In The Midst

Δανιὴλ μὲν ὡς οἰκέτης γνήσοις διὰ προσευχῆς τὰ τῶν λεόντων ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ ἐνέφραξε στόματα. Χριστὸς δὲ ὁ τούτου Δεσπότης ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ, τῶν πυλωρῶν τοῦ ᾅδου καὶ τῶν ἀμειδῶν φρουρῶν τῆς ἐκεῖσε ζοφερωτάτης εἰρκτῆς τοὺς φάρυγγας ἔκλεισεν. Καὶ γὰρ εἴρητο προφητικῶς ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τοῦ Ἰώβ· Ἀνοίγονται σοι φόβῳ πύλαι θανάτου, πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδοντες σε ἔπτηξαν. Ζῶντες λέγονται οἱ πιστεύσαντες τῷ Χριστῷ, νεκροὶ δὲ ὅσοι μὴ ἐπιστευσαν· διόπερ γέγραπται· Καὶ ἐστάθη Ἀαρὼν ὁ ἱερὺς ἀνάμασον τῶν ζώντων καὶ τῶν ἀποθανόντων. Μεταξὺ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς, τῶν τε παραδέξασθαι καὶ τῶν μὴ βουληθέντων παραδέξασθαι. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ Ἰωάννης ὁ Βαπτιστὴς λέγων τῷ λαῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ὅτι Μέσος ὑμῶν ἔστηκεν, ὄνπερ ὑμεῖς ἀγνοεῖτε. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΠΗ', Ἀκακιῳ Μεμοριαλιῳ Source: Migne PG 79.121b

Daniel the faithful servant stopped up the mouths of the lions in the pit by prayer, 1 but Christ his Lord by His own authority closed up the mouths of the gate keepers of hell and the cruel guards of that blackest prison, which was foretold in the book of Job: 'The gates of death open to you in fear and the guards of the gates of hell cowered.' 2 They who believe in Christ are those who live, but the dead are those who do not believe, whence it is written: 'And the priest Aaron stood in the midst of the living and the dead.' 3 For certainly the Lord Christ is in the midst of those who receive Him and those who do not want to receive Him. And John the Baptist gives witness to this when he says to the people at the Jordan that 'There is one standing among you whom you do not know.' 4 Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 88, to Acacius the Historian 1 Dan 6 2 Job 38.17 3 Numb 16.48 4 Jn 1.26