more than that one? Paul says, "I was beaten with rods three times by Jews, once stoned, and spent a night and a day in the deep." What then after this? "I prayed," he says, "to be myself an anathema on behalf of my brothers, my kinsmen by blood." Do you wish to see another, not from the New, but from the Old?

This is especially what is marvelous, that where they were not commanded to love their enemies, but rather to take an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and to repay like with like evils, they attained to apostolic philosophy. Hear what Moses says, the one stoned by the Jews many times and despised by them: "If you forgive them their sin, forgive; but if not, then erase me also from the book which you wrote." Do you see how each one places the safety of others before his own salvation? "You have done no wrong; why do you wish to share in their punishment?" "Because," he says, "I do not strongly perceive my own good fortune when others are suffering badly." Now these examples would have been sufficient for us; but in order to correct ourselves from an abundance, I will also try another who philosophizes in the same way. For David, that blessed and gentle man, when the whole army rose up against him, and his son Absalom armed himself and attacked the tyranny, and wished to slay him, and then when God was provoked by this—for what if he placed another pretext for the slaughter?—and sent an angel with a drawn sword, bringing the blow from above, seeing all being destroyed, what does he say? "I the shepherd have sinned, and I the shepherd have done evil. Let your hand be upon me, and upon the house of my father." Do you see

Again, are the achievements kindred? Do you wish me to show you another? For we will not be at a loss for another who philosophizes the same things. That prophet Samuel was insulted by the Jews, was deposed, was dishonored, so that God wished to console him and said, "They have not rejected you, but me." What then did that rejected, insulted man do? "May it not be," he says, "that I should sin so as to cease praying for you to the Lord." He considered it a sin not to pray for his enemies. "May it not be for me to sin so as not to pray for you." Christ says, "Father, forgive them their sin, for they do not know what they do." Stephen says, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Paul says, "I prayed to be an anathema for my brothers, my kinsmen by blood." Moses says, "If you forgive them their sin, forgive; but if not, erase me also from the book you have written." David says, "Let your hand be upon me and upon the house of my father." Samuel says, "May it not be for me to sin by ceasing to pray for you to the Lord." What forgiveness, then, tell me, shall we obtain? The Master, the servants, those from the New, those from the Old, all urging us to pray for our enemies, while we do the opposite and pray against our enemies? No, I beg you, no, brothers. For the more numerous the examples, the greater the punishment if we do not imitate them. It is greater to pray for enemies than for friends; for that does not benefit you as much as this does.

If you love those who love you, you do nothing great, he says; for even tax collectors do the same. So if we pray for our friends, we are not yet better than the pagans or tax collectors; but when we love our enemies, we have become like God, as far as human power allows, because His sun rises over the wicked and the good, and He rains upon the just and the unjust. Let us therefore become like the Father. For he says, become like your Father in the heavens, so that we may be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom are the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.