Patience And Reward

Ὁ ἡμέτερος διδάσκαλος Παῠλος παραγγέλλει, παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ. Κοινὸν μὲν τὸ παράγγελμα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπαγγέλλει τοῖς ἁγιωσύνην ἀσκοῦσιν. Ἡ παρθένος τὴν μὲν φύσιν ἐστὶν ὁμοία ταῖς ἄλλαις γυναιξὶ, τῇ δὲ προθέσει τὴν φὺσιν ὑπερβᾶσα. Καὶ τῷ ἁγίῷ ἀγίως προσελθεῖν θελήσασα, εἰ μὲν κατορθῖ ἐνταῦθα, θαῦμα μέγα ἀπηνέγκατο· εἰ δὲ προθεμένη οὐκ ἐτελείωσιν, ἐξαίσιον τὸ τοιοῦτον πτῶμα γεγένηται· καὶ γὰρ χαλεπώτερον ἐστιν ἀπὸ ὑψηλοτέρων πεσεῖν, ἤ ἀπὸ τῶν χαμαὶ καταπίπτειν. Καὶ ὅσῳ μεγάλα ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπαγγελία, τοσούτῳ χείρων ἡ πτῶσις. Ἡ γὰρ ἐπαγγελία ὑπερβαίνει τὴν φήσιν, καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν αὐτὴν ἀναφέρει, καὶ μετὰ ἀγγέλων χοερεύειν αὐτὴν κατασκευάζει. Ἐντεῦθεν ἥδη τῇ πολιτείᾳ, ὥς φησι καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ τῷ ἀξιώματι τούτῳ μαρτυρων, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν ὁ βίος ἐστὶ, φησὶν, ἡ προσδοκία τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει, ὅτι Οἱ καταξιωθέντες τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμισκονται. Ὅ τοίνυν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ἀπόκειται, τοῦτο προλαβοῦσα ἥ τινων προαίρεσις, ἔχει καὶ κέκτηται. Οἱ γὰρ ἅγιοι, οἵτινες τὸν λογισμὸν ἔχουσιν ἀνατεταμένον πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐσθίοντες ἐκ τῆς οὐρανίου τροφῆς, ἠγήσαντο ὡς φυλακὴν τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, καὶ τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτυρίαν παραδεδώκασι, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ψυχὴν τετηρήκασιν ἁγνὴν, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς οἰκήσῃ ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὑπέμενον δὲ, ὥσπερ ὁ Κύριος ἡμων λέγει, ὅτι Ὁ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὕτος σωθησεται· καὶ καθάπερ ὁ Ψαλμῳδός φησιν· Ἐκοπίασεν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τέλος· ὅσοι γὰρ δίκαιοι τὴν ἐλπιδα αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἔχουσιν, ἀνάπαυσιν σαρκικὴν οὐκ ἐσχήκασι, χωρίζουσαν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλ' ἔμενον ἐν κόποις, μὴ δειλιῶντες, οὔτε μὴν διστάζοντες περὶ τῶν θείθν ἐπαγγελιῶν· ἀλλ' ὑποδεχόμενοι τὰς θλίψεις ἐλαφρῶς, μηνμονεύουσι τοῦ διὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγην τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε. καὶ μαρτυρεῖ καὶ περὶ τῶν μὴ προσδεξαμένων τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἤθελον ἀναστρέψαντες πάλιν εἶναι ἐν τοῖς οὐρανίοις· ἡμᾶς δὲ οὐ δεῖ εἶναι ἐν τοῖς κοσμικοῖς, ἀλλὰ μεταβῆναι εἰς τὸ συνεῖναι τῷ Θεῷ. Ἅγιος Ἀθανάσιος, Περὶ Ὑπομονης Source: Migne PG 26.1297a-c

Our teacher Paul exhorts the preparation of our bodies as a living sacrifice pleasing to God. 1 Certainly it is a general command, but more is promised to those exert themselves in holiness. A virgin has a similar nature to other women but with her vow she transcends that nature. And wishing to come to the holy of holies, if she is well presented, a great wonder has been brought, but if she has not perfected what she has proposed, woeful is the calamity, because as the greater the promise, so much the worse the fall. For the promise exceeds nature and lifts it into the heavens and makes it dwell among the angelic choirs. And from there with that way of life, as the Saviour says, it gives witness of its great dignity, for life after the resurrection of the dead is the hope of men. And again He says that those who are worthy of the resurrection amid future goods, neither marry nor are given in marriage. 2 Then with the promise being reserved in the kingdom of heaven, yet some by their own choice run ahead and here have and possess it. For the holy, having fixed their minds on God, even feasting on the heavenly bread, having treated this world as a prison, have handed over their own bodies to martyrdom, they who had guarded their own souls in chastity, so that God might dwell with them. They had patience, and as the Lord said, 'He who has patience to the end, he shall be saved.' 3 and likewise the Psalmist says, 'He laboured for eternity, and he shall live at the end.' 4 For as much as men place their hope in God, and do not cling to carnal contentment, which separates them from God, but endure in their labours, fearing nothing, and not doubting the Divine promises, but readily accepting hardship, they recall that which was said by the Apostle: 'And you accepted the seizure of your goods with joy.' 5 And this also bears witness to those who do not receive redemption, who are unwilling to have their way of life in the heavens. But we should not be in the world, but passing on, that we may be with God. Saint Athanasius, From a Sermon On Patience 1 Rom 12.1 2 Mt 22.30 3 Mk 13.13 4 Ps 48.9-10 5 Heb 10.34