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You hosted the Word in the house of your womb, without toil you brought forth the heavenly flower for the world.

But come now, and weep no longer, but cease from your mourning, Rachel. Herod killed your infants on earth, but God raises them in heaven; Herod deprived your children of the temporal light, but in heaven he will fill them with his own light. You do not see them leaping on earth, but then you will see, and you will rejoice seeing them leaping like lambs in paradise. Now you grieve not seeing them extending their hands at the table, but then you will see, and you will rejoice seeing them feasting with angels on the heavenly bread; now you grieve not seeing them singing, but then you will see and rejoice at the choir of these infants, like spring swallows, singing hymns to Christ in paradise. For since the prophet said, From the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise, the choir of infants has anticipated, preparing victory hymns to Christ, fulfilling the word of the prophet, that, From the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise. But these things, beloved, we have said for the delight of the soul; for now let us turn to the path of the Gospel.

For when Herod heard, it says, he was troubled. Having heard what? That the king of the Jews was born. See, beloved, the devil being troubled in Herod, and greatly so. The wolf sees the shepherd born, and hidden in a manger, and holding the mighty staff of the Spirit in his hands, and seeing these things is greatly troubled; the dragon sees the bait of the body, and the infant crawling like a worm; For I 61.700 am a worm, and not a man; and with gaping mouth it comes, and beholds inside the heavenly Word in the flesh, hidden like a fishhook, and beholding this is greatly troubled. He sees the mustard seed come upon the earth, sending forth branches of hope, and about to cover the race of men under the leaves of salvation, and seeing these things the hater-of-good demon is greatly troubled; he sees wisdom come upon the earth, and taking the small leaven of the body, and mixing it into the three parts of the flour, into soul and body and spirit, and about to leaven all of humanity into one salvation of faith, and having beheld these things is greatly troubled. He sees the legion of the demon cast out from humanity, and sent into the abyss, and seeing these things is greatly troubled; he sees the bars of Hades being shattered, and Adam being hurled back again into paradise, and is greatly troubled; he sees Eve again being saved through Mary, and the serpent, in which he most trusted, being killed, and seeing these things is greatly troubled; he sees the tree of life being planted, and seeing these things is greatly troubled.

And time will fail me, beloved, as I recount the devil's confusion. Therefore, being able to do nothing against the Lord, the devil runs down the infants and tender children. And whom does he slaughter? From two years old and under; but those who have lived the triad of years he does not slaughter. For infants are those who confess the dyad, and have not believed in the Trinity. Wherefore this Rachel, the Church from the Gentiles, mourns these, so that her voice was heard in Ramah, that is, on high; for so is Ramah interpreted, high, the Jerusalem above with the most high God; to whom is due all glory, dominion with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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Λόγον ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῆς μήτρας σου ἐξένισας, ἀπόνως τὸ οὐράνιον ἄνθος τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ἐβλάστησας.

Ἀλλὰ δεῦρο λοιπὸν, καὶ μηκέτι θρήνει, ἀλλὰ παῦσαι τοῦ πένθους, Ῥαχήλ. Ἡρώδης τοὺς σοὺς νηπίους ἐπὶ γῆς ἀπέκτεινεν, ἀλλὰ τούτους Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ ἀνατρέφει· Ἡρώδης τοὺς σοὺς παῖδας τοῦ προσκαίρου φωτὸς ἐστέρησεν, ἀλλὰ τούτους ἐν οὐρανῷ τοῦ ἰδίου φωτὸς ἐμπλήσει. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς ἁλλομένους, ἀλλὰ τότε ὄψει, καὶ χαρήσῃ ὁρῶσα τούτους ὡς ἄρνας σκιρτῶντας ἐν παραδείσῳ. Νῦν λυπῇ οὐχ ὁρῶσα τούτους ἐπὶ τραπέζης χεῖρας ἐκτείνοντας, ἀλλὰ τότε ὄψει, καὶ χαρήσῃ ὁρῶσα τούτους μετ' ἀγγέλων εὐωχουμένους τὸν οὐράνιον ἄρτον· νῦν λυπῇ οὐχ ὁρῶσα τούτους κελαδοῦντας, ἀλλὰ τότε ὄψει καὶ χαρήσῃ τούτων τῶν νηπίων τὸν χορὸν, δίκην χελιδόνων ἐαρινῶν, ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ Χριστὸν ἀνυμνοῦντα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν, Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον, προέλαβεν ὁ τῶν νηπίων χορὸς ὕμνους ἐπινικίους Χριστῷ ἑτοιμάζων, τὸν τοῦ προφήτου λόγον πληρῶν, τὸ, Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν, ἀγαπητοὶ, πρὸς ψυχῆς τέρψιν εἰρήκαμεν· λοιπὸν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀτραπὸν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τραπῶμεν.

Ἀκούσας γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἡρώδης ἐταράχθη. Τί ἀκούσας; Ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐγεννήθη. Ὅρα μοι, ἀγαπητὲ, τὸν διάβολον ἐν τῷ Ἡρώδῃ ταραττόμενον, καὶ τοῦτον λίαν. Ὁρᾷ τὸν ποιμένα γεννηθέντα ὁ λύκος, καὶ τοῦτον κρυπτόμενον ἐν φάτνῃ, καὶ τὴν ἰσχυρὰν βακτηρίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ κατέχοντα, καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶν ταράττεται λίαν· ὁρᾷ ὁ δράκων τὸ δέλεαρ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ τὸν νήπιον καθάπερ σκώληκα ἕρποντα· Ἐγὼ γάρ 61.700 εἰμι σκώληξ, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος· καὶ κεχηνὼς ἐπέρχεται, καὶ θεωρεῖ ἔνδον τὸν οὐράνιον Λόγον ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, καθάπερ ἄγκιστρον, κρυπτόμενον, καὶ τοῦτον θεωρῶν ταράττεται λίαν. Ὁρᾷ τὸν κόκκον τοῦ σινάπεως ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐληλυθότα, καὶ κλάδους ἐκπέμποντα ἐλπίδος, καὶ μέλλοντα τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος ὑπὸ τὰ φύλλα τῆς σωτηρίας σκεπάζεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶν ὁ μισόκαλος δαίμων ταράττεται λίαν· ὁρᾷ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπὶ γῆς ἐληλυθυῖαν, καὶ λαβοῦσαν τὴν μικρὰν ζύμην τοῦ σώματος, καὶ μιγνύουσαν εἰς τὰ τρία μέρη τοῦ ἀλεύρου, εἰς ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα καὶ πνεῦμα, καὶ μέλλουσαν πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα εἰς μίαν πίστεως σωτηρίαν ζυμεῖν, καὶ ταῦτα θεωρήσας ταράττεται λίαν. Ὁρᾷ τὸν λεγεῶνα τοῦ δαίμονος ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἐκβαλλόμενον, καὶ εἰς ἄβυσσον ἐκπεμπόμενον, καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶν ταράττεται λίαν· ὁρᾷ τὰ κλεῖθρα τοῦ ᾅδου συντριβόμενα, καὶ τὸν Ἀδὰμ πάλιν εἰς παράδεισον ἀνακοντιζόμενον, καὶ ταράττεται λίαν· ὁρᾷ πάλιν Εὔαν διὰ Μαρίας σωζομένην, καὶ τὸν ὄφιν, ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα ἐθάῤῥει, κτεινόμενον, καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶν ταράττεται λίαν· ὁρᾷ τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς φυτευόμενον, καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶν ταράττεται λίαν.

Καὶ ἐπιλείψει μοι, ἀγαπητοὶ, διηγουμένῳ ὁ χρόνος τὴν ταραχὴν τοῦ διαβόλου. Λοιπὸν μηδὲν δυνάμενος κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ὁ διάβολος ἐπὶ τοὺς νηπίους καὶ ἀτελεῖς τῶν βρεφῶν παῖδας κατατρέχει. Καὶ τίνας κατασφάζει; Ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω· τοὺς δὲ τὴν τριάδα τῶν ἐτῶν ζήσαντας οὐ κατασφάζει. Νήπιοι γὰρ οἱ τὴν δυάδα ὁμολογοῦντες, καὶ τῇ Τριάδι μὴ πιστεύσαντες. Ὅθεν αὕτη ἡ Ῥαχὴλ, ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησία, τούτους πενθεῖ, ὥστε τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῆς ἀκουσθῆναι ἐν Ῥαμᾷ, τουτέστιν, ἐν ὑψηλῷ· οὕτω γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται Ῥαμὰ, ὑψηλὴ, ἡ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ παρὰ τῷ ὑψίστῳ Θεῷ· ᾧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, κράτος σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.