Glory And Disgrace

..αἰσχύνθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν ἀπὸ ὀνειδισμοῦ ἔναντι Kυρίου. Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ ἑξῆς ἐπίπληξιν ἀναγχαίαν ἣν καλὸν εἰς τὸν ἐθικὸν τόπον ἀναλαθεῖν λέγουσαν" Αἷσχύγθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν, ἀπὸ ὀνειδισμοῦ ἐναντίον Κυρίου. Ἔστι τινὰ ἐν οἷς καυχώμεθα δια τὴν ἄνοιαν, οὐχ οὖσιν καυχήσεως ἀξίοις οἷον ἐάν καυχήσηταί τις, ὅτι πλούσιός ἐστι, καὶ πολλὰ χέχτηται, λέγοιτ᾽ ἂν πρὸς αὐτόν Αἰσχύγθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν. Ἐὰν καυχήσηται τι; ἐπὶ εὐγενείξ ταύτῃ τῇ ἐκτὸς, λεχθήσεται πρὸς αὐτόν" Αἰσχύγθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν. Ἐὰν καυχήσηταί τις ἐπὶ πολυτελείᾳ ἱματίων, ἐπὶ οἰκοδομῇ οἰχίας πλουσίως κατεσχευασμένης, ἀλλοτρία ἐστὶν ἡ καύχησις καυχῆς σεως ἁγίων" διὸ λεχθήσεται πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον᾽ Αἰσιχὺγθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν. Άkουε τοῦ λόγου τοῦ προφήτου Ἱερεμίου χελεύοντος ἡμᾶς μὴ καυχᾶσθαι· Μηδὲ ὁ σοφὸς ἐπὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ ὀϊσχυρὸς ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὑτοῦ, μηδὲ ὁ πιλούσιος ἐν' τῷ πιλούτῳ αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος, συγιεῖν καὶ γιγώσκειν, ὅτι ἐγώ εἶμι Κύριος. θέλεις καυχᾶσθαι, καὶ καυχώμενος μὴ ἀκοῦσαι, Αἰσχύνθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν; Καύχησαι ὡς ᾿Απόστολος, καὶ εἰπέ ᾿Εμοὶ δὲ μὴ γέγοιτο καυχᾶσθαι εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ. Θέλεις kαυχᾶσθαι ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇς· Αἰσιχύνθητε ἀπὸ kαυχήσεως ὑμῶν; Ἄκουε Παύλου καυχωμένου, καὶ μάνθανε, ὅταν λέγῃ· Ἥδιστα οὗν καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθεγείαις μου, ἵν ἐπισκηγώσῃ ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἄκουε οἷα καυχᾶται καυχήματα Eν κόποις περισσοτέρως. Τίς δύναται ἡμῶν τοῦτο εἰπεῖν; Ἐν φυλακαῖς ὑπερβαλλιόντως. ἐν θανάτοις πολλιάκις ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων πεντάχις τεσσαράκοντα παρὰ μίαν ἔλαβον, τρὶς ἐῤῥαῦδίσθην, ἅπαξ ἐλιθάσθηγν, τρὶς ἐραυάγησα. Μανθάνομεν οὖν χαὶ χαυχήσεων εἶναι διαφοράς᾽ ὥς τινας μὲν χαυχήσεις εἶναι αἰσχύνης ἀξίας, ἐφ᾽ οἷς λέγοιτ᾽ ἂν ἐχεῖνο τὸ ἀποστολιχόν᾽ Καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν. Ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἔδει αὐτοὺς αἰσχύνεσθαι, ἐπὶ τούτοις οἴονται δοξάζεσθαι. Ὠριγένης Ἰερεμίας, Ὁμολία IA' Source: Migne PG 13.324c-325a

...you are disgraced in your glorying, in your shame before the Lord. 1 Let us see what else there is here for needful correction, which we should receive in a moral sense: 'You are disgraced in your glorying, in your shame before me.' There are many things in which we glory and show our lack of sense. For example, if some glory in their many possessions, He says to them, 'You are disgraced in your glorying.' If some glory in the nobility of their family, it is said to them, 'You are disgraced in your glorying.' If someone fall into boasting over expensive clothing, over a house adorned with much wealth, he is far from the glory of the saints, and it is said to him: 'You are disgraced in your glorying.' Hear what the Divine speech says to Jeremiah, exhorting us not to glory in our wisdom, 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches, he who would glory let him glory in understanding and knowing that I am the Lord.' 2 You wish to glory and not hear in your glorying: 'You are disgraced in your glorying.' ? Glory like the Apostle and say, 'Let it no be for me to glory but in the cross of Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.' 3 You wish to glory and not hear, 'You are disgraced in your glorying'? Hear Paul glorying and learn when he says, 'Gladly, then, I glory in my weaknesses so that the power of Christ might dwell in me.' 4 Hear what the glories are that he glories in, 'In much labour.' Who can say this? 'In a long time in prison, often among the dead, from the Jews who gave me forty five lashes less one, three blows of the stick, and once I was stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck.' 5 Let us learn the differences between glories and that some glory in what is shameful, and some in the things the Apostle speaks of. 'And their glory is in their disgrace.' 6 Over things which disgrace them, these they think make them glorious. Origen, from the Eleventh Homily on Jeremiah 1 Jerem 12.13 2 Jerem 9.23-24 3 Galat 6.14 4 2 Cor 12.9 5 2 Cor 11.23-25 6 Philip 3.19

Thrown Down

Et vidi, et cecidi in faciem meam. Quid ergo de hoc viro fieret, si ita ut est ejus gloriam vidisset, qui similitudinem gloriae illius videns, sed ferre non valens, cecidit? Qua in re cum magno moerore pensare et considerare cum lacrymis debemus in quantam miseriam et infirmitatem cecidimus, qui et ipsum bonum ferre non possumus ad quod videndum creati sumus. Est tamen et aliud quod de prophetae facto consideremus in nobis. Propheta enim mox ut gloriae Domini similitudinem vidit, in faciem suam cecidit. Cujus similitudinem gloriae quia nos per spiritum prophetiae videre non possumus, hanc assidue cognoscere et sollicite contemplari in sacro eloquio, in coelestibus monitis, in praeceptis spiritualibus debemus. Qui cum aliquid de Deo conspicimus, in faciem nostram cadimus, quia ex malis erubescimus, quae nos meminimus perpetrasse. Ibi enim cadit homo, ubi confunditur. Unde et Paulus quasi quibusdam in facie jacentibus dicebat: Quem ergo fructum habuistis tunc in illis, in quibus nunc erubescitis? Sanctus Gregorius Magnus, In Ezechielem Prophetam, Liber Primus, Homilia VIII Source: Migne PL 76.869b-c

And I saw and I fell on my face... 1 Why, then, did it happen to this man, that, as if had looked on His glory in the seeing of the likeness of His glory, not being able to bear it, he fell? We should think on this matter with great grief and consider it with tears, for into great misery and weakness we have fallen who are not able to bear that same good for which we were created. However, there is something in this act of the prophet that we should consider for ourselves. For as soon as the prophet saw the likeness of the glory of the Lord, he fell on his face. Which likeness of His glory, because we are not able to see it through the inspiration of prophecy, we should carefully know and anxiously contemplate in holy words, in heavenly warnings, and in spiritual teachings. We who see something concerning God, we fall on our faces, because we are ashamed of the wickedness which we remember we have done. And there where a man falls, there he is confounded. Whence even Paul, as if to certain folk thrown down on their faces, said, 'So what reward did you have in these things, over which now you blush?' 1 Saint Gregory the Great, On the Prophet Ezekiel, Book 1, from Homily 8 1 Ezek 1.28 2 Rom 6.21

Removing The Veil

Μετὰ ταῦτα λέγουσιν οὗτοι οἱ ἐξομολογούμενοι τό Ἐκοιμήθημεν ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ ἡμῶν· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο φασι· Καὶ ἐπεκάλυψεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀτιμία ἡμῶν. Περὶ τοῦ καλύμματος πολλάκις ἡμῖν εῖρηται, τοῦ ἐπικειμένου τῷ προσώπῳ τῶν μὴ ἐπιστρεφόντων πρὸς Κύριον. Δι' ὃ κάλυμμα ἐὰν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωῦσης, ὁ ἀμαρτωλὸς οὐ νοεῖ αὐτόν. Κάλυμμα γὰρ εἰς τὴν καρδὶαν αὐτοῦ κεῖται. Δι' ὃ κάλυμμα ἐὰν ἀναγινωσκησαι ἡ Παλαιὰ Διαθήκη, οὐ συνήσει ἀκούων. Δι' ὃ κάλυμμα καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶ κεκαλυμμένον. Ἐλέγομεν τοίνυν περὶ τοῦ καλύμματος, ὅτι ἡ αἰσχύνη ἐστὶ τὸ κάλψμμα. Ὅσον γὰρ ἔχομεν τὰ ἔργα τῆς αἰσχύνης, δῆλον ὅτι ἔχομεν τὸ καλύμμα, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον που ἐν μ' καὶ γ' ψαλμῷ· Καὶ ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου μου ἐκάλυψε με. Παρεθέμην, ὅτι ὁ μὴ ἔχων αἰσχύνης ἔργα, οὐκ ἔχει καλύμμα· ὁποῖος ἧν ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου καταπτρίζόμενα. Παῦλος οὗν ἀνακεκαλυμμένον ἔχει τὸ πρόσωπον· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει αἰσχύνης ἔργα. Ὡς οὖν ἐκει· Ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου μου ἐκάλυψε με, εἴρηται ἐνθάδε· Ἐκάλύψεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀτιμία ἠμῶν. Ὄσον ἀτιμίας ἔργα ἐργαζόμεθα, κάλυμμα ἔχομεν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν κείμενον. Εἰ θέλομεν τὸ καλύμμα τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀτιμίας ἀποθέσθαι, ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς τιμῆς ἔργα καταντήσθωμεν, καὶ νοήσωμεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰρημένον· Ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν υἱον, καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα· νοήσωμεν καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ εἰρημένον· Διὰ τῆς παραθάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζεις. Ὁ δίκαιος ὡς τιμᾷ τὸν πατέρα, τιμᾷ τὸν υἱον. Ἡ ἀτιμία, ὅταν ἀτιμάζω τὸν υἱον, αὐτὴ καθ' ἤν ἁτιμάζω τὸν πατέρα ἐπικάλυμμα γίνεται τοῦ προσώπου μου, καὶ λέγω· Ἐπεκάλυψεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀτιμία. Διὰ τοῦτο νοήσαντες τὸ κάλυμμα, τὸ ἐπικείμενον ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς αἰσχύνης ἔργων, ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς ἀτιμίας πράξεων περιελώμεθα τὸ κάλυμμα. Ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἐστι περιαιρεθῆναι τὸ κάλυμμα, οὐδενὸς ἄλλου ἐστίν. Ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐπέσρεψε πρὸς Κύριον Μωϋσης, περιῃρεῖτο τὸ κάλυμμα. Ὀρᾷς ὡς Μωϋσης ποτε λαμβάνεται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ. Ὅσον οὐκ ἐπέστρεθε πρὸς Κύριον, σύμβολον ὤν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέφοντος πρὸς Κύριον, κάλυμμα εἶχεν ἐπικείμενον αὐτοῦ τῷ προσώπῳ· ὅτε δὲ ἐπέστρεφε πρὸς Κύριον, σύμβολον γενόμενος τῶν ἐπιστρεφόντων πρὸς Κύριον, τότε περιῃρεῖτο τὸ κάλυμμα, καὶ οὐχ οἷον ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ ἐκέλευε. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε ὁ Κύριος πρὸς Μωϋσην· Περίθου τὸ κάλυμμα· ἀλλ' ἰδὼν Μωϋσης, ὅτι οὑ δύναται ὁ λαὸς ἰδεῖν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, τότε ἐπετίθει τὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον· καὶ οὐ περιέμεινε Θεὸν λέγοντα, Περιελοῦ τὸ κάλυμμα, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐπέστεψε πρὸς Κύριον. Ὠριγένης Ἰερεμίας, Ὁμολία Ε´ Source: Migne PG 13.305b-308a

After these things they confess 'We lay down in our shame,' to which is added, 'and disgrace covered us.' 1 We have often been told of the veil which lies over the face of those who do not turn back to the Lord. Because of which veil, if Moses is read, the sinner does not understand him. For the veil has been placed on his heart. And because of the veil, if the Old Testament is read, he hears it and does not understand. And because of the veil the Gospel also is hidden to those who are perishing. 2 We have said that this veil is shame. For while we have shameful works it is obvious that we must have the veil upon us, according to which it is said in the forty third Psalm: 'And the shame of my face covered me.' 3 And let it be added that he who does not have the works of shame does not have the veil, just as Paul said: 'We shall all look on the glory of the Lord with uncovered face.' 4 Thus Paul has an uncovered face, for he does not have the works of shame. As then it says in the forty third Psalm: 'The shame of my face covered me,' so indeed it is said here 'and disgrace covered us.' While we take to shameful deeds we have placed a veil on our hearts. If we wish for this veil made by shame to be withdrawn let us strive to do honourable things, and let us understand the words of our Saviour: 'That all should honour the Son as they honour the Father.' 5 And as the Apostle said: 'By sinning you have dishonoured the God of the Law.' 6 As the righteous man honours the Father, he honours the Son. Disgrace when it dishonours the Son, dishonours the Father, making a covering for the face, and I say, 'Disgrace covered us.' Whence knowing of the veil that shameful deeds impose, let us take off the veil of dishonourable works. It is in our power to remove the veil, it is not in the power of another. 'Moses returned to the Lord, and he removed the veil.' 7 See that Moses put it on when he went to the people. and while they did not return to the Lord, with the veil placed on his face he bore the sign of those who do not return, but when they returned to the Lord, then bearing the type of those who return to the Lord, he took off the veil, which was no commandment of God. For He did not say to Moses, 'Take off the veil' but when Moses saw that the people were unable to look on his glory, he placed the veil on his face, nor did he wait for the Lord to say, 'Remove the veil' when they returned to the Lord. Origen, On Jeremiah, from the Fifth Homily 1 Jerem 3.25 2 2 Cor 4.3 3 Ps 43.16 4 2 Cor 3.18 5 Jn 5.23 6 Rom 2.23 7 Exod 34.34

Trial By Prostitute

Ἄλλοτε πάλιν παριόντος τοῦ Ἐφραὶμ, ἐξ ὑποβολῆς τινος ἔρχεται μία ἑταιρὶς κολακεύειν αὐτὸν εἰς αἰσχρὰν μίξιν, εἰ δὲ μὴ, κἂν εἰς ἀγανάκτησιν κινῆσαι αὐτὸν, ὅτι οὐδέποτε τις εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὀργιζόμενον. Καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτήν· Ἀκολούθει μοι· πλησιάσας δὲ τόπῳ πολυοχλουμένῳ, εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Ἐν τῷ τοπῳ τούτῳ δεῦρο καθὼς ἠθέλνσας. Ἐκείνη δὲ θεασαμένη τὸν ὄχλον, λέγει αὐτῷ· Πῶς δυνάμεθα τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, τοσούτου ὄχλου ἑστῶτος, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχυνόμεθα; Ὁ δὲ λέγει πρὸς αὐτήν· Εἰ ἀνθρώπους αἰσχυνόμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὀφείλομεν αἰσχύνεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους ἐλέγχοντα. Ἡ δὲ ἐντραπεῖσα ἀπῆλθεν ἄπρακτος. Ἄποφθέγματα των Αγίων Γερόντων, Παλλάδιος Ελενουπόλεως Source: Migne PG 65.168c-d

Another time, when Ephrem was travelling, a prostitute tried by flattery to lead him to shameful intercourse, and if not that, at least to move him to anger, for no one had ever seen him angry. He said to her, 'Follow me,' and when they had reached a place where there were many people, he said to her, 'In this place, come, do what you wish.' But she, seeing the crowd, said to him, 'How can we do this in the presence of such a crowd and not be ashamed?' He said to her, 'If we are ashamed before men, how much more should we be before God, who knows what is hidden in darkness?' And abashed she went away without having achieved anything. Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia