In catechumenos

To the Catechumens. In the external arenas, many endure the toil of the race, but one receives the crown of victory; and the labors of the contest and the sweat belong to many, but the prize of joy to one. In this spiritual place of the Church, however, the race of piety is one for all, but the crowns are equal in number to those who run. And this is nothing strange; for a bountiful and wealthy judge stands in the midst of the contestants—Christ—receiving the eagerness of each as a race, and preparing the honors equally. For he does not prefer the powerful man and overlook the poor man; he does not accept the illustrious man and dismiss the weak man; he does not crown old age and despise youth; he does not smile upon the righteous man and look askance at the sinner who runs to him; but he spreads out the net of his compassion equally to all, and draws all alike with the net of piety. For he has set a common proclamation for all; and as we have just heard, he cries out loudly with a decree of philanthropy: "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Come, all who sail this salty sea of life, entrust to me the rudders of salvation; I have a skill that opposes the devilish reefs; I procure for you a stormless trade of salvation. Come, all; a great storm of sin presses upon you; I have a harbor of a font that saves men and drowns the devil." O call that strips sin bare! O voice that seizes all the substance of the demon! O remedy that goes to each of the sick!

Oh the gift flowing unhindered to those who wish it! Oh the spring hastening to give drink to all who thirst for life! For if anyone thirsts, he says, let him come to me and drink; if anyone thirsts for the streams of salvation, if anyone desires the water of the living, if anyone converses with true knowledge, if anyone thirsts with the thirst of piety. For Judas also thirsted with the thirst of betrayal; for Herod also thirsted for the destruction of the infants; the Synagogue thirsted for the murders of the prophets; Jezebel thirsted for the vineyard of Naboth; Delilah thirsted for the weakness of Samson; Herodias thirsted for the blood of the Forerunner; the Jews thirsted for the Savior. But they thirsted a thirst that procures destruction, they thirsted a thirst productive of fever, they thirsted a thirst that causes punishment. But if anyone thirsts as Zacchaeus thirsted for my contemplation, as the woman with the issue of blood thirsted for healing, as the prostitute thirsted to wash away her sins, as Matthew thirsted for the dignity of the evangelist, as the thief thirsted for paradise, as Thomas thirsted for the life-giving touching of the wounds, as the eunuch of Ethiopia thirsted for baptism, on which he, burning with fervor, cried out to the Apostle: "Behold water, what hinders me from being baptized?" Listen, catechumen: a spring of life not only calls, but also exhorts: "Come," he says, "all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. I am prepared for the benefaction of my whole race; I wish to pour forth a spring of gifts like a rain shower. Come all; even if tens of thousands are weak, let them approach. Let no one think that I, the physician, am too weak to heal the inhabited world; I do not grow weary in healing, for I did not hesitate in creating.

The world does not prove my abundance by dividing my possessions; I do not become poor by giving, I rejoice when plundered, I delight when carried off; I am not diminished when emptied, and I take pleasure when stolen; and the hemorrhaging woman is witness, who stole and through this was crowned in both soul and body. Come, all who labor. Do you see, lover of Christ, how great is the Creator's generosity toward the race? Why then are you negligent, O catechumen? Why do you delay? Approach the Master who calls you. Do you not hear the wise man exhorting and saying, "Do not wait to return to the Lord, and do not put off from day to day; for the wrath of the Lord will come suddenly"? He shortens the time, seeing that human nature is easily and quickly changed. For many, having given themselves over to small delays, thought they had wisely stored up hope from both, expecting neither to be deprived of what was anticipated, and considering it a gain to enjoy life in the meantime, were snatched away before the enjoyment of necessities, consigned to eternal torments and punishments; and as they thought to steal a little time, they did not realize they were being robbed of their entire salvation, suddenly carried off even before old age. For this reason the Master Christ called death a thief of man: "For like a thief in the night," he says, "so it comes," so that we, disturbed by the uncertainty of the ambush, may not hope for an extension of more time. For we are not masters of temporal delay, we do not control the time we wish to live.

For this reason we have not been entrusted with knowledge of our own departure, so that we might reduce the excess of our sins, being taught to be prudent by the fear of death. Let us count those sent forth to the tombs each day; let us observe how among the aged a great multitude of the young was mingled. Why then, O catechumen, do you neglect the security of your own soul, and, dismissing the fear of death, promise me time as a strong champion? How many men, delighting in the pleasures of life and boasting in the vigor of the flesh as if it were an unchanging power, have been suddenly snatched away to burial like dust by a whirlwind! Since, therefore, we are not able to set a limit of life for ourselves, let us not draw out the fear of the end. How many, being careless and expecting a long life, has a fire suddenly reduced to ashes? How many have been buried by an earthquake? How many, while sailing, has the sea covered? How many has a sudden chasm of the earth received? How many, while traveling, have overflowing rivers suddenly swept away? How many have perished falling among wild beasts and robbers? How many has the sword of wars reaped? How many have sudden onsets of diseases consumed? How many, separated from their own country, have received the signal of death and have not even been deemed worthy of common burial? Do you not hear the Master continually crying out and announcing the nearness of the end: "The axe lies at the root of the trees"? What is the axe? Death. What is the root? The life of man. Who is the one cutting? The decree of the Master, which cries out while cutting.

You are earth, and to earth you shall return. Therefore, let us depart from this and approach Christ who calls us; let us run, being led from darkness to light, let us run to the Lord who gives rest, having subjected the flesh to the spirit; let us run, let us hasten swifter than death, let us anticipate the angels coming for our presentation. This present life is like a word, and the span of life passes like a shadow. Time is consumed, character is not improved; deeds run ahead, the judge waits, the command presses, the angels present, conscience accuses, and what shall we do when called to judgment? Therefore, let us love a good way of life, let us hate the habit of sinning, let us care for our future defense, let us acquire purity of life; for those pure in heart will see God. Let us love the Lord’s crowns; with great eagerness let us run the stadium of life, having Christ the contest-giver himself as our ally in the contest. For to those who love God, he says, everything cooperates toward

Good. And hear the more marvelous thing: at the time of the contest, the Master wrestles alongside those who struggle, and at the hour of victory he presides as the awarder of prizes; he anoints for the wrestling, and shortly afterward he himself places the crowns; he wrestles together, grants strength to the one who tires, provides the means of victory, and shortly afterward, as to a victor, he pays out the rewards. Whence is this clear? Hear David crying out: "I am with him in affliction; I will deliver him and glorify him." O ineffable philanthropy! O kindness beyond all speech! For see what the Master says: "At the time," he says, "of affliction I am with him; I share the distress, I snatch him from danger. All these things I do while contending together." Then, as awarder of prizes and Master, I set forth the honor, saying: "I will glorify him, I will fill him with length of days." The Master is accustomed to do this also for the one who gives readily: he hollows out the hand for the poor person receiving the benefaction. When you hear "Christ's hand," understand the palm that bears the ends of the inhabited world. He therefore extends his right hand ineffably, secretly receives the coins, marks the face of the giver, receives the benefaction on earth, and prepares the rewards in heaven. And how, and when does he make the recompense? "When," he says, "the Son of Man comes in the glory of his Father, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit upon his throne of glory; and all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

And he places the sheep on his right and the goats on his left; and he will say to those on his right: "Come, the blessed ones of my Father; for you have found the judge to be your debtor; do not fear the throne, but run to the one seated as to a benefactor; I bring forward the promissory note that I set before you; I do not hide the benefaction, lest you lose the kindness; I do not deny the gift; for I hasten to the repayment. Come, you have shown the seed of compassion, I have prepared for you the harvest of joy." Tell me, Master, the reason. "I was hungry, and you gave me to eat." Therefore let no one pass by the poor man as if he were without resources; for he who is hungry overlooks the Judge of the ages to come. Let us therefore acquire as a debtor the one who will judge there. For he who pities a poor man, it is said, lends to God. Let us strive to be worthy of the portion on the right, let us hate the foul kinship of the goats, let us pursue the fellowship of the lambs; for we have the power to choose the better.

For this reason the judge has proclaimed to us that fearsome and lordly tribunal, and the severity of the sentence, so that by learning the threat we may avoid suffering evil. Let us not pass over the commandment of Paul which says: Piety is a great resource. It is not subject to audit (but he means at the time of the judge's severity); it does not fear the accuser's clamor at the throne; it does not await condemnation, but looks for intercession; for it is a needless enjoyment of goods, an inalienable wealth, an honor without succession, a profit that cannot be stored, a help that goes before, a grace that accompanies, a therapy of the heart, a rejoicing of the soul, a pride of conscience, an accessible defense, a foundation of boldness. Piety is beneficial for everything, having promises of life both now and in the future, which may we also be deemed worthy to attain, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the power, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.