E05455: Proclus of Constantinople composes his Homily 26, On the *Innocents (children killed by Herod, S00268), which he delivers during the inauguration of their church at Constantinople, which had been built by a widow. Written in Greek in the early 5th c.

Proclus of Constantinople Homily 26, On the Innocents and the Widow who established their church and festival (CPG 5825 = BHG 827f)

The text refers in a rhetorical manner to the martyrdom of the Innocents and the cruelty of the murder ordered by Herod. the last three paragraphs (6-8) refer to the founder of the shrine, who is described as a wealthy widow.

6. (23) Καὶ ἐτεκνώσατο χήρα τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου νήπια. Εὗρεν τόκον ἄνευ φθορᾶς καὶ ὠδῖνα ἄνευ ὠδῖνος καὶ ἐτέκνωσεν οὐ φύσει ἀλλὰ προθέσει. (24) Τοιγαροῦν θαύμασον μεγαλοψυχίαν, τὴν τοῦ οἴκου βλέπων εὐπρέπειαν, καὶ βλέπε χήρας φιλοτιμίαν, πᾶσαν ὑπερβαίνουσαν ὑπατείαν. (25) Ἀνήλωσεν πλοῦτον ἵνα τεκνώσηται μάρτυρας, ἐδαπάνησεν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ἵνα συλήσῃ τὰ οὐράνια, ἀπέβαλεν τὸν ἄνδρα ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐχήρευσεν τῇ πίστει· ἤγειρεν οἶκον ἵνα ἀντιλάβῃ παράδεισον, ἐξενοδόχησεν ἁγίους ἵνα μισθώσηται συνηγόρους. (26) Ἀσμενίζει τὴν χηρείαν ἐπειδὴ ποθεῖ τὴν βασιλείαν, ὅπως εὕροι εὐγνώμονας κληρονόμους καὶ μὴ κολακεύοντας διαδόχους.

'And the widow adopted the Lord's infants. She found a harmless way of giving birth and a painless form of labour, and had children, not physically, but by choice. Therefore, admire her generosity, as you see the splendour of the building, and behold the widow's benefaction, which surpasses every consul's largess. She consumed her wealth, in order to adopt the martyrs! She lost her husband, but did not become a widow to the faith. She erected a church, in order to receive back heaven. She hosted saints, in order to hire them as advocates. She willingly endures her widowhood, because she desires the Kingdom, and in order to have grateful heirs, and successors who will not be fawners.'

Text: Leroy 1967. Summary and translation: E. Rizos.