Слово на Святое Крещение Господа нашего Иисуса Христа. Св. Прокла, архиепископа Константинопольского

Beloved! Now I cry to you in the words of the preacher of truth, the Apostle Paul: the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11). The Only Begotten Son and the Word of the Father appeared. The only begotten of the one Virgin Mother. The Creator of heavenly creatures appeared to bring armies of angels to earth. The righteous Sun appeared in the world and drove away the darkness of wickedness. The Creator of human nature appeared to call the primordial Adam to his first glory. The Shepherd of the verbal sheep appeared in the form of a sheep, so that the enemy would be trampled under foot from the sheep. The good shepherd appeared to drive out the unclean wolves from his flock with the rod of the cross. The Merciful Leader of the flock appeared for the lost sheep in order to lead the sheep into His chamber, that is, into His kingdom. The Pure One from the Pure Virgin appeared to wash away our impurities. He who separated the waters appeared and came to the waters in order to wash the nature of the waters. The Lord of the world appeared in the world, as one of the worldly for the sake of the world. The Creator of heavenly and earthly creatures appeared as a man on the Jordan to be baptized by John: the Lord was baptized by a servant. Light from the lamp, Fire from the hay. Therefore, John, having come to know the Creator of nature, cried out to Him, saying: I demand to be baptized by You. and are you coming to me (Matthew 3:14)? I demand Your light, Your baptism and Your purity: I am a slave of Your Divinity, O Master! I am a servant of Your right hand; I am the clay of Your pure land. How dare I, an unclean man, purify the sinless God? How can I dare to stretch my hand to the top of the One who contains everything? How dare I touch the One before Whom the angelic armies tremble? How can I dare to approach Him, to Whom the seraphim do not dare to approach, which is why they cry out with fear: “Holy, holy, holy! Verily, fill the heavens with Your glory and the earth with Your wonders!" How dare I approach the Unapproachable, before Whom the cherubim and all the hosts of the heavenly Powers tremble? How dare I baptize the Creator of nature? How dare I How can I dare to baptize Him, before whom the Jordan turned back? How dare I baptize Him, Whom the bush could not ripen (it was burning, but was not burned)? How dare I baptize Him, Whom Abraham saw (as far as human nature can see) and called himself earth and ashes? How can I dare to baptize Him with whom Jacob fought and is blessed as blessed? How can I dare to baptize the One Whom Joseph was ashamed to create lawlessness and became the teacher of the universe? How can I dare to baptize the One Whom Joshua, having as an assistant, destroyed Jericho to the ground? How can I dare to baptize the One Whom Isaiah saw and called himself damned, Whom Ezekiel saw and fell to the ground? How can I dare to baptize the One before Whom Daniel, who was honored with that great vision, trembled? How can I dare to baptize Him, Whom, having pleased Enoch, was sent to a place of rest? How can I dare to baptize the One whom Elijah, seeing neglected by the Jews, established heaven with iron keys? How can I dare to baptize Him, for whose sake the same Elijah rode on a chariot of fiery horses? How can I dare to baptize Him Whom Elisha implored and crossed the Jordan on dry ground? How can I dare to baptize the One to whom Sampson, having prayed, crushed the army with his jaw and, as pure before God, remained invincible? How can I dare to baptize the One to whom Gideon and a small army, having prayed, defeated the Midianites? How can I dare to baptize the One to whom David, having prayed, killed Goliath? How dare I baptize the One whom the pure Virgin Mary gave birth to, and who remained a Virgin at birth (for the pure virgin womb gave birth to Him, whom holy men could not worthily see, as it desired). I see You in the flesh, but I mean the Creator of angels and men: for how I was terrified of You in the womb, and now I tremble, not enduring the dawn of Your Divinity. I do not dare to baptize You, Lord: for the star guided the Magi and led them to Your birth. I do not dare to baptize You, Lord: for Herod, hearing You, the King, was greatly embarrassed, and gave unrighteous death to infants, and the clay shot at its Creator, and the dust resisted the Fire. Oh, Sovereign Lord! Why do You force me to do something weak? that You encourage me to hold the Uncontained? Why do You command me to do what is above me? My hand has not learned to dare the fire, clay never washes away the fountain, and the mortal does not cleanse the immortal, and the sinner does not sanctify the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. I know that I am and do not forget what I was; and I say: You, Lord, are Lord; and I am a slave; You are the Creator, and I am the creature; You are the sun, and I am the dawn; You are the Shepherd, and I am the sheep; You are the King, and I am a warrior; You are the Light, and I am the lamp; You are the Bishop, and I am the servant; You are the heavenly Throne, and I am Your footstool; You are heavenly, and I am earthly; You are immortal, and I am mortal; You are the Eternal One, and you were in image for me for my sake, in order to save me. You were not ashamed, Lord, to be born of a woman: taking a Virgin, you created Her as a Mother, and again showed Her as a Virgin. You have come to water and want to be baptized by man, Creator of heaven and waters; appeared from the Mother as the only begotten, You, Who was known in two natures, was preached in the Old and New Testaments, formed a church of two people (I mean, pagans and Jews). This unspoken advice of Your wisdom the Prophet sang from afar with the Holy Spirit: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God is the Lord, and appear to us (Ps. 117:26–27)! I know You, the Lord of nature; I know You, the Creator of the universe; I know You, the most ancient of heaven and earth. I know You, the Creator of Adam; I know You, the elder Abraham.” Jesus said to Him: “Leave now: for you, a prophet and greater than all the prophets, preach my Divinity and humanity. My voice said: John the Baptist has not risen up among the prophets (Matthew 11:11); leave now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Then John said to Him: "You have come to sanctify me and the waters, O Lord; I will not contradict Your authority. By Your baptism in water You have come to crush the head of the serpent: Thy will be done! You again want to give men the font of generation: I will serve You, for I do not dare to disobey: I will stretch out my right hand on You, who sits at the right hand of the Father; I will lay my hands to the top of the one who crushed the heavens. And touching the most pure top of the Lord, John baptized the One of the Holy Trinity: and immediately he saw the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit like a dove descending and coming upon Him. And John heard the voice of the Father, testifying to the Only Begotten Son: “This is My beloved Son, in Him I am well pleased. This is He who made the first man with Me.” in paradise. This is the one who surrounded the heavens. This is the one who organized the ranks of angels. This One is Who wisely created the sun and the moon. This is My Son, and in Him I am well pleased. This Fatherly voice was also heard on Mount Tabor, when the Unborn Father sent this voice to his Only Begotten Son, saying everywhere that His Only Begotten Son would arrange everything above and beyond. However, here we will leave a word, and for our sake we will bow to him who was born of the Virgin and baptized in the Jordan by John. For the sake of His appearing the whole world is sanctified, and people are saved, and the kingdom is preserved, and idolatry is fallen - for the sake of His appearing, our Lord Jesus Christ. To him be glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 101. See Great Fourth Menaion, under the 6th number of the genius, fol. l. 373–374; compare Prologue. Moscow. 1877, month January, l. l. 13–14. You might be interested in: