Vigils Reading

A reading from

ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

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Suppose a pagan should say: “Where is your proof that Christ is God?” I

must first lay this proof as a foundation since everything follows from it. But I

shall not draw my demonstration from heaven or any such divine source. For if

I say that God created heaven, earth and sea, no pagan will stand for this as

proof nor will he believe me; if I say that Christ raised the dead, cured the blind,

and drove out demons, no pagan will accept that either; if I say that he promised

a kingdom and ineffable blessings, if I talk about the resurrection, the pagan will

not only reject my arguments but he will laugh at them as well.

How shall I persuade him, especially if he is ignorant and ill-informed?

What source of proof can I use other than one on which we both together agree,

one which is undeniable and admits no doubt? If I base my argument on the fact

that he created heaven and the other things of which I spoke, the pagan would

not find it easy to believe me. What is there which even the pagan admits that

Christ has done and which not even he would deny?

The pagan must admit that from Christ came the family of Christians. He

must admit that Christ founded the Churches everywhere throughout the world.

From these facts I shall furnish proof of Christ’s power; I shall show that Christ

is God; I shall maintain that it is not the mark of a mere man to bring under his

sway so much land and sea in so short a time; I shall make clear that it is not the

mark of a mere human to call men to such lofty deeds, especially men who were

preoccupied with such strange customs or, rather men who were caught in the

trap of such an evil way of life.

And still Christ had the power to set the human race free from all these

evils – not only the Romans, but the Persians, and simply every race of

barbarians. And he succeeded in doing this with no force of arms, nor

expenditure of money, nor by starting wars of conquest, nor by inflaming men

to battle. He had only eleven men to start with, men who were undistinguished,

without learning, ill-informed, destitute, poorly clad, without weapons, or

sandals, men who had but a single tunic to wear.

Why do I say that he succeeded in doing this? He was able to persuade so

many nations of men to pursue the true doctrine, not only in what concerns the

present life but also the life hereafter. He succeeded in winning over these men

to drag down their ancestral laws, to tear out their ancient customs, long and

deeply rooted as they were, and to plant in their place other ways, which led

them from the easygoing life to his own program of austerity. And he succeeded

in doing this when the whole world was waging war against him, when they

jeered at him and forced him to endure the most shameful death of the cross.

The pagans will not deny that the Jews crucified him and subjected him to

countless tortures; they will not deny that he still preaches his message every

day. And this message flourishes not only here but also among the Persians,

who even today are still waging war against him. For among the Persians, at this

very hour, there are multitudes of martyrs. Men who were more savage than

wolves hear his message, become more gentle than sheep, and accept the true

doctrine on immortality, the resurrection, and the ineffable blessings of the

mysteries.