Therefore, those who are called faithful by the grace of faith must also be vouchsafed to receive the grace of understanding, so that they may truly understand that patience and good humor are wrought in them by Divine grace, and let thanksgiving be offered to Him Who deigned to act in this way in the faithful, as He Himself testified: "My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). In other feats, the one who acts is victorious, and in the feats of faith and piety, the winner is the one who suffers and endures unto death. He who endures to the end is saved; not the one who is exhausted and lags behind in the middle or towards the end of asceticism, but who endures to the end. And our God is not called the God of idle inactivity and pleasure, but the God of patience and long-suffering. He effectively produces patience and good humor in those who surrender themselves to Him, so that they may gain a wondrous and new victory, like that which Christ the Lord won. Being crucified and having tasted death, He conquered His murderers and the world, and now He gives of His victorious power also to those who suffer for Him, and through them He conquers again the same murderers and the world. This sacrament must be known to every Christian, so that no one turns out to be a believer in Christ in vain, as not leading the sacrament of Christianity. For it is not everyone himself, but Christ with everyone who enters paradise again, that is, every person then receives entrance into paradise when he becomes a partaker of the Divine grace of Christ and by faith again gains what he had in the beginning and what he lost through unbelief, not believing the words of God, but believing the words of the serpent.

Labors and sweats always accompany a person in the present life, according to the providential dispensation of the humane God, so that otherwise he will not lose again what he has gained through labor and sweat. The soul is spiritually vouchsafed the highest good for us, that is, the grace of Christ, through holy Baptism, for as soon as it is baptized, Christ is immediately imagined in it. But since the majority do not know the grace that is acceptable in this way, especially among those who have been baptized as little children, then little by little with time a change occurs in them, and in some the grace of God is completely extinguished, while in others there is still at least a small spark of it, which, by the great mercy of God, is sometimes kindled again in them through faith, pastoral instruction and guidance. In those who, having been rebuked and instructed, arise to faith and hope of salvation, grace in a short time rekindles and makes itself felt in the spirit. Then, if anyone adds to this with joy the handles of humility and almsgiving (humility, because such mercy is not from us, but from God; almsgiving, because he who has received mercy must be merciful himself), then a great flame flares up in him, which shines even on all who come in contact with him, in Christ Jesus, To our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion for ever. Amen.

Homily Forty-One. 1. About feasts, and how should they be celebrated? 2. Against those who boast of festivals. 3. What is the meaning of what happens during them? 4. To those who partake of the Most-Pure Mysteries worthily and unworthily. 5. How does it happen that some are united to God through Holy Communion, while others are not? 6. What is the difference between those who partake of Communion worthily and those who partake of Communion unworthily?

Whoever knows well and understands that he was created out of nothing, and that he entered this world naked, will know his Creator, and will fear and love Him alone, and will serve Him alone with all his soul, preferring nothing of the visible things to Him. Convinced by the knowledge of himself that the pilgrim is for all earthly things, or, better said, for all that is heavenly, he gives all the zeal of his soul to the service of his Creator and God. For if he is a stranger for earthly things, from which he was taken (at creation), among whom he lives and spends his life, how much more is he a stranger for heavenly things, from which he is so far both in the way of his being here and in his way of life.

Such a one, knowing what the God-pleasing feast consists in, has not at all in his mind and in his sense that which is usually sensual at feasts (for only those who do not think of anything higher visible are usually occupied with this), but with an all-wise mind gives birth to spiritual thoughts and is delighted with the contemplation of the festal joy that will take place in the future life, and he heartily enjoys it, as if he were already there in the very act and spiritually celebrating with the Angels and saints, who always have a feast in heaven. Such a person does not look at candles and lamps, nor at a multitude of people, nor at a gathering of friends, but directs his mind to that which is soon to come, when all material lights and the very light of the eyes will be extinguished, and everyone will depart to that house for eternity.

2. And so, beloved, do not count to me the years, months, and cycles of feasts, and do not say: behold, I have celebrated the Nativity of Christ, the Theophany, the Meeting of the Lord, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost. Do not say this, my brother, do not count the feasts you have celebrated, and do not think that this is enough for the salvation of your soul. Do not think that if there are bright garments and adornments, food and drink, valuable fragrances, candles and lamps, and a multitude of people, then the whole feast will be there. This is not what makes the feast radiant, and it is not in this alone that the feast consists: it is only a festal appearance.

For if today I am flooded with light, and tomorrow I am surrounded by darkness, if today I am abounding in joy, and tomorrow I am burdened with sorrows, if today I am in good health, and tomorrow I am sick, tell me, what profit will I gain from this? And what is the consolation in all this? The Lord does not love such feasts. Who has found this out of your hands? - He asks (Isaiah 1:12). Christ did not ordain that we should celebrate our feasts in this way. And how? Listen carefully. However, I will say in advance what some say in defense of this. "What do you think?" Not to light lamps or candles? Do not burn incense and no incense? Not to summon the people to feasts, and not to invite singers, or friends and acquaintances, or people of nobility? Is that what you say? Do you say so? - No, I don't say that. Let it not be. On the contrary, I advise you to do all this, even on a large scale. In this I completely agree with you. But I wish that you should know how, in spite of all this, Christians should celebrate their feasts. And so I will explain to you the mystery of the Christian feast.

3. What is this sacrament? - That which figuratively represents what you do on holidays. The lamps that you light represent the light of thought in order to remind you that just as the church is all in the light of the multitude of lamps, so the house of your soul (which is also God's), which is more honorable than a temple made with hands, must be all in spiritual light, that is, all spiritual virtues must shine in it, having been kindled by the divine fire of grace, and illumine all of you in such a way so that there is not a single place in your soul that is unlit. The multitude of lighted candles signify bright thoughts, which should shine in you, like candles, so that there will not be a single gloomy thought in the house of your soul, but so that all will be fiery and shine with the light of the Holy Spirit, and you will not lack any of the light-bearing thoughts of reasoning. The fragrant ointments that pour out the incense indicate to you the spiritual myrrh, that is, to the grace of the Holy Spirit, and by the fact that they are composed of various spices, they teach you that this spiritual myrrh must also be acquired in such a way that it is diverse, that is, it is composed of the various gifts of the Holy Spirit. Foreshadowing this spiritual myrrh, the prophet calls it in the Psalms either the dew that descends on the mountains of Zion, or the myrrh that descends on Aaron's breast, and on the pools of his garments (Psalm 132:2,3). Such is the Holy Spirit, Who descends from the Father of lights on worthy spiritual men, and from them He is transmitted to others, and refreshes all like dew. The incense of incense, which, when burned, emits fragrant smoke, points to the same grace of the Holy Spirit, but in the same way as it ascends from within the mountain, or as it is poured out from one who has received the action of the Holy Spirit, like a fountain of water flowing into eternal life. Here it illuminates with radiance, and at the same time ennobles the senses with a spiritual fragrance: it illuminates like the light seen by those who are pure in heart; it is fragrant like the tree of life, which, mortifying the desires of the flesh, pours everywhere the fragrance of spiritual strivings and feelings, and rejoices the hearts of all the faithful with pure joy. - And not only does this mean what happens on feasts, but it also gives rise to many other spiritual thoughts. Thus, if God has so adorned and glorified this soulless myrrh with fragrance, then will He not adorn you also, whom He created in His image and likeness (of course, if you wish)

And it behooves thee to be fragrant with the stench of understanding and wisdom, so that those who hear the words of thy teaching may be perfumed in the senses of their souls, and rejoice in spiritual joy. "And the crowds of people who gather for the feast and loudly sing the praises of God, signify the heavenly ranks and the innumerable hosts of Angels, who sing and glorify the heavenly Lord for the great salvation arranged for your sake. The praise and song sung by the people represent this mysterious singing, silently performed by the Angels, in order to teach you to become an earthly angel and to sing mysteriously and silently with the immaterial lips of the heart of God, Who created you. - Friends, and acquaintances, and nobles, who have gathered for the feast, teach you by their presence that you too should be zealous that, through the observance of all the commandments and through the richness of virtues, you should be numbered and become cohabitants with the apostles, prophets, martyrs and all the saints. If thou dost thus celebrate thy feasts, beloved, and if thou art such as my word has shown, then thou dost truly celebrate a spiritual feast and celebrate it with the angels. But if thou dost not celebrate in this way, and hast not made thyself so, as we have said, then what profit shall thy feasts profit thee? I am afraid that you will not hear from God either, as the ancient Jews did: I will turn your feasts into pity, and all your songs into mourning (Amos 8:10). Perhaps you will ask me: Do you think that if we are not like this, as your word has shown, then we should not celebrate feasts, even if they are bodily and sensually? "No, brother, I don't tell you that. Celebrate fervently and do everything that has to do with the worship of God and the honoring of the Angels as much as you can. Summon to the feast, if thou canst, all kings, nobles, bishops, priests, deacons, laity, that through thee God may be glorified by all, and that this glory, which they send to God, may be imputed to thee as the author of it, and that thou mayest appear pleasing to God. But do not think that this is all that you must do for the glorification of God and in honor of His angels, and even more so, as if by doing so you add something to the glory of the Most High or the saints. For, as the Apostle says, "That which is glorified is not glorified for its surpassing glory" (2 Corinthians 3:10). And the saints have no need of human earthly glory. And celebrate, so that you may find mercy with God through the prayers of His saints, but at the same time do not again think that the visible and sensual that you do for the feast is a real feast, but that it is only a shadow and an image of the feast.

Let it shine in you all the days of your life more than the rays of the sun. Let it shine in all Christians with the pure light of the word, so that by the grace of the Holy Spirit the commandment may be fulfilled in them: "Thus let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Instead of many lamps, let there be in you radiant thoughts, from which the fabric for the adornment of virtues is composed, and through which all the beauty of the spiritual temple of your soul is manifest to those who have the right intellectual sight. Instead of fragrant incense, let the inexplicable fragrance of the Holy Spirit perfume fragrant you. Instead of a multitude of people, let a host of holy Angels be with you, who would glorify God for your good deeds and rejoice in the salvation and prosperity of your soul. Instead of friends, nobles and kings, let them celebrate thee as thy spiritual friends, saints, more venerable than nobles and kings. Let these saints be thy beloved, preferably before all, that after thy death they may receive thee into their eternal dwellings, as Abraham received Lazarus into his bosom.

4. Instead of a meal laden with various viands, let there be for you one animal bread, which for the senses is seen as bread, but mentally is the Body of Christ. This is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world, from which the eater is not only nourished, but also gives life and is raised as if from the dead. Let this bread be for you both food and delight, insatiable and inexhaustible. And the wine, which in this sacrament is truly the Blood of God, may be for you an ineffable light, an ineffable sweetness, an eternal joy. If you drink from this wine worthily, then you will not be thirsty forever, only drink with spiritual feeling and with a peaceful mood of spiritual strength. - And kindly delve into the meaning of the verb. If you partake of the heavenly bread and wine, that is, the Body and Blood of Christ, with a sense and awareness of what they are, then know that you are worthy of them; but if you do not receive Communion in this way, then you eat and drink unworthily. Communing with a pure heart and faith, you are worthy of the sacramental meal, but if you are not worthy of this, then you do not have unity with Christ.

5. Those who partake of the Divine Mysteries unworthily should not think that through them they are so easily united with God, because this does not happen to them and can never happen as long as they are so. Only those who, through communion of the Divine Flesh of the Lord, are vouchsafed to see with an intelligent eye, to touch with an intelligent touch, to taste with intelligent lips the invisible, intangible, and untasteable Divinity – only these know that the Lord is good. They do not only taste sensual bread, and not only sensual wine they drink sensually, but at the same time they taste and drink God mentally, soul and body with the double senses: they taste the flesh sensually, and God mentally, and in this way they are united both bodily and spiritually with Christ, Who is dual in nature, as God and man, and there are co-incarnates with Him and accomplices of His glory and Divinity. In this way, those who partake of the Holy Communion worthily are united with God, those who eat of the bread and those who drink of the chalice, with the knowledge and contemplation of the power of the sacrament, and with the feeling of the soul. And those who partake of Communion unworthily are empty of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and nourish only their bodies, and not their souls.

6. But, O beloved, do not be indignant against me, when you hear the truth that I declare to you, for it is the truth. For if you believe and confess that the Body of Christ is the bread of life and gives eternal life to those who eat it, and that His Blood is for those who drink it a source of water flowing into eternal life, then tell me, I beseech you, why do you, partaking of these Divine Mysteries, receive into your soul nothing special in comparison with what you had before communion. But even if you feel a little joy when you receive Communion, then after a short time you again become the same as you were before, and you do not at all feel in yourself any influx of life or any influx of light. For those who have not risen above the sensual, this bread is simple bread, although mysteriously it is an incomprehensible and unapproachable light, just as wine is mysteriously light, life, fire, and living water.

But this light shines upon you, and you are blind, and you are not illuminated; and this fire radiates warmth upon you, and you remain cold; and this life has entered into you, but you do not feel it and remain dead; and the living water flowed through your soul like a gutter, but did not remain in you, because it did not find in you a worthy container to dwell within you. Therefore, if you partake of the Most-Pure Mysteries in this way, without feeling any grace in your soul, then you partake of Communion only in appearance, and you do not receive anything into yourself. For those who worthily approach these sacraments and worthily prepare themselves to receive the Son of God in them, this bread of the beast that descends from heaven, to them He touches sensibly and unites with them without confusion, allowing them to feel His grace-filled presence.