2

It is necessary to anticipate the arrival of the star in Bethlehem, so that it may be known that its course is guided by me and it borrows its ray from me. But you should not be harmed if the uncircumcised reap the firstfruits of the blessing.”

6 “And he blessed God and said: Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace.” He blessed God the Father with the Son, the Son with the Spirit, since it was the Spirit who was revealing, and he held the Son in his hands, who was pleased to appear in the flesh and to become an infant for our sake; and the Father himself was also at work in such great and mighty mysteries. But for what did he offer the thanksgiving? “Now,” he says, “you are releasing your servant, Master,” when I have no fear of death, but with joy I depart to the dead, proclaiming life to them. “You are releasing according to your word in peace,” that which David the prophet, borrowing from you, said: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep.”

7 “Because my eyes have seen your salvation,” which many of the prophets desired to see; but now by actual experience you have presented to the human race the most high, humbled for our sake so much as to become an infant; for the potter could not otherwise save the corrupted clay, but he himself was about to be mixed together with it. “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the presence of all peoples,” but of all, since being the creator of all you necessarily set before all the mystery of salvation. “A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel”; first the Gentiles are enlightened and after this Israel is glorified; for this one was born for whom the last are first, and the first are last, the prerogatives of those before having been lost through negligence.

8 “And his father and mother were marveling at the things spoken about him.” For what reason do you call Joseph a father, O evangelist and writer of the divine genealogy? For you yourself showed what Gabriel said to the virgin, when it was contrived how the conception would be and in what manner the virgin would give birth: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” - “I have not forgotten my own words,” he says; “for even if I were to forget, the Spirit would remember. But the incarnate one willed for Joseph to be so called at that time, so that the one who lies in wait for the mystery of our salvation might be deceived.” “And they were marveling at the things being said about him,” since the old man was holding an infant, but was uttering hymns to God. “And Simeon blessed them”; for it was necessary for those to be blessed who had ministered the blessing to those laboring under a curse.

9 “And he said to Mary his mother: Behold, this one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel”; for this is he about whom Peter, taking up the prophecy of Isaiah, wrote to the churches: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a cornerstone, chosen, precious, and he who believes in him” will not be put to shame. Then he adds, interpreting the prophecy and speaking in agreement with Simeon: “To you therefore who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; they stumble who disobey the word.” Therefore, he was set for a fall to the unbelievers and for a resurrection to the believers; for those, thinking they stood according to the law, cast themselves down by unbelief; but these, being among the fallen on account of the multitude of their sins, running to the staff of faith, raised themselves up.

10 “Behold, this one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against.” What is this? - The cross; for that is the sign, since

2

προλαβεῖν χρὴ τοῦ ἀστέρος τὴν εἰς Βηθλεὲμ ἄφιξιν, ὥστε γνωσθῆναι ὅτι παρ' ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸν δρόμον ὁδηγεῖται καὶ τὴν ἀκτῖνα δανείζεται. Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὴ ζημιωθῇς ἂν ἀκρόβυστοι τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τῆς εὐλογίας θερίσωσιν.»

6 «Καὶ εὐλόγησεν τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπεν· νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦ λόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ.» Εὐλόγησεν τὸν θεὸν τὸν Πατέρα σὺν τῷ Υἱῷ, τὸν Υἱὸν σὺν τῷ Πνεύματι, ἐπειδὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα μὲν τὸ χρηματίζον ἐτύγχανεν, τὸν Υἱὸν δὲ μετὰ χεῖρας ἐβάσταζεν, σαρκὶ φανῆναι καὶ βρέφος δι' ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι εὐδοκήσαντα· ὁ δὲ Πατὴρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνεργῶν ἦν τὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα μυστήρια. Ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν ἐπὶ τίνι προσέφερεν; «Νῦν», φησίν, «ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα», ὅτε μοι φόβος οὐκ ἔστι θανάτου, μετὰ χαρᾶς δὲ πρὸς τοὺς νεκροὺς τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῖς καταγγελῶν ἀπέρχομαι. «Ἀπολύεις δὲ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ», ἐκεῖνο ὅπερ ∆αυὶδ ὁ προφήτης παρὰ σοῦ δανεισάμενος ἔλεγεν· «Ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κοιμηθήσομαι καὶ ὑπνώσω.»

7 «Ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου», ὃ πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν προφητῶν ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν· νῦν δὲ αὐτῇ τῇ πειρᾷ τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων παρέστησας τὸν ὕψιστον δι' ἡμᾶς τοσοῦ τον ὥστε βρέφος γενέσθαι ταπεινούμενον· οὔτε γὰρ ἄλλως σῶσαι τὸν φθαρέντα πηλὸν ὁ κεραμεύς, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτῷ συναναφυρεὶς ἔμελλεν. «Εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν», ἀλλὰ πάντων, ἐπειδὴ πάντων ὑπ άρχων δημιουργὸς πᾶσι προέθηκας τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀναγκαίως μυ στήριον. «Φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ»· πρότερον τὰ ἔθνη φωτίζεται καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο Ἰσραὴλ δοξάζεται· ἐτέχθη γὰρ οὗτος ἐφ' οὗ πρῶτοι μὲν οἱ ἔσχατοι, ἔσχατοι δὲ οἱ πρῶτοι, τὰ πρεσβεῖα τῶν ἔμπροσθεν διὰ ῥαθυμίαν ζημιωθέντων, γεγόνασιν.

8 «Καὶ ἦν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ θαυμάζοντες ἐπὶ τοῖς λαλουμένοις περὶ αὐτοῦ.» Τίνος χάριν πατέρα τὸν Ἰωσήφ, ὦ τῆς θείας γενεαλογίας εὐαγγελιστὰ καὶ συγγραφεῦ, καλεῖς; Αὐτὸς γὰρ εἰπόντα τὸν Γαβριὴλ πρὸς τὴν παρθένον ἀπέδειξας, ἡνίκα πῶς ἡ σύλληψις ἔσται καὶ τίνα τρόπον ἡ παρθένος τέξε ται μεθωδεύετο· «Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι.» - «Οὐκ ἐπιλέλησμαι τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ», φησίν· «εἰ γὰρ καὶ λήθην ἐλάμβανον, τὸ Πνεῦμα ἂν ἐμίμνησκεν. Ἀλλ' οὕτω τότε καλεῖσθαι τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ σαρκωθεὶς ἐβούλετο, ὅπως ἀπατηθῇ ὁ ἐνεδρεύων τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἡμετέρας μυστή ριον.» «Ἐθαύμαζον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις περὶ αὐτοῦ», ἐπειδὴ βρέφος ὁ πρεσβύτης ἐβάσταζεν, θεοῦ δὲ ὕμνους ἐφθέγγετο. «Καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς Συμεών»· ἐχρῆν γὰρ εὐλογεῖσθαι τοὺς τὴν εὐλογίαν τοῖς ὑπὸ κατάραν πράττουσιν διακονήσαντας.

9 «Καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Μαριὰμ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ· ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ»· οὗ τος γάρ ἐστι περὶ οὗ Πέτρος ἀναλαβὼν τὴν Ἠσαΐου προφητείαν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἐπέστελλεν· «Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον ἀκρο γωνιαῖον, ἐκλεκτόν, ἔντιμον, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ» οὐ καται σχυνθήσεται. Εἶτα ἐπιφέρει τὴν προφητείαν ἑρμηνεύων καὶ σύμ φωνα τῷ Συμεὼν φθεγγόμενος· «Ὑμῖν οὖν ἡ τιμὴ τοῖς πιστεύου σιν· ἀπιστοῦσιν δὲ λίθος ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας καὶ λίθος προσκόμματος καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου· ὅσοι προσκόπτουσιν, τῷ λόγῳ ἀπειθοῦντες.» Οὐκ οῦν εἰς πτῶσιν τοῖς ἀπίστοις ἔκειτο καὶ τοῖς πιστοῖς εἰς ἀνάστασιν· ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἑστάναι κατὰ τὸν νόμον δοκοῦντες ἑαυ τοὺς τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ κατέβαλον· οὗτοι δὲ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἁμαρ τημάτων μεταξὺ τῶν πεπτωκότων ὑπάρχοντες, τῇ βακτηρίᾳ τῆς πίστεως προσδραμόντες, ἑαυτοὺς ἐξανέστησαν.

10 «Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον.» Τί τοῦτο; - Τὸν σταυρόν· ἐκεῖνο γὰρ τὸ σημεῖον, ἐπειδὴ