READINGS: EASTER WEDNESDAY V

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 18A: Hebrew English and BACK

πιστοὺς εἰς θεὸν τὸν ἐγείραντα αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν - Ἁλληλουϊά — ὥστε τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐλπίδα εἶναι εἰς θεόν - Ἁλληλουϊά.

Even Years: Acts 18:1-28 1 μετὰ ταῦτα χωρισθεὶς ἐκ τῶν ἀθηνῶν ἦλθεν εἰς κόρινθον. 2 καὶ εὑρών τινα ἰουδαῖον ὀνόματι ἀκύλαν, ποντικὸν τῷ γένει, προσφάτως ἐληλυθότα ἀπὸ τῆς ἰταλίας καὶ πρίσκιλλαν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ διὰ τὸ διατεταχέναι κλαύδιον χωρίζεσθαι πάντας τοὺς ἰουδαίους ἀπὸ τῆς ῥώμης, προσῆλθεν αὐτοῖς, 3 καὶ διὰ τὸ ὁμότεχνον εἶναι ἔμενεν παρ' αὐτοῖς καὶ ἠργάζετο: ἦσαν γὰρ σκηνοποιοὶ τῇ τέχνῃ. 4 διελέγετο δὲ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον, ἔπειθέν τε ἰουδαίους καὶ ἕλληνας. 5 ὡς δὲ κατῆλθον ἀπὸ τῆς μακεδονίας ὅ τε σιλᾶς καὶ ὁ τιμόθεος, συνείχετο τῷ λόγῳ ὁ παῦλος, διαμαρτυρόμενος τοῖς ἰουδαίοις εἶναι τὸν Χριστόν, Ἰησοῦν. 6 ἀντιτασσομένων δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ βλασφημούντων ἐκτιναξάμενος τὰ ἱμάτια εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς, τὸ αἷμα ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ὑμῶν: καθαρὸς ἐγώ: ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη πορεύσομαι. 7 καὶ μεταβὰς ἐκεῖθεν εἰσῆλθεν εἰς οἰκίαν τινὸς ὀνόματι τιτίου ἰούστου σεβομένου τὸν θεόν, οὗ ἡ οἰκία ἦν συνομοροῦσα τῇ συναγωγῇ. 8 κρίσπος δὲ ὁ ἀρχισυνάγωγος ἐπίστευσεν τῷ κυρίῳ σὺν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν κορινθίων ἀκούοντες ἐπίστευον καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο. 9 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐν νυκτὶ δι' ὁράματος τῷ παύλῳ, μὴ φοβοῦ, ἀλλὰ λάλει καὶ μὴ σιωπήσῃς, 10 διότι ἐγώ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιθήσεταί σοι τοῦ κακῶσαί σε, διότι λαός ἐστί μοι πολὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ. 11 ἐκάθισεν δὲ ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ μῆνας ἓξ διδάσκων ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ. 12 γαλλίωνος δὲ ἀνθυπάτου ὄντος τῆς ἀχαΐας κατεπέστησαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν οἱ ἰουδαῖοι τῷ παύλῳ καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα, 13 λέγοντες ὅτι παρὰ τὸν νόμον ἀναπείθει οὗτος τοὺς ἀνθρώπους σέβεσθαι τὸν θεόν. 14 μέλλοντος δὲ τοῦ παύλου ἀνοίγειν τὸ στόμα εἶπεν ὁ γαλλίων πρὸς τοὺς ἰουδαίους, εἰ μὲν ἦν ἀδίκημά τι ἢ ῥᾳδιούργημα πονηρόν, ὦ ἰουδαῖοι, κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν: 15 εἰ δὲ ζητήματά ἐστιν περὶ λόγου καὶ ὀνομάτων καὶ νόμου τοῦ καθ' ὑμᾶς, ὄψεσθε αὐτοί: κριτὴς ἐγὼ τούτων οὐ βούλομαι εἶναι. 16 καὶ ἀπήλασεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος. 17 ἐπιλαβόμενοι δὲ πάντες σωσθένην τὸν ἀρχισυνάγωγον ἔτυπτον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος: καὶ οὐδὲν τούτων τῷ γαλλίωνι ἔμελεν. 18 ὁ δὲ παῦλος ἔτι προσμείνας ἡμέρας ἱκανὰς τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἀποταξάμενος ἐξέπλει εἰς τὴν συρίαν, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ πρίσκιλλα καὶ ἀκύλας, κειράμενος ἐν κεγχρεαῖς τὴν κεφαλήν, εἶχεν γὰρ εὐχήν. 19 κατήντησαν δὲ εἰς ἔφεσον, κἀκείνους κατέλιπεν αὐτοῦ, αὐτὸς δὲ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν διελέξατο τοῖς ἰουδαίοις. 20 ἐρωτώντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πλείονα χρόνον μεῖναι οὐκ ἐπένευσεν, 21 ἀλλὰ ἀποταξάμενος καὶ εἰπών, πάλιν ἀνακάμψω πρὸς ὑμᾶς τοῦ θεοῦ θέλοντος, ἀνήχθη ἀπὸ τῆς ἐφέσου: 22 καὶ κατελθὼν εἰς καισάρειαν, ἀναβὰς καὶ ἀσπασάμενος τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, κατέβη εἰς ἀντιόχειαν, 23 καὶ ποιήσας χρόνον τινὰ ἐξῆλθεν, διερχόμενος καθεξῆς τὴν γαλατικὴν χώραν καὶ φρυγίαν, ἐπιστηρίζων πάντας τοὺς μαθητάς. 24 ἰουδαῖος δέ τις ἀπολλῶς ὀνόματι, ἀλεξανδρεὺς τῷ γένει, ἀνὴρ λόγιος, κατήντησεν εἰς ἔφεσον, δυνατὸς ὢν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς. 25 οὗτος ἦν κατηχημένος τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ ζέων τῷ πνεύματι ἐλάλει καὶ ἐδίδασκεν ἀκριβῶς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐπιστάμενος μόνον τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου. 26 οὗτός τε ἤρξατο παρρησιάζεσθαι ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ: ἀκούσαντες δὲ αὐτοῦ πρίσκιλλα καὶ ἀκύλας προσελάβοντο αὐτὸν καὶ ἀκριβέστερον αὐτῷ ἐξέθεντο τὴν ὁδὸν [τοῦ θεοῦ]. 27 βουλομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ διελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἀχαΐαν προτρεψάμενοι οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἔγραψαν τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἀποδέξασθαι αὐτόν: ὃς παραγενόμενος συνεβάλετο πολὺ τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν διὰ τῆς χάριτος: 28 εὐτόνως γὰρ τοῖς ἰουδαίοις διακατηλέγχετο δημοσίᾳ ἐπιδεικνὺς διὰ τῶν γραφῶν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν, Ἰησοῦν.

Odd Years: Revelation 21:1-8 καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶ γῆν καινήν: ὁ γὰρ πρῶτος οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ πρώτη γῆ ἀπῆλθαν, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι.      καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον      καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ,      ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς.           καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου λεγούσης,           ἰδοὺ ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων,           καὶ σκηνώσει μετ' αὐτῶν,      καὶ αὐτοὶ λαοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται,      καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς μετ' αὐτῶν ἔσται, αὐτῶν θεός, καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι, οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι: ὅτι τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ, ἰδοὺ καινὰ ποιῶ πάντα. καὶ λέγει, γράψον, ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί εἰσιν. καὶ εἶπέν μοι, γέγοναν.      ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ, ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος.      ἐγὼ τῷ διψῶντι δώσω ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος τῆς ζωῆς δωρεάν.      ὁ νικῶν κληρονομήσει ταῦτα,      καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ θεὸς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι υἱός. τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις καὶ φονεῦσιν καὶ πόρνοις καὶ φαρμάκοις καὶ εἰδωλολάτραις καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ψευδέσιν τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος.

Even Years: Nicholas Cabasilas, Life in Christ, Book 4 (PG 150, 581-583) Μετὰ δὲ τὸ μύρον ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν εἶμεν, τοῦτο τῆς ζωῆς τὸ πάρας, οὗ γενομένοις οὐδενὸς ἤδη δεήσει πρὸς τὴν ζητουμένην εὐδαιμονίαν. Οὐκέτι γὰρ θάνατον καὶ τάφον καὶ ζωῆς ἀμείνονος κοινωνίαν, ἀλλ αὐτὸν ἐντεῦθεν κομιζόμεθα τὸν ἀναστάντα, οὐδὲ τῶν τοῦ Πνεύματος δώρων, ὅσα λαβεῖν ἔξεστιν, ἀλλ αὐτὸν τὸν εὐεργέτην, τὸν νεὼν αὐτὸν, ᾧ πᾶς ὁ τῶν χαρίτων ἵδρυται κύκλος. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ ἐφ ἑκάστῳ τῶν μυστηρίων, καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν καὶ χριόμεθα καὶ λούμεθα, καὶ οὗτος ἡμῖν τὸ δεῖπνον· After receiving the Sacrament of Chrismation, we approach the Holy Table, the consummation of our life in Christ, which leaves no further happiness to be desired. Now it is no longer a question of sharing in Christ's death or burial or in a higher kind of life, but of welcoming the risen Lord himself. It is no longer the gifts of the Spirit that we receive, insofar as we are able, but our benefactor himself, the very temple that enshrines all gifts. Christ is present in each of the Sacraments: he himself confirms us and cleanses us, and he is our food. σύνεστι δὲ τοῖς τελουμένοις, καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ μεταδίδωσιν, οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐν ἅπασι τρόπον,ἀλλὰ λούων μὲν κακίας τὸν πηλὸν ἀπαλλάττει καὶ τὴν μορφὴν, ἐντίθησιν αὐτῷ τὴν αὐτοῦ, χρίων δὲ ἐνεργὸν ποιεῖται τὰς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργείας, ὦν αὐτὸς ἐγένετο τῆς σαρκὸς ἕνεκα θησαυρός. He is present to those receiving the Sacraments of initiation, though in different ways. In Baptism he takes away the stain of sin and imprints his own image on the baptized. In Chrismation he brings into action the gifts of the Holy Spirit, of which his own flesh is the repository. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν ἀγάγῃ καὶ δῷ φαγεῖν τοῦ σώματος, ὅλον ἀμείβει τὸν τελεσθέντα καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν μετατίθησιν ἕξιν, καὶ ὁ πηλὸς οὐκέτι πηλὸς, τὸ βασιλικὸν δεχόμενος εἶδος, ἀλλ αὐτὸς ἤδη σῶμα τοῦ βασιλέως, τούτου μακαριώτερον οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἐνθυμηθῆναι. But when he leads communicants to his Table and gives them his body to eat he completely transforms them, raising them to his own level. [Clay is not longer clay when it receives the kingly image, but when it becomes the body of the king, nothing more blessed could be desired.] Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τελευταῖον τὸ μυστήριον, ὅτι περαιτέρω προελθεῖν οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲ προσθεῖναι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον δῆλόν ἐστι τοῦ μέσου δεόμενον καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ τελευταίου. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐφ ὃ χωροῦμεν, ἀλλ ἐνταῦθα δεῖ στάντας ἐκεῖνα πειρᾶσθαι σκοπεῖν, δι ὧν ἂν γένοιτο σῶσαι διὰ τέλους τὸν θησαυρόν. This is the last Sacrament we receive because it is impossible to go beyond it or to add to it anything whatever. [For the beginning lacks what is in the middle, and that lacks what is in the perfect. But after the Eucharist we need nothing further, but then those who are standing must be watchful, so as to guard this treasure to the end.] Καὶ τοίνυν βαπτισαμένους τὸ μυστήριον μὲν τὰ αὐτοῦ ἡμᾶς εἰργάσατο πάντα, ἡμεῖς δὲ τελεῖως ἔτι δέομεν ἔχειν. Οὔπω τὰρ τὰ δῶρα τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ἃ τοῦ παναγοῦς ἐξήρτηται μύρου. Τοῖς γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου βαπτισαμένοις οὐ προσῆν οὐδέπω τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τῶν χαρίτων ἕνεκα τούτων, ἀλλ ἐδέησεν ὑπὲρ τούτου τῶν Ἰωάννου καὶ Πέτρου χειρῶν. Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν, φησὶν, ἐπ οὐδενὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιπεπτωκὸς, μόνον δὲ βεβαπτισμένοι ἦσαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. Τότε ἐπετίθουν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐλάμβανον Πνεῦμα ἅγιον... We remain imperfect even after Baptism has produced in us its full effect because we have not yet received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are given in Chrismation. Those baptized by Philip did not receive the Holy Spirit simply by the grace of Baptism: it was necessary for John and Peter to lay their hands on them. As Scripture says, the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Καὶ οὐδὲν κωλύει τό τε μυστήριον τελεσθῆναι καὶ τὰ δοθέντα μὴ διαφθεῖραι καὶ τῶν δεόντων ἐλλειπεῖς εἶναι... Τῶν γὰρ τοῦ Πνεύματος γέμοντες καὶ προφητεύοντες, καὶ γλώσσαις λαλοῦντες, καὶ τἄλλα ἐπιδεικνύμενοι τοσοῦτον, ἀπεῖχον ἀμέλει, θείως καθάπαξ καὶ πνευματικὼς ἔχειν, ὥστε μὴ πόρῥω βασκανίας καὶ φιλοτιμίας ἀκαίρου καὶ ἔριδος καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐστάναι κακῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα αὐτοῖς προφέρων ὁ Παῦλος, Σαρκικοὶ, φησὶν, ἐστὲ καὶ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περπατεῖτε· καίτοι πνευματικοὶ ἦσαν, τό γε τῶν χαρίτων μέρος, ἀλλ οὐδὲν ἤρκεσεν αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸ πᾶν φαῦλον ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκβαλεῖν. Yet even among those who had been filled with the Spirit and who prophesied, spoke in tongues and displayed other such gifts, there were some in the time of the Apostles who were so far from being divine and spiritual as to be guilty of envy, rivalry, contention, and other similar vices. This is what Paul referred to when he wrote to them: You are still unspiritual and are living on a purely human plane. They were indeed spiritual by reason of the graces they had received, but these graces did not suffice to free them from all sinfulness. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς Εὐχαριστίας τούτων οὐδέν· οἷς γὰρ ὁ τῆς ζωῆς ἄρτος ἐνεργὸς ἐγένετο, δι ὧν ἐφυλάξαντο τὸν θάνατον, καὶ οὔτε δειπνοῦντες πονηρὸν οὐδὲν εἶχον, οὔτ ἐπεισήγαγον, οὐκ ἂν τις οὐδὲν ἐγκαλέσαι τοιοῦτον. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι, τὴν τελετῆν ἐνεργὸν παντάπασιν εἶναι καὶ τοῖς μεμυημένοις ἡστινοσοῦν μετεῖναι φαυλότητος· With the Eucharist, however, it is different. No such charge can be brought against those in whom the Bread of Life, which has saved them from death, has had its full effect and who have not brought to this feast any wrongful dispositions. If this Sacrament is fully effective it is quite impossible for it to allow the slightest imperfection to remain in those who receive it. διὰ τί; Ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστι τὴν τελετῆν ἐνεργὸν εἶναι, τὸ τοὺς τελουμένους οὐδενὸς τῶν γιγνομένων ἐλλεῖπειν. Ἡ γὰρ τῆς τραπέζης ἀπαγγελία τῷ Χριστῷ μὲν ἡμᾶς, ἡμῖν δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐνοικίζει. Ἐν ἐμοὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, μένει, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ· τοῦ Χριστοῦ δὲ ἐν ἡμῖν μένοντος τίνος ἔτι δεήσει, τί δ ἂν τῶν ἀγαθῶν διαφύγοι; Ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ δὲ μένοντες τίνος ἐπιθυμήσομεν ἄλλου; καὶ ἔνοικός ἐστιν ἡμῖν καὶ οἰκία, ὡς μακάριοι μὲν τῆς οἰκίας, μακάριοι δὲ ὅτι τοιούτῳ γεγόναμεν οἰκία... Καὶ γὰρ ψυχὴ καὶ σῶμα καὶ πᾶσαι δυνάμεις αὐτίκα πνευματικὰ, ὅτι ψυχὴ μὲν ψυχῇ, σῶμα δὲ σώματι, καὶ αἷμα αἵματι μίγνυται· καὶ τί τὸ ἐντῦθεν; τὰ βελτίω κρείττω τῶν ἐλαττόνων, καὶ τὰ θεῖα τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐπικρατεῖ· καί ὅ φησι περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως Παῦλος, Τὸ θνητὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς καταπίνεται. Τὸ δὲ ἐξῆς· Ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγὼ, φησὶ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός. If you would know the reason for this, it is because through communion, in fulfilment of his promise, Christ dwells in us and we in him. He lives in me, he said, and I in him. When Christ lives in us, what can we lack? When we live in Christ, what more can we desire? We at once become spiritual in body and soul and in all our faculties because our soul is united to his soul, our body to his body, our blood to his blood. The consequence is that the higher prevails over the lower, the divine over the human. As Paul says, referring to the Resurrection: What is mortal is swallowed up by life. And elsewhere he writes: It is no longer I who live: it is Christ who lives in me.

Odd Years: Gregory of Nyssa, Sermon on Christ's Resurrection (PG 46, 603-606.626-627) Ἦλθεν ἡ τῆς ζωῆς βασιλεία καὶ κατελύθη τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος καὶ γέγονεν ἄλλη γέννησις, βίος ἕγερος, ἄλλο ζωῆς εἶδος, αὐτῆς τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν μεταστοιχείωσις. τίς ἡ γέννγησις; Οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς οὐδὲ θελήματος σαρκός, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ θεοῦ γενομένη· πῶς τοῦτο; σαφῶς σοι παραστήσω διὰ τοῦ λόγου τὴν χάριν· οὗτος ὀ τόκος διὰ πίστεως κυοφορεῖται, διὰ τῆς τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἀναγεννήσεως εἰς φῶς ἄγεται, τροφὸς τούτου ἡ ἐκκλησία, μαζὸς τὰ διδάγματα, τροφὴ ὁ ἄνωθεν ἄρτος, ἡλικίας τελείωσις ἡ ὑψηλὴ πολιτεία, γάμος ἡ τῆς σοφίας συμβίωσις, τέκνα αἱ ἐλπίδες, οἶκος ἡ βασιλεία, κλῆρος καὶ πλοῦτος ἡ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τρύφή, τέλος δὲ ἀντὶ θανάτου ἡ ἀίδιος ζωὴ ἐν τῇ ἀποκειμένῃ τοῖς ἀξίοις μακαριότητι Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριος, ἄλλη παρὰ τὰς ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς κτίσεως γεγενημένας ἡμέρας, αἷς διαμετρεῖται ὁ χρόνος, ἄλλης κτίσεώς ἐστιν ἀρχὴ αὕτη· ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ ποιεῖ ὁ θεὸς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶ γῆν καινήν, καθώς φησιν ὁ προφήτης. ποῖον oὐρανόν; τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως. ποίαν γῆν; τὴν ἀγαθὴν καρδίαν φημί, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ κύριος, τὴν γῆν τὴν πίνουσαν τὸν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς ἐρχόμενον ὑετὸν καὶ τὸν πολύχουν στάχυν ἁδρύνουσαν. ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ κτίσει ἥλιος μέν ἐστιν ὁ καθαρὸς βίος, ἄστρα δὲ αἱ ἀρεταί, ἀὴρ δὲ ἡ διαφανὴς πολιτεία, θάλασσα δὲ τὸ βάθος ἐστὶ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς σοφίας τε καὶ τῆς γνώσεως, πόα δὲ καὶ βλαστήματα ἡ ἀγαθὴ διδασκαλία καὶ τὰ θεῖα διδάγματα, ἅπερ ὁ λαὸς τῆς νομῆς, τουτέστιν ἡ ποίμνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπινέμεται, δένδρα δὲ ποιοῦντα καρπὸν ἡ τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐργασία. ἐν ταύτῃ κτίζεται καὶ ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἄνθρωπος ὁ κατ᾿ εἰκόνα γενόμενος θεοῦ καὶ ὁμοίωσιν. ὁρᾷς οἵου κόσμου γίνεται ἀρχὴ. Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριος, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι οὔτε ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας ἡμέρας οὔτε νὺξ κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας νύτκας. καὶ οὔπω τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῆς παρούσης χάριτος ὁ λόγος ἐκήρυξεν. αὕτη ἔλυσε τὴν τοῦ θανάτου ὠδῖνα, αὕτη τὸν τῶν νεκρῶν πρωτότοκον ἐμαιεύσατο Πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν καὶ θεόν μου καὶ θεὸν ὑμῶν. ὣ καλῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν εὐαγγελίων. ὁ δι᾿ ἡμᾶς γενόμενος καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ γενέσθαι ἡμῖν ὁμογενὴς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμᾶς ἑαυτοῦ ποιήσῃ, προσάγει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἄνθρωπον τῷ ἀληθινῷ πατρί, ἵνα δι᾿ αὐτοῦ ἅπαν τὸ ὁμογενὲς ἐφελκύσηται.

Prayer