Слово на Святое Богоявление. Святого Прокла, архиепископа Константинопольского

Christ appeared to the world and, having pacified the rebellious world, shed a light of joy in it, took upon Himself the sins of the world and, trampling down its enemy, sanctified the streams of water and illuminated the souls of men. Miracles are accompanied by great miracles. Now the earth shares with the sea the goodness of the Savior, and the whole world is filled with joy. The current celebration continues a number of the most glorious miracles of the previous holiday. On the day of the Nativity of the God-Man, the earth celebrated, carrying the Lord of all in a manger; On the current feast of Epiphany, the sea triumphs brightly, receiving the blessing of consecration through the Jordan. At the last festival, a weak Baby appeared, depicting our weakness; on the coming festival He appears perfect, announcing his origin from the Perfect One. Then the star (Matthew 2:2) shining in the east pointed out the One who was born; and now the Father who begat Him testifies of Him being baptized (Matthew 3:17). Then the wise men who came from the east brought Him gifts as to a King; and now the angels who appeared from heaven rendered Him worthy service as God. Then He was bound in swaddling clothes, but now He loosens the bonds of sin. Then the Lord clothed himself in the purple of flesh, and now the Source is clothed in the waters of the river. So come and see glorious miracles: the Sun of righteousness is washed in the Jordan. Fire is purified in water. God is sanctified from man. Now all creation cries out in praise: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Psalm 118:26). Blessed is He who comes always, for He has appeared now not for the first time. Blessed is he who visits creatures with His providence; blessed is he who keeps the firmament of heaven unshakable; blessed is he who wisely determines the path of the sun, harmoniously leading countless regiments of stars, dissolving the air to adapt to the breathing of living creatures, warming the bowels of the earth in proportion to its fruitfulness, taming the stormy sea with very fine sand, invisibly conducting springs from the depths of the sea, directing the correct paths of the rivers. Reviewing all this, let us also exclaim: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Who is this coming one? proclaim clearly, O most blessed David! – God is the Lord, and appear to us (Psalm 118:27). But the Apostle Paul added his testimony to the prediction of the prophet David: the grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all men (Tit. 2:11), - appeared not to some, but to everyone, and to everyone, both Jews and Greeks, granting salvation through baptism, offering a beneficial sacrament to everyone. Come and see a new flood, not terrifying with destruction, as was the case under Noah, but longed for and excellent. There the water of the flood killed the human race, here the water of baptism, by the power of the baptized, revives the dead. There Noah built for himself an ark from rotting trees, and here Christ built himself an ark of flesh from the incorruptible Mary. There Noah covered the ark with pitch so that the waters would not damage the wood; and here Christ protects a person from the outside and inside with an impenetrable shield of faith. There the dove, bringing an olive branch in its mouth, represented the fragrance of the teachings of Christ; here the mercy of the Lord is revealed by the Holy Spirit, who descended in the form of a dove. But I am amazed at the endless humility of the Lord. It was not enough for Him, God from God, to be born a child from a wife; It was not enough for Him, sitting on the throne with the Father, to take the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7); He comes to be baptized as a sinner. Let the mystery of a common good deed not serve as a temptation for listeners! The Lord of the universe, Christ, is baptized, not demanding purification for Himself, but arranging for us a special benefit, in order to bestow upon us sanctifying grace in the waters and in order to call every person to baptism. Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him (Matthew 3:13). What event is this, brothers? - Incomprehensible! A spectacle extraordinary for human eyes. The mind trembles, the tongue becomes numb, not daring to speak about the Ineffable. So John, seeing the Lord coming to him, trembled in his heart, fell prostrate at His feet and, begging, said: “Why, O Almighty, do you force me, powerless, to do something that exceeds my weakness? Can I fulfill Your will? How dare I baptize You? Is fire cleansed by the grain of the field? Is the spring washed with the unclean water of the swamp? How will I baptize? The judge is the one who is himself subject to judgment? I do not see any vice in You, You did not fall under the curse of Adam and were not at all involved in sin (1 Peter 2:22). You came to those who transgressed the law, but You yourself did not break the law, placing a yoke on me beyond my strength? I never dared to offend You, as a faithful and devoted servant. Masters: While still in the womb, I moved my mother’s tongue (Luke 1:44) and preached You as the God of peace. I prepared everyone for Your appearance. Will the sun endure, seeing how the Lord of hosts is humiliated by an insignificant slave, and will it not immediately burn me, bold as the Sodomites, with its fiery rays (Gen. 19:24)? Will the earth sweep away, seeing that the Sanctifier of angels receives baptism from a sinful man and, instantly opening its bowels, will it not devour me, like Dathan and Abiron (Num. 16:31)? How will I baptize You, Lord, when from Your birth You had no fellowship with the filth of sin and were born seedless from a virgin womb? How can I, an unclean person, sanctify the sinless God? I demand to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me (Matthew 3:14)? You, Master, sent me to baptize. I did not resist Your command. Calling everyone to baptism, I said: confess to the Lord that it is good (Psalm 106:1). He who comes after me is full of love: He is good and the Son of the Good; He will not show His goodness for a short time, and will soon change, - no: His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1). And since His mercy is immeasurable, the heavenly armies, praising Him, cry: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. God is the Lord, and appear to us (Psalm 117:26–27). The Sun of Truth appeared and dispelled the darkness of ignorance. The Heavenly Shepherd appeared and with His rod drove away the wolves of the devil from His beautiful flock. The Only Begotten Son of the Father appeared and granted adoption to those who believed in Him through baptism. He who is the life of all appeared, and having put death to death by death, He returned the prisoners of death to eternal life.” When this was done in this way, the Father, looking from above at the boundless humility of the Son, instantly opens the gates of heaven and emits a thunderous voice filled with Fatherly love: this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17). And so that those who hear are convinced that the voice does not refer to the Baptist, but to the Baptized, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, descending on the Baptized and pointing to the One to whom the testimony relates. To him be glory and power, honor and worship now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 100. Migne, Cursus completus Patrologiae, series graeca, vol. LXV, col. 754–757; compare “Christian Reading” for 1839, part I, pp. 34–46. You might be interested in: