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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 8
5. Now if the sight of. even an earthly king is desired by all men, (except those persons that are spiritual, who look upon all his glory as nothing, through their having experimentally known another heavenly glory;) if, I say, the men of this world are so desirous to behold an earthly king, with his splendor and glory-how much more are those upon whom that dew of the Spirit of life has dropped, and wounded their hearts with love for CHRIST; bound fast to that beauty, and the unspeakable glory, and the inconceivable riches of the true and eternal King; with desire and long- suffering after whom they are captivated, turning wholly to him, to obtain those unspeakable good things, which through the Spirit they actually behold already; and for whose sake they esteem all the glories, and honors, and riches of earthly kings as nothing? 6. For they arc wounded with the Divine beauty; their desire is towards the heavenly King; and placing him only before their eyes in the abundance of their affection, they, for his sake, disengage themselves from all love of the world, and draw back from every earthly clog, that so they may be able ever to retain in their hearts that only desire.
And they that are Christians in truth and power, rejoice at their departure out of the flesh, because they have " that house which is not made with hands." And therefore, if the house of the body be destroyed, they are in no fear; for they have the heavenly "house of the Spirit," and that "glory which is incorruptible." 7. Let us therefore strive by faith to be possessed of that clothing, that when we resume the body, there be nothing wanting which may glorify our flesh in that day. For every one, so far as he has been thought worthy by faith to be made partaker of the Holy Spirit, in the same proportion shall his body also be glorified in that day. For that which the soul has treasured up within, in this present life, shall then be made manifest outwardly in the body.
8. For as the trees that have got over the winter do, by an invisible power, put forth from within, and shoot out leaves., and flowers, and fruits, as their clothing.and in like manner, as the flowers of the grass come out of the bosom of the earth, and the earth is covered and clothed-so, in the, day of the resurrection, and through the power of the a Sun of Righteousness," there shooteth out from within the glory of the Holy Spirit, covering the bodies of the saints, which glory they had before, within hidden in their souls. For whatever (the soul) has at present, the same comes forth at that time outwardly in the body.
9. Therefore ought every -one of us to strive, and be diligent in all virtue, and to believe and to seek it of the Lord; that the inward man may be made partaker of that glory in this present life, and have that holiness of the Spirit, that we may have at the resurrection wherewith to cover our naked bodies, and refresh us to all eternity in the kingdom of heaven. For CHRIST will come down from heaven, and raise to life all the kindred of Adam that have slept from the beginning of the world and he shall separate them all into two divisions; and them that have his own mark, that is, the seal of the Spirit, he shall place on his right hand. And then shall the bodies of these -be surrounded with a Divine glory from their good works, and themselves shall be full of the glory of the Spirit, which they had in their souls in this present life. So that, being thus glorified in the Divine light, and snatched away to " meet the Lord in the air, we," as it is- written, "shall ever be avith the Lord," reigning with him world without end. Amen.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/macarius/homilies.asp?pg=8
