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but easy only through your grace? The heavenly and earthly one to the one who is only earthly? The one having divinity from above, but humanity from below, to the one 50.803 who has sprung forth only from below? Such a great Master to me, the little servant? But a slave does not free a master, a lamp does not illumine the sun, clay does not correct a potter, a sheep does not shepherd a shepherd, a forerunner does not glorify a king. A river does not bear your divinity; a river does not measure him whom heaven does not contain; the Jordan does not wash its own maker; the water recognizes its creator; these streams do not know the light, and shall I dare to perform the ministry? My soul is dizzy, my trembling hand is afraid to approach your all-holy body. What shall I do? what shall I accomplish? And I tremble before you, Master, and I long; and I do not dare to flee, and I do not have courage to approach; and I shudder to give the baptism, and I long to receive sanctification. I have need to be baptized by you; I have been taught to worship you, not to baptize you; I rather bow my neck to your right hand.

Bless me. you who bless the years of the righteous; make me to dance in the streams of the Jordan today, as you formerly made me to leap in my mother's womb. Yes, says the Master, O Baptist, I admire your reverence, but I seek your obedience. You have become an advocate of my kingdom, but you ought to become also a minister of my economy; I came to you, because this is profitable both for you and for those with you; I came to you, so that all people might come to me; I came down from the heavens, and I am wholly in the bosom of the Father, so that I might join the creation to the creator; I came, though I am present everywhere, to catch alive those who are fleeing; I came as a man, to where I was present as God, so that I might make men gods; I took from you a poor mother, so that you might be able with boldness to call my Father your own; I was nourished as an infant with the food of milk, so that I might set myself before the faithful as food; I was wrapped in children's swaddling clothes, so that I might tear asunder the bonds of lawlessness; I was laid not on a royal couch, but in a humble manger, so that after my reclining in the manger, no rational being might any longer suffer from irrationality like an irrational animal; I received in my flesh the circumcision, which I formerly legislated, so that I might introduce the circumcision not made with hands; I offered the customary sacrifice as the firstborn, I, the Only-Begotten, so that I might transform such a sacrifice, and make myself a new sacrifice. I fled to Egypt, but I did not cease to be the refuge of all; I became a young infant, a perfect man, as you see, so that I might bestow perfection on the imperfect; I have come through every age, so that I might fortify every age by my gradual progress. I stepped into a river, so that I might make the earth-born to step into heaven; and I receive this baptism, so that I may grant to my disciples the baptism of regeneration. I endure submersion, as I endured birth according to the flesh. As lawgiver I honor the requirements of the law, so that I may renew the symbols of grace; as a healthy physician I partake of the medicine of the sick, not needing it, so that I might devise a newer remedy, that of the font, for those who are weary. I accept a cross for sinners, and shall I refuse a harmless washing? I am about to endure a three-day death, and shall I not perform a painless submersion? I am hastening to descend into the very depth of Hades, and shall I not embrace the stream of a river? Baptize me, therefore, who am about to baptize and save those who are willing; baptize me, who am about to raise to heavenly heights the nature that has been baptized in the sins of men; baptize me as a man below, who am praised as God above by the angels. Become a swift servant of my mysteries; change your refusal into a good deed; still your tongue, and move your right hand to the task; place your hand with courage upon my head, which was taken from

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διὰ μό νην δὲ τὴν σὴν χάριν εὔπορον; ὁ οὐράνιος καὶ ἐπί γειος πρὸς τὸν ἐπίγειον μόνον; ὁ ἄνωθεν ἔχων τὴν θεότητα, κάτωθεν δὲ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, πρὸς τὸν 50.803 κάτωθεν μόνον βλαστήσαντα; ὁ τοσοῦτος ∆εσπότης πρὸς ἐμὲ τὸν μικρὸν οἰκέτην; Ἀλλὰ δοῦλος δεσπό την οὐκ ἐλευθεροῖ, λύχνος ἥλιον οὐ φωτίζει, πη λὸς οὐ διορθοῦται κεραμέα, πρόβατον οὐ ποιμαίνει ποιμένα, πρόδρομος οὐ σεμνύνει βασιλέα. Ποταμὸς τὴν σὴν οὐ βαστάζει θεότητα· ποταμὸς οὐ μετρεῖ, ὃν οὐρανὸς οὐ χωρεῖ· ὁ Ἰορδάνης οὐ λούει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ποιητήν· τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν πλάσαντα· τὰ ῥεύματα ταῦτα οὐκ οἶδε τὸ φῶς, κἀγὼ τολμήσω πρὸς τὴν λειτουργίαν; Ἡ ψυχή μου ἰλιγγιᾷ, ἡ χεΐρ μου τρέμουσα φοβεῖται πλησιάσαι τῷ παναγίῳ σου σώματι. Τί ποιήσω; τί διαπράξομαι; Καὶ τρέμω σε, ∆έ σποτα, καὶ ποθῶ· καὶ φεύγειν οὐ τολμῶ, καὶ προσελ θεῖν οὐ θαῤῥῶ· καὶ δοῦναι τὸ βάπτισμα φρίττω, καὶ λαβεῖν ἁγιασμὸν ἐπιποθῶ. Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι· ἐγώ σε προσκυνεῖν, οὐ βαπτίζειν δεδίδαγμαι· ἐγὼ μᾶλλον ὑποκλίνω τὸν ἐμὸν αὐχένα τῇ σῇ δεξιᾷ.

Εὐλόγησόν με. ὁ εὐλογῶν ἔτη δικαίων· ποίησόν με τοῖς Ἰορδανείοις ῥείθροις ἐγχορεῦσαι σή μερον, ὡς ἐποίησάς με πρώην ἐνσκιρτῆσαι τοῖς μη τρῴοις ἐμβρύοις. Ναὶ, φησὶν ὁ ∆εσπότης, ὦ βαπτι στὰ, θαυμάζω σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐπεί θειαν ἐπιζητῶ. Γέγονας τῆς ἐμῆς βασιλείας συνήγο ρος, ἀλλ' ὀφείλεις γενέσθαι καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς οἰκονομίας διάκονος· Ἦλθον ἐγὼ πρὸς σὲ, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο συμφέ ρει σοί τε καὶ τοῖς κατὰ σέ· ἦλθον ἐγὼ πρὸς σὲ, ἵνα πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι παραγένωνται πρὸς ἐμέ· κατῆλ θον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ὅλος ἐν τοῖς κόλποις εἰμὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἵνα συνάψω τῷ πλάστῃ τὸ ποίημα· ἦλθον ὁ παρὼν, ἵνα ζωγρήσω τοὺς φεύγοντας· ἦλθον ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ὅπου παρήμην ὡς Θεὸς, ἵνα τοὺς ἀνθρώ πους θεοὺς ἀπεργάσωμαι· ἔλαβον ἐξ ὑμῶν μητέρα πενιχρὰν, ἵνα δυνηθῆτε μετὰ παῤῥησίας ὑμεῖς τὸν ἐμὸν Πατέρα καλεῖν· ἐτράφην ὡς βρέφος τῇ τοῦ γάλακτος τροφῇ, ἵνα τοῖς πιστοῖς τροφὴν ἐμαυτὸν παραθήσω· περιεβλήθην σπαργάνοις παιδικοῖς, ἵνα διαῤῥήξω τοὺς τῆς ἀνομίας δεσμούς· ἀνεκλίθην οὐκ ἐπὶ κλίνης βασιλικῆς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ φάτνης εὐτελοῦς ἵνα μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπὶ τῆς φάτνης ἀνάκλισιν μηκέτι μηδεὶς τῶν λογικῶν ὡς ἄλογος ἀλογίαν νοσῇ· ἐδεξάμην ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου περιτομὴν, ἣν ἐγὼ πρώην ἐνομοθέτησα, ἵνα τὴν ἀχειροποίητον ἐπεισάγω περιτομήν· ἀνήνεγκα τὴν νενομισμένην θυσίαν ὡς πρωτότοκος ὁ Μονογενὴς, ἵνα μεταποιήσω τὴν τοιαύτην θυσίαν, καὶ ξένην θυσίαν ἐμαυτὸν ἀπεργάσωμαι. Ἔφυγον εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπέστην τοῦ εἶναι πάντων κα ταφυγή· ἐγενόμην βρέφος νέον, τέλειος ἀνὴρ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἵνα τὸ τέλειον τοῖς ἀτελέσι χαρίσωμαι· ἦλθον διὰ πάσης ἡλικίας, ἵνα πᾶσαν ἡλικίαν τειχίσω τῇ κατὰ μικρὸν προκοπῇ. Ἐπέβην καὶ ποταμῷ, ἵνα ποιήσω τοὺς γηγενεῖς ἐπιβαίνειν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· καὶ δέχομαι τὸ βάπτισμα τοῦτο, ἵνα παράσχω τοῖς ἐμοῖς μαθηταῖς τῆς παλιγγενεσίας τὸ βάπτισμα. Ἀνέχομαι καταδύσεως, ὡς ἠνεσχόμην τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως. Ὡς νομοθέτης τιμῶ τοῦ νόμου τὰ δίκαια, ἵνα καινουργήσω τῆς χάριτος τὰ σύμβολα· ὡς ἰατρὸς ὑγιαίνων μεταλαμβάνω τοῦ φαρμάκου τῶν νοσούντων, μὴ δεόμενος τούτου, ἵνα καινότερον βοή θημα τὸ τῆς κολυμβήθρας ἐπινοήσω τοῖς κάμνουσι. Σταυρὸν διὰ τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς καταδέχομαι, καὶ λου τρὸν ἀκίνδυνον παραιτήσομαι; νέκρωσιν ὑπομένειν μέλλω τριήμερον, καὶ κατάδυσιν ἄλυπον οὐ ποιήσο μαι; εἰς αὐτὸν καταβῆναι ἐπείγομαι τὸν τοῦ ᾄδου βυθὸν, καὶ ποταμοῦ ῥεῖθρον οὐ περιπτύξομαι; Βάπτισον οὖν με, τὸν μέλλοντα βαπτίζειν καὶ σώζειν τοὺς θέλοντας· βάπτισόν με τὸν μέλλοντα βεβαπτισμένην ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν εἰς ὕψος ἐπαίρειν οὐράνιον· βάπτισόν με ὡς ἄνθρωπον κάτω, τὸν ἄνω παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ὑμνούμενον ὡς Θεόν. Γενοῦ τῶν ἐμῶν μυστηρίων ὑπηρέτης ὀξύς· μετάθες τὴν παραίτησιν εἰς πρᾶξιν ἀγαθήν· στῆσον τὴν γλῶτταν, καὶ κίνησον πρὸς τὸ ἔργον τὴν δεξιάν· ἐπίθες θαῤῥῶν τὴν χεῖρα τῇ ἐμῇ κορυφῇ, τῇ ληφθείσῃ ἀπὸ