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of this heavenly grace? It is not possible for anyone to see the kingdom of heaven who has not been deemed worthy of baptism, nor is it possible to be found perfect, even if one lives like the angels, without having received the crown of this gift. Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ himself declared, saying to us: Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Even if one lives his life uprightly like an angel and dedicates himself to God like the apostles, but despises the grace of baptism, he cannot be found perfect. Thus he spoke to the blessed Cornelius: Cornelius, your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. But upon these things is the perfect crown, the faithful gift through the waters. Therefore he sent for the chief of the apostles, Peter, and supplied what was lacking; he came, he instructed, he baptized, he crowned. Stand firm therefore in the faith, remain founded upon the grace of the waters. Do not look at the waters and doubt again; see how through water God grants you the forgiveness of sins. Do not look at the waters, and take the ease of the gift for contempt. When you see the waters, run with faith; for these waters quench Gehenna for you, these refresh you for the river of fire, these alone put to shame the mind of Gehenna. Thus spoke the rich man in the gospels, seeking and seeing Lazarus resting in the bosom of our father Abraham: Have mercy on me, father Abraham, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. For this reason, when you see the waters, run with eagerness; for these waters open heaven for you, these waters transfer you from slavery to freedom; these waters open paradise for you and grant you spiritual eyes; these waters send you forth to the heavenly mysteries, into which angels long to look. You were winged, therefore, in your mind to the heavens; you saw God sanctifying the nature of the waters; you saw the indivisible harmony of the Holy Trinity upon the waters; you received from God prophetic promises, announcing your salvation; the crown of the soul is manifest, the forgiveness of long-standing sins is near. Prepare all things purely and firmly for the preparation, a pure faith, an invulnerable reasoning, a godly fear, a true worship, an angelic garment, bringing all things perfect to the Perfect One; for you are about to be served by the levites, to be led by the hand by the priests, to be escorted by the angels, to be purified by the waters, to be crowned by God the Father, for to him is due the glory together with the Son and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

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ἐπουρα νίου ταύτης χάριτος; οὐκ ἔνι τινὰ τὴν τῶν ἐπουρανίων βασι λείαν ἰδεῖν τοῦ βαπτίσματος μὴ καταξιωθέντα, οὐδὲ ἔστι τέλειον εὑρεθῆναι, κἂν πολιτεύηται κατὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους, μὴ τῆς δωρε ᾶς ταύτης τὸν στέφανον λαβόντα. αὐτὸς ἀπεφήνατο ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς λέγων ἡμῖν· ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. κἂν ἀγγελικῶς τὸν βίον κατορθώσῃ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἑαυτὸν ἀφιερώσῃ τῷ θεῷ, κατα φρονήσῃ δὲ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ βαπτίσματος, οὐ δύναται τέλειος εὑρεθῆναι. οὕτως ἔλεγεν τῷ μακαρίῳ Κορνηλίῳ· Κορνήλιε, αἱ προσευχαί σου καὶ ἐλεημοσύναι σου ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ τέλειος στέφανος, ἡ διὰ τῶν ὑδάτων πιστὴ δωρεά. διὸ μετεπέμψατο τὸν πρωτοστάτην τῶν ἀποστόλων, Πέτρον, καὶ τὸ λεῖπον ἀνεπλήρωσεν· ἦλθεν, ἐνουθέτησεν, ἐβάπτισεν, ἐστεφάνωσεν. ἵστασο λοιπὸν τῇ πίστει ἑδραῖος, μένε τεθεμελιωμένος ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ὑδάτων χάριτι. μὴ βλέπῃς ὕδατα καὶ πάλιν ἀμφιβάλλῃς· ἰδὲ πῶς δι' ὑδάτων σοι ὁ θεὸς τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσιν χαρίζεται. μὴ βλέπῃς ὕδατα, καὶ τὸ τῆς δωρεᾶς εὔκολον εἰς καταφρόνησιν λαμβάνῃς. ὅταν ἴδῃς ὕδατα, δράμε μετὰ πίστεως· ταῦτα γάρ σοι τὰ ὕδατα τὴν γέενναν σβέννυσιν, ταῦτά σε δροσίζουσιν εἰς τὸν πύρινον ποταμόν, ταῦτα μόνα δυσωπεῖται τὸ φρόνημα τῆς γεέννης. οὕτως ἔλεγεν ζητῶν ὁ πλούσιος ἐν εὐαγγελίοις καὶ βλέπων τὸν Λάζαρον ἀναπαυόμενον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ πα τρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ· ἐλέησόν με, πάτερ Ἀβραάμ, καὶ πέμψον τὸν Λάζαρον, ἵνα βάψῃ τὸν δάκτυλον αὐτοῦ ὕδατος καὶ κατα ψύξῃ μου τὴν γλῶσσαν, ὅτι ὀδυνῶμαι ἐν τῇ φλογὶ ταύτῃ. διὰ τοῦτο, ὅταν ἴδῃς ὕδατα, δράμε μετὰ προθυμίας· ταῦτα γάρ σοι τὰ ὕδατα τὸν οὐρανὸν διανοίγει, ταῦτά σε τὰ ὕδατα ἀπὸ δου λείας εἰς ἐλευθερίαν μεθίστησιν· ταῦτά σοι τὰ ὕδατα τὸν παρά δεισον ἀνοίγει καὶ πνευματικοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς χαρίζεται· ταῦτά σε τὰ ὕδατα πρὸς ἐπουράνια μυστήρια παραπέμπει, εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυ μοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακῦψαι. ἐπτερώθης λοιπὸν τῇ διανοίᾳ εἰς οὐ ρανούς· εἶδες θεὸν τὴν τῶν ὑδάτων ἁγιάζοντα φύσιν· εἶδες ἁγίας τριάδος ἀδιάστατον συμφωνίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων· ἔλαβες παρὰ θεοῦ προφητικὰς ἐπαγγελίας, εὐαγγελιζομένας τὴν σὴν σω τηρίαν· ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς στέφανος πρόδηλος, ἡ τῶν πολυχρονίων ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσις ἐγγύς. πάντα καθαρῶς καὶ βεβαίως πρὸς τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν εὐτρέπισον, πίστιν καθαράν, λογισμὸν ἄτρωτον, θεϊκὸν φόβον, προσκύνησιν ἀληθῆ, ἀγγελικὴν στολήν, πάντα τέλεια τῷ τελείῳ προσκομίζων· μέλλεις γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν λευιτῶν διακονεῖσθαι, ὑπὸ τῶν ἱερέων χειραγωγεῖσθαι, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων δορυφορεῖσθαι, ὑπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων καθαρίζεσθαι, παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς στεφανοῦσθαι, ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ υἱῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.