Man and Change

Εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων, τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ εἰς σύνεσιν, ᾡδὴ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ.  Φαίνεται μὲν καὶ οὕτος ὁ ψαλμὸς τελειωτικός τος ὣν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως, καὶ εἰς τὸ προκείμενον τέλος τοῖς κατ' ἀρετὴν βιοῦν προῃρημένοις τὴν ὠφέλειαν παρεχόμενος. Τοῖς γὰρ προκόπτουσι χρεία τῆς εἰς τὸ τελειωθῆναι διδασκαλίας, ἣν ὁ ψαλμὸς οὕτος παρέχεται, ἐπιγραφὴν ἐχων, 'Εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων.' Κεκρυμμένως δὲ εἶπεν, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν οἱ μάλιστα πάντων τῶν λογικῶν ἀλλοιώσεσί τε καὶ τροπαῖς ταῖς ἐφ' ἑκάστης ἡμέρας καὶ ὥρας σχεδὸν ὑποκεμενοι. Οὕτε γὰρ σώματι οὕτε γνώμῃ οἱ αὑτοί ἐσμεν ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν σῶμα ἡμῶν, ἀεὶ ῥέον καὶ σκεδανύμενον, ἐν κινήσει ἐστὶ καὶ μεταβολῇ ἢ ἀπὸ μικροῦ εἰς τὸ μεῖζον αὐξόμενον, ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ τελείου πρὸς τὸ ἔλαττον συστελλόμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ αὐτός ἐστι τᾠ ἀρτιγενεῖ παιδίῳ ὁ εἰς διδακελεῖον φοιτῶν ἤδη παῖς, καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν τεχνῶν καὶ μαθημάτων ἀναλήψεις ἐπιτηδείως ἔχων· ἕτερος δὲ πάλιν παρὰ τοῦτον ὁμολογουμένως ἐστὶν ὁ ἔφηβος, ἤδη τῶν νεανικῶν ἄπτεσθαι δυνάμενος. Καὶ παρὰ τὸν ἔφηβον ὁ ἀνὴρ ἄλλος τίς ἐστι καὶ στεῥῥτητι καὶ μεγέθει σώματος, καὶ τῇ τοῦ λόγου συμπληρώσει. Εἰς ἀκμὴν δὲ ἐλθὼν, καὶ τὸ στάσιμον τῆς ἡλικίας ἀπολαβὼν, πάλιν ἄρχεται κατὰ μικρὸν ὑφαιρεῖν πρὸς τὸ ἔλαττον, ὑποῥῥεούσης αὐτῷ λεληθότως τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἔξεως, καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν τόνων ἐλαττουμένων, ἕως ἄν, ὑπὸ γήρως κατακαμφθεὶς, τὴν εἰς ἔσχατον δυνάμεως ὑφαίρεσιν ὑπομείνῃ. Ἡμεῖς τοίνυν ἐσμὲν οἱ ἀλλοιούμενοι, καὶ σοφῶς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους διὰ τῆς φωνῆς ταύτης ὁ ψαλμὸς παρῃνίξατο. Οὐ γὰρ ἄγγελοι ἐπιδέχονται τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν. Οὐδεις γὰρ παρ' ἐκείνοις παῖς, οὐδὲ νεανίσκος, οὐδὲ πρεσβύτης, ἀλλ' ἐν ᾗπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐκτίσθησαν καταστάσει, ἐν ταύτῃ διαμένουσιν, ἀκεραίας αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀτρέπτου τῆς συστάσεως σωζομένης. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀλλοιούμεθα, κατὰ μὲν τὸ σῶμα, ὡς δίδεικται, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, τοῖς ἀεὶ προσπίπτουσι πράγμαι συμμετατιθέντες τὰς διανοίας. Ἂλλοι μὲν γάρ ἐσμεν εὐθυμούμενοι, καὶ πάντων ἡμῖν τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον κατὰ ῥοῦν προϊόντων· ἄλλοι δὲ ἐν τοῖς περιστατικοῖς καιροῖς, ἐπειδάν τινι τῶν ἀβουλήτων προσπταίσωμεν. Ἀλλοιούμεθα δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὰς ὀργὰς, θηριώδη τινὰ κατάστασιν ἀναλαμβάνοντες. Ἀλλοιούμεθα καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας, κτηνώδεις γινόμενοι διὰ τοῦ καθ' ἡδονὴν βίου. Ἵπποι θηλυμανεῖς ἐγενήθησαν οἱ ταῖς γυναιξὶ τῶν πλησίον ἐπιμαινόμενοι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν δολερὸς ἀλώπεκι παρεικάζεται, ὡς Ἡρώδης· ὁ δὲ ἀναιδὴς κύων προσαγορεύεται, ὡς Νάβαλ ὁ Καρμήλιος. Ὡρᾷς τὸ ποικίλον καὶ πολυειδὲς τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως ἡμῶν; Θαύμασον οὖν τὸν προσφόρως τὴν προσηγορίαν ταύτην ἡμῖν ἐφαρμόσαντα. Διόπερ δοκεῖ μοί τις τῶν ἑρμηνευτων καλῶς καὶ εὐθυβόλως τὴν αὐτὴν διάνοιαν δι' ἑτέρας προσηγορίας ἐκδεδωκέναι, ἀντὶ τοῦ,' Ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων,' εἰπὼν αὐτὸς, 'τοῖς υἱοῖς .' Τὸ ὠκόμορον τῶν ἀνθέων ἄξιον ἐνόμισε συγκρίνεσθαι τῷ ἐπικήρῳ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα χρόνον ἐγκέκλιται ἡ φωνὴ ( εἴρηται γὰρ Ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων, ὡς ὕστερόν ποτε τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως ταύτης ἀναφαινομένης ἡμῖν), ἐπισκεψώμεθα μήποτε τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡμῖν δοθήσεται· ἀλλοίωσις δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον καὶ πνευματικόν ' Σπείρεται γὰρ,' φησὶν, ' ἐν φθορᾷ, ἐγείρεται ἐν ἀφθαρσιᾳ.' Ὅρᾷς τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν; ' Σπείρεται ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ ἐγείρεται ἐν δυνάμει. ' Σπείρεται σῶμα ψυχικὸν, ἐγείρεται σθμᾶ μνευματικόν· ὅτε καὶ πᾶσα ἡμῖν ἡ σωματικὴ κτίσις συναλλοιοῦται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ' Οἱ οὐρανοὶ ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται, καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἀλλάξει αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται. Τότε καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ἔσται ἐπταπλασίων ἑαυτοῦ, κατὰ τὸν Ἤσαῖσν, καὶ ἡ σελήνη κατὰ τὸ νῦν ὑπάρχον μέγεθος τοῦ ἡλίου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ πᾶσι γέγραπται τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔχουσιν ὦτα κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, ' Τοῖς ἀλλοιωθησομένοις ἐπέγραψεν· ὡς οἶμαι, τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιμελομένοις, καὶ ἀεὶ διὰ τῶν γυμνασίων τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπὶ τὸ μεϊζον προκόπτουσιν. Αὔτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ καλλίστη ἀλλοίωσις, ἣν ἡ δεξιὰ χαρίζεται τοῠ Ὑψίστου· ἧς καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαβὶδ ἐπῄσθετο, ὅτε, γευσάμενος τῶν καλῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς, τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεξέτεινε. Τί γὰρ φησι; Καὶ εἶπα· Νῦν ἠρξάμην· αὔτη ἡ ἀλλοίωσις τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ Ὑψίστου. Ὥστε ὁ προκόπτων εἰς ἀρετὴν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτε οὐκ ἀλλοιοῠται. Ὅτε γὰρ ἥμην, φησὶ, νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος. Ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνὴρ, κατήργνκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου. Καὶ πάλιν γενόμενος άνὴρ, οὐχ ἴστατο τῆς ἐνεργείας, ἀλλὰ Τῶν ὅπισθεν ἐπιλανθανόμενος, καὶ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος, κατὰ σκοπὸν ἐδίωκεν ἐπὶ τὸ βραδεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως.' Ἀλλοίωσις οὖν ἐστι τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου ἀνακαινουμένου ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ  Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον ΜΔ' Ψαλμον

To the master, for those who shall be changed, for the sons of Core, according to the understanding, a song of joy. 1 It seems this Psalm pertains to the perfection of human nature, and for those who direct their lives according to virtue this initial wording will be useful to understand. For by advancement the work of teaching is brought to perfection, which this Psalm shows. Its superscription is: 'To the master, for those who shall be changed.' And cryptically here he says 'for men' when he says 'for those', for we most of all rational creatures each day and each hour are subject to variety and changes We do not remain the same in body nor in mind, but the body of ours is ever altering with unseemly excretions and ejections and with motions and shifts, and from little much grows and there is reduction from a more perfect state to an inferior one. For a boy who attends to teaching and is able to grasp arts and disciplines suitable for him, is not the same as an infant. And different again from the boy it must be admitted is the youth who is attending to the exertions of young men. And different to the youth is the adult man who is strong and great in his body and in possession of mature reason. But when a man has come to vigour and has reached a stable age, again, little by little, the strength of the body begins to pass away, and his power decreases, until old age bends him, and this last most troublesome difficulty he must endure. We therefore are those who are changed and so we men are well designated through the voice of this Psalm. For angels are not permitted to change. Not among them is there a boy, a youth, or an old man, but in that state in which they were created so they remain, their simple substance being preserved unchanged. We however are changed, according to our body certainly, as has been shown, and it is also so with our thoughts, for always meeting with other things, they are subject to change. For one thing we are when we are cheerful and everything in life goes well, and another thing we are in times of calamity when we we find ourselves among adversities. And we are changed by anger, assuming a wild state. And we are changed by concupiscence, being made like beasts, who are mad for lust for of neighbours' wives. 2 And to the cunning fox we are compared, like Herod, and to the shamelessness of a dog like Nabal of Carmel 3 Do you see the variety and diversity of our changes? Admire, therefore, the one who chose this most apt and convenient superscription. And it seems to me that one may read well and correctly this same meaning expressed with other words, when in place of 'For those who will be changed,' he says 'for the sons.' Certainly a flower which quickly withers may be thought most apt to be compared with the mortality of human nature. Because the voice directs to future time, ( because it is said, for those who shall be changed, as if later this change had been declared to us) let us consider the teaching of the resurrection indicated to us, in which change shall be given to us, change even into something better and spiritual. For what is sown, he says,corruptible rises incorruptible. 4 Do you see the change? What is sown in infirmity rises in power. What is sown as animal body rises as a spiritual body, when every corporeal creation shall be changed. Indeed the heavens like a vestment worn old and like a covering, God shall change and they shall be changed. 5 Then the sun shall be seven times greater, according to Isaiah, and the moon shall be the size as the sun is now. 6 And because the words of God are not written for everyone but to those who have ears having according to the interior man, the superscription is, 'For those who shall be changed.' which I think is for those who have care for themselves and who ever through exertions of piety improve more and more. For this is the best of changes, which the right hand of the Most High bestows, which even blessed David experienced when tasting the good of virtues, to things ahead extending himself. What did he say? 'And I say now I have begun, here is a change is the right hand of the Most High' 7 He who has made progress in virtue, is he not changed? 'For when,' he says 'I was a little boy I spoke like a little boy and I thought like a little boy and I thought like a little boy. When I became a man, I rid myself of childish things.' 8 And again when he became a man he did not make an end of action but ' forgetting those things behind, and to those things ahead striving, intent on the goal, for the prize, the higher calling '. 9 Therefore he is changed, when the interior man is renewed from day to day. 10     Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 44 1   Ps 44 2 2 Jer 5.8 3. 1 Kings, 25, 3 LXX 4 1Cor 15.42 5 Ps 101.27  6 Is 30.26  7 Ps 76.11 8 1 Cor 13.11  9 Phil 3.13-14   10 2 Cor 4.16