O Miracle! Hades has swallowed Christ the Lord and has not digested him. The lion has devoured the lamb, and has not stomached him. Death has swallowed life and has vomited in nausea, even those which it has previously devoured. The giant could not bear the dead Christ. The corpse was dreadful to the giant. It struggled with the living but has fallen, vanquished by a corpse. If the devil had been vanquished by a living being, he could have alleged, “I was unable to wrestle with God.” But he wrestled with a living being and fell victim to a dead one and completely lost his alibi.
A single grain was sown and the whole world is nourished. As a man he was slaughtered and as God he became alive, and gave life to the whole world. As an oyster he was trampled upon, and as a pearl he has adorned the Church. As a sheep he was slaughtered and as a shepherd with his cross for a staff he has expelled the flock of demons. As a light on a candelabrum he was extinguished on the cross, and as the sun he arose from the tomb. A double wonder could be seen: when Christ was crucified the day became dark, and when he arose the night became bright as day. Why was the day darkened? Because it was written concerning him, he made darkness the cloak about him (Ps. 18:11). Why did the night become bright as day? Because the prophet said to him, for you darkness itself is not dark and night shines as the day (Ps. 139:12).
O Night brighter than day;
O Night brighter than the sun;
O Night whiter than snow;
O Night more brilliant than torches;
O Night more delightful than paradise;
O Night which knows not darkness;
O Night which has banished sleep;
O Night which has taught us to join vigil with angels;
O Night terror of demons;
O Night most desirable in the year;
O Night of torchbearing of the bridegroom in the Church;
O Night mother of the newly baptized;
O Night when the devil slept and was stripped;
O Night in which the Inheritor brought the beneficiaries into inheritance;
An inheritance without end.
Asterius of Amasea
Locus Communis 