Homilies on Hebrews 28 part 2/2

For why, pray, does she come in here wearing gold, she who ought to enter in order to hear that women should adorn themselves, not with gold nor pearls, nor costly array? For what reason then do you come in, O woman? Is it as one contending against Paul, and showing that, though he say these things ten thousand times, you will not be turned? or as wishing to convict us teachers of discoursing on these things in vain? For tell me: if some Greek and unbeliever, having heard this passage read where the blessed Paul says these things, enjoining upon the women to adorn themselves neither with gold, nor pearls, nor costly array—and having a believing wife—should see that she makes much account of adornment and puts on gold ornaments in order to go forth to church, will he not say to himself, when he sees her in her little chamber putting these things on and arranging them carefully: Why does the woman remain within in the little chamber? why does she tarry? why does she put on the golden ornaments? whither has she to go? to the church? why? that she may hear, 'Not with costly array'? Will he not laugh? will he not burst out laughing? will he not deem our matters to be mockery and deceit? Wherefore I entreat, let us leave the gold ornaments to the processions, to the stages, to the display-stalls upon the workshops;

and let not the image of God be decked with these things;

let the free woman be adorned with freedom;

and freedom is to be without arrogance, without boasting.

But if you also desire to attain to the glory that comes from men, thus will you attain it. For the wife of a wealthy man we shall not so admire when she wears gold and silk (for this is common to all women) as when she wears a cheap and simple garment, wrought of wool alone.

This all will admire, this they will applaud.

For in that adornment of gold and costly garments, she has many who share it with her;

and though she surpass this one, she is outdone by another;

and though she outstrip all, she is vanquished by the empress herself;

but here she conquers all, and even the wife of the emperor himself;

for she alone, amid great wealth, has chosen the ways of the poor.

So that even if we long for glory, here the glory is greater.

I speak not to the widows only, and to the rich;

for here the necessity of widowhood seems to bring this about;

but also to those who are married.

'But I do not please my husband,' she says.

It is not your husband whom you desire to please, but the multitude of the poorer women;

Or rather, not to please them at all, but to waste them away and torment them, and to make their poverty greater.

How many blasphemies do people utter on your account? 'Let there be no poverty,' one says.

'God hates the poor; God does not love those in poverty.'

For that it is not your husband whom you wish to please, and that it is not for this reason that you adorn yourself, you make plain to all by the very things you do.

For when you have crossed the threshold of the bedchamber, at once you lay everything aside—the garments, the gold, the pearls;

and in the house especially you do not wear them.

But if you truly wish to please your husband, there are means by which you may please him—by gentleness, by meekness, by decorum.

For believe me, woman, even if the husband be a thousand times licentious and intemperate, these things will draw him more—gentleness, decorum, freedom from vanity, freedom from extravagance, frugality.

For the profligate man you will not hold fast, however many such devices you contrive;

and those women who have had such husbands know it well.

For however much you adorn yourself, that man, being profligate, will go off to another;

but the chaste and orderly husband you will win, not by these things, but by their opposites;

yet by these very things you also grieve him, casting upon yourself the reputation of one who loves finery.

For even if the husband, out of shame and because he is chaste, does not say so, yet inwardly he will condemn you;

and the envyings and the spiteful glances he will not shield you from.

Will you not then cast out all pleasure, rousing envy against yourself? 7.

Perhaps you hear these words with displeasure, and are vexed, saying that he is rather provoking the husbands against the wives.

It is not to provoke the husbands that I say these things, but because I wish these things to be done willingly on your part, for your sakes, not for theirs;

not that I may free them from envy, but that I may free you from the fantasy of worldly things.

Do you wish to appear beautiful? I too wish this; but the beauty which God seeks, the beauty which the King desires.

Whom do you wish to have as your lover—God or men? If you are beautiful with that beauty, God will desire your beauty;

but if you have this beauty apart from that, He will loathe you, and your lovers will be defiled men;

for no one who loves a married woman is good.

Reckon this also concerning outward adornment.

For that adornment—I mean the adornment of the soul—draws God to itself;

but this outward one, again, draws defiled men.

Do you see that I care for you, that I am concerned for you, that you may be beautiful—truly beautiful, truly of good repute—that instead of defiled men you may have as your lover God, the Lord of all? And she who has Him as her lover, to whom shall she be like? She dances with the angels.

For if she who is loved by an earthly king is counted blessed above all,

she who is loved by God with much love—of what shall she be worthy? Even if you set the whole world in the balance, nothing is worthy of that beauty.

Let us, therefore, cultivate this beauty; let us adorn ourselves with this adornment, that we may pass into the heavens, into the spiritual bridal chambers, into the undefiled marriage-hall.

For this bodily beauty is captured by all, and even should it endure well, and neither sickness trouble it nor care—which is impossible—it does not last twenty years;

but that beauty ever blossoms, ever is in its prime;

there is no fear of change there; no old age coming on brings a wrinkle, no sickness falling upon it withers it, no anxious despondency mars it, but it is above all these things.

But this bodily beauty departs before it even appears, and when it has appeared it does not have many admirers.

For the orderly do not admire it, and those who do admire it, admire it with licentiousness.

Let us then not cultivate this, but that;

let us hold fast to that, so that with bright lamps we may depart into the marriage-hall.

For this promise was not made to the virgins only, but to the souls that are virgin;

since, if this belonged simply to virgins, the five would not have been shut out.

This, therefore, belongs to all who are virgins in soul, all who are freed from worldly thoughts;

for these thoughts corrupt the souls.

If, therefore, we remain undefiled, we shall depart thither and be received.

'For I have betrothed you,' he says, 'to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.'

These words he spoke not to the virgins, but to the whole fullness of the entire Church.

For the incorrupt soul is a virgin, even though she have a husband;

she is a virgin in the true virginity, the wondrous one;

for that bodily virginity is a consequence and shadow of the other, but the true virginity is that of the soul.

Let us cultivate this, and so shall we be able with a bright countenance to behold the Bridegroom, to enter in with bright lamps, if the oil does not fail us, if, having melted down our gold, we make of it such oil as makes the lamps bright;

and that oil is love for mankind.

If we share our goods with others, if we work them into oil, then it will stand up for us, and we shall not say in that hour, 'Give us oil, for our lamps are going out,' nor shall we have need of others, nor, having gone off to those who sell, shall we be shut out, nor shall we hear that fearful and dreadful voice as we knock upon the doors;

but He will recognize us, and we shall enter in together with the Bridegroom, and having entered into the spiritual marriage-hall, we shall enjoy countless good things.

For if here the bridal-hall is so bright, the chambers so splendid, that no one attending is ever satisfied;

how much more there? Heaven is the bridal-chamber, and better than heaven is the marriage-hall;

and if the marriage-hall is so beautiful, who then shall the Bridegroom be? And why do I speak of laying aside our gold and sharing it with the needy? For even if it were needful to sell our very selves, even to become slaves instead of free, in order to be able to be with that Bridegroom, to enjoy that beauty, only to look upon His face;

ought we not to accept all things gladly? And for a king who is upon the earth, merely to see him, we often, in order to see him, throw away even what is in our hands, though it be necessary;

but for Him who is both King and Bridegroom in the heavens, so that we may not only be counted worthy to see Him, but even to go before Him with lamps, and to be near Him, and to be with Him forever—what ought we not to do? What not to perform? What not to endure? Wherefore, I entreat you, let us take up some longing for those good things, let us yearn for that Bridegroom, let us be virgins in the true virginity;

for it is the virginity of the soul that the Master seeks.

With this let us enter into heaven, having no spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, that we may also obtain the good things promised to us;

of which may it be granted to us all to partake, by the grace and love toward mankind.