De regressu

Of the same, John Chrysostom, when he came from Asia: Moses the Great, the servant of God, the chief of the prophets, the wayfarer of the sea, the charioteer of the air, the steward of the manna table, the one cast out by his mother and saved by his enemy (for his mother exposed him, but the Egyptian woman took him up and raised him), the one nurtured in Egypt and dwelling in heaven, the one who set up such and so great a trophy against the Egyptians, the one who fixed the sea and rent the rock and conversed with God as a friend. 2 This one, so great and so mighty, in order to leave his own people for only forty days, found them rioting and breaking the law. But I, not for forty days, but for fifty and a hundred and more, found you both united and displaying philosophy and greater piety. But this is because this people is more temperate than that one. For this reason, that one, upon descending, wove accusations against Aaron; but I, upon arriving, weave encomia and compose crowns. For where there is transgression, there are accusations; but where there are achievements, there are praises and crowns. For this reason, even though I spent much time away, I nevertheless trusted in your judgment, your love, your faith, your goodwill, because I knew that my wife, once moored, was prudent. So it is also in external affairs: for a man, when he has a licentious wife, does not even allow her to peep out of the house; but if he is ever compelled to travel abroad, he hastens to return quickly, as if pricked by some goad of suspicion.

But he who has a prudent wife lives abroad, leaving behind a sufficient guarantee of safety in the character of his wife. This is what I and Moses suffered: for he, because he left behind a licentious wife, the synagogue, God urges him: "Arise, go down, for the people have transgressed." But I received no such command, but with freedom I healed the ailing: "For those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but only those who are ill." 6 But even if I was separated from you, it was not through disdain, but on account of your wealth. For the things accomplished through me, or rather through grace, become your crown. And for this reason I rejoice and leap and fly with pleasure. I rejoice, but I cannot express the magnitude of the joy. What then is to happen, how are you to learn the magnitude of the joy? I call your conscience to witness; for from what you suffer when you see me, you know what my feelings are, being persuaded by the sight of my face. 7 For if the presence of me, one man, has filled such a multitude with such great pleasure, what pleasure will the sight of so many longed-for men not produce in my soul? And Jacob, when he saw one son, Joseph, rejoiced and the old man was rekindled, but I, seeing not one but myriads like him, and a whole multitude.

For this reason I rejoice that I have received back my garden, a garden better than that garden. For there a serpent was plotting, but here Christ is initiating into the mysteries; there Eve was deceiving, but here the church is crowning; there Adam was being deceived, but here the people are being proclaimed; there were various trees, but here there are diverse and spiritual gifts. In that garden trees wither, but in the church trees never put forth fruit. And the remarkable thing is that the garden not only preserves the plants but also transforms the plants. If I find a thornbush, I make a vineyard; if I find a wild olive, I make an olive tree. For such is the nature of this earth. For this reason I rejoice and leap; but not because I rejoice do I omit my defense. For since the length of so much time has lifted us up, receive my defense, beloved. If you sent a slave somewhere, would you not, upon his return, demand an account? Where did you spend your time, where did you consume so much time? And I am a slave of your love; you bought me not by paying down silver, but by showing love. I rejoice in this slavery and may I never be freed. For this slavery is better than a crown, this slavery procures the kingdom of heaven, this slavery is better than freedom, this slavery prepares a throne for me at that tribunal, this slavery is not of necessity but of choice.

For who would not gladly be a slave to you, who are such passionate lovers? Even if I had a soul of stone, you have made it softer than wax. What shall I say of the longing you displayed, the frenzy and the rage of yesterday, the shouts in the marketplace? You sanctified the air, you made the city a church. I was honored, and God was received. The heretics were put to shame, the church was crowned, you were proclaimed. For the church prospers when the root is bound to the branches, when the shepherd dwells with the sheep. I came and received good news. What news? That you trampled the heretics, that you refuted those who transgressed against baptism. Was I not saying in vain that the chaste wife, in the absence of her husband, refuted the adulterers; that without the presence of the shepherd, the sheep drove away the wolves; that without the helmsman, the sailors saved the ship; that without the general, the soldiers set up the trophy; that without the teacher, the disciples; that without the father, the children? Or rather, not without. For your achievements are my crown, my boast.

12 "But we desired," you say, "to celebrate the Passover with you." I offer a defense, even though you have already dissolved your anger by the sight of me. For if a father, upon receiving a prodigal son, is reconciled and does not demand an accounting from him but immediately embraces him, much more so do children, upon receiving a father. 13 "But we wished," you say, "to celebrate the Passover with you." Yet even for this I will offer a defense. You wished to celebrate the Passover with me? You are not prevented: celebrate the Passover with me today. So shall we celebrate two Passovers? No, but one and the same many times. For just as the sun always rises and we do not see many suns, but it is one sun rising each day, so also the Passover is always celebrated and is always one, being celebrated repeatedly. 14 Our feasts are not like the Jewish ones; I am not a slave to place, nor am I subject to the constraint of times. "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord." Let us also proclaim today the death of Christ. But then it was a feast, and today it is a feast. For where there is love, there is a feast. Where you have received a father, children, there is a feast. For that feast too is of love. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son for us.

15 "But many were baptized even when you were not present. And what of that? The grace is in no way diminished, the gift is not crippled. They were not baptized in my presence, but they were baptized in the presence of Christ. For is it a man who baptizes? The man lends his right hand, but God moves the hand; do not doubt concerning the grace, beloved. Why? I say: baptism is a gift. 16 Pay close attention to the word. Just as when you present a petition and receive it signed, you do not inquire into what reed the king wrote with, nor into what paper, nor into what ink, but you seek only one thing: whether the king signed; so also in baptism: the paper is the conscience, the reed is the tongue of the priest, the hand of the Spirit is the grace. Therefore, whether through me or through him, the same hand writes. 17 We are servants, not masters; and Paul is a servant: "Thus," he says, "let a man consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." "For what do you have that you did not receive?" If I have anything, I received it; and even if I received it, it is not mine, but the gift belongs to the giver; do not therefore doubt, beloved. The grace is complete; the place did not hinder it, whether on a ship: Philip baptized on a road, Paul in a prison, Christ led the thief into paradise. I rejoice at these things and am glad, and I ask for your prayers, with which I departed and with which I have returned. I shared the sea, but in the sea your love made a calm.

I did not board a ship without you, I did not go down to an inn without you, I did not set foot in a city or church without you, but even if I was separated in body, I was bound together in love. I saw the church unshaken even on the open sea; for such is love, it does not know how to be confined. I entered into the church, I stood by the altar, and throughout I remembered your church, offering up prayers and said: Lord, hold the church entrusted to me as a deposit. I am not present, but you are present, the one who led me there, and by the grace of God it happened beyond what I asked. I asked that you preserve it, and he even increased it. The present multitude bears witness, so many flourishing vines and nowhere a thorn, and so many sheep and nowhere a wolf. If there is a wolf somewhere, it changes and becomes a sheep. He preserved you, he brought me back, your prayers corrected my illness. This I say each day. My journey crowned your city. That you loved even before this is clear, but it was not evident to all; the one who loved knew alone, but the separation proved the love. Always when coming to Asia they reported to us: you set the city ablaze. Yet love withers with time, but your love increased, it did not suffer forgetfulness, but was kindled more. But I ask that you love me similarly when I am present. This is my treasure, this is my wealth, for this I seek your prayers. Your prayers are a wall and security for me.

Do not say to me: "I am a layman; how can I pray for a priest?" Listen to the Scripture saying: "A prayer was made earnestly by the church," and Peter's chains were loosed; a prayer loosed Paul's silence; a prayer bridled lions; a prayer muzzled the whale; a prayer opened paradise; a prayer unfurled the heavenly vaults; a prayer of Cornelius spread open the heavens; a prayer made the tax-collector righteous. I ask this security from you, I ask for this grace, that God, receiving your prayers—both of those present and of those to come—may grant you an abundance of present and future goods in Christ Jesus, to whom is glory for the ages. Amen.