Any change (2) from the worst to the best brings great joy and happiness to the human race, for human nature is naturally inclined to aspire to the highest [and] always to yearn for (5) the best. Thus, there is no doubt that for sailors the transition from stormy weather to fair and calm weather is welcome; and for travellers, after exhaustion, the tranquillity that leads to rest is pleasant; and for those who grieve, the turning of their eyes from despair to happiness is welcome; and for those who are ill, (10) recovery from illness, leading to health and vigour, is more pleasant; and for enemies, the firm confirmation of friendship and peace following enmity is welcome, whilst the transition from darkness and night to the light of day is even more pleasant. And every action, so to speak, I know has a more pleasing aspect (15) when it brings benefit to those who long for it. Surely, this is how we perceive the joy given to us by God [and] the gladness offered to us through repentance 1.
There is no doubt that wheat is so delicious! If it is painstakingly sown in the ground and multiplies, (20) it sprouts all the sweeter, joyfully receiving within itself [all the qualities] for an abundance of nourishment. Indeed, a seed, through the process of sowing, is cast into a dark place. In the same way, the nature of the vine offers us a more delightful joy, for wine is produced through the transformation of the fruit that comes from the wood. On the one hand, the vine’s branches and leaves (25) have a sap so bitter and astringent that it is not even possible to touch [them] with one’s mouth to taste them; on the other hand, a bunch of grapes, although it is united with the vine branches and leaves in a single stem, possesses such sweetness in terms of sensory perception that it alleviates the body’s state of bitterness and pain, (30) offering, through the drink [made from it], its own fruit for joy. In this way, the olive leaf, too, has, on the one hand, a stem that is evergreen, whilst, on the other hand, the olive tree is always a young [tree]. The fruit [of the olive tree] appears in its own season, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to that of other trees, so that its unique nature becomes apparent. (35) At first it is a flower like a very small, covered mound, and at its centre lies a seed that bears fruit. A countless multitude [of olives] appears to resemble a bunch of grapes, but as [the olive tree] grows, it sheds this multitude [of olives] as though they were useless.
[The olive] is bitter (40) until it is finally ready to be tasted, but if it is picked by hand [before it ripens], it is not fit to eat, thereby preserving the wealth [of oil] that flows from within itself. It already offers, through the transition from its bitter taste, such pleasure on tasting that, on the one hand, [that] condiment [made from it] serves as a substitute for any [kind] of food, whilst, on the other hand, it becomes, for human life, the accompaniment [κέρασμα] to any [kind] of dish. (45) And so, all manner of plants and seeds offer everyone the joy of the transformation of the seeds.
So, given that the transformation of the hardest [seeds] into the finest [fruits] brings such abundant joy, let us (50) turn to those that are even more honourable than these!
Let us marvel at how many blessings the Cross of Christ has bestowed upon us, since, with the same power, it has wrought such a variety of blessings upon us. Even though the Cross of the Lord, when preached, is painful and detested, it is nonetheless (55) full of grace and splendour, being the cause not of suffering but of detachment. Although for the Jews [the Cross] is called a stumbling block [σκάνδαλόν], and for the Gentiles, when preached, it is folly [μωρία], to us, however, who believe, it reminds us of salvation. Although the Cross is read about in the Church (60) and the Passion through the Cross is commemorated, the people, who believe in the Cross, are irritated and let out a pitiful groan and murmur, not because of the Cross, but because of those who were crucified, and [yet] refused to believe.
Indeed, the Cross is the salvation of the Church. The Cross is the praise of those (65) who hope in Him. It is the Cross that has freed us from past evils, and [it is] the firstfruits of future blessings. The Cross is the reconciliation of enemies with God, and the conversion of sinners to Christ. Through the Cross we have been delivered from enmity, and through the Cross we have been united with God in a relationship of (70) friendship. Through the Cross we have been freed from the tyranny of the devil, and we have been delivered from death and destruction. Therefore, at first the people murmured when they heard [talk] of the Cross, but their murmuring turned once more to joy, for they heard [words] of the Resurrection, and as a result offered up praise with a pure tongue. (75)
Through the Cross we have been delivered from enmity, and through the Cross we have been united with God in a relationship of friendship.
The Cross transformed human nature into an angelic order, having shown it to be alien to every corrupt deed (680) and having consented to live in incorruptible life. He no longer called them men, but gods, saying: ‘I have said: you are gods, and sons of the Most High’ 2. I no longer called you servants, but friends and brothers, saying: ‘I will proclaim Your name (5) to my brothers’ 3.
Do you see what a change the Cross has wrought in us? To understand the power of the Cross more clearly, consider [what was] before the Cross, what [was] after the Cross, and you will discover the work of the Cross. Before the Cross, the Son was unknown; but today, (10) since the Cross is preached, He is called the Son [of God], and the Father is known through the Son. Before [the coming of] the Cross, the devil was worshipped, [but] now, because the Cross is preached, the devil has fallen, and the demons are put to flight. Before [the coming of] the Cross we spent our time in debauchery and licentiousness, but now, since the Cross is preached, not (15) not only have we renounced fornication, but we have also spurned marriage, and the virginity which we did not know, we receive and guard as our own [treasure]. When the Cross was not being preached, even the devil rallied the Jews against Christ. [But] today, the Cross is proclaimed, and the apostles are bringing the Jews (20) to Christ through faith. When the Cross was not preached, we were held [captive] even by death; but now that the Cross is preached, we have spurned death as though it did not exist, and have begun to long for eternal life. When the Cross was not preached, we were strangers even to Heaven, (25) but when [the Cross] was revealed, suddenly a thief was deemed worthy of Heaven. O great power of the Cross, what a transformation you have wrought in the human race!
[The Cross] has brought us out of such darkness into boundless light. It has called us back from death to eternal life. It has renewed us from corruption to incorruption. (30) Truly, the eyes of the heart are no longer veiled by the darkness of ignorance, but are enlightened by the Cross with the light of knowledge. The ears of the deaf are no longer closed by unbelief, for the deaf have heard the word of the Lord, and the blind have opened their eyes to see (35) the glory of God. These are the triumphs of the Cross. We have these gifts through the Cross.
[The Cross] has brought us out of such darkness into boundless light. It has called us back from death to eternal life. …Indeed, the eyes of our hearts are no longer veiled by the darkness of ignorance, but we are enlightened through the Cross by the light of knowledge.
What good thing has not been given to us through the Cross? What good thing has not been fulfilled for us through the Cross? Through the Cross we have learnt to be merciful, and we have come to know more fully (40) the power of the divine nature. Through the Cross we have been taught the righteousness of God, and [through it] we aspire to the virtue of temperance. Through the Cross we discover one another; [and] we who were far from Christ have been united with [Him], and have been made worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Through the Cross we have come to know the power of love, and we do not shrink from dying for one another. (45) Through the Cross we have despised all things in the world, and counted them as nothing, for we long for the good things to come and strive to see the unseen. The Cross is preached, faith in God is confessed, (50) and the truth lives freely throughout the world. The Cross is preached, the martyrs are revealed, and the confession of Christ is strengthened. The Cross is preached, the Resurrection is made known [and] Life is clearly revealed. The Kingdom of Heaven is worthy of belief. (55) Unbelievers believe in the Cross, and those who look to the Cross rather than to this [present] life attain salvation. The Cross has become our mediator for all these things, and through the Cross we have been taught to give thanks [to God]. Therefore, what is more honourable than the Cross? What is more beneficial to our souls than this? (60) Let us not, therefore, be ashamed to worship the Cross, but let us boldly confess that through which we have been called back to salvation and restored to eternal life!
Behold, what a wonderful transformation has the Cross [of Christ] wrought upon the world? It has changed its (65) lawless ways and corrected its godless teachings. [The world] is no longer governed by diabolical laws, [nor] is it any longer bound by laws that bring death. Indeed, God has returned to His homeland and has banished its mad passions. He has enshrined His own principles in law, and has established as dogma that which is beneficial and useful to Him. He has prescribed the teachings of temperance (70), and has eradicated luxury. He has instilled the principles of holiness, established the law of chastity, and banished lawless debauchery. He has laid down canons of self-restraint [and] overthrown the dominion of pleasures. He subdued the senses to (75) carnal desires by divine decree, and curtailed the power of every sin born (681) of pleasure. Since [the pleasure of sin] is the beginning of debauchery, the aim of the imaginings [of the mind], their invention [and] the defilement of life, therefore, [the Cross] has uprooted the root of iniquity so that all the capriciousness of godlessness might cease; and, on the one hand, it has destroyed the filthy rites of idolatry, whilst on the other hand, it has destroyed (5) lawless customs. It rendered the orgies of Bacchus 4 useless, and put an end to the falsities and pretences of a lack of piety towards God. It thwarted the injustices of deceit, and halted the excesses of perdition. He purified souls, uprooting the thorns of impiety (10), and, like a grain of wheat, he sown the seeds of the fear of God to present [to the public] souls that bear the fruits of righteousness. He has opened the torrents of the outpouring of spiritual wheat, and has filled the storehouses of reason with the divine fruits of heavenly wisdom (15). [The Cross] fills those who believe with the holiness of the Spirit, and each becomes a vessel of God-filled holiness, and a stream of divine beauty. The Cross has led us to the attainment of all these things, and through the Cross we rejoice (20) in all these most significant blessings. Through the Cross we have received knowledge of all these things, and through it we have been taught all these things. And to understand the power of the Cross and the strength of its work, observe carefully the events surrounding it, and you will find works of divine power accomplished (25) through it.
The Cross is firmly bound to us throughout our entire life. Life in the world is conceived in the name of the Cross until death, and through it, death is shown to be powerless. The Cross is proclaimed in the light of the truth, and through the Cross the world is filled with truth. The Cross lies stretched out in accordance with the Lord’s outstretching, (30) and, through it, the Lord, stretching out His hands, has gathered all things together to Himself. Christ hangs upon the Cross, and the devil is slain. Christ lies outstretched upon the Cross, and offers the world the sign of salvation. Christ is nailed to the Cross, and every soul is set free from its bonds. (35) Christ is placed upon the Cross, and the whole of creation has been freed from the corruption of bondage. Christ dies upon the Cross, and reveals to the world something new [and] marvellous.
The Cross is firmly bound to us throughout our whole life. Life in the world is lived in the name of the Cross until death, and through it, death is shown to be powerless. The Cross is proclaimed in the light of truth, and through the Cross the world is filled with truth.
Indeed, the light of the sun has been darkened (682). On the Day of Judgement, the darkness that has been overlooked will serve as a testimony for the unbelievers, whilst for the believers the light of day, transformed from darkness, will serve as a testimony. This is revealed in a certain place by that prophetic word which says: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord, that the sun shall set at noon’ (5), ‘and the light shall be darkened upon the earth by day’. And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation 5. See, my beloved, what a marvellous mystery is contained in this prophetic word? For here both things [of the prophecy] are expressed mysteriously, namely, the lawlessness of the Jews (10) under the Law, and that of the Gentiles outside the Law. Those who celebrate according to the Law will weep, even though they observe their festivals, and instead of songs [of joy] they will bring lamentation around Jerusalem, accompanied by the beating of their breasts with their fists. Indeed, Jerusalem will no longer have sacrifices, nor (15) will any festival be celebrated there, for all these things came to an end after the coming of Christ, after His Passion and [His] economy. Therefore, this is why it is said: ‘And I will turn your festivals into mourning, and all your songs into mourning, for they did not believe in the divine and marvellous teaching of the Cross, [and] as a result they were deprived of the observance of the Law and delivered into slavery to every nation. (20)
The nations too will weep 6 for their sins, confessing their sorrow which brings happiness. ‘Blessed,’ he says, ‘are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted 7. (25) Thus, they will weep for their vain festivals and for their lawless hymns, which they celebrated with the unclean demons.
See how today a pagan who once feasted with demons, having repented, has turned his feast into weeping, lamenting the evil deeds he has committed, (30) and, lamenting, utters those prophetic words: ‘We have gone astray in our shame, and our sins have covered us, for we have been struck down by our transgressions’ 8. ‘We have recognised the iniquities of our fathers’ 9. Therefore, let us too lament, and rightly weep for (35) the evils previously committed 10 by us, let us unite ourselves with the Cross, let us entrust our hopes to the Cross, that through the Cross we may be instructed, and let us turn our minds towards heaven, so that, following Christ our Saviour, we may become worthy to be (40) near to God in the Kingdom of Heaven, through Christ our Lord Himself, to Whom [belong] glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.
The translation is based on the original Greek: Saint John Chrysostom, Εἰς τὴν Ὕψωσιν τοῦ τιμίου Σταυροῦ [In exaltationem venerandae crucis] in PG. 59, coll. Patrologiae cursus completus (series Graeca) (MPG) 59, Paris, 1857–1866, pp. 679–682.
- 1
The original meaning of the term μεταβολή -ῆς, ἡ, before it took on this Christian connotation, referred to ‘change’, ‘alteration’ or ‘transformation’. (Franco Montanari, The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. ‘μεταβολή’, Brill, n.p., 2015). (translator’s note)
- 2
Psalms 81:6.
- 3
Hebrews 2:12.
- 4
Bacchus [Βάκχος and βάκχος -ου, ὁ/ Bakchos (Bacchus), Dionysus] was regarded as the god of wine, the vine and drunkenness. In the present context, Saint John Chrysostom refers to those orgies, with a significant presence of women, where the god was praised through songs and dances. (cf. Ana Balaci, A Short Greek–Roman Mythological Dictionary, Editura Științifică, n.p., 1966, p. 128).
- 5
Amos 8:9–10.
- 6
That is to say, the pagans.
- 7
Matthew 5:4.
- 8
Jeremiah 3:25.
- 9
Jeremiah 14:20.
- 10
Literally: “written beforehand”.