The time, then, has come, and bears in its course the remembrance of holy mysteries, purifying man,—mysteries which purge out from soul and body even that sin which is hard to cleanse away, and which bring us back to that fairness of our first estate which God, the best of artificers, impressed upon us. Therefore it is that you, the initiated people, are gathered together; and you bring also that people who have not made trial of them, leading, like good fathers, by careful guidance, the uninitiated to the perfect reception of the faith. I for my part rejoice over both;—over you that are initiated, because you are enriched with a great gift: over you that are uninitiated, because you have a fair expectation of hope—remission of what is to be accounted for, release from bondage, close relation to God, free boldness of speech, and in place of servile subjection equality with the angels. For these things, and all that follow from them, the grace of Baptism secures and conveys to us. Therefore let us leave the other matters of the Scriptures for other occasions, and abide by the topic set before us, offering, as far as we may, the gifts that are proper and fitting for the feast: for each festival demands its own treatment. So we welcome a marriage with wedding songs; for mourning we bring the due offering with funeral strains; in times of business we speak seriously, at times of festivity we relax the concentration and strain of our minds; but each time we keep free from disturbance by things that are alien to its character.

Ἧκε τοίνυν ἄγων καὶ περιφέρων ὁ χρόνος μνήμην ἁγίων μυστηρίων καθαιρόντων τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἃ καὶ τὴν δυσέκνιπτον ἁμαρτίαν ἀπορρύπτει τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος, ἐπανάγει δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς κάλλος, ὅπερ ὁ ἀριστοτέχνης θεὸς ἐφ' ἡμῖν διεπλάσατο. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ μύστης λαὸς οἱ πεπειραμένοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῆς ἡμέρας ἠθροίσθητε, ἐπάγεσθε δὲ καὶ τὸν ἄπειρον ἔτι οἷα πατέρες χρηστοὶ μελέτῃ καὶ προσαγωγῇ ὁδηγοῦντες τοὺς ἀμυήτους πρὸς τὴν τελείαν τῆς εὐσεβείας κατάληψιν. ἐγὼ δὲ ἀμφοτέροις συνήδομαι, τοῖς μὲν τελεσθεῖσιν, ὅτι μεγάλην δωρεὰν ἐπλουτήσατε, τοῖς δὲ ἀμυήτοις, ὅτι καλὴν προσδοκίαν ἐλπίζετε ἄφεσιν εὐθυνῶν, λύσιν δεσμῶν, οἰκείωσιν πρὸς θεόν, παρρησίαν ἐλευθέριον, ἀντὶ δουλικῆς ταπεινότητος ἰσοτιμίαν τὴν πρὸς ἀγγέλους. ταῦτα γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ εἴ τι τούτοις ἀκόλουθον ἡ τοῦ λουτροῦ χάρις ἐγγυᾶται καὶ δίδωσιν. διὸ τὰς ἄλλας τῶν γραφῶν ὑποθέσεις ἑτέροις καιροῖς ἀναθέμενοι τῷ προκειμένῳ σκοπῷ παραμείνωμεν τὰ οἰκεῖα καὶ πρόσφορα τῇ ἑορτῇ δωροφοροῦντες εἰς δύναμιν: φίλον γὰρ ἑκάστῃ πανηγύρει τὸ ἴδιον. οὕτω γάμον μὲν ταῖς ἐπιθαλαμίοις ᾠδαῖς δεξιούμεθα, πένθει δὲ τὰ νενομισμένα τοῖς ἐπικηδείοις θρήνοις εἰσφέρομεν, ἐν πράγμασι σπουδαιολογούμεθα, ἐν εὐωχίαις λύομεν τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ πεπυκνωμένον καὶ σύντονον, ἕκαστον δὲ καιρὸν τηροῦμεν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀνεπιθόλωτον.