We shall now say something about the
present feast.
Many celebrate the feastdays and know
their designations, but the cause for which
they were established they know not. Thus
concerning this, that the present feast is called Theophany -
everyone knows; but what this is - Theophany,
and whether it be one thing or another, they know not.
And this is shameful - every year to celebrate the feastday
and not know its reason.
First of all therefore, it is necessary
to say that there is not one Theophany, but two: the one
actual, which already has occurred,and the second in
future, which will happen with glory at the end of
the world. About this one and about the other you will hear
today from Paul, who in conversing with Titus, speaks
thus about the present: "The grace of God hath
revealed itself, having saved all mankind, decreeing, that we
reject iniquity and worldly desires, and dwell in the
present agein prudence and in righteousness and piety" --
and about the future: "awaiting the blessed hope and glorious
appearance of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ"(Tit 2:11-13). And a prophet speaks thus
about this latter: "the sun shalt turn to darkness, and the moon to blood at first,then shalt come
the great and illuminating Day of the Lord" (Joel 2:31). Why is not that day, on which the Lord was
born, considered Theophany -- but rather this day on which He was baptised? This present day it
is, onwhich He was baptised and sanctified the nature of water. Because on this day all, having
obtained the waters, do carry it home and keep it all year since today the waters are sanctified;
and an obvious phenomenon occurs: these waters in their essence do not spoil with the passage
of time, but obtained today, for one whole year and often for two or three years, they remain
unharmed and fresh, and afterwards for a long time do not stop being water, just as that obtained from
the fountains.
Why then is this day called Theophany?
Because Christ made Himself known to all -- not then when He was born -- but then when He
wasbaptised. Until this time He was not known to the people. And that the people did not
know Him, Who He was, listen about this to John the Baptist who says: "Amidst you standeth,
Him Whomye know not of" (Jn.1:26). And is it surprising that others did not know Him, when even the
Baptist did not know Himuntil that day? "And I -- said he- knew Him not: but He that did send me
to baptise with water, about This One did tell unto me over Him that shalt see the Spirit
descending and abiding upon Him, This One it is Who baptiseth in the Holy Spirit" (Jn.1:33). Thus
from thisit is evident, that -- there are two Theophanies, and why Christ comes at baptism and on
which ever baptism He comes, about this it is necessary to say: it is therefore necessary to know
both the one and equally the other. And first it is necessary to speak your love about the latter, so
that we might learn about the former. There was a Jewish baptism, which cleansed from bodily
impurities, but not to removesins. Thus, whoever committed adultery, or decided on thievery, or
who did some other kind of misdeed, it did not free him from guilt. But whoever touched the bones of
the dead, whoever tasted food forbidden by the law, whoever approached from contamination,
whoever consorted with lepers -- that one washed, and until evening was impure, and then
cleansed. "Let one wash his body in pure water -- it says in the Scriptures, -- and he will be unclean
until evening, and then he will be clean" (Lev 15:5, 22:4). This was not truly of sins or impurities,
but since the Jews lacked perfection, then God, accomplishing it by means of this greater piety,
prepared them by their beginnings for a precise observance of important things.
Thus, Jewish cleansings did not free
from sins, but only from bodily impurities. Not so with ours: it is far more sublime and it manifests a
great grace, whereby it setsfree from sin, it cleanses the spirit and bestows the gifts of the
Spirit. And the baptism of John was far more sublime than the Jewish, but less so than ours: it was
like a bridge between both baptisms, leading across itself from the first to the last. Wherefore
John did not give guidance for observance of bodily purifications, but together with them
he exhorted and advised to be converted from vice to good deeds and to trust in the hope of
salvation and the accomplishing of good deeds, rather than in different washings andpurifications by
water. John did not say: wash your clothes, wash your body, and ye will be pure, but what? -"bear ye fruits worthy of repentance" (Mt 3:8). Since it
was more than of the Jews, but less than
ours: the baptism of John didnot impart the Holy Spirit and it did not grant forgiveness by grace: it
gave the commandment to repent, but it was powerless to absolve sins. Wherefore John did also
say: "I baptise you with water... That One however will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and
with fire" (Mt 3:11). Obviously, he did not baptise with the Spirit. But what does this mean: "with
the Holy Spirit and with fire?" Call to mind that day, on which for the Apostles"there
appeared disparate tongues like fire, and sat over each one of them" (Acts 2:3). And that the baptism of
John didnot impart the Spirit and remission of sins isevident from the following: Paul "found
certain disciples, and said to them: received ye the Holy Spirit since ye have believed? They said to
him: but furthermore whether it be of the Holy Spirit, we shall hear. He said to them: into what
were ye baptised? They answered: into the baptism of John. Paul then said: John indeed
baptised with the baptism of repentance," - repentance, but not remission of sins; for whom did he
baptise?"Having proclaimed to the people, that they should believe in the One coming after him,
namely,Christ Jesus. Havingheard this, they werebaptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus: and Paul
laying his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them" (Acts 19:1-6). Do you see,
how incomplete was the baptismof John? If the one were not incomplete, would then Paul have
baptised them again, and placed his hands on them; having performed also the second, he shew the
superiority of the apostolic Baptism and that the baptism of John was far less than his. Thus,
from this we recognise the difference of the baptisms.
Now it is necessary tosay, for whom was
Christ baptised and by which baptism? Neither the former the Jewish, nor the last --
ours. Whence hath He need for remission of sins, howis this possible for Him, Whohath not any sins?
"Of sin, -- it says in the Scriptures, -- worked He not, nor was there deceit found in His
mouth" (1Pet 2:22); and further, "who of you convicteth Me
of Sin?" (Jn 8:46). And His flesh was
privy to the Holy Spirit; how might this be possible, when it in the beginning was fashioned by the Holy
Spirit? And so, if His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit, and He was not subject to sins, then
for whom was He baptised?But first of all it is necessary for us to recognise, by which baptism He
was baptised, and then it will be clear for us. By which baptism indeed was He baptised? -Not
theJewish, nor ours, norJohn's. For whom, since thou from thine own aspect of baptism dost
perceive, that He was baptised not by reason ofsin and not having need of thegift of the
Spirit; therefore, as we have demonstrated, this baptismwas alien to the one and tothe other. Hence
it isevident, that He came to Jordan not for the forgiveness of sins and not for
receiving the gifts of the Spirit. Butso that some from those present then should not think, that He
camefor repentance like others, listen to how John precluded this. What he then spoke to
the others then was: "Bear ye fruits worthy of repentance"; but listen what he said to Him: "I
have need to be baptised of Thee, and Thou art come to me?" (Mt 3:8, 14). With these words he
demonstrated, that Christ cameto him not through that need with which people came, and that He was
sofar from the need to be baptised for this reason -- so much more sublime and perfectly purer
than Baptism itself. For whom was He baptised, if this was done not for repentance, nor for
the remission of sins, nor for receiving the gifts of the Spirit? Through the other tworeasons, of which
about the one the disciplespeaks, and about the other He Himself spoke to John. Which reason
of this baptism did John declare? Namely, that Christ should become known to the people, as
Paul also mentions: "John therefore baptised with the baptism of repentance, so that through
him they should believe on Him that cometh" (Acts 19:4); this was the consequence of the
baptism. IfJohn had gone to thehome of each and, standing at the door, had spoken out for Christ and
said: "He is the Son of God," such a testimony would have been suspicious, and this deed would
have been extremely perplexing. So too, if he in advocating Christ had gone into the synagogues and
witnessed to Him, this testimony of his might be suspiciously fabricated. But when all
the people thronged out from all the cities to Jordanand remained on the banks of the river, and
when He Himself came tobe baptised and received the testimony of the Father by a voice from
above and by the coming-upon of the Spirit in the form of a dove, then the testimony of John
about Himwas made beyond allquestioning. And since he said: "and I knew Himnot" (Jn
1:31), his testimony put forth is trustworthy. They were kindred after the flesh between themselves
"wherefore Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, hath also conceived a son" -said the Angel to Mary
about the mother of John (Lk. 1: 36); if however the mothers were relatives, then obviously so also were
the children. Thus, since they were kinsmen -in order that it should not seem that John would
testify concerning Christ because of kinship, the grace of the Spirit organised it such, that John
spent all his early years in the wilderness, so that it should not seem that John had declared his
testimony out of friendship or some similar reason. But John, as he was instructed of God, thus also
announced about Him, whereinalso he did say: "and I knew Him not." From whence didst thou
find out? "He having sent me that sayeth to baptise with water, That One did tell me" What did He
tell thee? "Over Him thou shalt see the Spirit descending, like to a dove, and abidingover Him, That
One is baptised by the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:32-33). Dost thou see, that the Holy Spirit did not
descend asin a first time then coming down upon Him,but in order to point out thatpreached by His
inspiration -as though bya finger, it pointed Himout to all. For this reason He came to baptism.
And there is a secondreason, about
which He Himself spoke -what exactly is it? When John said: "I have need to be baptised
of Thee, and Thou art come to me?" -- He answered thus: "stay now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill
every righteousness" (Mt 3:14-15). Dost thou see the meekness of the servant? Dost thou see
the humility of the Master? What does He mean: "to fulfill every righteousness?" By
righteousness is meant the fulfillment of all the commandments, as is said: "both were righteous,
walking faultlessly in the commandments of the Lord" (Lk 1:6).
Since fulfilling this righteousness was
necessary for all people -but no one of them kept it or fulfilled
it -Christ came then andfulfilled this righteousness.
And what righteousness is there,
someone will say, in being baptised? Obedience for a prophet was righteous. As Christ was
circumcised, offered sacrifice, kept the sabbath and observed the Jewish feasts, so also He added this
remaining thing, that He was obedient to having been baptised by a prophet. It was the will
of God then, that all should be baptised - about which listen, as John speaks: "He having sent me
to baptise with water" (Jn 1:33); so also Christ: "the publicans and the people do justify
God, having been baptised with the baptism of John; the pharisees and the lawyers reject the
counsel of God concerning themselves, not having been baptised by him" (Lk 7:29-30).
Thus, if obedience to God constitutes righteousness, and God sent John to baptise the nation, then Christ
has also fulfilled this along with all the other commandments.
Consider, that the commandments of the
law is the main point of the two denarii: this - debt, which our race has needed to pay; but
we did not pay it, and we, falling under such an accusation, are embraced by death. Christ came, and
finding us afflicted by it- He paid the debt, fulfilled the necessary and seized from it those, who
were not able to pay. Wherefore He does not say: "it is necessary for us to do this or that,"
but rather "to fulfill every righteousness." "It is
for Me, being the Master, - says He, - proper to
make payment for the needy." Such was the reason for His baptism - wherefore they should see,
that He had fulfilled all the law - both this reason and also that, about which was spoken of before.
Wherefore also the Spirit did descend as a dove: because where there is reconciliation with God
-there also is the dove. So also in the ark of Noah the dove did bring the branch of olive -a sign
of God's love of mankind and of the cessation of the flood. And now in the form of a dove, and not
in a body -this particularly deserves to be noted- the Spirit descended, announcing the
universal mercy of God and showing with it, that the spiritual man needs to be gentle, simple and
innocent, as Christ also says:"Except ye be converted and become as children, ye shalt not enter
into the Heavenly Kingdom" (Mt 18:3). But that ark, after the cessation of the flood, remained
upon the earth; this ark, after the cessation of wrath, is taken to heaven, and now this Immaculate and
Imperishable Body is situated at the right hand of the Father.
Having made mention about the Body of
the Lord, I shall also say a little about this, and then the conclusion of the talk.Many now will
approach the Holy Table on the occasion of the feast. But some approach not with trembling, but
shoving, hitting others, blazing with anger, shouting, cursing, roughing it upwith their
fellows withgreat confusion. What, tell me, art thou troubled by, my fellow? What disturbeth thee? Do
urgent affairs, for certain, summon thee? At this hour art thou particularly aware, that these
affairs of thine that thou particularly rememberest, that thou art situated upon the earth, and dost thou
thinkto mix about with people? But is it not with a soul of stone naturally to think, that in such
a time thou stand upon the earth, and not exult with the Angels with whom to raise up victorious
song to God? For this Christ also did describe us with eagles, saying: "wherethe corpse
is, there are the eagles gathered" (Mt 24:28) -so that we
might have risen to heaven and soared to the
heights, having ascended on the wings of the spirit; but we, like snakes, crawl upon the earth
and eat dirt. Having been invited to supper, thou, although satiated before others, would not dare
to leave before others while others are still reclining. But here, when the sacred doings are going
on, thou at the very middle would pass by everything and leave? Is it for a worthy excuse? What
excuse might it be? Judas,having communed that last evening on that final night, left
hastily then as all the others were still reclining.
Here these also are inimitation of him,
who leave before the final blessing! If he had not gone, then he would not have made the
betrayal; if he did not leave his co-disciples, then he would not have perished; if he had not removed
himself from the flock, then the wolf would not have seized and devoured him alone; if he had
separated himself from the Pastor, then he would not have made himself the prey of wild beasts.
Wherefore he (Judas) was with the Jews, and those (the apostles) went out with the Lord. Dost
thou see, by what manner the final prayer after the offering of the sacrifice is accomplished? We
should, beloved, stand forth for this, we should ponder this, fearful of the coming judgement for
this. We should approach the Holy Sacrifice with great decorum, with proper piety, so as to
merit us more of God's benevolence, to cleanse one's soul and to receive eternal blessings, of
which may we all be worthy b ythe grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to with Whom
the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, and worship now and ever and unto ages
of ages. Amen.
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen