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disposition, that he has given up such a son for such slaves, for the hated the beloved one, for the offending the sinless one, for the inglorious the glorious one.

13 For see the glory even alongside the humble things of the flesh, the things of the flesh not of the divine essence, even if some are indignant. For I no longer say: even if many are indignant; for the many have shifted to the few. Therefore, the humble things of the flesh, as I said, are not of the divine essence. For the nature of the Godhead cannot be humbled, which the Lord's body possessed, abiding inseparably; and these humble things of the flesh were full of the highest glory. He was born an infant, but was by the nature of his birth beyond human. For for him there was no marriage but a birth, a virgin mother. Born in a manger he was cast down, but angels danced at his birth; he was wrapped in rags, but in swaddling clothes he received gifts from Persia; he fled the murder of Herod, but having played a prelude against him through the magi; he shared in the baptism from John with all, but was worshipped by the tongue of the baptizer.

14 He was sold to Israel by Judas, but the transaction sold the seller to a noose; he was crowned with a crown of thorns, but through it he received the diadem of the kingdom of all; he was handed over to a cross, but being crucified he turned away the sun; a thief was hung with him, but on the cross itself he changed a thief into an apostle. He was shut in a tomb, but from the tombs he gave wings to the dead; as a corpse he was besieged, but with an earthquake he undid those guarding him; for three days he was held by Hades, but in three days he wrought an eternal defeat for Hades. And if one speaks of the inglorious things, the thanksgiving is greatest to him who suffered such things in the flesh for us; and if one recounts the narrative of the glorious things, because of the worthiness of the glory, the reverence of worship for him is more abundant.

15 Therefore, let us all bring to the Master a common thanksgiving, the voice of the blessed Paul: Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. And on behalf of the Christ-loving emperor, let us ask from the Master of all, Christ, that a writ of a consulship of many years be given to him, and that he himself also, by His help, may receive the grace to say to the whole inhabited world concerning his son, who is being baptized and administers with him the kingdom of the world: This is my beloved Son, listen to him. In Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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διάθεσιν, ὅτι τὸν τοιοῦτον υἱὸν ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ἐπιδέδωκε δούλων, ὑπὲρ μισουμένων τὸν ποθεινόν, ὑπὲρ προσκρουσάντων τὸν ἀναμάρτητον, ὑπὲρ ἀδόξων τὸν ἔνδοξον.

13 Ὅρα γὰρ τὴν δόξαν καὶ παρ' αὐτὰ <τὰ> τῆς σαρκὸς ταπεινά, τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς οὐ τῆς θείας οὐσίας, κἂν ἀγανακτῶσί τινες. Οὐκέτι γὰρ λέγω· κἂν ἀγανακτῶσι πολλοί· οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ πρὸς ὀλίγους μετέστησαν. Τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς οὖν, ὥσπερ ἔφην, ταπεινὰ οὐ τῆς θείας οὐσίας. Θεότητος γὰρ ἀταπείνωτος φύσις ἣν εἶχεν ἀχωρίστως συμμένειν τοῦ δεσπότου τὸ σῶμα· καὶ ταῦτα τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς ταπεινὰ δόξης εἶχε τῆς ἄκρας ἀνάμεστα. Ἐτίκτετο νή πιος, ἀλλ' ἦν τῇ τῶν τόκων ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον φύσει. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ γάμος ἀλλὰ τόκος, παρθένος μήτηρ. Ἐπὶ φάτνης γεννηθεὶς ἐρριπτεῖτο, ἀλλ' ἐχόρευον τὴν γέννησιν ἄγγελοι· ἐσπαργανοῦτο ῥάκεσιν, ἀλλ' ἐκ Περσίδος ἐν σπαργάνοις ὑπεδέχετο δῶρα· ἔφυγε τὴν Ἡρῴδου δολοφονίαν, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸν διὰ μάγων προπαίξας· τοῦ παρὰ Ἰωάννου πᾶσι ἐκοινώνει βαπτίσματος, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ βαπτίζοντος προσκυνούμενος γλώσσῃ.

14 Ἐπιπράσκετο τῷ Ἰσραὴλ παρὰ Ἰούδα, ἀλλ' ἡ πρᾶσις τὸν πράτην διεπώλησε βρόχῳ· ἀκανθίνῳ κατεστέφθη στεφάνῳ, ἀλλ' ἔσχε τῆς τοῦ παντὸς βασιλείας δι' ἐκείνου διάδημα· σταυρῷ παρεδίδοτο, ἀλλ' ἀπέστρεφε σταυρούμενος ἥλιον· συνανηρτᾶτο λῃστής, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ μετέβαλλε λῃστὴν εἰς ἀπόστολον. Συνεκλείετο τάφῳ, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν τάφων τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀνεπτέρου· ἐπολιορκεῖτο νεκρός, ἀλλ' ἔλυε σεισμῷ τοὺς φυλάττοντας· τριήμερος παρ' ᾅδῃ κατείχετο, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ τριημέρῳ τὴν αἰωνίαν τῷ ᾅδῃ κατεσκεύαζε ἧτταν. Κἂν τὰ ἄδοξα λέγῃ τις, τῷ τοιαῦτα κατὰ σάρκα δι' ἡμᾶς πεπονθότι τὸ χαριστήριον πλεῖστον· κἂν τὴν τῶν ἐνδόξων ἀρίθμῃ τις διήγησιν τῇ τῆς δόξης ἀξίᾳ τὸ τῆς προσκυνήσεως αὐτῷ περισσότερον σέβας.

15 Τῷ μὲν οὖν δεσπότῃ χαριστήριον πάντες κοινὸν προσαγάγωμεν τὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου φωνήν· Χάρις τῷ θεῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ αὐτοῦ δωρεᾷ. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ φιλοχρίστου βασιλέως αἰτήσωμεν παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων δεσπότου Χριστοῦ δέλτου μὲν αὐτῷ πολυέτους δοθῆναι ὑπατείας, λαβεῖν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν τῇ παρ' αὐτῷ βοηθείᾳ ἐφ' υἱῷ βαπτιζομένῳ καὶ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου μετ' αὐτοῦ διοικοῦντι βασιλείαν εἰπεῖν πρὸς ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ἀγαπητός, αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε. Ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.