The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise - Commemorated on Cheesefare Sunday
Excerpt from Homily II on Repentance, for Cheesefare Sunday, by St. John Chrysostom (amateur translation)
Trumpets cry out to gather the soldier
into the ranks of the earthly king. However, the reading of the
divine Scriptures incites the soldier of the heavenly king, Jesus
Christ, towards doxology and fear of God. They form ranks to oppose
the visible enemies and wars, while we against invisible enemies and
demons, as Paul writes: “For we are not contending against flesh
and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers,
against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the
spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places.” Behold, O brethren,
what kind of enemies we have. Behold, what kind of wars we are
fighting. For they are evil, as you see, and shameless, and struggle
to lead us towards every sin...
I entreat you, O brethren, let us
repent of the rest, let us awaken, let us be vigilant, let us cast
off the deep sleep of sin. Come, hearken, and I will tell you, all
those who fear God. Come, hearken to spiritual and saving deeds and
words. Come, learn of saving and God-pleasing desire. Come, learn how
God our Savior is confessed. Come, before the festival of this life
is dissolves. Come, before the gates of life are closed, before death
comes and finds us unprepared. Come, before the sun sets, before the
light turns to darkness. Come, hearken all nations, and listen, all
who dwell throughout the world. Come, all those born on earth and
sons of men, rich and poor. Come, noble and glorious, slaves and
free. Come, every race and age, men and women, small and great, young
and old. Come, O priests of the Lord, and all the fullness of the
Church from one end of the world to the other. Come, youths and
virgins, priests with young people. Come kings of the earth, whether
wise or selfish. Come, let us fall down before the Lord Who made us,
for He is our God, and we are His people, and the sheep within his
hand. Come, behold how we have entered this world naked, and again we
shall depart for there naked. Come, let us confess the Lord in tears
and groaning, in almsgiving and goodness to the poor, for He teaches
us how we can be saved.
Let us say to Him: Lord, we have sinned
against heaven and before you. Receive our return and repentance.
Receive our groan and tears. Receive the repentance of sinners, the
mourning and wailing on behalf of death. Receive our struggles, which
we endured terribly. Receive us, O lover of man, who have greatly
enraged You. Receive us, O Master, who in prodigality and every lust
and impurity wasted our whole life. Receive, O Lord God, those who
disobeyed Your commandments. Receive us, O Master, Your unworthy
servants, and do not depart from us according to the works of our
hands. We confess, O Lord, that we are not even worthy to look upon
this sun, for there is no sin, nor is there any evil which we
wretched ones have not done. But receive us, O Master, as the
Prodigal Son, receive us as the Thief, receive us as the Sinful Woman
and the Publican. O Lord, bring us back. O Lord, hearken to us, and
to not be angry, but have mercy upon our sins, for You are our God,
and we know no other God but You. O Lord, deliver us from our
enemies, and enter not into judgment with Your servants. O Lord, You
are God, and we are Your people. We have sinned, therefore, we have
transgressed, we have done wrong before You, and we have not watched,
or done as You commanded us, and because of this we are separated far
from You. But have mercy, O Lord, on the works of Your hands. Have
mercy, O Master, on those who, because of the deception of the enemy,
were cast out of Paradise. Have mercy on us, and cloth us with the
robe of rejoicing, and the garment of salvation. Have mercy on us,
for we have been stripped naked of Your help by the devil. O Merciful
One, have mercy on us who abandoned You, and became slaves of the
devil. Have mercy on those who have been deluded, have mercy on those
who did not keep Your ordinances, but were subjugated to the evils of
the demons. Have mercy on those who have been soiled in sins, have
mercy on those who have been tyrannized by the devil, have mercy on
those who have been befouled in prodigality. Have mercy, O Merciful
One, have mercy, O Good One, have mercy, O Forbearing One, for we
have done every evil and every impurity and greed and injustice with
our hands. We have desecrated the soul, which is made in Your image.
We have desecrated the body and desecrated the senses. Our tongue has
become a sharp sword against my neighbor, my eyes look upon fire, my
hands are full of blood, and my feet rush to do evil somewhere...
Let us therefore weep, O brethren, that
we might not be tortured there eternally. Let us have mercy, that we
be shown mercy, that we be forgiven.
Adam and Eve weeping outside of Paradise
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
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