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194 The Gospel in Dostoyevskywas no coffin now, and he was in the same dress as he had wornyesterday sitting with them, when the visitors had gathered abouthim. His face was uncovered, his eyes were shining. How was thisthen, he too had been called to the feast. He too at the marriageof Cana in Galilee…“Yes, my dear, I am called too, called and bidden,” he heard asoft voice saying over him. “Why have you hidden yourself here,out of sight? You come and join us too.”It was his voice, the voice of Father Zossima. And it must behe, since he called him!The elder raised Alyosha by the hand, and he rose from hisknees.“We are rejoicing,” the little, thin old man went on. “We aredrinking the new wine, the wine of new, great gladness; do yousee how many guests? Here are the bride and bridegroom, here isthe wise governor of the feast, he is tasting the new wine. Why doyou wonder at me? I gave an onion to a beggar, so I too am here.And many here have given only an onion each – only one littleonion…What are all our deeds? And you, my gentle one, you, mykind boy, you too have known how to give a famished woman anonion today. Begin your work, dear one, begin it, gentle one!…Do you see our sun, do you see him?”“I am afraid…I dare not look,” whispered Alyosha.“Do not fear him. He is terrible in his greatness, awful in hissublimity, but infinitely merciful. He has made himself like untous from love and rejoices with us. He is changing the water intowine so that the gladness of the guests may not be cut short. He isexpecting new guests; he is calling new ones unceasingly foreverand ever…There they are bringing new wine. Do you see they arebringing the vessels…”