Star differs in glory; continual lamb; feast of weeks / new offerings
Cyril: …and in a lower and still more restrained way. ‘For star differs from star in glory’; and even among the holy angels themselves, I say, the measure of renown stands in many differences — yet in whatever measures the life of the saints may be, it holds cheerfulness; and one must be glad and be fattened by what comes from God. (1 Cor 15:41)
See how the oil was poured not only on the three tenths, but also on two, and on one.
And he calls a sacrifice of continuance and holocausts the lamb slaughtered in the holy tent in the morning and near evening. Through this again one may learn that the fragrance of the holy tent is abundant, and truly unceasing is the sweet smell of the Churches and of the saints in them. (Ex 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8; 2 Cor 2:15) For they make Emmanuel fragrant, and feast of weeks brings new offerings of firstfruits.
Greek
καὶ ὑποβεβηκότως καὶ ὑφειμένως τε ἔτι. «Ἀστὴρ γὰρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ·» καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς δέ φημι τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγγέλοις, ἐν διαφοραῖς εἶναι πολλαῖς τῆς εὐκλείας τὸ μέτρον, πλὴν ἐν οἷσπερ ἂν εἴη μέτροις, ἡ τῶν ἁγίων ζωὴ, τὸ ἱλαρὸν ἔχει· καὶ τὸ δ' εὐθυμεῖσθαι δεῖν, καὶ καταπιαίνεσθαι τοῖς παρὰ Θεοῦ. Ἄθρει γὰρ ὅπως τὸ ἔλαιον οὐχὶ μόνοις τοῖς τρισὶν ἐπεχεῖτο δεκάτοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυσὶ, καὶ ἑνί. Ἐνδελεχισμοῦ δὲ θυσίαν καὶ ὁλοκαυτώματα, καλεῖ τὸν ἀμνὸν τὸν σφαγιαζόμενον ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σκηνῇ τὸ πρωῒ, καὶ ἀγχοῦ πρὸς ἑσπέραν. Δι' οὗ δὴ πάλιν ἐξέσται μαθεῖν, ὅτι πολὺ τὸ εὐῶδες τῆς ἁγίας σκηνῆς, καὶ ἀκατάληκτος ἀληθῶς, ἡ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν εὐοσμία, καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐταῖς ἁγίων. Εὐωδιάζουσι γὰρ τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ, καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ Χριστῷ τελοῦσι μυστήριον τὴν ἀναίμακτον λατρείαν προσκομίζοντες τῷ Θεῷ. Τοῦτο γὰρ, οἶμαι, ἐστὶ τὸ πρωΐ τε καὶ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ὁλοκαυτίζεσθαι τοὺς ἀμνούς. Ἀρχῇ γὰρ καὶ τέλει, καὶ διὰ μέσου λαμβάνεται. Οὐκοῦν ἀπαρχῆς μέχρι τέλους τὸ εὐῶδες ἐν Ἐκκλησίαις, ὡς ἐν ἀμνῷ τῷ Χριστῷ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἑτέραν δὲ αὖ νόμος ἐπισυνάπτει τῇ πρώτῃ τὴν ἑορτὴν, μονονουχὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν τοὺς καιροὺς συνείρει λέγων ἐν τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς· «Καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν νέων, ὅταν προσφέρητε θυσίαν νέαν Κυρίῳ τῶν ἑβδομάδων, ἐπίκλητος ἁγία ἔσται ὑμῖν, πᾶν ἔργον λατρευτὸν οὐ ποιήσετε. Καὶ προσάξετε ὁλοκαυτώματα εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας Κυρίῳ, μόσχους ἐκ βοῶν δύο, κριὸν ἕνα, ἀμνοὺς ἐνιαυσίους ἑπτὰ ἀμώμους. Ἡ θυσία αὐτῶν σεμίδαλις ἀναπεποιημένη ἐν ἐλαίῳ, τρία δέκατα τῷ μόσχῳ τῷ ἑνὶ, καὶ δύο δέκατα τῷ κριῷ τῷ ἑνὶ, δέκατον δέκατον τῷ ἀμνῷ τῷ ἑνὶ, τοῖς ἑπτὰ ἀμνοῖς, καὶ χίμαρον ἐξ αἰγῶν ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας, ἐξιλάσασθαι περὶ ὑμῶν, πλὴν τοῦ ὁλοκαυτώματος τοῦ διαπαντός. Καὶ τὴν θυσίαν αὐτῶν ποιήσετέ μοι, ἄμωμοι ἔσονται ὑμῖν, καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς αὐτῶν.» Ἐν μηνὶ μὲν γὰρ τῷ πρώτῳ, κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβραίων νόμους, ὁ ἀμνὸς ἐσφάζετο. Τῷ δὲ ἀγχοῦ τάχα που καὶ γείτονι, συναγείρειν ἔθος τὰ ἐξ ἀγρῶν, ὀσπρίων δὴ λέγω τὰ πρώϊμα, καὶ δέσμην ἀμάλλης, ἀμηθέντος ἤδη καὶ σίτου. Καιρὸς οὖν ἄρα τῶν νέων, καθ' ὃν ἐξ ἀγρῶν συναγείρεσθαι χρὴ, τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐσπαρμένα. Κλητὴ δὲ πάλιν ἡ τοιάδε, φησὶν, ἑορτὴ, καὶ περαινέσθω συννόμως, πόνου καὶ ἱδρῶτος ἐξῃρημένον. Ἀνεῖσθαι γὰρ ἔθος ἐν ἑορταῖς καὶ ἀποφοιτᾷν ὅτι μάλιστα τῶν ἐργωδεστέρων. Ἀναμάθοι δ' ἄν τις κἀκ τοῦδε δὴ πάλιν, ὅτι τοὺς ἁγίαν τῷ Θεῷ τελοῦντας τὴν ἑορτὴν, πρέποι ἂν ἥκιστά γε, τὴν ἀκλεᾶ καὶ παμμόχθηρον πληροῦν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἀνέντας δὲ ὥσπερ καὶ πληροῦντας τὸν νοῦν, τοῖς εἰς ἀρετὴν ἐντρυφᾷν σπουδάσμασι. Προσφέρονται δὲ καὶ εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ θυσίαν, μόσχοι μὲν δύο, κριὸς δὲ εἷς καὶ ἑπτὰ ἀμνοὶ, σεμίδαλις ἐλαιοβραχὴς, καὶ χίμαρος ἐξ αἰγῶν. Καὶ ὅποι ποτὲ βλέποι τοῦ νόμου τὸ αἴνιγμα, διειρηκότες ἀρτίως, οὐ ταυτολογήσομεν. Πλὴν, ἐκεῖνο ἐροῦμεν ἀναγκαίως, ὅτι τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀναστά
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 17 of a seventeen-book dialogue — the final book of the series.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 17 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 17 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 17)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 17)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.