E00097: John Chrysostom delivers in Greek a sermon On *Phokas (martyr of Sinope, S00052), during celebrations for the transfer and depositions of the saint's relics in Constantinople. Two days of services and processions are held, attended by the imperial couple; the relics are deposed at a shrine by the sea. Written in Constantinople, c. 400.

John Chrysostom, On Phokas (CPG 4364, BHG 1537)

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΓΙΟΝ ΙΕΡΟΜΑΡΤΥΡΑ ΦΩΚΑΝ, ΚΑΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΩΝ (2t) Καὶ εἰς τὸν ρμαʹ ψαλμὸν …

α. Λαμπρὰ γέγονεν ἡμῖν χθὲς ἡ πόλις, λαμπρὰ (5) καὶ περιφανὴς, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ κίονας εἶχεν, ἀλλ’ ἐπειδὴ μάρτυρα πομπεύοντα ἀπὸ Πόντου πρὸς ἡμᾶς παραγενόμενον. Εἶδεν ὑμῶν τὴν φιλοξενίαν, καὶ ἐνέπλησεν ὑμᾶς τῆς εὐλογίας· ἐπῄνεσεν ὑμῶν τὴν προθυμίαν, καὶ εὐλόγησε τοὺς παραγενομένους. Ἐμακάρισα τοὺς (10) συνελθόντας καὶ μετασχόντας αὐτοῦ τῆς εὐωδίας, καὶ ἐταλάνισα τοὺς ἀπολειφθέντας· ἀλλ’ ἵνα μὴ ἡ ζημία αὐτῶν ἀνίατος γένηται, πάλιν ἐν ἑτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἀνακηρύττομεν αὐτὸν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἀπολειφθέντες διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν διπλασιάσωσι τῇ σπουδῇ τὴν εὐλογίαν τὴν παρὰ (15) τοῦ μάρτυρος. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ πολλάκις εἶπον, τοῦτο καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι· οὐκ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτῶ ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀσθενοῦσι φάρμακα κατασκευάζω. Ἀπελείφθης χθές; παραγενοῦ κἂν σήμερον, ἵνα ἴδῃς αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον χῶρον ἀπαγόμενον. Εἶδες αὐτὸν (20) διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀγόμενον; βλέπε αὐτὸν καὶ διὰ τοῦ πελάγους πλέοντα, ἵνα ἑκάτερα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς παρ’ αὐτοῦ εὐλογίας ἐμπλησθῇ. Μηδεὶς ἀπολιμπανέσθω τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης πανηγύρεως· μὴ παρθένος οἴκοι μενέτω, μὴ γυνὴ τὴν (25) οἰκίαν κατεχέτω, κενώσωμεν τὴν πόλιν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν τάφον τοῦ μάρτυρος μεθορμίσωμεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ βασιλεῖς κοινῇ μεθ’ ἡμῶν χορεύουσι. Ποίαν οὖν συγγνώμην ἔχει ὁ ἰδιώτης, βασιλέων τὰς βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς καταλιμπανόντων, καὶ τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ μάρτυρος (30) παρακαθημένων; Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῶν μαρτύρων ἡ δύναμις, ὡς μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἰδιώτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τὰ διαδήματα φοροῦντας σαγηνεύειν· αὕτη τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡ αἰσχύνη, αὕτη τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν τὸ ὄνειδος, αὕτη τῶν δαιμόνων ἡ ἐξολόθρευσις· αὕτη ἡμῶν ἡ (35) εὐγένεια, καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὁ στέφανος. Χορεύω μετὰ μαρτύρων καὶ σκιρτῶ ἀντὶ λειμώνων βλέπων αὐτῶν τὸ τρόπαιον, ὅτι ἀντὶ πηγῶν αἷμα ἔῤῥεον·
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Ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὲν μάρτυρος τὰ ἐγκώμια εἰς τὸν προσήκοντα καιρὸν ἀναμείνωμεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα ἀρκούντως εἴρηται διὰ τὴν σπουδὴν τῶν ὀφειλόντων συναχθῆναι, καὶ περιφανῆ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς ἑορτῆς. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ καὶ χθὲς (10) ἔλεγον, καὶ σήμερον πάλιν λέγω, τῷ μὲν μάρτυρι οὐδεμία δόξα ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν παρουσίας γενήσεται, ὑμῖν δὲ πλείων ἔσται ἡ εὐλογία ἀπὸ τοῦ παραγενέσθαι πρὸς τὸν μάρτυρα.
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Ποιήσωμεν πάλιν τὴν θάλατταν ἐκκλησίαν μετὰ (20) λαμπάδων ἐξιόντες ἐκεῖσε, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐνυγραίνοντες, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐμπιμπλῶντες πυρός. Μηδεὶς φοβείσθω τὸ πέλαγος· ὁ μάρτυς θάνατον οὐκ ἐφοβήθη, καὶ σὺ τὸ ὕδωρ δέδοικας;

'On the Holy Priest-Martyr Phocas, and Against Heretics, and on Psalm 141 …

Yesterday our city was splendid, splendid and glorious, not because it had columns, but because it had a martyr coming to us in procession from Pontus. He saw your hospitality and filled you with his blessing. He praised your zeal and blessed those who came along. I extolled the fortune of those that gathered and shared his sweet smell, and I deplored the misery of those that missed out. But in order that their damage may not go incurable, we are heralding him again, on a second day, so that even those that kept away out of laziness may double, by their enthusiasm, the blessing coming from the martyr. What I have said several times, I shall not stop saying: I do not demand an account for your sins, but prepare medicines for the sick. Did you miss out yesterday? At least, come today to see him being taken to his own place. Did you see him being carried through the marketplace? Then also see him sailing through the sea, so that both elements may be filled with the blessing coming from him. Let no one miss out from this holy festival! Let no girl stay at home, let no woman dwell in her house! Let us empty the city and rush to the tomb of the martyr! For even the emperors are dancing together with us. What excuse then does a commoner have, when the emperors give up their royal courts and sit by the tomb of the martyr? Such is indeed the power of the martyrs that it captures not only the commoners, but also those wearing the crowns! This [power] is the shame of the Hellenes [= pagans]; this is the censure of their error; this is the elimination of the demons; this is our nobility, and the crown of the church. I dance with the martyrs and leap, as I survey their trophy, not the meadows, for they poured forth blood, not springs of water!
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But let us wait for the appropriate time to set forth the praises of the martyr. All this has namely been said at quite some length for the thought of those that should have attended and made the day of the festival glorious. What I said yesterday, I am saying again today: the martyr will acquire no glory from the presence of many, but you will get more blessing from visiting the martyr.
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Let us again turn the sea into a church, going out there with torches, making the fire liquid, and setting the water on fire! Let no one be afraid of the sea! The martyr was not afraid of death, and you are scared of water?'

Text: Migne, PG 50, 699-706. Translation: E. Rizos.