This word was spoken on the following occasion. When St. Gregory was made a presbyter against his will, with the assignment of assistance, to the administration of the Nazianzus flock to the bishop, his aged father, then St. Gregory. Gregory, out of a sense of humility and because he saw in his new appointment an obstacle to his striving for a contemplative life, withdrew to Pontus, but a little later, on the very day of Pascha, he returned to Nazianzus and pronounced the present sermon.

The day of the Resurrection is an auspicious beginning. Let us be enlightened by triumph and embrace one another. "Brethren, and to them that hate us" (Isaiah 66:5), how much more to those who have done or suffered anything out of love. Let us yield everything to the Resurrection, let us forgive one another: both I (I will mention this now), who have been subjected to good compulsion, and you, who have used good coercion, although you somewhat complain about me for my delay. Perhaps it is better and more precious in the sight of God than the haste of others. It is also good to deviate somewhat from the calling of God, as Moses did in ancient times, and after Jeremiah; it is good to hasten with readiness to the voice of the Caller, as Aaron and Isaiah did, provided that both are out of godliness, the one because of one's own weakness, and the other because of the hope of the power of the Caller. On the day of the sacrament I was anointed; on the day of the sacrament he withdrew for a short time in order to test himself; on the day of the sacrament, and I return,[1] having chosen this day as a good guardian of my timidity and weakness, so that He who has now risen from the dead may renew me also by the Spirit, and, having clothed me with a new man, for a new creature, for those who are born according to God, He may make me a good educator and teacher, who with Christ both dies willingly and rises.

Yesterday the Lamb was slain, the doors were anointed, Egypt mourned for the firstborn; The destroyer has passed by us, the seal is terrible and honorable to him, and we are protected by precious blood. Now we have fled from Egypt purely, from the cruel ruler Pharaoh and the merciless stewards, we have been freed from fleeing and plinth-making, and no one will prevent us from celebrating the feast of the Exodus to the Lord our God, and to celebrate not in the leaven of wickedness and wickedness, but in the leaven of purity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8), without bringing with us the Egyptian leaven of godlessness. Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him, today I live; yesterday I was buried, now I am resurrected.

Let us bring gifts to Him who suffered for us and Who rose from the Dead. Perhaps you think that I am talking about gold, or silver, or fabrics, or transparent and precious stones. This is an earthly substance, transient and remaining on earth, which is always more possessed by the wicked – the slaves of the earthly, the slaves of the world-holder. No, let us offer ourselves, the most precious acquisition before God and most proper to Him, let us render to the Image what was created in the image, let us recognize our dignity, let us honor the Prototype, let us understand the power of the sacrament [2] and for whom Christ died. Let us be like Christ, for Christ also became like us; let us be made gods for His sake, for He also became man for us. He took the worst in order to give the best; He became poor, that we might be enriched by His poverty; He took the form of a slave, that we might be set free; He descended that we might be lifted up; He was tempted that we might overcome; He endured disgrace in order to glorify us; he died to save him; ascended in order to draw to Himself the lot of those who lie in sinful fall. Let anyone give everything, offer everything as a gift to Him Who gave Himself for us as a price of redemption, — he will bring nothing equal to if he presents himself to Him, understanding the power of the sacrament and having become all things for Christ, as He is for us.

This [3] good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep, as you see, bears fruit to you, the Shepherd. For this he hopes, and desires, and asks of you, who are his flock [4]. He gives you a special Himself instead of one, and makes the rod of old age a rod of the spirit, to the inanimate temple He adds the animate,5 to the beautiful and heavenly temple another which, however poor and small, is undoubtedly very dear to him, and was accomplished by him with great effort and labor, and (oh, if it could be said!) worthy of his labors. He offers you all that is his own—what generosity, or, more correctly, what love of children! He offers gray hair and youth, a church and a bishop, a testator and an heir, he offers the words [6] that you desired, and words that are not empty, lost in the air and do not penetrate beyond the ear, but which the Spirit writes, not with ink, but with grace, he prints on tablets of stone or flesh — words that are not lightly inscribed on the surface and conveniently erased, but deeply cut. This is what this venerable Abraham, the patriarch, the honorable and honorable head, the repository of all virtues, the model of virtue, the perfection of the priesthood, who now offers a voluntary sacrifice to the Lord, his only-begotten, born according to the promise.

And you, as a gift and fruit, will bring to God and to us the disposition to be a good flock, dwelling in a place of grass and being brought up on the water of rest (Psalm 22:1, 2). Knowing the pastor well and being known by him, follow the one who calls pastorally and freely, through the door, and do not follow a stranger who jumps over the fence, robbery and treacherously. Do not listen to an alien voice, which steals away from the truth and scatters over the mountains, through the deserts, through the wilderness, into places which the Lord does not visit, — a voice that leads away from sound faith in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit, in one Divinity and power; faith, to which the proclamation has always been heard, and may my sheep always hear; do not listen to the voice that with unclean and corrupt words tears away and draws away from the true and first Shepherd. Far from all this, as from a bewitching and deadly potion, may He grant all of us, both pastors and flocks, to be nourished and nourished, and for all now and in eternal rest to be one in Christ Jesus. To Him be glory and dominion forever. Amen.

Homily 2, to those who called at first, but did not meet the Holy Scriptures. Gregory, when he became a presbyter

Why do you not rush to our word, O friends and brethren, who were once so quick to compel me and extract me from my stronghold, that is, from the wilderness, which I loved above all else, which I chiefly revered and chose for myself as the guide of all life as the co-worker and mother of the divine ascent, as the deifier? Why do you despise what you wanted to receive when you receive it? Why, it seems, do you know how to desire us better when we are not there, than to use us when we are with you, as if you wanted only to possess our wisdom, and not to benefit yourself from it? Or it is fitting for me to say this: "I will make you satisfied" (Isaiah 1:14), and moreover – a strange thing! — before you tasted and tested us. Even as a stranger, you did not bring me in, or, I will say more compassionately, you were not brought in with me, for which, if not something else, then the commandment had to be respected. As a beginner, you did not give me guidance as a fearful one, did not encourage me as a victim of violence, did not console me; On the contrary, I would not like to say it, but I will say it, you did not make a feast for me, you did not receive me with good tidings, and you dissolved the triumph in sorrow, because it lacked the most important thing for pleasure — it lacked you, my conquerors, it would be unjust to say: lovers. Thus is everything conveniently neglected that is conveniently overcome; the lofty are slavishly revered, and those who humble themselves before God are dishonored. What do you want? Should I sue you or become a judge? Should I pronounce a sentence or subject myself to a sentence? For I hope that even when I am judged, I will gain the upper hand, and when I pronounce judgment, I will judge you righteously. Your fault is that you do not equally repay my love, do not honor my obedience, and do not present your present diligence as a guarantee for the future, whereas even with this diligence it would hardly be possible to rely on the future, because everyone is more ardent in the beginning. On the contrary, each of you prefers something to both your old and new pastors, not respecting gray hair and not encouraging youth.

Magnificent is the supper depicted in the Gospel (Matt. 22:2 et seq.): the one who treats kindness; there are friends, and the most pleasant feast; it is the marriage of the Son. But the Tsar summons, and the guests do not come. He is angry, and — I am silent about what happened behind this, as about portending terrible things, but I will say that it is easier to say — the Tsar fills the feast with others. I do not wish you this; but you have treated me (can I speak meekly?) and those more haughty and impudent; for they, being called, denied the supper, and offended Him who called; and you are not strangers, you are not invited to the marriage, but you yourselves called me, yourselves drew me to this sacred table, yourselves showed me the splendor of the bridal chamber, and then left me. Such are your great virtues! Some to their village, some to a pair of newly-bought oxen, some to a newlywed wife, some for something else of little importance, all of you scattered and fled, caring neither for the bridal chamber nor for the Bridegroom. This greatly grieved me and put me in difficulty, — I will not be silent about my feelings, —

If any of you has been wounded by love and experienced contempt, then he knows the power of this passion and will forgive those who have been subjected to it and were close to the same madness.

However, even now it is not permissible for me to reproach you, and I do not wish that it should ever be allowed. Perhaps what I have said is excessively reproachful to you, holy flock, praiseworthy sheep of Christ, God's inheritance, with which you are rich [7] in all your poverty. It seems to me that it is fitting to attribute to you these words of the Scriptures: "A rope has laid for you in beautiful places, and your portion is most pleasing to you" (Psalm 15:b). I will not yield in any way the advantage over us to the most populous cities, the most extensive of the flocks; though we are few in number in the smallest tribe of the children of Israel, though we are very few in the thousands of Judah; we are the least of the cities of Bethlehem, in which Christ is born, both now and of old, rightly known and honored; we exalt the Father, we revere the Son as equal to Him, and we glorify the Holy Spirit. We are of one accord, of one mind, we do not in the least offend the Trinity either by addition or by cutting off, like the evil stewards and measurers of the Godhead, who humiliate and insult everything by the very fact that they consider one thing more than proper.

And if you wish to repay me in any way, my field, my vineyard, my womb, or, rather, this our common father, who by the gospel gave birth to us in Christ, then show me respect also, as justice requires; for I have preferred you to all things of which you yourselves and those who have entrusted this government or ministry to me are witnesses. And if we owe more to him who loves more, how shall I measure the love to which I have bound you with my love?

But show greater respect to yourselves, honor the image entrusted to you and Him Who entrusted it, honor the passion of Christ and the hope of the life to come. And for this reason keep the faith which you have received, in which you have been raised, by which you hope to be saved yourselves (1 Cor. 15:1:2) and to save others, for you know that few can boast of the same things as you do. Establish piety not in speaking often about God, but in being more silent; for a tongue that is not governed by reason is a stumbling block to men. Always hold on to the idea that it is safer to listen than to speak; it is more desirable to learn than to teach about God; Leaving the most thorough examination of these things to the builders, show your piety less in word and more in deed, and show your love for God more by keeping His commandments than by wondering at the Lawgiver; flee evil, increase in virtue, live by the Spirit, walk by the Spirit, by Him attract knowledge; On the basis of faith, edify not wood, hay, or reeds, which are weak substances that can easily be destroyed when our deeds are judged or cleansed by fire, but gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:12) are solid and abiding substances. Do this, and thereby glorify us also, whether you will be with us or not, whether you will use our words or find something else preferable. Be pure and blameless children of God in the midst of the evil and perverse generation, do not entangle yourselves in the nets of the wicked who walk around, and do not be bound by the captivity of your sins (Proverbs 5:22); let not the word of God be overwhelmed in you by the cares of life, lest you remain barren. But walk the royal way, not deviating to the right or to the left, and under the guidance of the Spirit walk the narrow path as if it were a broad one. Then everything will prosper with us, both in the present life and in the future trial in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.