The Meaning of Thanksgiving
my youth. And this altar, into which someone enters, is an interior one. It is an altar, from which the other of the Seraphim took a coal. And there is an altar in heaven, and the souls of those having been overcome because of the testimony of Jesus (Rev 12:11) are near it. And the word shows that 'those having been overcome because of the testimony of Jesus' are as a priest near the altar. Not everyone is able, but 'the one having been overcome because of the testimony'. Therefore this altar is an interior one.
It is according to the imitation of another altar; for all things have been made according to the pattern shown to him on the mountain (Ex 25:40). A sacrifice of praise and that of righteousness is set forth; for 'sacrifice a sacrifice of praise to God' (Ps 50:14) and 'sacrifice a sacrifice of righteousness' (Ps 51:17). 'I will come' (Ps 51:18) therefore 'to the altar of God', then 'to the God who rejoices my youth' (Ps 51:19); for the one turning away from the shadow of the law and the exterior altar says: 'What multitude of your sacrifices to me? I am full' (Ps 50:6), he enters, 'according to the order of Melchizedek priest' (Ps 110:4) saying: 'I will come to the altar of God, better than the visible things'.
'I will come' therefore away from the sensible, from the literal, 'into the altar of God'. The one surpassing the 'oldness of the letter' which had preserved the shadow of the law and the old covenant, knowing these things, says: 'I will praise you, O God, with a harp' (Ps 108:2). Because I will enter into your altar having youth from the 'newness of the spirit' having been brought near, through this I will praise you gratefully with a harp. And the harp I have said many times that it signifies practical virtue or the body being struck by the inspired soul. Thus the confession...
Speech signifies thanksgiving, for the requests have come to pass. He desired to know the reason for being driven away and for walking in darkness; he desired that the light and the truth be sent to him, since they led him; he desired to enter the altar of God and to experience the tabernacles of God and the holy mountain. Since, therefore, of these good requests it has come to pass through experience by God having given them to him, and not by himself having found them, because of this he may gratefully confess to him, striking the senses, which are nerves or lyres, and various thoughts or members; for when each of the members is tuned toward virtue, it is a stretched nerve, so that it may be struck musically by the striker of truth.
“Why are you dejected, my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I shall confess to him” (Ps 42:5). He asked if something belonged to him, and while he was still speaking of it, he sighed; moreover, before he receives, he has thus faithfully determined as if he had already received. Therefore he rouses his soul and says: “Why are you dejected, my soul?” Since, therefore, I have pre-decided to confess to him, hope in Him; accept that the things of thanksgiving shall belong to you. And the confession here signifies thanksgiving.
“God is the salvation of my face” (Ps 118:5). “You are the salvation of my true face” (Ps 118:14). The light is the salvation of your inner man, concerning which it is said: “The wisdom of a man makes his face shine” (Prov 15:13). And again the saint says to have “the eyes of the heart” (Eph 1:18) enlightened, and “with an unveiled face to reflect the glory of the Lord” (2 Cor 3:18). When the face is reflected by the appropriate and divine glory and is enlightened by wisdom, God is my salvation. Others, having been rescued from sickness, said: “My salvation is the physician”; and another, having been rescued from storm and sea, let him say: “My salvation is the pilot.
To the end: A psalm to the sons of Korah for understanding (Ps 147:1). Much has been said about the end, that the last thing is desirable, for the sake of which all other things come to be, but it is not for the sake of anything else... to have. He who knows the end knows also the poetic qualities of the end before...
Greek
νεότητά μου. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, πρὸς ὃ εἰσέρχεταί τις, ἰσωτερικόν ἐστιν. ····· ····· ····· ····· ·· θυσιαστη´̣ριον, ἀφ' οὗ τὸ ἕτερον τῶν Σεραφὶν ἔλαβεν ἄνθρακα. καὶ ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ θυσιαστήριον, "καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν πεπελεκισμένων διὰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ" παρ' αὐτό εἰσ̣ι̣ν. δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι "οἱ πεπελεκισμένοι διὰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ" ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····σαν· ὡς ἱερεῖα γὰρ παρὰ τὸ θυσιαστήριόν ἐστιν. οὐ πᾶς δύναται ····· ····· ····· ····· ··· ἀλλ' "ὁ πεπελε̣κισμένος διὰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν". ἰσωτερικὸν οὖν ἐστιν τοῦτο τὸ θυσιαςτήριον. ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···θεν κατὰ μίμημα ἄλλου θυσιαστηρίου· πάντα γὰρ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····ησαι "κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα" αὐτῷ "ἐν τῷ ὄρει" πεποίηκεν ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· αἰν̣έσεως θυσία καὶ ἡ τῆς δικαιοσύνης προστάττεται· "θῦσον" γὰρ "τῷ θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως", "θύσατε θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης". "εἰσελεύσομαι" οὖν "πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ", εἶτα "πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν εὐφραίνοντα τὴν νεότητά μου"· ὁ γὰρ ἀποστὰς ἀπὸ τῆς σκιᾶς τοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ ἐξωτερικοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ····· ····· ····· ····· ········γ̣ος· "τί μοι πλῆθος τῶν θυσιῶν ὑμῶν; πλήρης εἰμί", εἰσέρχεται ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· "κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεχ ἱερεὺς" ἐρεῖ· "εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ, ····· ····· ····· ····· ··· κρείττονας τῶν φαινομένων. "εἰσελεύσομαι" οὖν ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ 307 τὸ γράμμα, "εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ". ὁ ὑπερβὰς τὴν "παλαιότητα τοῦ γράμματος" τὴν διαδεξαμένην τὴν σκ̣ιὰν τοῦ νόμου καὶ παλαιὰν διαθήκην ἐγνωκὼς ταῦτα ἐρεῖ. 4 ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, ὁ θεός, ἐν κιθάρᾳ. ἐπεὶ εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριόν σου νεότητα ἔχων ἐκ τῆς "καινότητος τοῦ πνεύματος" π̣ρ̣οσ̣γενομένην, δι̣α`̣ τ̣οῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι χαριστηρίως ἐν κιθάρᾳ. τὴν δὲ κιθάραν εἴρηκα πολλάκις ὅτι τὴν πρακτικη`̣ν̣ α᾿̣ρ̣ε̣τὴν σημαίνει ἢ τὸ σῶμα τὸ κρουόμενον ὑπὸ τῆς μεμουσωμένης ψ̣υχῆς. ὡ῀̣δε ἡ ἐξομολόγησις εὐχαριστίαν σημαίνει· τυχόντος γάρ ἐστιν τῶν αἰτημάτων· ηὔξατο γνωσθῆνα̣ι α̣ι᾿̣τ̣ίαν τοῦ ἀπῶσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ σκυθρωπάζοντα πορεύεσθαι, ηὔξατο ἀποσταλῆναι αὐτῷ τὸ φῶς καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἐπεὶ αὐτὰ αὐτὸν ὡδ̣ήγησαν, ηὔξατο εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πεῖραν λαβεῖν τῶν σκηνωμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίο̣υ ὄρους. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τῶν ἀγαθῶν τούτων αἰτημάτων ἐν πείρᾳ γέγονεν θεοῦ αὐτῳ῀̣ δεδωκότος καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ εὑρηκότος αὐτά, διὰ τοῦτο χαριστηρίως αὐτῷ ἐξομολο γεῖται κρούων καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις οὔσας νευρὰς οὔσας κιθάρας καὶ ποικίλα νοήματα ἢ τὰ μέλη· ὅταν γὰρ ἕκαστον τῶν μελῶν̣ πρὸς ἀρετὴν̣ τᾖν ἡρμοσμένον, νευρά ἐστιν τεταμένη, ἵν' ἐνμούσως κ̣ρουσθῇ υ῾̣πὸ τοῦ π̣λήκτρου̣ τῆς ἀληθείας. 5 ἵνα τί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἵνα τί συνταράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ θεόν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ. ᾐτήσατό τινα αὐτῷ ὑπαρχθῆναι, καὶ ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἐπένευσεν, καὶ λοιπὸν καὶ πρὶν λάβῃ οὕτω διετέθη πιστῶς ὡς εἰληφώς. διεγείρει οὖν τὴν ψυχὴν ε῾̣αυτοῦ καὶ λέγει· "ἵνα τί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου"; ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἐξομολογήσασθαι αὐτῷ προῄρημαι, ἔλπισον ἐπ' αὐτόν, προσδόκησον τὰ τῆς εὐχαριστίας ὑπαρχθήσεσθαί σοι. ἡ δὲ ἐξομολόγησις ὧδε τὴν 215 εὐχαριστίαν σημαίνει. 5 σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου ὁ θεός μου. τοῦ ἀληθῶς προσώπου μου σωτήριον εἶ. τὸ φῶς δέ ἐστιν τὸ σω̣τήριον τ̣οῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου, περὶ οὗ λέγει· "σοφία ἀνθρώπ̣ου φωτιεῖ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ". καὶ πάλιν λέγει ὁ ἅγιος "πεφωτισμένους" ἔχειν "τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας" καὶ "ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου̣ καθοπτρίζεσθαι". ὅταν καθοπτριςθῇ τὸ πρόσωπον ὑπὸ τῆς καταλλήλου καὶ θείας δόξης καὶ φωτισθῇ ὑπὸ τῆς σοφ̣ίας, ἐμοῦ σωτηρία ὁ θεός ἐστιν. ἄλλοι ῥυσθέντες ἐκ νόσου λεγέτωσαν· "3σωτηρία μού ε᾿̣στιν ὁ ἰατρός"3, καὶ ἄλλος ἐκ τρικυμίας καὶ ζάλης ῥυσθεὶς λεγέτω· "3σωτηρία μού ἐστιν ὁ κυβερνήτης"3. 1 Εἰς τὸ τέλος· τοῖς υἱοῖς Κόρε εἰς σύνεσιν ψαλμός. περὶ τοῦ τέλους πολλάκις ἐλέχθη, ὅτι τὸ ἔςχατον ὀρεκτόν ἐστιν, οὗ ἕνεκα τὰ ἄλλα πάντα γι´̣νεται, αὐτὸ δὲ οὐδενὸς ἕνεκα ····· ····· ····· ····· ἔχειν. ὁ εἰδὼς τὸ τέλος οἶδεν καὶ τὰ ποιητικὰ τοῦ τέλους τὰ πρὸ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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