Беседа на вочеловечение Господа нашего Иисуса Христа. Св. Прокла, патриарха Константинопольского

Beautiful is the lyre's psalm, sweet is the prophetic song! What is a sickle to thorns, is also a song to sorrow: it cuts off oppression, uproots sorrow, casts out passions, calms sorrow, excites to piety, inhabits the desert, forms abodes, instills virginity, teaches humility, legitimizes love, appeases poverty, encourages patience, destines to heaven, casts out demons, prophesies about the future, announces the sacraments, legitimizes Trinity, saying: the Lord spoke to my Lord: sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool (Psalm 109:1). By calling the Son co-throne, and not a servant, blessed David defined the Consubstantial One. Therefore, he, praising the Master - the Creator, the Autonomous Son, God free from subordination, cried out: for Thy works are magnified, O Lord: with wisdom thou hast created all things (Ps. 103:24). Let Apius, Eunomius, Macedonius and Nestorius be put to shame - the four-wheeled chariot of the devil, the rock of heresies, the ruin of souls, the highest rocks of wickedness, the crafty testers of the Holy Trinity: let them listen to David, who says: For thy works are great, O Lord: by wisdom havet thou created all things. David magnifies works, but blasphemers diminish the Creator. Everything that belongs to the Lord Christ is wonderful and glorious: for the supernaturalism of God the Word overcomes the speed of the tongue, but represents the power of the Creator. The Lord created everything with wisdom: he brought Angels from oblivion, commanded light to shine out of darkness, brought out the molten earth in the depths, created the moon for the need, composed many stars from light, granted consent to the struggling elements. I'll tell you a secret. Being God, He appeared on earth (Baruch 3:38), appeared through the Virgin: His birth did not diminish Him, and the appearance did not change the uncreated nature; but the created image depicted the Creator, and the world contained the incarnate inconceivable. Having become a man except for sin, He freed our nature from sin with a tree, put death to death by burial, beheld glory by desecration, and depicted the sacrament of the font in the river hay. And that Christ really is God, then the sea, the winds and the demons testified: the sea was indignant with a storm, the power of the winds was lulled, the demons were invisibly beaten. The elements also testified to the power of the Lord who appeared, because they feared Him, as the Prophet cried out for in the psalms: having seen the waters, O God, they were afraid (Ps. 76:17). Truly, the Lord created everything with wisdom. He gave speech to the numb nature (I mean man), and made the uncultivated land with the loins of the primordial. Just as the seed is cast into the loins, the body is formed, the dust takes shape, the flesh is animated and becomes living, the image created in the womb plays, but creation remains inexplicable, birth remains unclear; in the same way, on the primordial Adam: instead of the loins, the hands of God were made, instead of the seed - the pre-temporality of the Creator, instead of sorrows - the dispassion of the Creator, instead of birth - the breath of God, instead of milk - the source of paradise. And birth took place in creation: God was born in the flesh, but the birth did not suffer corruption. Therefore, the second Adam according to the flesh is the Lord Christ, just as the first Adam is a prototype of the Lord Christ. And that he was a type, listen to blessed Paul: royal death from Adam even to Moses and over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s crime, which is the image of the future (Rom. 5:14). Listen to how Adam was a prototype of the Lord Christ according to the flesh: the servant is the beginning of nature, the Lord is the beginning of endless life. This one was created by Divine hands, This one was embodied as he wished; that one was created in the image, This one is an uncreated image; he was inspired by a breath, This appeared in the form of a slave; His settlement is paradise, His throne is heaven; he is the language of the world, he is the head of the Church; He stretched out his hand to the tree and accepted death, He stretched out his hands to the cross and embraced the world, crying out in the Gospel: if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to Myself (John 12:32). This one had a wife as an adviser, This one had a Virgo as a village. A rib was taken from Adam during sleep and a wife was created, and Adam did not lose anything; in the crucifixion and burial of the Lord Christ, the Church was redeemed by His blood, and suffering did not touch His Divinity. The question arises: why was Adam’s rib taken from Adam, not in reality, but in a dream, and a wife created? Wouldn't it be better if it were in reality, in order to marvel at the art and glorify the wisdom of the Creator for how nerves and flesh, the combination of bones and the fineness of hair were made from dust? But the Lord did not allow this for two reasons. Firstly, so that during the removal of the rib Adam would not feel pain, and, having felt pain, would not hate the woman, that is, the one who is of the same kind as him. Secondly, (and this is more important!) God knew that man is a doubting creature, since he is gifted with free will: therefore, God imposes sleep on Adam in order to curb man’s boldness - to experience the birth of God, as if telling him: “if you are not allowed to see the creation of a woman, then you do not dare to talk about the power of God and about the incomprehensible birth; how can you, who cannot understand the image of the origin of man, know economy of God"? But, as I notice, you extend the word further than this: if you are needy (Matthew 11:12); and the kingdom belongs precisely to those who use effort, then I will add something to what has been said. Some of the Jews will say: "Why do you, Christians, announce something new and boast about things that are unproven? Has God ever been seen on earth? Never - only under Moses." But even under Moses, He was not visible: the witness to this is Moses himself, who says: "Be attentive to yourself, and provide your soul with strength, and do not forget all the words that your eyes have seen, and let them not depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; and yea, thou shalt instruct thy sons, and the sons of thy sons, in the same day that they stood before the Lord your God in the day of the meeting, when the Lord said unto me, Gather unto me the people, and let them hear my words, and let their sons come and flock under the mountain: and the mountain is burning with fire unto the heavens. you are in grief: you heard the voice of His words, but you did not see the image” (Deuteronomy 4:9-12). Why do you say that you saw what you did not see? “Why, the Jew continues, do you tell me that a woman can give birth to God?” To this I will tell you: I am not saying that a wife can give birth to God, but that God incarnate could be born of a woman, for with Him all things are possible (Mark 9:8). However, if you do not believe my words, then be ashamed of the books of the prophets: delve into them and study all the theologized sacraments; consider the virgin miracle described under the canopy. The prophet says: "On that day, says the Lord Almighty, you will call every one of your sincere ones under the vine and under the fig tree. And the angel spoke to me, and brought me up, as when a man arises from his sleep, and said to me: what do you see? And said: I saw, and behold, the candlestick was all golden, and the lamp on top of it seven lamps on top of it, and seven cups for the lamp above, and two olive trees on top of it.... And he asked and spoke to the angel, saying, “What is this, O Lord?” And the angel answered and said to me, saying, “Do you not understand what this is?” Zechariah 3:10; 4:1–6). Oh, the depth of the riches, wisdom and understanding of God (Rom. 11:33)! We have read the prophecy, now let us explain it. On this day the Lord Almighty speaks. What day is this? - on the day of her incarnation, when the Virgin became like the sky, when rays emanated from Her womb, when the incarnate Sun rose from Her loins, when the light took on a human form, when the birth of the One Who was Born was in the east. And the angel turned and spoke within me, and raised me up, as when a man arises from his sleep. What kind of angel is this? - preached the gospel to Mary. What dream? - legal time. Just as in a dream the eyelids cover the pupil, so in the law the veil covers the heart. And he said to me: what do you see? and reh: and I saw, and behold, the whole candlestick was golden. What does a candlestick mean? – Saint Mary: She held the immaterial Light, God incarnate. Why is it all gold? - because She remained a Virgin at birth; This gate, it is said, will be closed, and will not be opened, and no one will pass through it: for the Lord God of Israel will enter through it, and it will be closed (Ezek. 44: 2, 3). And that by the gates we mean the womb, Job is a witness to this: for you shall not close the gates of the womb of My Mother (Job 3:10). And just as the lamp is not the cause of light, but the seat of light, so the Virgin is not God, but the church of God. And the lamp is on top of it. What does the luminary mean? - God incarnate, the Word, the Light of the universe, Who says: I am the light of the world (John 8:4). Just as matter takes on fire, so in the sacrament God took on the form of a slave; and just as a luminary from above illuminates the dawn, so the Lord descended from heaven to earth. That is why the Prophet cried: for the sake of mercy, the east from above has visited us (Luke 1:78). - And the seventh lamp was on top of it. What are these seven lamps? - particulars of the law. How is this known? - David says: Your law is a lamp for my feet and a light for my paths (Ps. 119:105); and Solomon says: a lamp is a commandment of the law (Prov. 6:23). It talks about seven laws: listen to what the seven laws are. The first is the innate law, about which the Apostle Paul says: while the pagans, not having the law, create the law by nature, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves (Rom. 2:14). The second law is through contemplation: about Him Whom the law declares to be the Creator, the contemplation of creatures testifies: from the majesty of the beauty of creatures, their creator is known comparatively (Wis. Sol. 13:5). The third law is the commandment to the cross, as the Apostle Paul cries: therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good (Rom. 7:12). The fourth law - the law of Noah's time - is in the cloud; fifth law - Abraham - circumcision; sixth – written; the seventh is the law of grace. That grace also has a law, listen to the Apostle Paul about this: bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2); and Isaiah says: Out of Zion shall come the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3). So, by seven lamps the Prophet means seven laws. The end of the law is Christ in righteousness (Rom. 10:4). What do the seven bowls of lamps mean? - seven gifts of the Spirit. Where can you see this? - Isaiah says: a rod will come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will arise from its root: and the Spirit of God will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and piety: the spirit of the fear of God will fill him (Is. 11:1–3). And two olive trees on top of it. What are these two olives? Just as an olive tree has leaves that are always fresh, so both testimonies continually bear witness to Christ. And they asked and said to the angel: What is this, Lord? And the angel said: Do you not understand what this is? neither, Lord. What are you saying, Prophet? Do you say that you saw the candlestick and the lamp and the cups with the lamp? How then do you ask about what you saw? - “Yes,” he says, and saw the image, and looked for a miracle. Just as those who swim in the sea see the ocean, but nevertheless seek the margarita hidden inside, so the Prophet saw the mystery, and sought a miracle; therefore he said: and he asked the angel and said: “What is this Lord? What is the angel? He does not say that you saw the candlestick, and the lamps and the bowls of lamps, but, leaving the riddle, the vision, he declares miracle and says: this is the word of the Lord; the angel becomes an evangelist, announcing a miracle, and says: “this is the word of the Lord.” What are you saying, angel? By showing the vessels, are you preaching a miracle? Yes. Vision is a mystery, grace is a mystery. Since the Lord the Lord had to be born of a Virgin and incarnate as He Himself desired; since the Jews also had to destroy the sacrament and say, “how could God the Word be born in the image of a man and incarnate from his own creation?” then, wanting to close the lips of the Jews, the angel showed the Prophet instead of the Virgin - a candlestick, instead of grace - a chalice with a lamp, instead of covenants - olives, instead of the Savior - a lamp. That the Lord of Christ, the incarnate and unchangeable Word, is called by the prophets a lamp, listen to this in Isaiah: “Let my soul rejoice in the Lord: for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, and has clothed me with the robe of gladness: as a bridegroom, put a crown on me, and like a bride, adorn me with beauty. And like the earth that brings forth her blossom, for the sake of Zion I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not let go, until my righteousness comes forth like a light, and my salvation is kindled like a light" (Isaiah 62:1). To him be glory, dominion, and honor with the Father. By the Holy Spirit now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 64. See Cursus Compl. Patrologiae. edit. Migne. Paris, series graeca, volume LXV, col. 692–704. You might be interested in: