Hugo Mendez: Duplicate Feasts, Different Homilies: Liturgical Tailoring in Hesychius of Jerusalem’s Homilies at Bethany (Serm. 11, 12)

By the fifth-century, Christian lectionary cycles were increasingly incorporating duplicate celebrations—feasts sharing the same foci, themes, or readings, but situated at different times of year. This paper explores the ways late ancient homilists negotiated this new phenomenon.In his edited collection of Hesychius of Jerusalem's festal homilies, Michel Aubineau reproduces two authentic sermons by Hesychius on the theme of Lazarus’ resurrection (Serm. 11 and 12). Aubineau concludes that the homilies must have been delivered on the same day: the eve of Palm Sunday ("Lazarus Saturday"). This presentation will indicate otherwise, demonstrating that Hom. 12 was preached on a separate celebration indicated in the fifth-century ("Armenian") Lectionary of Jerusalem: a Eucharistic liturgy at the Bethany "Lazarium" on the fifth day of the Epiphany octave. Aubineau's confusion of the two celebrations reflects their confusing relationship to one another; the two are more or less duplicates.In keeping with this overlap, Hesychius' two homilies also share significant elements, suggesting the reuse of homiletic elements on both occasions. This paper explores the adaptations made to those elements to suit the different liturgical contexts of each homily: Epiphany and Holy Week. Of special interest are the ways in which Hom. 12 removes the Lazarus narrative of John 11-12 from the salient themes of Holy Week and rearticulates them around the story of Jesus’ birth in Matthew. Hesychius anchors the hope of a future resurrection in the grace introduced through Jesus’ nativity.