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HOMILIES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
St Macarius the Great Resources Online and in Print
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33 Pages
Page 22
HOMILY 15: Concerning the worth and condition of the Christian.
1. Know, O magi, thy high descent and worth: hots precious you art as the brother of CHRIST, the friend of the king, the spouse of the heavenly Bridegroom. For whosoever shall discover the worth of his soul, he is also able to discover the power and the mysteries of the Divine nature, and thereby to be the more abased; for asmuch as by the power of GOD it is that any one sees his fall. But in the same manner that he passed through sufferings and the cross, and so was glorified, and sat down on the right hand of the Father, so does it behove you also to suffer with him, and to be crucified with him, and so to rise again, and sit together, and to be joined together with CHRIST, and for ever to reign together with him.
2. Christianity, therefore, is no trivial matter: it is a great mystery. Consider therefore well thy high descent, that you art called to royal dignity, " a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and an holy nation." For the mystery of Christianity is foreign to this world. The glory of a king, which is seen, and his riches, are earthly, and corruptible, and passing away: but that kingdom, and those riches, are Divine things, things heavenly and glorious, never passing away; for they reign together with the heavenly King in the church in heaven. And he truly is" the first-born from the dead:" but then are they the first-born also. Yet are they in their own eyes, the very least of all, and greatly set at nought. Nay, this is become to them as it were natural, and riveted into them to esteem themselves nothing.
3. Quest. Do they then not know that they are possessed of something which they had not before? Ans. They do: but still they look upon themselves to be of no esteem. Though with GOD they are precious, yet with themselves they are not so: but just as if they had known nothing at all.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/macarius/homilies.asp?pg=22
