Sermon on Our Lord
"For
Sheol hid away all that she had devoured. But through the One that was not
devoured [Christ; Ps 16:10], all that she had devoured were restored from
within her….
The Deacon
St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373) has a wonderful (and lengthy) sermon simply
called Sermon on Our Lord. In St. Ephrem's poetic and imaginative
language, he describes the Easter victory of Christ Jesus over death, which he
personifies as a contest between the Lord and Death. Note that
"Sheol" is the Biblical term for the place of the dead.
"Our
Lord was trampled on by Death; and in His turn trod out a way over Death.
"This
is He Who made Himself subject to and endured death of His own will, that He
might cast down death against its will.
"For
our Lord bare His cross and went forth according to the will of Death: but He with
a loud cry upon the cross [Mt 27:50] brought forth the dead from within Sheol [Mt
27:53] against the will of Death.
"In
that very body by which Death had slain Him, in that as a weapon, He bore off
the victory over Death.
"The
Godhead concealed Itself in the manhood and fought against Death, and Death
slew and was slain.
"Death
slew the natural life, but the supernatural Life slew Death.
"Because
Death was not able to devour Him without a body, nor Sheol to swallow Him up
without our flesh, He came unto the Virgin, that from her He might obtain a
body, a chariot to bear Him to Sheol….
"With
the body then from the Virgin, He entered Sheol and plundered its storehouses
and emptied its treasures.
"He
came then to Eve the Mother of all living. This is the vine whose enclosure Death
laid open by her own hands, and caused her to taste of his fruits. So Eve the
Mother of all living became the well-spring of death to all living.
"But
Mary budded forth, a new shoot from Eve the ancient vine; and new Life [Christ]
dwelt in her.
"When Death
should come confidently after his custom to feed upon mortal fruit, … Christ's Life
in turn swallowed up Death.
"This
is the food that hungered to eat its eater.
"So
then, by one Fruit [Christ] which Death swallowed hungrily, he vomited up many
lives which he had swallowed greedily….
"For
while One was dying on the Cross, many that were buried from within Sheol [Mt
27:53] were coming forth at His cry [Mt 27:50].
"This
is the Fruit that cleft asunder Death who had swallowed it….
 |
| Fresco of Fra Angelica |
"This
is the Son of the carpenter, Who skillfully made His Cross a bridge over Sheol
that swallows up all, and brought over mankind into the dwelling of Life.
"And
because it was through a tree [Gen 3:6] that mankind had fallen into Sheol [Gen
2:17; 3:3], so upon a tree [Cross; Ac 5:30; 10:39; 13:29] they passed over into
the dwelling of Life.
"Through
a tree then wherein bitterness was tasted, through a tree also sweetness was
tasted; that we might learn of Him that among the creatures nothing resists
Him.
"Glory
be to You, Who laid Your Cross as a bridge over Death, that souls might pass
over upon it from the dwelling of the dead to the dwelling of Life! …
"Glory
be to You Who clothed Yourself in the body of mortal Adam, and made it a
fountain of Life for all mortals. You are He that lives, for Your slayers were
as farmers who sowed your Life as wheat in the ground that it may rise, and
raise up many with it."
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.