Discussion conversation with those preparing for enlightenment

His [St. John Chrysostom's] last Catechetical conversation with those preparing for enlightenment Contents Waiting for the Bridegroom The mysterious meaning of baptism The time of the sacrament and the participation of all those baptized in it Renunciation of Satan and union with Christ Confirmation and baptism Final instructions 1. The last day of the announcement is now, therefore I, the last of all, have come to give the last instruction. I came for the last time to announce to you that after two days the Bridegroom is coming 1. But now arise, take the lamps and greet the King of heaven with bright light. Rise up and stay awake, for not during the day, but at midnight, the Bridegroom is coming to you: for this is the custom of the marriage ceremony, to present the brides to the grooms late in the evening. But, having only heard that the Bridegroom is coming, do not ignore this word, for it is truly great and full of love for mankind. Christ did not command human nature to return to Him, but He Himself came to us. This is the law of marriage, so that the groom comes to the bride, even if he is the richest, and she is simple and despicable. However, it is not surprising that this happens among people: no matter how great the difference in dignity, their nature is the same. Even if the groom is rich and the bride is poor and simple, both have the same nature. This is marvelous in relation to Christ and the Church: the Existing God, the owner of a blessed and pure essence - and you know what the gulf is between God and people 2 - deigned to descend to our nature and, leaving the Father's house, not due to change, but thanks to the economy according to the flesh, hastened to the bride. Knowing this, blessed Paul himself, marveling at such an excess of care and honor, cried out loudly and said: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife... This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church” (Eph. 5:31, 32). 2. And what is surprising if the Groom came to the bride, when He did not refuse to lay down his soul for her? After all, undoubtedly, not a single groom laid down his soul for his bride, for no one, not a single lover, even strongly possessed by passion, is inflamed with such a feeling for his beloved with which God desires the salvation of our souls. “Even though I must be given over to spitting,” He says, “and scourging, to ascend to the very Cross, I will not refuse to be crucified in order to receive a bride.” He endured and endured this without being at all amazed by her beauty, for there had never been anything more shameful and joyless than her. Listen to how Paul describes its ugliness and shame: “For we also were once foolish, disobedient, erring, slaves of lusts and various pleasures, living in malice and envy, being vile, hating one another” (Titus 3:3). We hated each other (such was the excess of anger!). God not only did not hate us, who hated each other, but saved us, who were in such a vile form, in such a truly disfigured state of soul. And having come and seeing that they were going to bring the bride to Him naked 3 and indecent, He covered her with a pure robe, the lordship and glory of which neither word nor mind can imagine. How can I tell? He covered us with Himself, like a robe: “as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). Having seen this robe from above with prophetic eyes, David exclaimed in these words: “The queen has stood at Your right hand” (Ps. 44:10). The poor and despised woman at once became a queen and became close to the King. And, like the bride and groom in the sacred bedchamber, the prophet represents the Church and Christ: Dressed in a golden robe, adorned (Ps. 44:10) 4. So he told you about the robe. Then, so that, having heard about gold, you do not fall into sensual ideas, the prophet raises your thought and turns you to the contemplation of intelligent things, adding: “All the glory of the daughter of the King is within” (Ps. 44:14). Do you also want to see her sandals? They are not woven from sensual matter and not sewn from ordinary leather, but from the gospel and peace: for, says the Apostle, “shod your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace” (see Eph. 6:15). Do you also want me to show you the very appearance of the bride, shining like lightning, filled with inexpressible beauty, with a great multitude of angels and archangels around? However, first, let us once again take the hand of the bridegroom Paul, and through this multitude of heavenly powers he will be able to lead us to her. So what is he saying? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify her, cleansing her with the washing of water through the word” (Eph. 5:25, 26). Did you see her body clean and bright? Did you see her beautiful, shining brighter than the sun's rays? Then he adds, “that she might be holy and without blemish, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (see Eph. 5:27). Have you seen the very flower of youth, the very peak of youth? Do you also want to know her name? She is called faithful and holy. “Paul,” he says, “is an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints who are at Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1). The mysterious meaning of baptism 3. But, hearing the name of the bride, I remembered my old duty: after all, I promised to tell you why we are called faithful 5 . Why? “We, the faithful, have been entrusted with matters that our bodily eyes cannot see, so great are they, they inspire awe and surpass our nature. For it is impossible to comprehend them either by thought or by human words; only the teaching of faith knows about them well. Therefore, God created two-part eyes for us: the eyes of the flesh and the eyes of faith 6 . When you begin the sacred mystery, the eyes of the flesh see water, but the eyes of faith see the Holy Spirit. Those eyes behold the body immersed in the waters of baptism, and these eyes the old man being buried (cf. Eph. 4:22); some watch over the flesh washed by waters, these watch over the soul cleansed by the Holy Spirit; those see the body rising from the waters, these see the new man (cf. Eph. 4:24), as he rises in illumination from this holy cleansing. Those eyes see how the priest places his right hand on top and touches the head of the person being baptized; these same eyes behold the Great Bishop as He extends his invisible right hand from heaven and touches (the same) head. For it is not man who baptizes then, but the Only Begotten Son of God Himself 7 . And what happened to the Master’s flesh happens to ours too. For just as John visibly touched it (that is, the flesh of the Lady - M.N.) starting from the head, God the Word lowered Himself into the streams of the Jordan and baptized, while the Father’s voice from above pronounced: “This is My beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17), so the Holy Spirit acted by His influx. This also happens in relation to your flesh, for baptism is performed in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, John also said, instructing us, that it is not man who baptizes us, but God: “He who is mightier than I is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (see Luke 3:16; John 1:27). Therefore, when baptizing, the priest does not say: “I am baptizing such and such,” but “So and so is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” showing that it is not he who baptizes, but the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, whose name is invoked 8 . That is why our present confession is called faith, and we do not allow you to say anything else until you say: “I believe.” This word is an unshakable foundation, having an unshakable affirmation from above. That is why Paul says: “For he who comes to God must believe that He exists” (Heb. 11:6). Therefore, when you come to God, you first believe in Him and pronounce this word. Otherwise, in fact, you could neither say nor understand anything of what follows. And in order to completely omit the story of that ineffable and unwitnessed birth of the Son from the Father, I will put forward what happened before, to which there were many witnesses, and by the very presentation of what happened I will lead you to the conviction that without faith you will never be able to comprehend this. The Incontainable One, containing and strengthening the universe, entered the maiden womb. How, tell me, and in what way? It is impossible to prove this, but if you begin to believe, it may well convince you. For that which exceeds the weakness of our thoughts must be left to the doctrine of faith. Even Matthew, who himself wrote about it, does not know about this image of birth. After all, he said: “It turned out that She was with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18), but he did not explain the very image of birth. And Gabriel does not understand him, for even he only says: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). However, how and in what way - he does not understand this. The time of the sacrament and the participation of all those baptized in it 4. But let’s give the word about faith to the teacher 10, and we can talk to you about it another time, when many uninitiated people come. Today you should talk about what only you need to hear and what cannot be told in the presence of others 11. About what? The day after tomorrow, Friday, at the ninth hour, you will be required to say some words and enter into a covenant with the Lord. It is no coincidence that I reminded you of this day and hour: after all, you can learn a certain sacrament from them. For on Friday, at the ninth hour, the thief entered paradise, the darkness that was from the sixth hour to the ninth was destroyed, and He who is the sensible and intelligent Light 12 was sacrificed for the universe. After all, then Christ said: “Father! “into Your hands I commend My spirit” 13 (see Luke 23:46). Then the sensual sun, seeing the Sun of righteousness shining from the cross, hid its rays. Likewise, when you are about to begin the sacrament of baptism around the ninth hour, remember the greatness of the miracles and count the gifts that you have. After all, from now on you will no longer remain on earth, but you will be resurrected and your soul will reach heaven itself. Next, it is necessary that you all then proceed to the sacrament together. Note that everything in common is given to you all, so that neither the rich will neglect the poor, nor the poor will think that he has something less than the rich. For in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, nor Scythian, nor barbarian, nor Jew, nor Greek (cf. Col. 3:11; Gal. 3:28), but inequality is destroyed not only of age and nature, but also of all dignity: we all have one dignity, one gift, we have the same bonds of brotherhood - one and the same grace 14. So, you must then, having approached, kneel down together, do not stand upright, and, stretching out your hands to heaven, thank God for this gift. The sacred statutes command one to kneel down in order to confess the sovereignty of the Lord by the position of the body. And about the fact that kneeling is characteristic of those who profess submission to the Lord, listen to what Paul says: “to Him will every knee bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth” (see Phil. 2:10). The secret leaders command those who kneel to say the following words: “I renounce you, Satan” 15. 5. Now the time has come for me to shed tears, my mind is in turmoil and I groan bitterly. Why did that sacred evening come to my mind when I was honored to utter this blessed saying, when I was brought to that terrible and holy initiation? I remembered the purity I received then, and the sins that I subsequently accumulated to this day 16. Just as some wives, after wealth and abundance, having fallen into extreme poverty, looking at other virgins: how they become brides, are given out to rich grooms, enjoy abundant honors, how they are carefully and solemnly taken away - they are tormented and grieved not because they envy someone else’s well-being, but because in the happiness of others they realize their misfortune even more strongly - so I am something I'm experiencing something similar now. But so that, by now telling about my sorrows, I do not further darken this word, let us turn to you again. Renunciation of Satan and union with Christ 6. "I renounce you, Satan." What's happening? What are these strange and unexpected words? Are you, fearful and trembling, rebelling against the tyrant? Do you despise his cruelty? Who drives you to such madness? Where did your boldness come from? “I have a strong weapon,” he says. What weapons, what help? - Tell me. “I am united with You, Christ,” he answers. “That is why I am bold and rebel against the enemy, because I have a strong refuge. It made me stronger than the demon, me who was previously afraid and trembling. Therefore, I renounce not only him alone, but also his entire retinue.” Every kind of sin serves as an entourage to the devil: lawless shows, horse races, meetings filled with laughter and foul language; The devil's retinue includes sorcery and fortune-telling, predictions and observation of times (cf. Gal. 4:10), signs, talismans and spells 17. The cross is a wondrous talisman and the greatest spell, and blessed is the soul that pronounces the name of Jesus Christ crucified: call on him, and every disease will flee, every satanic plan will recede. Regarding these words, remember that they represent the covenant with the Bridegroom. For just as during marriages lists of the groom’s marriage gifts and the bride’s dowry are certainly compiled, the same thing now happens even before marriage. The groom found you naked, poor and ugly, and did not pass by, for only your will is needed. Therefore, instead of a dowry, bring these words, and Christ will consider them great wealth if you keep them forever. Listen to what Paul says: “Rich to all and to all who call on Him” (cf. Rom. 3:22, 10:12). 7. After these words, after renouncing the devil, after uniting with Christ, when from now on you have become His own and have nothing in common with the one or the other, the priest immediately commands that you receive a seal and draws a cross on your forehead. And since it is natural that that beast, having heard these words, becomes even more ferocious - after all, it knows no shame - and wants to rush into your very face, the priest, with anointing, depicts a cross on your face, restrains all his madness. For he no longer dares to openly look at such a spectacle, but just as someone looking at the rays of the sun, unable to bear their radiance, turns away his gaze, so he, blinded, retreats. The cross is depicted through anointing; oil and ointment serve as anointing at the same time: ointment as a bride, oil as a fighter 18 . And again, about the fact that it is not man, but God Himself who anoints you with the hands of a priest, listen to how Paul says: “He who confirms us with you in Christ and anoints us is God” (2 Cor. 1:21). Since all members are anointed with these substances 19, you can safely hold this dragon and not believe anything terrible. 8. After this anointing, all that remains is to proceed to the bath with holy water. Then the priest, taking off your clothes, himself leads you to running water. Why naked? He reminds you of your former nakedness, when you were in paradise and were not ashamed, for it is said: “Adam and Eve were naked, and were not ashamed” (see Gen. 2:25) until they accepted the garment of sin, the burden of great shame 20. Therefore, do not be ashamed here, for the pool is much better than heaven. There is no serpent here, but there is Christ, leading you to the mystery of rebirth from water and the Spirit (cf. John 3:5; Titus 3:5). There are no trees here that are beautiful and pleasing to the eye (cf. Gen. 2:9), but there are spiritual gifts. There is no tree of the knowledge of good and evil here, there is no law and commandments, but there is grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. “Sin must not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Final Instructions 9 . However, after you have listened to my word with such joy, I will ask you for one reward for this joy, which I already asked you for at the beginning 21. When you go down into the pool of that water, remember my imperfection. I recently asked you about this when I mentioned Joseph, who said to the cupbearer: “Remember me when it goes well with you” (Gen. 40:14). And I told you at the beginning: “Remember me when things go well for you.” Now I don’t say: “Remember me when you feel good,” but remember me, because you already feel good. And that Joseph said: “Remember that I have done nothing wrong” (cf. Gen. 40:15). But I say: remember me, for I have done much evil through my wickedness. Now the boldness of all of you to the King is great: we send you together as intercessors for human nature. You are not offering a golden crown to Him, but a crown of faith, and therefore He will receive you with great goodwill. Therefore, pray for the common Mother of all, the Church, so that she may be unshakable and unshakable, and for the bishop, with whose hands and words you receive these benefits. Tell Him a lot about the priests who sit next to us, 22 about the human race, so that we may not be forgiven our financial debts, but our sins. Let your virtues become universal, for your boldness towards the Lord is great, He will receive you with a kiss. 10. But since the kiss came to my mind, I want to tell you about this now. Whenever we come to partake of the sacred Table, we are commanded to love one another and to practice the holy kiss. For what? While we are separated in bodies, at the same time we unite our souls with a kiss, so that our gathering may become like that of the Apostles, when all believers had one heart and one soul (cf. Acts 4:32). For this is how one must approach the sacred Mysteries, in conjunction with each other. Listen to what Christ says: “If you are bringing your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23, 24). He did not say “first bring it,” but “first make peace, and then bring it.” Therefore, when we are going to offer a gift, we first make peace with each other and only then approach the sacrifice. There is another mysterious explanation for this kissing. The Holy Spirit has made us churches of Christ. Therefore, by kissing each other with our lips, we greet the vestibule of the church. Let no one do this with a bad conscience, with treacherous intent, for this kiss is holy: “Greet one another,” says the Apostle, “with a holy kiss” (1 Cor. 16:20). Remembering all this, let us forever preserve this union with Christ, the renunciation of the devil and the boldness that the Master now gives us, let us keep ourselves pure and immaculate, so that with much glory we may meet the King of Heaven, be worthy to be caught up in the clouds and appear worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven: may we all be worthy to achieve this Kingdom through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. The discourse was delivered in Antioch in 388 on Holy Wednesday and contains the last instructions before baptism. “Two days later,” that is, on Holy Saturday, during the Easter Vigil, the combination of the baptized person, whom St. John Chrysostom compares to a bride, and Christ, the Heavenly Bridegroom, will take place. Saint John Chrysostom discusses in detail about the Divine essence and its incomprehensibility for man in Discourses I-V “Against the Anomeans, about the incomprehensible God.” Saint John Chrysostom uses images of biblical prophets: see, for example, Is.47:2–3, Jer.13:22, Hos.2:3, Nahum.3, etc. Translation by LXX; Synod. translation: the queen stood at your right hand in Ophir gold. – Ed. See Ogl. demon II, 8, 2 (group A. Papadopoulo-Keramevs). Wed. Ogl. demon II, 9–10 (group from the Stavronikita monastery) // Alpha and Omega. 2001. No. 3(29). pp. 83–84. The name “Youth” in relation to Christ was very characteristic of early Christian writing (see, for example, Didache 9:2–3; 10:2–3 and many others): inspired by the prophet Isaiah, it reflected the Semitic way of thinking of the first Christians. Subsequently it was replaced by the more “Greek” name Son. In the 4th century. it, however, is still used by Saints Gregory the Theologian (PG 37, 404A), Eusebius of Caesarea (PG 20, 948B), in the 5th century. – Vasily Selevkiysky (PG 85, 481A). Wed. Ogl. demon II, 26 (group from the Stavronikita monastery) // Alpha and Omega. 2001. No. 3(29). P. 88. A. Wanger sees in this phrase an indication of the confession of faith that the person preparing for baptism may have pronounced on Holy Wednesday (see Wenger A. Introduction Jean Chrysostome. Huit catech-ses baptismales // Sources chretiennes. No. 50 bis. 1970. P. 93). However, Saint John Chrysostom does not mention this custom in any of the Catechetical Discourses. This refers to the Bishop of Antioch, who in 388 was Flavian. On the inadmissibility of revealing the meaning of the sacraments to the catechumens, see, for example, St. Cyril of Jerusalem in “Pre-Catechetical Instructions” 12 (Russian translation: St. Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem. Catechetical and occult teachings. M., 1991. P. 8), as well as in “The Pilgrimage of Egeria” (Russian translation in the book: Ascetics of Piety Mount Sinai. Letters from a pilgrim of the 4th century. M., 1994. pp. 218–219). That is, enlightening both the sensory and spiritual worlds. Bud form time paraq "somai ‘I will betray’ is recorded in a number of ancient manuscripts of the New Testament. - M.N.; Synod. translation: ... I betray My spirit. - Ed. Wed. Ogl. demon II, 13 (group from the Stavronikita monastery) // Alpha and Omega. 2001. No. 3(29). P. 85. The practice of renouncing Satan with kneeling was characteristic of Antioch (see also St. John Chrysostom in Ogl. demon. II, 18 (group from the monastery of Stavronikita) and Theodore of Mopsuestia in “Homilies for Baptism” II, 3), but in Jerusalem the same ritual, apparently, was performed standing (St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Teachings catechetical... I, 2; p. 316). Wed. Ogl. demon II, 19 (group from the Stavronikita monastery) // Alpha and Omega. 2001. No. 3(29). P. 87. Wed. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical teachings... I, 8. P. 319. A fighter, since the newly baptized person enters into battle against the spirits of wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12). According to St. Cyril of Jerusalem, “this oil, by invoking God and prayer, receives such power that it not only burns away traces of sins and cleanses, but also drives out all the invisible forces of the evil one” (Catechetical Teachings... II, 3. p. 322). Saint John Chrysostom distinguishes between two anointings before baptism: first, immediately after union with Christ, the forehead is anointed, and then, the next day, that is, in the evening of Holy Saturday, the rest of the body. The second anointing took place before baptism, when the clothes of the person being baptized were removed. Theodore of Mopsuestia also distinguishes between two anointings (Hom. II, 17–19; III, 8). On the contrary, St. Cyril of Jerusalem mentions only the anointing before baptism: “having taken off your clothes, you were anointed with exorcism oil, from the top of your head even to your feet, and became partakers of the good olive tree, Jesus Christ” (Catechetical Instructions... II, 3). According to St. Cyril of Jerusalem, the nakedness of the baptized person at the moment of immersion in the waters of baptism resembles not only the nakedness of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but also the nakedness of Christ on the Cross (Ibid.). See Ogl. demon I (group of A. Papadopoulo-Keramevs). The "Pilgrimage of Egeria" describes the catechumen in Jerusalem, when "a pulpit is set up for the bishop in the main church, in the Martyrium. On both sides of the pulpit the presbyters sit on seats, and the rest of the clergy stand around" (Ascetics of Piety of Mount Sinai. P. 217).