Homily on the Name 'Cemetery' and on the Cross of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ (St. John Chrysostom)

The discourse "On the Name 'Cemetery' and on the Cross of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ" is believed to have been delivered by Saint John Chrysostom on Great Friday in 392.

Though this homily is most suitable for Great Friday, in the Russian Church it is traditionally read during the services for the Tuesday of Saint Thomas, since on this day Radonitsa is celebrated, where families gather in cemeteries to commemorate their departed after Bright Week in the joy of the Resurrection of Christ. In this particular homily, Chrysostom explains why the place where we bury our loved ones who have reposed is called a cemetery, a place of sleep or repose (koimêtêrion in Greek), and not as it was formerly, a necropolis, that is, a city of the dead, or a graveyard.

Homily on the Name 'Cemetery' and on the Cross of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ

By St. John Chrysostom

1. Often I have pondered within myself why our fathers, having made the rounds of the houses of prayer in the cities, established that today they should gather outside the city, and here (perform divine services); for it seems to me that they did it not in vain, and not without reason. I sought the reason, and by the grace of God, I found a justification that is fair, well-founded, and fitting for the present feast. What is this reason? We commemorate the cross; and the One crucified on the cross was crucified outside the city: hence, we are brought outside the city. It is said in Scripture, "The sheep follow the shepherd;" where the king is, there are the soldiers, and where the corpse is, there the eagles will be gathered. Therefore, we gather outside the city – but let us first demonstrate from Sacred Scripture that this is indeed the case. So that you do not think this is merely our conjecture, I will call upon Paul as a witness. What does he say about sacrifices? "For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp" (Hebrews 13:11). Thus, Jesus also suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people by His own blood. Let us then go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. This is what Paul said; we have obeyed and have gone out. Therefore, we gather outside (the city) for this reason. But why specifically in this temple of martyrs, rather than in any other? By God's grace, our city is surrounded on all sides by the relics of the saints. Why is it here specifically, and not in another temple of martyrs, that the fathers commanded us to gather? Because here rests a multitude of the deceased. Since today Jesus descended to the dead, we gather here. Therefore, this very place is called a cemetery (κοιμητηριον), so that you may know that those who have passed away and lie here did not die, but rest and sleep. Before the coming of Christ, death was called death. "In the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die" (Gen. 2:17); and again: "The soul that sins shall die" (Ezek. 18:20). And David says: "The death of the wicked is dreadful" (Ps. 33:22); and further: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Ps. 115:6). Job also states: "Death is rest to such a man" (Job 3:23). And it was not only called death, but also hades. Listen to David, who says: "But God will redeem my soul from the power of hades, when He receives me" (Ps. 48:16); and Jacob: "You will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to hades" (Gen. 42:38). Such names were given to our end before; but when Christ came and died for the life of the world, death is no longer called death, but rather sleep and repose. And that it is indeed called sleep is evident from what Christ said: "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep" (John 11:11). He did not say "he has died," although he was already dead. And to let you know that this term for death as "sleep" was not common, observe how the disciples, upon hearing this, were perplexed and said: "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well" (John 11:12); thus they still did not understand what these words meant. Likewise, Paul speaks to some: "Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished" (1 Cor. 15:18)? And in another place, he speaks of the deceased: "For we who are alive... will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep" (1 Thess. 4:15); and in yet another place: "Awake, O sleeper" (Eph. 5:14); and to show that he speaks about the dead, he adds: "and arise from the dead." Do you see how everywhere death is referred to as sleep; therefore this place is also called a cemetery, as this very designation is beneficial for us and filled with great wisdom. Therefore, when you accompany the deceased here, do not mourn, for you are not escorting them to death, but to sleep. This title is sufficient for you to find solace in misfortune. Know, therefore, where you are leading them – to the tomb; and when you accompany them – after the death of Christ, when the bonds of death have already been broken. Thus, from both place and time, you can receive great comfort. Our words, in particular, pertain to women, as this gender is predominantly sensitive and prone to melancholy. You have ample remedy against sorrow – the name of the place. This is why we gather here.

2. Today our Lord traversed all the places of hades; today He "shattered the bronze gates and broke the iron bars" (Psalm 106:16; Isaiah 45:2). Notice the precision of the expression. It is not said "He opened the bronze gates," but rather "He shattered the bronze gates," so that the prison became unfit; and He did not merely remove the bars, but "broke" them, so that the guard became powerless. Where there is neither door nor bolt, no one can be held captive, even if someone enters. Thus, when Christ shattered the gates, who else could possibly restore them? What God destroys, who then can rebuild? Kings, when they intend to free prisoners, do not act in such a manner; they do not leave the doors and the guards of the prison intact, thereby indicating that it would be necessary to enter again, either the same ones who are being freed or others in their stead. And Christ did not act thus: wishing to show that death has come to an end, He shattered her "bronze gates." The prophet called them bronze not because these gates were made of bronze, but to illustrate the cruelty and inexorability of death. And to assure you that bronze and iron signify here only harshness and unyieldingness, listen to what He says to a shameless one: "Your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze" (Isaiah 48:4). He said this not because the man had an iron sinew or a bronze forehead, but because he had an obstinate, shameless, and hardened appearance. Do you wish to know how death was obstinate, unyielding, and firm, just like a diamond? For such a long time, no one managed to persuade her to release anyone from her power, until the Lord of the angels, having descended, compelled her to do so. First, He bound the strong man, and then plundered his vessels; hence the prophet adds: "the treasures of darkness... hidden riches" (Isaiah 45:3). Although these expressions are identical, their meaning is twofold – for there are dark places, some of which can often be visible as soon as a lamp and light are introduced, while this place of hades was the most gloomy and desolate, and was never part of the nature of light; thus, He named them "dark and hidden." And truly, they were dark until the Sun of righteousness descended there, illuminated it, and transformed hades into heaven – because where Christ is, there is heaven. He calls hades the "treasures of darkness," and it is just: there lay a great wealth. All of human nature, which constitutes the wealth of God, was robbed by the devil who deceived the first man and handed over to the bonds of death. That all human nature was God's treasure is expressed by Paul when he says: "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on him" (Romans 10:12). Just as another king, having captured the leader of the robbers who attacked cities, plundered everywhere, and had hidden himself in a cave with his treasures, binds this robber and condemns him, transferring his treasures to the royal treasury, so did Christ: He bound the leader of robbers and the prison guard, the devil and death, with His own death, and transferred all the wealth, that is, the human race, to the royal treasury. This is also what Paul expresses when he says: "Who has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom... of His love" (Col. 1:13). And it is astonishing that the King Himself has appeared; for no king would ever deem it worthy to do so, but rather, they typically release prisoners through their servants. Yet here, it is not so; the King Himself has come to the prisoners and has not been ashamed of them, for He will not be ashamed of that which He has created. He has shattered the gates, broken the bars, appeared in hades, rendered every guard powerless, and, taking the jailer bound, has thus returned to us. The tormentor has been brought captive, the strong man bound, and death itself, having cast away its weapons, has approached the feet of the King laid bare.

Do you see the wondrous victory? Do you see the actions of the cross? Should I tell you something else, even more astonishing? Learn the way of victory, and then you shall be even more amazed. Where the devil conquered, Christ overcame him; taking his own weapons, He conquered him with them; and listen how. The virgin, the tree, and death were signs of our defeat: the virgin was Eve, for at that time she had not yet known a husband; the tree was the tree of paradise; death was the punishment of Adam. But behold, once more the virgin, the tree, and death, these signs of defeat, have become signs of victory. Instead of Eve – it is Mary; instead of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – it is the Tree of the Cross; instead of Adam's death – it is Christ's death. Do you see that by what the devil overcame, he is himself conquered? Through the tree, the devil struck Adam; through the Cross, Christ overcame the devil; that tree cast him down into hades, this same tree also extracted those who had departed from there. And again, that tree covered the naked captive, this same tree unveiled the Victorious One in His nakedness from on high to all. Likewise, death: through that death were condemned those who would live after it, this same death resurrected even those who lived before it. "Who speaks of the mighty deeds of the Lord" (Psalm 105:2)? Through death we have become immortal; such are the workings of the Cross. Have you recognized the victory? Have you understood the means of victory? Know then how easily this deed was accomplished (for us). We have not stained our weapons with blood, we have not stood in formation, we have not received wounds, and we have not witnessed battle, yet we have attained victory; the feat belongs to the Lord, but the crown is ours. Therefore, if this victory has also become ours, we all, like warriors, shall now raise a victorious song; we shall proclaim, praising the Lord: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (1 Cor. 15:54–55)? Behold what the Cross has accomplished for us; the Cross is the trophy against demons, the weapon against sin, the sword with which Christ pierced the serpent; the Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of the Only-begotten, the joy of the Spirit, the ornament of angels, the establishment of the Church, the praise of Paul, the stronghold of saints, the light of the whole universe. Just as in a house enveloped in darkness, someone lights a lamp and places it on a height to dispel the gloom, so Christ, in the universe shrouded in darkness, raised the Cross as a kind of lamp and lifted it high, thereby scattering all the darkness upon the earth. And just as a lamp holds light atop its peak, so the Cross, positioned high, bore the shining Sun of righteousness. Upon witnessing Him nailed to the Cross, the world trembled, the earth quaked, and the stones were shattered. Yet, although the stones were shattered, the insensitivity of the Jews was not broken; the veil was torn, but their ungodly unanimity remained unshaken.

Why was the veil torn? Because the Temple could not bear to see the Lord being crucified; by what happened to its veil, it seemed to encourage saying: "Let anyone who wishes now trample the Holy of Holies. What use is it to Me, when such a sacrifice has been made outside of it? What use is the covenant to Me? What use is the law to Me? I have taught them in vain and in futility for such a long time." The prophet also expressed this, crying out: "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot in vain?" (Ps. 2:1). They heard that "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before his shearers he is silent" (Isa. 53:7), and having studied this prophecy for such a long time, they did not believe when the event occurred. Do you see how they "plotted in vain"? For this reason the Temple veil was torn, in order to foretell the desolation that would be in it permanently after this.

3. As we shall behold this evening the one nailed to the cross, like the lamb that has been slain and offered as a sacrifice, let us approach, I urge you, with fear, with great reverence and solemnity. Do you not know how the angels stood by the tomb, which had no body, at the empty tomb? Since it received the body of the Lord in its entirety, they render great honor to the place itself. The angels, who are superior to our nature, stood at the tomb with such reverence and awe; but we, intending to draw near not to the empty tomb, but to the table itself containing the Lamb, shall we draw near with noise and confusion? What sort of excuse will we have after this? I do not speak in vain, but because I see how many are making noise this evening, shouting, jostling one another, pushing, cursing, and preparing for punishment rather than salvation; therefore, I address this exhortation to them. What are you doing, O man? When the priest stands before the table, raising his hands to heaven, invoking the Holy Spirit to descend and touch the offerings, there is great silence, profound stillness. Yet when the Spirit bestows grace, when He descends, when He touches the offerings laid before Him, then you begin to make noise, then there is confusion, then there is dispute, then there is quarrel? How can you partake of this sacrifice, approaching the table with such turmoil? Is it not enough for us that we approach with sins, but even during the very act of partaking, we do not wish to abstain from transgressions? Indeed, when we quarrel, when we make noise, when we bite at each other, how can we be without sin? Why are you in such a hurry, tell me? Why do you squeeze in, seeing the slain Lamb? Even if we had to gaze upon this sacrifice all night long, could such a sight truly bring about satiation?

All day you waited, spent most of the night, and such a feat you lose and ruin in a brief moment of time? Consider what is at stake and for what reason. The Lamb was slain for you, yet you gazed upon Him with disdain as He was sacrificed. "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Matt. 24:28). But we approach not as eagles, but as dogs; such is our shamelessness! Reflect on what once was shed. This is blood, the blood that erased the written record of sins, blood that cleansed your soul, that washed away your impurities, that triumphed over principalities and powers, for “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” on the cross (Col. 2:15). This trophy, he says, bears many signs of victory, with the spoils hanging high at the top of the Cross. Just as a valiant king, having concluded the most arduous war with victory, displays upon a high trophy the armor, shield, and weapons of both the ruler and his vanquished warriors, so Christ, with victory, completed the war against the devil, hanging at the summit of the Cross, as if on a trophy, all his weapons – death and the oath – for all to see this trophy, both the heavenly forces in the heavens and the people living below on earth, as well as the very vanquished evil spirits. Therefore, if we have received such a great gift, let us prove ourselves worthy of the blessings bestowed upon us, in order to be deemed worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos.