of the Spirit. He himself is the shepherd and he himself the lamb. He himself is the one who sacrifices and he himself the one sacrificed. He himself is the one who is offered up and he himself the one who receives the sacrifice. He himself is the law and he himself is now the one who comes under the law. 6 But come, let us now hear about the day from the holy Gospels. For the wondrous Luke says about Christ that, when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every male opening a womb shall be called holy to the Lord. So then, Samuel and Isaac, and also Jacob, Joseph and others born unexpectedly from barrenness and opening the fruitless wombs of mothers were called holy to the Lord, but Christ, the only-begotten of the only One from the only one, born of a virgin and not opening the virginal gates, is not holy to the Lord, but holy of holies and Lord of lords and God of gods and firstborn of the firstborn, ruler of rulers and king of kings he shall be called and believed and worshipped and now in the temple he will be proclaimed by Simeon. 7 For, he says, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon. And this man was righteous, and the Holy Spirit was in him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, Simeon himself took him into his arms and blessed God and said: Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. Who will tell of the mighty acts of the Lord, or make all his praises heard? He who holds the whole earth in his palm is contained in the arms of an old man, and he who upholds all things by the word of his power is carried. 8 Let Adam rejoice through Simeon, saying to Christ: Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word in peace. Now you are releasing me from eternal bonds, now you are releasing me from corruption. Now you are releasing me from death. Now you are releasing me from sorrow, O my son and God. Whom Simeon, embracing in the temple and proclaiming the strange mystery of the economy to all the nations and to the Jews, leaps and rejoices, and with a brilliant and piercing voice cried out concerning him, saying: This is he who is and was before and is always present with the Father, of one essence, of one throne, of one glory, of one power, of equal power, all-powerful, without beginning, uncreated, unchangeable, uncircumscribable, invisible, unspeakable, incomprehensible, intangible, inconceivable, inscrutable. 9 This is the radiance of the paternal glory. This is the character of the constitution of all things. This the light of lights, rising from the paternal bosom. This is the God of gods, and known as God from God. This is the spring of life, proceeding from the spring of the Father's life. This is the river of God, flowing forth from the divine abyss, but not separated. This is the treasure of the paternal goodness and ever-flowing blessedness. This is the water of life and that which grants life to the world. This is the uncreated ray, begotten from the pre-eternal sun, but not cut off. 10 This is God the Word who established all things from non-being into being by word alone. This is the morning star before the morning star who arranged the bodiless powers of the heavenly, bodiless, invisible armies and orders. This is he who alone stretched out the heaven and walks upon the sea as upon dry land. This is he who wrapped the abyss in mist as with swaddling clothes. This is he who established the earth upon the waters. This is he who enclosed the sea with sand. This is he who separated the light from the darkness. This is he who arranged the circular course of the stars

τοῦ πνεύματος. αὐτὸς ὁ ποιμὴν καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ ἀρνίον. αὐτὸς ὁ θύτης καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θυόμενος. αὐτὸς ὁ ἀναφερόμενος καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τὴν θυσίαν δεχόμενος. αὐτὸς ὁ νόμος καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ νῦν ὑπὸ νόμον γινόμενος. 6 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ φέρε λοιπὸν τὰ περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν εὐαγγελίων ἀκούσωμεν. φησὶ γὰρ περὶ Χριστοῦ ὁ θαυμάσιος Λουκᾶς, ὅτι, ὅτε ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωυσέως, ἀνήγαγον τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, τοῦ παραστῆσαι αὐτὸν τῷ κυρίῳ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ νόμῳ κυρίου, ὅτι πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ κυρίῳ κληθήσεται. Σαμουὴλ μὲν οὖν καὶ Ἰσαὰκ ὁμοῦ τε καὶ Ἰακὼβ Ἰωσήφ τε καὶ ἕτεροι οἱ ἐκ στειρώσεως παρ' ἐλπίδα τεχθέντες καὶ διανοίξαντες ἀκάρπους μήτρας μητέρων ἅγιοι τῷ κυρίῳ ἐκλήθησαν, Χριστὸς δὲ ὁ μόνος ἐκ μόνης, τοῦ μόνου μονογενής, παρθένου τεχθεὶς καὶ μὴ διανοίξας πύλας παρθενικὰς οὐχ ἅγιος τῷ κυρίῳ, ἀλλ' ἅγιος τῶν ἁγίων καὶ κύριος τῶν κυρίων καὶ θεὸς τῶν θεῶν καὶ πρωτότοκος τῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀρχόντων ἄρχων τε καὶ βασιλεὺς βασιλευόντων καὶ κληθήσεται καὶ πιστευθήσεται καὶ προσκυνηθήσεται καὶ νῦν ἐν τῷ ναῷ ὑπὸ Συμεὼν κηρυχθήσεται. 7 Ἦν γάρ, φησίν, ἄνθρωπος ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ᾧ ὄνομα Συμεών. καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος δίκαιος, καὶ πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ. καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ κεχρηματισμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν ἢ ἰδεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν κυρίου. καὶ ἦλθεν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν. καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσαγαγεῖν τοὺς γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὸ εἰθισμένον τοῦ νόμου περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Συμεὼν ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς ἀγκάλας αὐτοῦ καὶ ηὐλόγησε τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπε· νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ. Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας τοῦ κυρίου, ἀκουστὰς ποιήσει πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις αὐτοῦ; ὁ κατέχων τὴν γῆν πᾶσαν δρακὶ ἀγκάλαις πρεσβύτου χωρεῖται, καὶ βαστάζεται ὁ φέρων τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. 8 Ἀγαλλιάσθω ὁ Ἀδὰμ διὰ Συμεὼν πρὸς Χριστὸν λέγων· νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ. νῦν ἀπολύεις με τῶν αἰωνίων δεσμῶν νῦν ἀπολύεις με τῆς φθορᾶς. νῦν ἀπολύεις με τοῦ θανάτου. νῦν ἀπολύεις με τῆς λύπης, ὁ ἐμὸς υἱὸς καὶ θεός. Ὃν ἐν τῷ ναῷ Συμεὼν ἐναγκαλιζόμενος καὶ τὸ ξένον τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι καὶ Ἰουδαίοις εὐαγγελιζόμενος σκιρτᾷ καὶ ἀγαλλιᾷ, καὶ λαμπρᾷ καὶ διαπρυσίῳ φωνῇ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνακέκραγε λέγων· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ὢν καὶ προὼν καὶ ἀεὶ τῷ πατρὶ συμπαρών, ὁμοούσιος, ὁμόθρονος, ὁμόδοξος, ὁμοδύναμος, ἰσοδύναμος, παντοδύναμος, ἄναρχος, ἄκτιστος, ἀναλλοίωτος, ἀπερίγραπτος, ἀόρατος, ἄῤῥητος, ἀκατάληπτος, ἀψηλάφητος, ἀκατανόητος, ἀτέκμαρτος. 9 Οὗτός ἐστι τῆς πατρικῆς δόξης τὸ ἀπαύγασμα. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ χαρακτὴρ τῆς πάντων συστάσεως. τοῦτο τὸ φῶς τῶν φώτων, ἐκ πατρικῶν ἀνατέλλον τῶν κόλπων. οὗτος ὁ θεὸς τῶν θεῶν, καὶ ἐκ θεοῦ θεὸς γνωριζόμενος. οὗτος ἡ πηγὴ τῆς ζωῆς ἐκ πηγῆς τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ζωῆς προερχόμενος. οὗτος ὁ ποταμὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐξ ἀβύσσου θείας ἐκπορευόμενος, ἀλλ' οὐ χωριζόμενος. οὗτος ὁ θησαυρὸς τῆς ἀγαθότητος τῆς πατρικῆς καὶ ἀεννάου μακαριότητος. τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τὸ ζωὴν τῷ κόσμῳ χαριζόμενον. οὗτος ἡ ἀκτὶς ἡ ἄκτιστος, ἐκ προφώτου ἡλίου γεννώμενος, ἀλλ' οὐ τεμνόμενος. 10 Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων εἰς τὸ εἶναι θεὸς λόγος λόγῳ μόνῳ τὰ πάντα συστησάμενος. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἑωσφόρος πρὸ ἑωσφόρου τὰς ἀσωμάτους διακοσμήσας δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανίων, ἀσωμάτων, ἀοράτων στρατευμάτων καὶ ταγμάτων. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τανύσας τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος καὶ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσης ὡς ἐπὶ ἐδάφους. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ὀμίχλῃ σπαργανώσας τὴν ἄβυσσον. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ στερεώσας τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ψάμμῳ περιτειχίσας τὴν θάλασσαν. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ διορίσας τὸ φῶς ἀπὸ τοῦ σκότους. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν κυκλικὴν τῶν ἀστέρων συντάξας