On the eve of [the holiday] Svetov

St. Theodore the Studite is the author of an extensive book of praise (πανηγυρική βίβλος). Only 12 sermons from this collection have survived to this day, including “On the Eve of the [Feast of] Lights” (8 chapters). The essay is dedicated to the feast of the Epiphany. The author consistently examines the history of the Nativity of Christ, emphasizing His Divine and human nature, circumcision and childhood events (the prophecy of the righteous Simeon, flight to Egypt, life in Nazareth). The ministry of the prophet John the Baptist as a forerunner and “lamp” before the “true Light”, his departure into the desert and theological revelations that prepared the world for the appearance of the Savior are described in detail. Special attention to Rev. Theodore devotes his time to criticizing heretical teachings about the body of Christ (Arians, Apollinarians, Manichaeans), insisting on the fullness of the human nature of the Savior. The argument that Christ's body is describable serves as a covert refutation of iconoclasm. The author turns to the Old Testament prototypes of Baptism (the prophecy of Isaiah about the “thirsty desert”, water from the fleece of Gideon, the triple libation of water by the prophet Elijah, the cleansing of Naaman), revealing the meaning of this Sacrament as spiritual rebirth and cleansing from sins. The homily ends with the glorification of the general consecration of the waters on the day of Epiphany and the call to the faithful to be “sons of Light” filled with the Holy Spirit. Contents 1. The need for purification for contemplation 2. [Col. 701] 3 The Sacrament of the Birth of Christ 4. Events of Christ’s childhood and their theological meaning 5. The Appearance of John the Baptist and the Baptism of the Lord 6. Heretical teachings about the body of Christ 7. Old Testament prototypes of Baptism 8. General consecration of waters 1. The need for purification for contemplation Let us approach the threshold of the Lights with luminous contemplations (φωτοφανέσι ϑεωρίαις ἐποπτεύσωμεν), plunging 1 into the very waters, let us perceive the abundant radiance (αἴγλη), becoming luminous in the Spirit, and the Author of the Light, Jesus, the Father's radiance (ἀπαύγασμα) (cf. Heb. 1:3; Wis. 7:26), let us glorify with all-praising thanksgiving. Once upon a time, Israel, intending to approach Mount [Sinai], which was blazing with fire and covered with darkness and smoke 2, purified itself (Exodus 19:10, 14–15, 22), but did not ascend the mountain, for it was not safe, but stood below in trembling, being amazed by the various threats of God (Exodus 19:12–13, 21, 23–24 ). And Moses himself took off his perishable shoes (Ex. 3:5), when, having approached the ground, consecrated by the Divine feet, he was awarded (ἐμυεῖτο) 3 a wonderful vision (τὸ ϑεώρημα) of a burning bush (Ex. 3: 2), which was a prototype (προτύπωμα) of an even greater sacrament (μυστηρίου). In the same way, Joshua received a command from the Angel not to approach with shod feet, because that land was holy (Joshua 5:15). And the three youths? Did they not enter the all-consuming cave with purified souls and bodies, when the power of fire turned into dew for them (Dan. 3:23–24, 49–50 – LXX)? That is why the vision is so great and amazing, responding to the worthy of it with two equivalent properties! 4 And Daniel, this man of desires (Dan.9:23, 10:11, 19)? After a preliminary exercise in a cleansing fast (Dan.10:2-3), did he not live with the lions and did he bring his body out intact from there (Dan.6:16-22; 14:31-42 – LXX)? But perhaps it would be advisable to turn to the New Testament? Look at Paul, the great proclaimer of the truth, who prepared himself by fasting for three days and nights and only after this, through intense prayer, put on the true light of Christ (Acts 9:9, 17-18). Look also at the Evangelist Matthew, who for the sake of salvation gave up his means of life, leaving the useless occupations (λόγους) of a publican, and thus chose to be a disciple of Jesus 5 (Matthew 9:9). I'm not even talking about the fact that Zacchaeus first ascended in body and mind (διάνοιαν) from the earth to the fig tree, and then received Jesus in his home and was awarded the promise, and at the same time the best praise from Christ (Luke 19: 2-9). And Cornelius also fasted and prayed for four days, and only then did he see an Angel who brought good news to him (Acts 10:30–32, 10:3–6), and his hopes were realized (Acts 10:33–48). But you, beloved, not to talk about others, approaching the Divine 6 not without reverence and great caution, will you now approach this most luminous Sacrament carelessly and without preparation, in which your spiritual birth takes place and you are named the son of Light (cf. Luke 16:8)? 3 The Mystery of the Birth of Christ But since this has already been sufficiently clarified and depicted, I think, let us turn, as much as possible, to the eternity of Lights and see with pure eyes how the true Light, about which we theologize, having shone from birth, grows to the luminous baptism. For by examining history in this way, our mind will be enlightened and the word will create a beautiful narrative, contemplating what is due in each of these sacraments [Birth and Baptism]. So, the Most Essential One, just born of the Virgin, makes the Angels the singers of this sacrament (Luke 2:13-14). And let us pay attention to the unspeakable, namely, to the fact that Whom in the beginning, when the stars were created, the Angels sang as the Creator (Job 38:7), He is now sung and glorified as having been born and appeared in an image similar to us (ἐν τῷ καϑ᾽ ἡμᾶς εἴδει), and so that He was known by people, the star shows Him to everyone (Matthew 2:2, 9-10) through the fact that it seems higher than ordinary stars both in its movement and in its radiance as clear as day. What does this mean? The fact that, for this reason, someone who had already been born could be declared a supernatural being: namely, the visible (τὸ ὁρώμενον) spoke of Him as a man, and the intelligible (τὸ νοούμενον) - as of God. Let us then move on to contemplation (τὸ ϑεώρημα) of circumcision (Luke 2:21), also not alien to theology for those who reflect. For it is clear to everyone that the name “Jesus” (Luke 1:31, 2:21), given to the newborn Baby, according to the prediction of the Angel, which has the meaning of the Savior, is an indicator of His Divine nature. And let none of the atheists talk idle, saying that it, as being similar to the name of Joshua, was given not to God the Word, but to a man who had similarities with that [Joshua]. For although many are called lords, they are not such by nature, just as they are called gods (1 Cor. 8:5-6) 7, but also not by nature: by nature there is only one Lord and one true God. Likewise, many bear the name Jesus, but there is one Savior of all - Jesus Christ. 4. Events of Christ’s childhood and their theological meaning The Gospel further tells us that Jesus was brought to Jerusalem (Luke 2:22). Which [Col. 704] words were spoken by Simeon, who took Him into his arms (Luke 2:28–32), we know. The name His salvation of God, prepared 8 in the presence of all people by light in the revelation of the tongue (Luke 2:32) and other similar ones should equally be applied to the Father. For the Father in the prophecies (πρὸς τοῖς λογίοις) [in Scripture] is called Savior and Light (Is. 12:2; Luke 1:47; Titus 3:4) 9, and having the same name (τὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀνομασίας ὑπαρκτικὰ) obviously reveal the same nature 10 (τῆς αὐτῆς εἴη φύσεως δηλωτικὰ). Therefore, the Son says to the Father: My whole essence is Yours, and Yours is Mine (John 17:10), thereby showing mutual correspondence, of course, in essence, and not in personal properties (τῆς ἀντιστροφῆς κατὰ τὸν τῆς last there is an invention of Sabelli's merger 11, which we reject. Further, Jesus was taken into Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15), but listen to what Isaiah says: behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud and will come to Egypt, and the things made with hands of Egypt will shake at His presence (Isaiah 19:1). What could more clearly indicate that the one who appeared there is God in the flesh? Then Jesus returned from Egypt and chose Nazareth to live in, from which he received his name (Matthew 2:23). Do not be at all disturbed by your thoughts when you hear about the descent [into Egypt] and ascension [from there] of God, about His movement and movement in space. For if the Word were conceived without flesh, this would naturally amaze and confuse our minds; but since It is in the flesh, there is nothing rude or indecent in what is said. After all, since God appeared in the flesh (ἐν σαρκὶ) (1 Tim. 3:16), then God in the flesh changes places 12, and takes on other similar properties (ἰδιώματα) of life in the flesh 13. 5. The appearance of John the Baptist and the Baptism of the Lord Further, being twelve years old, He sits 14 among the teachers, listening and questioning them, and surprising the listeners with His wise answers (Luke 2:46-47). Who at that age could speak such amazing speeches except God incarnate? Even to the question of the mother, who wanted to hear the revelation of His Father's glory, He gave the answer 15 (τὸν λόγον). Do you see what kind of theology (τὰ ϑεολογούμενα) is revealed in a short narrative and how the Lord of glory, like a certain king who solemnly emerged from the royal palace, that is, from the mother’s womb, is glorified everywhere and by everyone? So, rightly, the son of thunder, John, proclaims: And the Word became flesh and dwelt in us [and we saw His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father], filled with grace and truth (John 1:14). But here is John, emerging from the desert, a wondrous and longed-for vision for the Israelites, an angel of God (Mark 1:2) and chosen before the apostles. For such a King and such a warrior, such a great High Priest (cf. Heb. 3:1) and such a priest were necessary. And let us understand this great and wondrous mystery! For, since it is impossible that the groom himself should be in the presence of the groom’s friend (cf. John 3:29) and that when the voice of the word is born, the word itself should be heard, then what happens and what definition of God is accepted? Almost from infancy, John is removed from inhabited places to uninhabited places and marvelously [Col. 705] spends time in the wilderness (Luke 1:80), like a lamp hidden in a hidden place (cf. Matt. 5:15) 16. He listens here to divine verbs and is rewarded with divine visions; is introduced into the understanding of the inexpressible mysteries and receives instruction, as once upon a time in the womb of the mother (Luke 1:41, 44), regarding who Jesus is, namely, that He is the Son of God (cf. Matt. 3:17) 17 and that on Whom the Spirit rests in the form of a dove, He is the one who has the baptism with the Holy Spirit (John 1:32-33). 6. Heretical teachings about the body of Christ When the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ came (cf. Eph. 4:13) and the circle of His thirty-year life ended, then the lamp began to burn on the candlestick to the joy of everyone in the house (cf. Matt. 5:15) (although it was necessary to leave the house of Israel - the synagogue). It was then that the true Light appeared, bringing clarity 18 and enlightening the world (John 1:9) 19. Oh, miracle! The sun approached the star, the word to the voice, the bridegroom to the friend 20 - according to the plan of the Economy, so that after the fulfillment of all righteousness (cf. Matt. 3:15) on Jesus increased, as the evangelist says (εὐαγγελικῶς εἰπεῖν), and the other decreased (John 3:30). For how could the light of the lamp not be diminished or, better yet, not be completely removed, when the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2) had already shone with rays of immeasurable miracles? Look how many years of his bodily life (ἐντελείας) Jesus was in obedience to his parents (Luke 2:51)! Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God (Rom. 11:33)! And for what? May others, distinguished by the highest perfection and knowing the depths of the Spirit (τῶν ὑψηλῶν τῇ ϑεωρίᾳ ἐγνωκότων) 23, they will say something else; and I think that this happened for the following two reasons: so that the Lawgiver of all legislators, through his own 24 obedience (διὰ τῆς ὑποταγῆς), legitimized 25 for sons the subordination (τὸ ὑποτακτικὸν) to parents and in order to sanctify the mutual duties of ages human; and the third reason is that the Most Perfect One should not show in His life anything unnatural and alien to the life corresponding to us, 26 especially to its mature age. For now, when He had naturally reached adulthood, Arius dared to assert that His body was devoid of soul 27; Apollinaris, due to his great wickedness 28, babbled that He had no mind, and the present Manichaean 29, also due to excessive wickedness, teaches (δογματίσαι) that He is indescribable (ἄγραπτον) 30. And let's see how they differ from each other. Whoever recognizes Him as soulless denies the life of the Lord’s body, 31 for what is devoid of soul is obviously alien to life. Whoever considers [His body 32] to be without mind (τὸ ἄνουν), he ranks [Him] among the dumb essence 33 (τῇ ἀλόγῳ οὐσίᾳ), for every being without mind (πᾶν ἄνουν) is also dumb. Finally, whoever considers His body indescribable (τῷ ἀγράπτῳ) does not at all recognize the nature (φύσει) of the body, for from indescribability (τῷ ἀπεριγράπτῳ) [logically] follows incorporeality 34 . If Christ had a body, then, like any body, it was subject to touch and sight; what falls under these definitions must, unless we are talking idle talk, also fall under description, for if any body were indescribable, then through this it would be completely deprived of its essence and would turn into an incorporeal object. Nothing, it seems, can keep the wicked tongue, which serves the power of worldly power, 35 from empty talk. 7. Old Testament prototypes of Baptism But let us turn our gaze (ὄμμα) to the prophetic visions (τὰς ϑεοπτίας) and see (ϑεορητέον) how the most holy Baptism is represented (ὑποτυποῦται) in them - this leads to [Col. 708] us the flow of speech. So, what does Isaiah say (let's start our speech with him)? Rejoice, thirsty desert, for there is water in the desert and wilderness in the thirsty land (Isa. 35:1, 6). Without a doubt, here the speech is addressed to human nature (φύσει), which was, as it were, in a desert, devoid of the fertility of good works of faith; Therefore, for the thirsty desert, the source of adoption 36 breaks through, the water of Baptism, like some river stream, the Jordan River. So what then? And there will be waterless waters, that is, abundant faith, and on the thirsty earth there will be a spring of water, that is, a source of adoption, and there will be joy for the birds (Is. 35:7), that is, for those reborn in Baptism, mysteriously compared (τροπικῶς) here with birds, because birds first received their existence from water (Gen. 1:20). Further, what does Gideon's full vessel of water [squeezed from the fleece] mean (Judges 6:38)? This means (ὑποσημαίνει ὁ λόγος) the font of adoption, similar to a mother’s womb, round in appearance (τῷ σχήματι) and polished on all sides, as a sign (τῇ ἰδέᾳ) of sinlessness: the healing dew of the mental (νοητοῦ) rune, filled with the Holy Spirit, flows into it; in it the newly consecrated children of God are reborn, leaving birth of flesh and blood and coming into a perfect man (Eph. 4:3), so that through the worship of the Trinity they defeat demonic forces. What does the triple libation of water on the altar and the sacrifice of Elijah mean (1 Kings 18:32–34)? I think what it means is the proclamation of the trinity of Persons of the blessed God over the baptized person or the triple immersion of the baptized person in water. And Naaman, according to the word of Elisha, came out of the water completely clean. And his flesh returned, as the flesh groweth young, and was cleansed (2 Kings 5:14). Even then, this was a symbol of cleansing from sins for all those baptized, for those who are perfect in spirit emerge from the water of Baptism completely renewed and clean from previous abominations. 8. General consecration of waters If you want to know about free spiritual rebirth, then listen to Isaiah, who says: you who are thirsty, go to the water, and if you have no silver, go buy it (Is. 55:1). Grace is given to everyone who wants it, and not to receive it means to lose life. But we only partly accept and partake of it, since the offer [of grace] comes from my poor thought, which sanctifies the forefeast as much as possible. Let us observe together what is happening: the fonts are filled with water, springs and wells, rivers and lakes become vessels of the Spirit; the nature of the waters receives priceless honor; on this sacred night, various lamps are prepared throughout the heavens in the likeness of stars; in every city and country there is a priest in a high place, performing service and sanctifying the waters through the descent (ἐπιφοιτήσεως) on them of the Divine 37 Spirit. Oh, that we too would be sanctified by the communion of these waters and then would all appear shining with the all-bright Spirit in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. In TFS: “let’s dive in.” – Ed. See Exodus 19:16, 18–19. – Ed. Lit.: was admitted, was initiated. Wed. Exodus 3:4-5: The Lord saw that he was coming to see, and God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, Do not come hither; take off your shoes from your feet... The fireproof bush itself is described before the command to Moses to take off his shoes, but Moses could not look at it right away, having received the command to show appropriate reverence. – Ed. That is, fiery and cool at the same time. – Ed. In TFS: “to the Divine Mysteries.” Perhaps the speech here is addressed to the catechumens preparing to receive Holy Baptism. – Ed. See also: Ps.137:1; Ex.21:6; Ps.81:1, 6. – Ed. In TFS the word “prepared” is omitted. – Ed. See also: Isa.45:15, 21, 62:11 – LXX; 2 Samuel 22:3; 1 Chronicles 16:35; Ps.16:7, 23:5, 64:6 – for the name “Savior”; Isa.10:17; Micah 7:8 – for the name “Light”. – Ed. In TFS: “they must be of the same nature.” – Ed. Sabellius the Libyan is a heretic monarch. Lived in the 3rd century. He taught that the Persons of the Holy Trinity do not exist hypostatically, but are sequential and temporary forms of appearance in the world of the One God. Therefore, the holy fathers have a strong opinion about him that he “merges together the Persons of the Trinity.” – Ed. In TFS: “Just as God came into the world in the flesh, so in the flesh he changes places.” – Ed. In TFS: “takes upon himself the life of the flesh.” – Ed. In TFS: “is”. – Ed. In TFS: “wise answer.” Wed. Luke 2:49. – Ed. Wed. also Luke 8:16, 11:33. – Ed. See also Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; John 3:35–36. – Ed. In TFS the word ἐπιφαινόμενον remains untranslated, in which the translator follows the Latin text. – Ed. The quotation is lexically accurate, but not complete: The true light that enlightens every person who comes into > the world. – Ed. Metaphor Rev. Theodora is built on various biblical and hymnographic names of Christ and John the Baptist: “Sun of righteousness” (Mal.4:2), “Word” (John 1:1), “Bridegroom” (John 3:29; see also Matthew 9:15, 25:1; Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34; John 3:29) and “friend of the bridegroom” ( John 3:29). – Ed. In TFS: “carnal.” – Ed. Corrected by us from τῆ ϑεωρία in the publication. – Editorial of the ABC of Faith. Lit.: “Let another say differently, in relation to contemplation [who has reached] the heights and knowledge of the depths of the Spirit.” Here Genetivus quantitatis is used twice and Dativus relationis once. In TFS, this passage, difficult for literary translation, is conveyed with an eye to the Latin text: Alii alia dicant, qui sublimia intelligunt, et profunda spiritus norunt (col. 706B). – Ed. The word οἰκεῖος does not mean “own” in the strict sense of the word (as a rule, this meaning is conveyed by the word ἴδιος), but “native”, “family”, “one’s own” from the point of view of kinship relations. In this regard, the word οἰκεῖος fits well with the context. – Ed. In the Greek text there is a play on words: νομοϑετῶν νομοϑέτης νομοϑετήσῃ. This rhetorical device is enhanced by a large number of words expressing the idea of ​​kinship (οἰκεῖος, υἱός, ​​γονεύς). Thus, attention is focused on the correlation between the concepts of “law” and “family”. – Ed. In TFS: “our life”. – Ed. In TFS: “born without a human soul.” – Ed. Lit.: according to the accompanying (συνδρομήν) wickedness. – Ed. In TFS: “today’s Manichaeans.” – Ed. The word “Manichaean” appears here as a proper name, but is used in a common noun. The name of Mani (Manes) (216–273), the founder of the famous heresy, is identified with the name of the Manichaean heretics and is placed on a par with the almost contemporary Mani heretics Arius (256–336) and Apollinaris (310–390). However, unlike the latter, Mani appears here as an allegorical figure, a collective image of the iconoclasts. The iconoclasts, among other things, denied the possibility of depicting the human nature of Christ, thereby, as it were, recognizing it as inauthentic, which the Rev. gives. Theodore has the opportunity to compare them with the Manichaeans, who denied matter as a product of evil. Perhaps a certain consonance μανιχαῖος – ἰκονομάχος also played a role. – Ed. Lit.: whoever makes Him out to be soulless deprives the body of the Lord of life. – Ed. The grammatical neuter gender indicates that we are talking specifically about the body (τὸ ἄνουν correlates with Δεσποτικὸν σῶμα of the previous sentence). The Latin text does not give us any corresponding grammatical instructions, which prompted the TFS translator to deviate somewhat from the meaning of the original (see note 8). – Ed. In TFS: “Whoever, further, considers Him not to have a human mind, classifies Him by nature into the category of dumb.” – Ed. In TFS: “for the indescribable is the same as the incorporeal.” – Ed. Rev. Theodore hints at the state nature of the iconoclastic heresy, carried out with the help of imperial power. – Ed. In TFS hereinafter: “filial position.” – Ed. In TFS: “Saint.” – Ed.