In venerabilem crucem sermo

On the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross, and concerning the Transgression of the First Men. What shall I say, or what shall I speak? Or what shall I call you? Sheep, or shepherds? Sailors, or helmsmen? Disciples, or teachers? How shall I marvel at your zeal, which is more vehement than fire? Shall I call you sheep? For you are gentle and tranquil. Shall I call you shepherds? For you imitate your own Master. Shall I call you sailors? For you have endured the storm of the waves by experience. Shall I call you helmsmen? For just as an excellent helmsman, sitting at the tiller, by his skill escapes the high seas and guides the vessel safe into a fair harbor, so also do you. But shall I call you disciples? For you are ready for obedience. But shall I call you teachers? I will say again, you are; for you have become teachers of the whole world. What then shall we say? I wish today to set before you a spiritual table, not one that nourishes the body, but one that fortifies the spirit—or rather, one that both nourishes the body and cleanses the soul. For such is the spiritual table, not like the table of gluttons that produces satiety. For it is a spiritual discourse breathing fragrance; for when a man recalls it, just as one who chews myrrh emits a certain fragrance, he not only comforts himself with that fragrance but also causes those standing near him to be filled with that fragrance.

Strain yourselves, then, for I wish to bring forth a discourse. For there are some among the divers who cast themselves from the ship into the sea, go about the depths, and desire to draw up a pearl. But we, having instead of a ship the Old and New Testament, instead of a rudder the Cross, instead of a helmsman Christ, instead of a look-out the Father, instead of a west wind the Holy Spirit, instead of a sail grace, instead of sailors the disciples, instead of passengers the prophets—so let us also cast ourselves from the ship into the sea of thoughts, not to draw up a pearl, but something more precious than a pearl. Strain yourselves for me, I beseech you, offering me your obedience. For as I said beforehand, I am about to draw up something more precious than a pearl from the depth of thoughts. Do not, then, dismiss it, and do not treat yourselves as irrational. For it is written: Do not cast your pearl before swine, and do not throw holy things to dogs. But when you hear "swine," do not think of those irrational animals; and when you hear "dogs," do not think of these dogs. For "swine" means those living in debauchery, and "dogs" means those who rave in vain against the Master. Make yourselves, then, worthy of the pearl which I am about to set before you today. For farmers do not simply cast down the seeds unless they first yoke oxen, draw the plow, tear up thorns, cut open furrows, and then cast the seeds upon the earth, so that the rain, finding them, may carry them down into the hollows of the earth; and then the earth, receiving them, gives birth to the ear of grain.

But those things await both winter and summer, and the rain from heaven, and the sun's rays, and the season of harvest, and then they gather them into the storehouses. But I await no winter, nor summer, nor the sun's rays, nor rain, nor do I yoke oxen, nor draw a plow, nor cut furrows, nor pull up thorns. For today I sow, and today I also reap. For I do not work a senseless earth, but a rational earth, not an insensible one, but a sentient one, not a lifeless one, but a soulful one. And blessed am I, for what kind of earth's farmer I have been allotted! For I am blessed when I speak into the ears of those who hear. And again it says: Disobedience brings about death. Blessed, then, am I; blessed are you as well. For Jesus also says in the Gospel to the disciples: Blessed are you, if you keep my word. Strain yourselves, then, and pay attention to what is said. I wish to show you by means of examples what God is. Using a word, I say: God is like a man sitting on a lookout, and observing the whole sea, and ships sailing in it, and it being rough, and raising itself in great waves, because strong winds blow in it.

A certain excellent pilot, contending with the waves to moor his vessel in a fair-weather harbor, because evening was overtaking them, fearing lest the ship become submerged, while other ships were sailing the straight course, and others, by the force of the winds, were foundering and breaking up, some having died, some surviving and clinging to a pitiful rudder, and being drawn by the great waves onto the dry land, and the bodies of those already dead cast up. All these things the one seated on the lookout observes; this is God. And as I said earlier, I speak using a figure of speech. But when I say God is seated in the heights, do not think that he is only in the heights, but also everywhere. For he does not have a spatial extension, being his own place, himself containing all things, but nothing contains him. For what can contain the incorporeal and immaterial and infinite and inscrutable and indestructible and imperishable and incomprehensible nature? For among the pious, this is how one must conceive of God. For this is our hope, as it is written: This is the eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. From this point the heretics seize upon us, those who are ignorant, who read but do not understand. But when you hear "Christ," do not think only of God, nor only of the incarnate economy, but of both together, both the Word of God and the incarnate economy. For I know Christ hungered, and I know Christ fed five thousand from five loaves and two fish, apart from women and children.

I know Christ thirsting, and I know Christ changing water into wine; I know Christ sailing, and I know Christ walking upon the waters; I know Christ dying, and I know Christ raising the dead; I know Christ standing before Pilate, and I know Christ sitting with the Father; I know Christ being spat upon by Jews, and I know Christ being worshipped by angels; and the one I refer to his divinity, the other to his humanity. For this reason both together have been spoken, since I know Christ born of Mary, and I know Christ existing before the ages. Let us therefore glorify Jesus Christ, the unbreakable wall, the foundation laid upon the rock. He himself says to Peter: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Likewise Paul also says: No one can lay another foundation besides the one that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. I therefore exhort you that we attend to one another with all gentleness. For in the present life we are enticed by food and drink and various pleasures, but in the future life there is judgment and punishment. Let us therefore give no place to the devil. For our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age. Let us therefore hasten to flee eternal punishment. For God did not make punishment in order to cast us in, but in order that, when you have fallen in, he may cast you out; for we have such a philanthropic and merciful God. For David bears witness, saying: God is judge

just, and strong, and long-suffering, and not bringing wrath each day. If you do not turn back, he will brandish his sword; he has strung his bow and made it ready, and in it he has prepared instruments of death. God says these things not to judge us, but so that we may not become more negligent. For if he had wished to destroy us, he would not have poured out his blood for us. He died, then, that he might grant you immortality; he hungered, that he might fill you with his own flesh; he thirsted, that he might give you his own blood to drink; he sat in a boat, that he might seat you above the Cherubim; he was baptized, that he might enlighten you; he was struck, that he might set you free; he journeyed, that he might make you untiring; he sailed, that he might render you fearless; he slept, that he might make you free from care; he came from a woman, that he might have compassion on the transgression in Paradise; he was called a man, that he might call you a god; he was called Son of Man, that he might call you a son of God; he took our things, and gave us his own; he prayed, that he might make you faithful, as he says concerning Lazarus: Father, glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you. And a voice came from the heavens, saying: I have glorified, and I will glorify again. I know that you always hear me, but I spoke on account of the crowd present, that all might believe that you sent me. Whatever he underwent, then, he underwent not for himself, nor for his own Father, but to save the human race through the cross. And if you wish to know, beloved, the power of the cross, and all the praises concerning the cross, listen.

The cross is the hope of Christians, the cross is the resurrection of the dead, the cross is the guide of the blind, the cross is the hope of the despairing, the cross is the way of the erring, the cross is the avenger of the wronged, the cross is the staff of the lame, the cross is the consolation of the poor, the cross is the bridle of the rich, the cross is the overthrow of the proud, the cross is the repentance of the licentious, the cross is the trophy against demons, the cross is the victory over the devil, the cross is the teacher of children, the cross is the resource of the needy, the cross is the helmsman of those who sail, the cross is the harbor of those storm-tossed, the cross is the wall of those at war, the cross is the father of orphans, the cross is the protector of widows, the cross is the judge of the unjust, the cross is the pillar of the just, the cross is the relief of the afflicted, the cross is the guardian of infants, the cross is the head of men, the cross is the end of elders, the cross is light for those sitting in darkness, the cross is the magnificence of kings, the cross is the philanthropy of barbarians, the cross is the freedom of slaves, the cross is the wisdom of the uneducated, the cross is the law of the lawless, the cross is the proclamation of the prophets, the cross is the announcement of the apostles, the cross is the boast of the martyrs, the cross is the discipline of monks, the cross is the chastity of virgins, the cross is the joy of priests, the cross is the foundation of the Church, the cross is the security of the inhabited world, the cross is the demolition of temples, the cross is the overturning of altars, the cross is the obliteration of sacrificial smoke, the cross is the scandal of the Jews, the cross is the destruction of the impious, the cross is the strength of the weak, the cross is the physician of the sick, the cross is the cleansing of lepers, the cross is the binding of the paralyzed, the cross is the bread of the hungry, the cross is the fountain of the thirsty, the cross is the covering of the naked. But when I say nakedness, I do not mean that of the body, but that of faith.

But when you have believed and been baptized, then you will hear, having been clothed. And listen to Paul saying: "As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." And when you hear "Christ," do not think only of God, nor only of the incarnate economy, but of both together. For I have often said, and I will not cease saying now: For me to speak is not irksome, and for you it is safe; for I wish all to be teachers. "Christ" is said, then, because he put on flesh; "Jesus Christ" is said, the name of his flesh; "Word" is said, because he is Son from someone; "Son," because he is from a Father; "Only-begotten," because he alone is from the only God; "God," because he is maker. And listen to John saying: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; this one was in the beginning with God; all things came to be through him, and without him came to be not one thing that has come to be." Do you see that this is the one who stretched out the heaven with a word, and adorned the variegated chorus of stars, and displayed the heaven like a meadow? This is the one who kindled the sun and assigned its courses to it; this is the one who set the moon toward the west; this is the one who founded the earth upon the waters; this is the one who commanded the earth to bring forth grass, and springs to gush forth waters, and rivers to flow, and lakes to gather; and who set boundaries for the sea with sand, and commanded the waters to cast forth living souls, and the winds to blow, and who measured the mountains with a balance, clouds to move, and beasts, quadrupeds, reptiles, and birds to traverse the earth.

But why do I speak of angels, archangels, thrones, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, Principalities, Powers, orders, times, and years, and months, and weeks, and days, and hours, and nights, and light, and darkness, and the essences of things? Last of all, having made man according to his own image and likeness, he placed him in paradise. And seeing the human race being overcome by the malice of the devil, he wished to put on our firstfruits, and to nail it to the wood, so that, just as through the wood came the transgression, so again through the wood might come salvation. Therefore the devil, being jealous that he himself was cast out of heaven, while Adam was in paradise, using the serpent as a weapon, worked upon him; and thus he conversed with them while they were in paradise; for being incorporeal, he could not converse with corporeal beings. And he says to Eve, "This tree is good and beautiful for food; and on whatever day you eat of it, you will be as gods, knowing all things." So having persuaded Eve, he deceived her; then she persuaded her own husband, and they ate from the tree. When they had eaten, they appeared naked; and God says to Adam, "Where are you?" When you hear "Where are you?" do not attribute ignorance to God; rather, he said "Where are you?" because the devil had told them, "On the day you eat, you will be as gods"; as they supposed that they were about to become as gods, for this reason God said to him, "Adam, where are you?" instead of saying, "Because you have eaten and remained a man; did I not command you not to eat from this tree? You have eaten, and you have transgressed"; this is the meaning of "Where are you?

They were clothed in fig leaves, covering the form of their sin. And what does Adam say? "I heard your voice as you were walking in the garden, and I hid." And He says, "What is this you have done?" And he says to God, "The woman whom you gave me, she deceived me." Then to Eve, "Who deceived you?" And what does she say? "The serpent deceived me." O Eve, granted, I gave you to your husband, but did I also give you to the serpent? They made these excuses, as if wishing to exempt themselves from punishment. And God says to Adam, "Cursed is the earth in your works; it will bring forth thorns and thistles for you; you will eat your bread by the sweat of your face." Then to the woman, "You will bear children in pains, and I will multiply your pains; your turning will be toward your husband, and he will rule over you." Then to the serpent, "You will go on your chest and belly, and you will eat earth all the days of your life; and man will rule over you; he will guard your head, and you his heel." Why did he curse the serpent to go on its chest and belly and to eat earth all the days of its life? He cursed the chest because in it resides the heart that devised evil; the belly because it deceived through eating; and he commanded it to eat earth all the days of its life because Adam was made of earth. So the three received the sentence, since the three committed the transgression.

Since the transgression came from a tree, as I said before, for this reason He wished to nail this first offering to a tree, so that just as through a tree came the transgression, so through a tree comes salvation. For all these things, let us send up glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.