Oratio in dedicationem pretiosae et uiuificae crucis

Severian, bishop of Gabala, on the dedication of the precious and life-giving cross. Again a feast for the church and again a mystery, joy of the faithful, salvation of souls, fragrance for the world. Today we celebrate the festival of the dedication of the life-bearing cross, and the heavens rejoice, and the angels join in the dance, and God is glorified. Long ago, fixed at the Skull, it sprouted the victory over death; now, having appeared to the whole world, it has revealed the trophy against the devil. And just as that day was glorious, so too does this day shine forth its bright rays for us; for it too partakes of that mystery and draws the whole of the wonder from it, even if the mystery of the cross is not recent. For on that day it proclaimed the Lord's victory and power—not that the wood itself worked the miracles beyond reason, but that the one who performed the paradoxical deeds on it, deeds possible only for God, did so; this day, however, manifests to us the power of the cross itself through the mystery then accomplished. And the truth of what happened bears witness to the word. For the sun did not then hide in fear at the sight of wood, nor did the voice of wood shake the earth; rather, seeing the Lord who willingly endured in his own flesh and the insults against him from the malefactors, it trembled, and the earth shuddered. But now the cross, devised for insult and dishonor of the Creator by the wicked, is displayed in glory and works wonders paradoxically. Seeing it, angels revere it because of the mystery upon it; beholding it, demons turn to flight.

seeing this, angels form a retinue, celebrating in song the peace that came through it from the one nailed upon it; contemplating this, demons are invisibly scourged and driven away. But why have we abandoned the first things and followed the last in the rush of our discourse? For the occasion requires us to recall what sort of beginning we are giving to the cross today, according to the suspicion of some, which was long ago devised by the Jews as an insult to the master, as I said. We are not giving a beginning to that which already exists, O lovers of feasts, but we take delight in that which reigns and presides. For just as David was not taking a beginning of his reign when the people inaugurated the kingdom, but named the submission of the entire race of Israel a public feast and an inauguration, so too we are not giving a recent beginning to that which already shines forth, but together with every nation and race and tribe and tongue and people we celebrate a feast that is both supercosmic and universal, of the concord of all in submission to the saving cross of our Lord.

For this is not our invention, but something already predetermined by God's foreknowledge, even if it was constructed at the appointed time by the hateful and Lord-murdering Jews. Yet because at that time, fixed in the middle of the earth like a sun in a dark and wintry storm, it suddenly sent forth its rays through the sun of righteousness upon it, touching the earth, it dissolved the ice of the devil's tyranny, repelled the winter of impiety, blended the human and rational mind like some air, and brought to life the neglected souls of men to sprout forth the labor of every good work and all virtue. Hidden by the dark malice of the Jews as if by the passing of some cloud, it has now risen brightly to the earth, the unsetting radiance of the tree of life. For this reason we call this day the dedication and celebrate a most-hymned feast of what has already been celebrated and glorified. But the Jews, as always, have now also been deceived of the truth, burying the divine treasure under the earth out of envy that all might not be enriched. Yet it did not escape notice, nor did it overlook for long the loss of those who were impoverished. But like a sun, it burst through and burned up the cloud of malice that was spread and enveloping it, with the heat of its own light and power, and spread its radiance to the whole creation, and, brightening the world, warmed all who were naked and enriched the earth. The hearer wonders, I think, how the maddened Jews did not destroy this saving tree entirely by fire or some other means, but hid it. To this we will say that this too was a matter of destruction.

The divine power dwelling within it permitted them, in accordance with the economy, for many and necessary reasons, as it seems to me, to carry out their designs, so that it might be glorified all the more even in this; but it walled off their malice from the purpose of destruction, the ultimate purpose of them and their disobedient descendants. They therefore attempted to bury the ever-flowing spring and hastened to destroy the outlet of the life-giving streams. But the foolish ones labored in vain; for it is written: Evil will not prevail over wisdom. For this reason, the invincible abyss of the river that gladdens the city of God laughed at those who foolishly forced its flow; for like an ebb tide, having loosened the boundaries set upon it by them, it flooded the world, according to what is written: Like a river flooding peace and like a torrent flooding the glory of nations. Therefore, it was necessary, it was necessary for them to be permitted by the divine wisdom that surpasses all understanding to do what was pleasing to them, so that those who had been shameless toward the saving passion and were spat upon by all creation through the signs that occurred, and yet did not repent even so, as Isaiah says, were shamed and did not know their dishonor, and so that they might leave to later generations pledges of their audacity and rashness—the proof of their disbelief upon the life-giving cross—and so that the faithful might more eagerly receive the inexhaustible treasure of life, through which they were sealed for eternal life. For things that come about spontaneously are not loved in the same way as those found with longing and zeal.

For the wretches knew the utterances of the prophets concerning it, and how one said, "Your rod and your staff, these have comforted me"—a pastoral rod against wolves, a staff for support and correction of those fallen and broken by the serpent—and another, "Blessed is the wood through which justice is done," and another, "Those who seal themselves shall be manifest not to learn my law," and yet another, "You gave to those who fear you a sign to flee from the face of the bow." Therefore, driven by the envy of baseness, they strove to obscure the good things, and once the foolish people said in their heart, "Christ is not God," they set every rope of unbelief in motion to confirm their own unbelief. For this reason they revile him even dead, guard his tomb, and bury the cross, and they were emboldened in their vanity, but their efforts turned out contrary to their intention. For the hopes of wicked men are unstable, who imagine what is pleasing and advantageous to their own depravity, but suffer the opposite. And just as there they kept watch in vain, guarding against the resurrection, so here, having deposited in the bosom of the earth, as if some offshoot, the wood of life, they sanctified the earth and made it more orderly and more fruitful with the fruits of immortality. And the wonder is that for about three hundred and thirty years it was preserved uncorrupted in the earth, this inexhaustible treasure. O farmers fond of loss! They planted, and left the fruit for us; they possessed the treasure and voluntarily became poor, and enriched us.

For this reason I dance and celebrate the universal feast, because a plant of life has sprouted and been raised up to heaven; because a ladder has appeared for the faithful to heaven; because an unbreakable wall has been built by God for those who have been sacked; because a harbor has appeared for those storm-tossed; because a torch has been kindled for those in darkness; because an invincible weapon has been forged for the weak; because a refuge has been found for the persecuted. It is timely, then, to say even today: glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men. Today the trees of paradise rejoice and clap their branches; because a remedy has been found for the tree of disobedience; because now Adam harvests well the tree of life and will live forever; because man, cast out of paradise, again delights in the goods of paradise. I celebrate this transcendent feast, because the Lord has raised a horn of salvation for his people. For the cross, even when traced in the air, has as much power as faith can contain. Demons dread it and turn to flight, beholding the mystery in it. It is the support of the world, the salvation of souls, the weapon for those who fight bravely; it sanctifies the height and the depth and the extremities of the inhabited world on both sides. Jacob saw it as a ladder, with angels ascending and descending upon it; for through it enmity was dissolved and peace was awarded between heavenly and earthly beings, and angels come down anointing the contestants, while the workers of piety go up, receiving the prizes of the higher calling from God, the judge of the contest. Therefore he says: and the Lord was fixed upon it.

Having prefigured this, Moses routed Amalek. For seeing the enemy attacking and crushing the people and plundering the camp with weapons, he found no human help for the evil or check to the calamities. Hence he raised his mind toward God and moved his feet toward the summit of the peak, and thus, raising the invincible symbol of the cross against the adversaries by the extension of his hands, he repelled the enemies through it and preannounced the celebrated victory of the Savior, I mean the one on the cross, through the victory. But the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, contradict the account, claiming that the extension of the prophet’s hands is an image of prayer and not of the cross. But the account did not attribute the victory to the prayer, but to the image and form of the hands; for it says: Moses went up the mountain and spread out his hands, and it happened that when Moses extended his hands, Israel was victorious, and when he lowered his hands, Amalek was victorious. If, then, it were the work of prayer, it would have been necessary to say, just as in Egypt: Moses extended his hands toward God and Israel was victorious. But now it is not so; rather, it set aside prayer, not as useless, but as obliged to yield so that this victory might be attributed to the image of the cross. For in Egypt, it says, Moses cried out to God and the wrath ceased, but here it is not so. For if you force the account, you render the prophet’s prayer unacceptable.

For raising and lowering his hands many times without being heard is a sign not of being heard, but of not being heard. “But Moses grew weary,” it says, “overcome by the weight”—very well indeed, but the type of the voluntary and glorious passion did not grow weary. For this reason, then, lest the image be dissolved and victory be dissolved with it, Aaron and Hur stood and supported his hands. Thus, priesthood and kingship attend the image of the cross, because Aaron holds the rank of priesthood, while Hur bore the prerogatives of the royal court. Do you see, O Jew, how truth shines brightly through the types? Have you ever seen anyone praying to God while being supported by others and sitting at that? But concerning this, the argument is sufficient for those whose ears are not itching and who do not turn away from the word of truth. Again, the type of the cross sweetened the water of Marah; for it is written: the Lord showed Moses a piece of wood, and he cast it into the water, and it became sweet; and it drove away the serpents from the people. For it says: God sent against them, because of their murmuring, deadly serpents. What then? That great and most wise Moses does not oppose the divine command, nor does he fight against the order of God, but again with cross-shaped hands he tyrannically averts the wrath? For there, against what was not divinely set in motion, he raises the divine weapon; but here, since the decree is from God, he enters into the divine philanthropy, appeases the threat with supplications, and applies a remedy like a poultice to the wrath of the striker—the command. For he says:

Make a bronze serpent and set it up on a pole, and it will be that if a serpent bites a person, everyone who has been bitten, upon seeing it, will live. What does the type intend? What does the shadow promise? How did the image of the accursed one bring life to your ancestors? O foolish and disobedient in heart, how long will you contradict the truth? Lover of darkness and enemy of light, why are you scandalized by the cross of Christ? Why do I abide by your own [Scriptures] and accept the histories, and a dead bronze serpent that brings forth life for dying men? I believe and do not withdraw from the argument; but you do not even adhere to the typical history of the word, and you contradict the outcome of the truth. Why do you consider piety toward Christ impiety, and claim: “It is written: Cursed is the one who hangs on a tree”? Did you not hear concerning the serpent: “Cursed are you above all the beasts”? How then did the image of the accursed one bring salvation to the people storm-tossed in calamity? Was it not more credible to say, if one of you is bitten, he will look up to the sky toward God and be saved, or into the tent of God and be delivered? But passing over all these things, he set up only the image of the cross, and this through the accursed serpent. Why then did Moses do these things, having said to the people: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image nor a molten image nor any likeness, of whatever is in the heaven above and on the earth below and in the waters beneath the earth”? But why do I speak these things to the ungrateful one? I ask the lawgiver himself. Tell me, O most faithful servant of God, do you do what you forbid, do you construct what you overturn?

The one who says, "You shall not make a graven image," the one who cast down the molten calf, do you fashion a bronze serpent? And this not in secret, but openly and known to all? But those things, he says, I legislated in order to cut off the materials of impiety and to lead the people away from every apostasy and idolatry, but now I cast the serpent usefully for a prefiguration of the truth. And just as I set up a tabernacle and all things in it, and spread out a likeness of the Cherubim of the invisible things in the holy place as a type and shadow of things to come, so also I set up a serpent for the salvation of the people, so that through the experience of these things they might be pre-trained in the image of the sign of the cross and learn the savior and redeemer in it. And that the word is most true, beloved, hear the Lord confirming this and saying: "Just as Moses raised up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be raised up, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life." Tell me, O foolish Jew, why are you scandalized at the cross of Christ, which you yourself set up? Why do you retain that sign and guard the serpent on it and burn incense to it until the days of King Hezekiah, but fall away from the truth? And this after the conversion of the world, after the state of piety shining through the cross in the whole world, after the faith of the nations and the raising up and sanctification of the churches and the blessing of God upon his people.

But the thankless one will say again: if every one hung on wood is accursed, how can a blessing be given from such a thing to those who believe in him? You have already heard many times and do not believe, that the type of the serpent was an image of Christ's economy according to this reasoning: just as that type of the serpent had neither venom nor malice of a serpent, so also the Savior, appearing in the likeness of sinful flesh, was free from all sin, condemning sin in the flesh, that is, the devil, as the prophet Isaiah says: for he committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. And just as that bronze serpent had the image and type of a serpent, but had neither venom nor malice, and while others were poisoning, it was hung up for those who bite, though it neither bit nor struck anyone, so also, when other men sinned, the sinless Jesus suffers for all, which, among other things, Isaiah proclaimed well, saying: he was led to death because of the sins of the people, and the Lord delivered him to our sins. Ruminate on the word again. Just as there, others were bitten by sins and died, and another was hung up for them to save us, but to destroy those who corrupt our race, and just as there it happened that those causing death were rendered inoperative, while those dying were given life, so also here the death of Christ became the death of death, and brought forth life of incorruption to those who die. If Christ had not descended into Hades, if life had not become in death through the mortal, those in death would not have returned to life.

For by nature, since corruption came to be in us from disobedience, it was necessary for the one who wished to save us to annihilate that corruption-producing substance itself. This could not happen otherwise, unless life according to nature were interwoven with that which had received corruption, annihilating the corruption, and rendering him thereafter immortal through the interweaving with death through him, mightily refashioning him in the death of the death that held him. And Elisha prefigured this by working wonders in the Jordan through extraordinary signs, where by the sinking of the wood he effected the raising of the iron. But it has been clearly demonstrated how the enemies of the cross are prevented from reproaching us for the form of the cross. And you, beloved, when you hear of the cross and the economy of the body, raise your mind to the height of the authority of the only-begotten, and do not let the form that came to be for you humble your thought; rather, let the philanthropy of the one who saved you raise you up. For the cross is for you, but the dignity of God is not diminished by words; rather, those who diminish work their own diminution, and those who exalt bring their own lowliness up to a height.

Come, then, let us celebrate together the exaltation of the cross; for the heavenly treasure has been opened to us, the tree of life has been revealed to mortals. Let us also cry out: may it not be for us to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. What boast do I mean? The reconciliation with our God through it, the ineffable love and philanthropy of God through it toward us, that we have received grace for grace through it. For the synagogue sent forth a censer and compounded incense as an ambassador to God on behalf of the people’s salvation in times of crisis, reminding the one who overlooks nothing of the oaths of the fathers and the covenants; but the church holds up the cross of the savior as a censer before its face to God and father, not emitting the vapor of compounded incense, but bearing the sacrifice of his lamb and only-begotten son as a fragrant odor; not reciting the oaths of fathers and covenants, but presenting the sign of the love with which he loved us, through which he gave his only-begotten son for us, and offering to the son the silent herald of the ineffable condescension and of the voluntary and salvific passion in his own flesh, and through it singing: remember your mercies, Lord; remember that while we were still sinners you died for us; remember the triumph over the devil on the cross; remember the sprinkling upon me through the cross of your holy, precious, and life-giving blood; remember the tearing up of my promissory note upon it.

Remember the stretching out of your undefiled hands upon it toward the Father for the reconciliation of the world; remember the glorious and universally honored outrage upon it; remember that through it, as with a hook, you baited death to take your body for its destruction; remember that as an eagle you spread your wings upon it for us, so that dwelling in its shadow we might fear neither the terror of the night nor a flying arrow by day nor anything that travels in darkness; remember that upon it you mounted and trampled the asp, the basilisk, the lion, and the dragon, so that through you, the mighty one in all things, having begun to be trampled, they may learn to fear even the shadow of the cross imprinted upon us who worship you, set against them; remember, good shepherd, that upon it you laid down your life for your flock, so that through it, as through a staff, the soul-destroying wolves may be driven away from your sheep. Entreat these things on our behalf from the self-advocate, the one ready in mercies, the one prompt in compassion. For these reasons I dance, because the cross has been raised and those raised against us have been humbled, because the royal and inviolable seal has been made public and the plotters have fled, because a wall has been built and the enemies have cowered, because the light has shone and the darkness has been removed, and the church glorifies the uncreated, equally honored, and consubstantial Trinity, ever-venerable and ever-worshiped, Father and Son with Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.