But let us suppose that the resurrection is preferred to this life. The philosophers themselves have invented a certain kind of life after death, but what is more desirable for us: this kind of life or resurrection? As for me, they, while affirming the immortality of the soul, cannot sufficiently console me by atoning for one part of me. For what pleasure can there be where I will move not whole? What kind of life will there be if the work of God in me perishes? What justice, if the end of nature is death common to the righteous and the unjust? Is it true that the soul is revered as immortal only because it moves itself and is always in motion? A body, they say, we have a body like that of a beast, and what was done before the body is unknown; the truth is not affirmed by contrary proofs, but is refuted.

Is it worthy of acceptance of the opinion that our souls, leaving the body, move into the bodies of beasts and various animals? But the philosophers themselves consider this opinion to be an invention of poets. For is it possible to believe that people could change into beasts, much less that a ruler, a human soul, could take on a beastly quality, contrary to itself, and, having reason, pass into an irrational animal? You, who teach this, refute it yourselves: for you have invented a wonderful kind of transformation.

Poets are so raving, philosophers refute, and what they invent about the living, they also assert about the dead. Those who invented this did not want to confirm their fable, but only to laugh at the errors of the philosophers, who thought that the soul, accustomed to conquer anger, to accept patience, to abstain from bloodshed, could also be inflamed with the fury of a lion, thirst for blood, and desire murder, and which, by its prudence, moderated and tamed various popular indignations, was supposed to be able to do it at the crossroads and in the deserts, according to the custom of wolves, the howl, or the one who sighed under the heavy plow, the one, changed into human form, seeks horns on her smooth forehead, or who with her soaring wings rose through the air to the sky, the same one who afterwards desires to fly and regrets that her body by its weight has made her nimble and lazy.

All this is so incredible and how indecent! And so, is it not more appropriate by nature, by the fruits of others, and by the example of actions, to believe the sayings of the prophets, to believe the promise of Christ? What is more excellent than to think that the work of God cannot perish, and that which is created in His image and likeness cannot be transformed into the image of beasts? For the image of God does not consist in the body, but in the soul. And how is it that man, to whom other kinds of animals have been subdued, will migrate with his best part into the animal he has subdued? Nature does not tolerate this, but even if the latter permitted it, grace would not allow it.

You pagans, I dare ask you, what do you think of yourselves? But it is not surprising that you believe that you can change into cattle: for you worship cattle. But I would that you would reason better about yourselves, that you would believe that you will not be among the beasts, but in the company of angels.

Of course, the soul will move from this earthly body to the highest and will sing praises to the Lord, as we read in the Apocalypse: Great and wonderful are Thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Righteous and true are Thy ways, O King of saints! Who will not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy. All nations shall come and worship before thee: for thy judgments have been revealed. (Rev 15:3)

This is what St. David desires more than others, saying: "One thing I have asked of the Lord, only this I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord, and that I may visit His holy temple." (Psalm 26:4)

It is useful to believe this, it is pleasant to hope and, of course, not to believe – there is a punishment, but to hope is grace. If I sin in this, that I wish to be in the company of angels rather than of beasts after death, I willingly sin in this, and as long as I live, I will never abandon this opinion.

What consolation remains for me, except that I hope to come to you soon, dear brother, I hope that our separation will not be long, and you yourself, through your intercession, can quickly acknowledge me, who wish to do so, for whoever does not desire it for himself, let this perishable put on incorruption, and this mortal will put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:54.)

About the Sacrament of Pascha

Chapter 1. Where did the sacred name of Pascha come from?

The sacrament of Pascha gives to all those who believe in Christ, to those who have been regenerated by the world, the joy and glory of the blessedness of the world that returns every year, although its sacred name comes from the suffering of the Saviour Himself, as is evident from the words of the blessed Apostle: "For our Pascha Christ was devoured for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). For Christ, having received the flesh of man, dedicated Himself to suffering in the sacraments of Pascha, so that everyone who received a share in this gift through time could justly be considered worthy of a share in the Lord's beatitudes.

Chapter 2. On the importance of Easter time.

With Easter the year actually begins, the first month comes, the plants are revived again, and, after the night of the terrible winter, the primeval spring is renewed. At this time, as I think, God, the Creator of the visible and the invisible, having established the earth and covered the heavens, has sanctified the day with the rays of the sun, has given this moon in the darkness of the night, has adorned the hanging vault of the sky with the splendor of the stars, has enclosed the sea within the known boundaries of the shores, forbade the desire of a deep and noisy wave to cross the appointed predestinations, and adorned the view of the earth with lush hills and high mountains, so that the level surface of the earth, hidden far from the sight of the eyes, Holds the beauty of the fields for mortals.