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Fragments from the Homily on the Cross

Methodius of Olympus

Fragment 2

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

II.

The Same Methodius to Those Who are Ashamed of the Cross of Christ.

Some think that God also, whom

‹ Fragment 1 Fragment 3 ›

they

measure

with

the

measure

of

their

own

feelings

,

judges

the

same

thing

that

wicked

and

foolish

men

judge

to

be

subjects

of

praise

and

blame

,

and

that

He

uses

the

opinions

of

men

as

His

rule

and

measure

,

not

taking

into

account

the

fact

that

,

by

reason

of

the

ignorance

that

is

in

them

,

every

creature

falls

short

of

the

beauty

of

God

.

For

He

draws

all

things

to

life

by

His

Word

,

from

their

universal

substance

and

nature

.

For

whether

He

would

have

good

,

He

Himself

is

the

Very

Good

,

and

remains

in

Himself

;

or

,

whether

the

beautiful

is

pleasing

to

Him

,

since

He

Himself

is

the

Only

Beautiful

,

He

beholds

Himself

,

holding

in

no

estimation

the

things

which

move

the

admiration

of

men

.

That

,

verily

,

is

to

be

accounted

as

in

reality

the

most

beautiful

and

praiseworthy

,

which

God

Himself

esteems

to

be

beautiful

,

even

though

it

be

contemned

and

despised

by

all

else

—

not

that

which

men

fancy

to

be

beautiful

.

Whence

it

is

,

that

although

by

this

figure

He

hath

willed

to

deliver

the

soul

from

corrupt

affections

,

to

the

signal

putting

to

shame

of

the

demons

,

we

ought

to

receive

it

,

and

not

to

speak

evil

of

it

,

as

being

that

which

was

given

us

to

deliver

us

,

and

set

us

free

from

the

chains

which

for

our

disobedience

we

incurred

.

For

the

Word

suffered

,

being

in

the

flesh

affixed

to

the

cross

,

that

He

might

bring

man

,

who

had

been

deceived

by

error

,

to

His

supreme

and

godlike

majesty

,

restoring

him

to

that

divine

life

from

which

he

had

become

alienated

.

By

this

figure

,

in

truth

,

the

passions

are

blunted

;

the

passion

of

the

passions

having

taken

place

by

the

Passion

,

and

the

death

of

death

by

the

death

of

Christ

,

He

not

having

been

subdued

by

death

,

nor

overcome

by

the

pains

of

the

Passion

.

For

neither

did

the

Passion

cast

Him

down

from

His

equanimity

,

nor

did

death

hurt

Him

,

but

He

was

in

the

passible

remaining

impassible

,

and

in

the

mortal

remaining

immortal

,

comprehending

all

that

the

air

,

and

this

middle

state

,

and

the

heaven

above

contained

,

and

attempering

the

mortal

to

the

immortal

divinity

.

Death

was

vanquished

entirely

;

the

flesh

being

crucified

to

draw

forth

its

immortality

.

Notes

1
Apud. Gretserum, De Sancta Cruce, tom. ii. p. 403.