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many places, he is one body and not many bodies, so there is one sacrifice. He is our High-priest who offers the sacrifice which purifies us. We offer that now also which was then offered, and which cannot be consumed. This is done in commemoration of that which then took place. "Do this, he says, in remembrance of me.' We do not, as the High-priest then did, perform another sacrifice, but always the same; or rather we perform the remembrance of the sacrifice.

The Christian sacrifice is thanksgiving.

Chrys. Epist. ad Heb. c. xiii. Hom. xxxiii. Tom. xii. p. 970.

Και δι' αυτου θυσιαν αναφέρωμεν τω Θεώ. Ποιαν δε θυσίαν λέγει; αυτος ηρμένευσε λεγων, καρπον χειλεων ομολογούντων τω ονοματι αυτου

τουτεστιν, ευχας, ύμνους, ευχαριστίαν. Ταυτα γαρ των χειλέων ο καρπος. Εκεινοι προσέφερον προβατα, μόσχους, και εδίδοσαν τω ιερει. Ημεις δε μηδεν τούτων προσενεγκω μεν, αλλ' ευχαριστίαν, και την

εν πασιν, ως οιόντε, μιμησιν του Χριστου. Τουτο βλαστησατω ημων τα χείλη. Της ευνοίας και κοινωνίας μη επιλανθάνεσθε, θυσίαις ευαρεστειται ο Θεος. Δωμεν, φησι, τοιαύτην αυτω θυσιαν, ιν' ανενεγκη τω πατρι. -(Editio ut supra.)

τοιαύταις γαρ

And through him we offer a sacrifice to God. What sacrifice does he mean? He himself has explained, saying, the fruit of the lips, which confess his name, that is, prayers, hymns, thanksgiving. For these are the fruit of the lips. They offered sheep and calves, and gave to the priest, but we offer none of these things, but thanksgiving, and the imitation of Christ in all things as far as is possible. May our lips thus blossom forth. "Be not forgetful of welldoing and liberality, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Let us give, he says, to him such a sacrifice, that he may offer it to the Father.

Praise is the greatest offering.*

Chrys. in c. i. Gen. Hom. ix. Tom. ii. p. 78.

γαρ

Ουδε βαρυ τι και επαχ θες επιζητει παρ' ημων, αλλ' η ομολογειν μονον τας τοσαντας ευεργεσίας, και τας υπερ τους των αυτω ευχαριστιας αναφερειν ουκ επειδη αυτος δειται τούτο. Ανενδεής γαρ υπαρχει. Αλλ' ιν' ημεις παιδευωμεθα τον χορηγόν επισπασχθαι των αγαθών, και μη αγνωμένους γενωμεθα, αλλ' αξίαν των ευεργεσιων, και της τοσαυτης κηδεμονιας την αρετην αναφερω μεν. Ουτω γαρ και αυτόν εις πλείονα την περι ημας εκκαλεσομεθα κηδεμονίαν. Μη τοινυν ραθυμωμεν παρακαλω, αλλ' εκαστος υμων καθ' εκαστην ώραν, ει οιον τε αναλογιζεσθω καθ'

εαυτόν, μη μόνον τας κοινάς ευεργεσιας, αλλα και τας ιδιας εις αυτον γινομένας, μη τας ωμολογημενας και πασι δηλους, αλλα και τας ιδιαζουσας και λανθάνουσας τους πολλους. Ουτω γαρ δυνήσεται διηνεκή την ευχαριστίαν αναφε ρειν τω δεσποτη. Τουτο με γιστη θυσία, τουτο προσφορα τελεια. (Editio ut supra.)

Nor does he require any thing hard and grievous from us, but only to acknowledge such goodness, and to present to him thanksgiving for it. Not because he has need of it, for he wants nothing, but that we may be taught to draw near to him who supplies good things, and may not be forgetful, but may present virtue •Worthy of the benefits, and of For thus such protection. we provoke him to greater I exhort solicitude over us. you, therefore, let us not be remiss, but let each of you, every hour, as far as he can do 50, reckon within himup self not only the common benefits, but those also which have happened to himself, and not those confessed and manifest to all, but the multitude of those, also, which are private and hidden. For he will thus be able to offer continual thanksgiving to the Lord. This is the greatest sacrifice; this is the perfect offering.

It is the one sacrifice at Calvary that always purifies. Chrys. in c. i. Evang. Joan. Hom. xvii. Tom. viii. p. 114.

Αλλ' ο αίρων τας αμαρτίας του κόσμου" ως αει τούτο ποιουντός αυτού. Ου γαρ τοτε μονον ελαβεν οτε επαθεν, αλλ'

But who taketh away the sins of the world, as if he were always doing it. For he did not then only take them

* If the mass were what the Church of Rome affirms it to be, praise could not be the greatest offering.

εξ εκείνου μεχρι του παρόντος αίρει τας αμαρτίας. Ουκ αει σταυρούμενος. μιαν γαρ υπερ αμαρτιών προςηνεγκε θυσιαν. Αλλ' αει καθαιρων δια της μιας εκείνης.-(S. J. Chrysostomi opera omnia, opera et studio D. B. de Montfaucon. Parisiis, 1839.)

when he suffered, but from that time till the present time he He is not takes away sins. always crucified, for he offered one sacrifice for sins; but he always purifies by that one (sacrifice).

Believers are priests, and offer up their own bodies as

sacrifices.

Chrys. in 2 Epist. ad Cor. c. i. Hom. iii. Ρ. 531. Tom. xi. p. 531.

Το πνευμα δους, δι' ου ταυτα αμφότερα εποίησεν, ομου προφητας και ιερεις και βασιλεας εργαζόμενος. Ταυτα γαρ το παλαιον εχριετο τα γενη. Αλλ' ημεις ουκ εν, αλλα τα τρια μεθ' υπεροχης εχομεν αξιωματα νυν. Και γαρ βασιλειας μελλομεν απολαύειν, και ιερεις γινομεθα προσφέροντες θυσίαν τα σωματα ημων (παρίστατε γαρ τα μελη υμων, θυσιαν ζωσαν; εναριστον τω Θεω, φησι) και μετα τουτων και προφηται και θιστάμεθα α γαρ οφθαλμος ουκ είδε, και ους ουκ ηκουσε, ταυτα εκκεκαλυμμενα υμιν εστι. -(Editio ut supra.)

Giving the Spirit, by whom he did both of these, at once making prophets, and priests, and kings. For the old system anointed those * But we (selected) races. possess not one only, but the three prerogatives preeminently. For we are about to enjoy a kingdom, and we are priests offering our bodies as a sacrifice (for “ present your bodies," he says, "a living sacrifice, well-pleasing to God"); and together with these, we are appointed to be prophets, for those things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, have been revealed unto us."

Righteousness the best gift and the perfect oblation to God. Chrys. Expositio in Ps. iv. tom. iii. p. 23.

Τι εστι, θυσατε θυσιαν δικαιο- What means, sacrifice the

• Thus one race would be anointed for the priesthood, and another as prophets, and a third as kings.

The Romanists affirm that it is by the mass that Malachi's prediction of a perfect offering being every where to be made is fulfilled.

δικαιοσυνην μετερχεσθε, δικαιοσυνην προσφέρετε. Τουτο μεγιστον τω Θεω δωρον, αυτη θυσια δεκτη, αυτη προσφορα πολλην έχουσα την αρεσκειαν, ου το προβατον θυειν και μοσχους, αλλα τα δικαια πραττειν.

Αυτη η θυσία ου χρημάτων δειται, ου μαχαιρας, ου θυσι αστηρίου, ου πυρος. Ουκ εις καπνον διαλύεται και τέφραν και κνισσαν, αλλ' αρκείται τη γνω μη του προσάγοντος αυτήν. Ταυτη ούτε πενια κωλυμα για νεται, ούτε πτωχεια εμπόδιον, ου τοπος, ουδε αλλο των τοιουτων ουδεν. Αλλ' όπου περ αν ης, θυειν αυτό δυνηση, αυτος και ο ιερευς, και θυσιαστήριον, και μαχειρα, και ιερείον γινο

μενος-Editio ut supra.)

sacrifice of righteousness ? Seek righteousness, offer righteousness. This is the greatest gift to God; this is the acceptable sacrifice ; this is the offering which is wellpleasing (viz.), not to sacrifice a sheep and calves, but to work righteousness

.

this sacrifice needs

not money, nor a sword, nor an altar, nor fire. It is not dissolved into smoke, and ashes, and savour, but it is satisfied with the disposition of him who brings it. Το this neither is poverty an obstacle, nor is destitution an impediment, nor place, nor any other such thing. But wherever you are you may offer it, you yourself being both the priest, and the altar, and the knife, and the victim.

Praise is a complete (or perfect) sacrifice.

Chrys. Expos. in Ps. xlix. tom. iii. p. 255.

Λεγει, θυσον τω Θεώ. Και πως θυσω φησιν ; χωρις.

αίματος

Τούτο γαρ μαλιστα
Δια

Ουσια Θεω πρέπουσα.
τούτο είπων, θυσον τω Θεω, επη-
γαγε, θυσιαν αινέσεως Του-

τεστιν ευχαριστιας, υμνων ιε

ρων, της δια των εργων ευχαριστιας και δοξολογίας. Ο δε λεγει τοιούτον εστι. Ουτω ζητι, ωστε δοξάζεσθαι σου την δεσποτην. Οπερ και ο Χριστος εδιδαξε λεγων Λαμψατο το φως υμων εμπροσθεν των ανθρω

says

He sacrifice to God. And how shall I sacrifice, he says ? Without blood; for this is the sacrifice which is most ftting to God. Wherefore, when he said “ sacrifice to God," he added, "the sacrifice of praise ;” that is, of thanksgiving, of sacred hymns, of the thanksgiving and glorification which results from works. But what he says is to this effect: “ Live so as to glorify your master!”

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as Christ taught, saying: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.” For praise is nothing else but public approval, the ascription of glory, and laudatory speech. Let your life, therefore, be such as shall glorify your Lord, and you will have presented a complete sacrifice. Paul, also, seeks this sacrifice, saying," Present your members a living sacrifice, well-pleasing to God."

The same subject. Chrys. Expositio in Ps. cx. Υμνησω, φησιν, ευχαριστησω. Και γαρ απαντα τον βιον εις τουτο ανηλισκεν, και εντευθεν προοιμιάζεται και εις τούτο καταλήγει. Και τουτο ην ἔργον αυτου διαπαντος, το και υπερ

των εις αυτόν γενομένων, και

υπερ των εις αλλους ευεργεσιων την ευχαριστίαν αναφερειν. Ουδεν γαρ ουτως ο Θεος ως τούτο επιζητει. Τούτο θυσια, τουτο προσφορα. Τουτο ψυχης ευγνωμονος σημειον.-(Editio ut supra.)

"I

Tom. iii. p. 295. "I will sing," he says, will give thanks.” For he spent his whole life in this; thence he began, and with this he ended. And his continual occupation was to offer up thanks for the things which happened to himself, and for the benefits which were conferred upon others. For God seeks nothing so much as this. This is the sacrifice, this is the offering. This is the sign of a rightly judging soul.

Praise is the greatest offering. Chrys. Expositio in Ps. cxvii. Tom. iii. p. 351. Προς την κοινωνίαν της ευφημίας καλοντες. Ουδεν γαρ ούτω τω Θεω περισπούδαστον, ως τους ευχαριστους ειναι, και

Calling us to the communion of praise. For there is nothing so much desired by God as that we should be

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