Catechetical Lectures 1

And a reading from Isaiah:

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;

put away the evils from your souls, from before my eyes, and what follows.

Disciples of the New Covenant and partakers of the Mysteries of Christ—now indeed by calling, but in a little while also by grace—make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, that you may become a cause of joy to the dwellers of heaven.

For if over one sinner who repents there is joy, according to the Gospel, how much more will the salvation of so many souls move the heavenly ones to rejoicing? Having set foot upon a good and most excellent way, run reverently the course of godliness.

For the only-begotten Son of God stands most ready for your redemption, saying:

Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

You who are clothed with the grievous burden of your trespasses and bound fast with the cords of your own sins, hear the prophetic voice that says:

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;

put away your evils from your souls, from before my eyes;

that the angelic choir may acclaim over you:

Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

You who have just now kindled the lamps of faith, keep them unquenched in your hands;

so that he who then on this all-holy Golgotha opened paradise to the thief for his faith may grant you to sing the bridal song.

If anyone here is a slave of sin, let him become most ready, through faith, for the freeborn rebirth of adoption as sons;

and having laid aside the most wretched slavery of sins, and gained the most blessed slavery of the Lord, let him be counted worthy to inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Put off, through confession, the old man, which is corrupt according to the desires of deceit, that you may put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge of him who created it.

Gain through faith the pledge of the Holy Spirit, that you may be able to be received into the eternal dwellings.

Draw near to the mystical seal, that you may be well-known to the Master;

be numbered with the holy and rational flock of Christ, to be set apart at his right hand, and to inherit the life prepared for you.

For those upon whom the roughness of sins still lies, these are found on the left, because they did not draw near to the grace of God given through Christ at the rebirth of the laver.

But by rebirth I do not mean the rebirth of bodies, but the spiritual rebirth of the soul.

For bodies are begotten through visible parents, but souls are reborn through faith;

for the Spirit blows where it wills.

And then you will be able to hear, if you become worthy:

Well done, good and faithful servant—when you are found having nothing unclean of hypocrisy in your conscience.

For if any of those here should think to put grace to the test, he deceives himself and is ignorant of its power.

Keep your soul unfeigned, O man, because of him who searches hearts and reins.

For just as those about to enlist examine the ages and bodies of the recruits, so also the Lord, enlisting souls, examines their dispositions;

and if he finds hypocrisy hidden within, he rejects the man as unfit for the true warfare;

but if he finds him worthy, to such a one he readily gives [the grace].

He does not give what is holy to the dogs;

but wherever he sees a good disposition, there he bestows the saving and wondrous seal, which the demons tremble at and the angels recognize;

so that the former, being driven off, may flee, and the latter may attend it as their own.

Therefore for those who receive this spiritual and saving seal, there is need also of their own disposition.

For just as a writing-reed, or also an arrow, has need of one to work with it, so also grace has need of those who believe.

You receive an armour, not corruptible, but spiritual.

Henceforth you are planted in the spiritual paradise.

You receive a new name, which you did not have before.

Before this you were a Catechumen, but now you will be called a Believer.

Henceforth you are transplanted into the spiritual olive trees, being grafted from a wild olive into a good olive;

from sins into righteousness, from defilements into purity.

You become a partaker of the holy vine.

But if you remain in the vine, you grow as a fruitful branch;

but if you do not remain, you will be consumed by the fire.

Let us therefore bear fruit worthily.

For may it never come to pass in us, as with that unfruitful fig tree, lest Jesus come even now and curse it for its barrenness.

But may all be able to say that word:

But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God; [I have trusted in the mercy of God for ever];

an olive tree not perceptible to the senses, but spiritual, light-bearing.

His indeed it is to plant and to water, but yours to bear fruit.

God's it is to bestow the gift, but yours to receive and to keep it;

do not despise the grace because it is given freely;

but having received it, keep it reverently.

The present is the time of confession.

Confess the things you have done, in word, in deed;

the things by night, the things by day;

confess in an acceptable time;

and in the day of salvation receive the heavenly treasure.

Devote yourself to the exorcisms;

be diligent in attending the catecheses, and remember the things that will be spoken.

For it is spoken, not only that you may hear, but that through faith you may seal up the things spoken.

Wipe out from yourself every human anxiety;

you are altogether leaving behind the things of the world;

small are the things left behind, but great the things bestowed by the Lord.

Leave the present things, and believe in the things to come.

So many cycles of years you have passed through, busying yourself about the world in vain;

and will you not give forty days for the sake of your own soul? Be still, and know that I am God, says the Scripture.

Refrain from much idle speech;

neither slander, nor gladly listen to one who slanders;

but rather be ready for prayers;

show by ascetic practice the strength of sinew in your heart.

Cleanse your vessel, that you may receive the more grace.

For the remission of sins is given equally to all;

but the communion of the Holy Spirit is bestowed in proportion to each one's faith.

If you labour little, you receive little;

but if you work much, great is the reward.

You run for yourself; look to your own advantage.

If you have anything against anyone, forgive.

You come to receive forgiveness of sins; it is necessary that you also forgive him who has sinned against you.

For with what face will you say to the Lord, 'Forgive me my many sins,' if you yourself have not forgiven your fellow-servant even his few? Be earnest at the Assemblies;

not only now, when the clergy also require diligence, but also after receiving the grace.

For if before you receive it the practice is good, is it not also good after the gift? If before you are grafted in it is safe to be watered and tended, after the planting is it not far better? Strive for your own soul, especially in such days;

nourish your soul with divine readings;

for the Lord has prepared for you a spiritual table.

Say also yourself, after the psalmist:

The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing;

he has made me to lie down there in a place of green pasture, he has nourished me beside the water of rest;

he has restored my soul;

that the angels also may rejoice together, and Christ himself, the great high priest, accepting your disposition and presenting you all, may say to the Father:

Behold, I and the children whom God has given me;

may he keep you well-pleasing to him;

to whom be the glory [and the might] unto the unending ages of ages.

To whom be the glory [and the might] unto the unending ages of ages.