O Great Generosity

Resurrection of Christ, by joeatta78

Propers: The Great Vigil of Easter, AD 2024 B

Homily:

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Paschal homily of St Gregory of Nazianzus, fourth-century Cappadocian Father, philosopher, theologian, and Archbishop of Constantinople:

It is the Day of the Resurrection, and my beginning has good auspices. Let us then keep the festival with splendor, and let us embrace one another. Let us say “brethren” even to those who hate us; much more to those who have done or suffered anything out of love for us …

He who today arose again from the dead may renew me also by his Spirit; and, clothing me with the new Man, may give me to his new Creation … willingly both dying with Him and rising again with Him.

Yesterday the Lamb was slain and the door-posts were anointed, and Egypt bewailed her firstborn, and the Destroyer passed us over, and the seal was dreadful and reverend, and we were walled in with the precious Blood. Today we have clean escaped from Egypt and from Pharaoh; and there is none to hinder us from keeping a feast to the Lord our God …

Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him!

But let us offer to him who suffered and rose again for us—you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or … costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the prince of [this] world.

Let us offer [instead] ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honor our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died.

Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become God’s [own] for his sake, since He for ours became Man. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through his poverty might be rich; He took upon Him the form of a servant that we might receive back our liberty; He came down that we might be exalted; He was tempted that we might conquer;

He was dishonored that He might glorify us; He died that He might save us; He ascended that He might draw us to Himself, who were lying low in the fall of sin. Let us give all, offer all, to Him who gave Himself a ransom and a reconciliation for us [all]. But one can give nothing like oneself, understanding the mystery, and becoming for His sake all that He became for ours.

As you see, He offers you a Shepherd; for this is [that for which] your Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep, is hoping and praying … He gives you Himself double instead of single … He adds to the inanimate temple a living one [your own self and soul]; to that exceedingly beautiful and heavenly shrine, this poor and small one; yet to Him of great value, and built too with much sweat and many labors. Would that I could say [that we were] worthy of his labors!

And He places at your disposal all that belongs to Him. O great generosity!— or it would be truer to say, O fatherly love! [He gives to you] the Temple, the High Priest, the Testator, the Heir, the discourses for which you were longing; and of these not such as are vain and poured out into the air, and which reach no further than the outward ear; but those which the Spirit writes and engraves on tables … of flesh, not merely superficially graven, nor easily to be rubbed off, but marked very deep not with ink but with grace.

These are the gifts given you by this august Abraham, this honorable and reverend Head, this Patriarch, this Resting-place of all good, this Standard of virtue, this Perfection of the Priesthood, who today is bringing to the Lord his willing Sacrifice, His only Son, Him of the promise [with all the ransomed dead resplendent in His train].

Do you on your side offer to God … [free and loving] obedience … dwelling in a place of herbage, and being fed by waters of refreshment; knowing your Shepherd well, and being  known by Him … following when he calls you as a Shepherd … guiding and being guided … that we may all be one in Christ Jesus our Lord, now and unto the heavenly rest, to whom be the glory and the might for ever and ever.

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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