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better, as one hastening to the exodus from the world and corruption. Let there be haste, and in no way laziness, in the spiritual 59.736 eating of the Passover. And here haste is good, not showing the gluttony of those eating the meat hastily, but the love of God of those hastening from the world to God. And for seven days the unleavened food, that is, sincerity through all of life. For through the seven days all time is multiplied. And the one having leaven is destroyed. For the malice of the old man is destructive and in no way able to be mixed with the righteousness and holiness of the new man. And you see that just is the destruction on account of such leaven; but on account of the common leaven of bread God would not have seemed to be justly angry. For what is just is not apparent in the types, but in the truth it both shines forth and is known; just as the very anointing of the blood, which seems to be unfitting for God, is removed, when the type is understood according to the truth. For it is unfitting for it to seem that God needs the sign of blood for the recognition of the Hebrew houses; but it is most fitting that we are known by God and saved by God through faith in the blood of Christ. Is it not then also unfitting to hear of circumcision in this way, simply, as if God commanded with haste the one about to eat the Passover, if he should not be circumcised, to be circumcised, and so to come to the meal? But if you understand the power of circumcision spiritually, you will see a mystery and you will glorify God. Circumcision was of the generative member. From birth you had, O man, a covering, which it was necessary for you to remove, so that with unveiled face you might behold the truth, and not, covered by the bodily and earthly covering, look up at the truth.

For when you become naked of the fleshly body, as a spirit you approach Christ, and being joined to the Lord you will become one spirit, partaking of the sacred and saving participation, which the eating of the meats signified. Circumcise then and put off the body with Christ, according to Paul who says, that You were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands in the putting off of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; and so being circumcised of all love of money, love of glory, love of pleasure, be filled with the food that leads to God, which leads up to heaven, freeing from evil rulers, releasing from grievous labors, bestowing on you a glorious and blessed return to God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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κάλλιον, ὡς εἰς ἔξοδον ἐπειγόμενος τὴν ἀπὸ κόσμου καὶ φθορᾶς. Σπουδὴ δὲ ἔστω, καὶ ῥᾳθυμία μηδαμῶς ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πάσχα βρώσει τῇ πνευμα 59.736 τικῇ. Καὶ καλὸν ἐνταῦθα τὸ σπουδαῖον, οὐ γαστριμαργίαν ἐπιφαίνων ἐσθιόντων ἠπειγμένως τὰ κρέα, ἀλλὰ φιλοθεότητα τῶν σπευδόντων ἀπὸ κόσμου πρὸς Θεόν. Ἐφ' ἑπτὰ δὲ ἡμέρας ἡ ἄζυμος τροφὴ, τουτέστι, διὰ πάσης ζωῆς τὸ εἰλικρινές. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν ὁ σύμπας πολυπλασιάζεται χρόνος. Καὶ ὁ ζύμην ἔχων ἐξολοθρεύεται. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἀνθρώπου κακία ὀλέθριος καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἀναμίγνυσθαι δυναμένη τῇ τοῦ νέου ἀνθρώπου δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι. Καὶ ὁρᾷς, ὅτι δίκαιος ὁ διὰ τὴν τοιαύτην ζύμην ὄλεθρος· διὰ δὲ τὴν κοινὴν τοῦ ἄρτου ζύμην οὐκ ἂν δικαίως ἔδοξε χαλεπαίνειν Θεός. Οὐ γὰρ φαίνεται τὸ δίκαιον ἐν τοῖς τύποις, ἀλλὰ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκλάμπει τε καὶ γινώσκεται· ὥσπερ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς χρίσεως τοῦ αἵματος δοκοῦν ἀπρεπὲς εἶναι Θεῷ περιαιρεῖται, κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν νοουμένου τοῦ τύπου. Ἀπρεπὲς γὰρ τὸ δοκοῦν χρῄζειν Θεὸν αἵματος σημείῳ πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν οἰκιῶν· πρεπωδέστατον δὲ τὸ διὰ τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ αἵματος γινώσκεσθαι ἡμᾶς Θεῷ καὶ σώζεσθαι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ. Ἆρ' οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ τὸ τῆς περιτομῆς ἁπλῶς μὲν οὕτως ἀκούειν ἀπρεπὲς, ὡς Θεοῦ κελεύσαντος ὑπὸ σπουδῆς τὸν μέλλοντα τοῦ Πάσχα ἐσθίειν, εἰ μὴ ἐμπερίτομος εἴη, περιτέμνεσθαι, καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν βρῶσιν ἥκειν; Ἐὰν δὲ συνῇς τῆς περιτομῆς τὴν δύναμιν πνευματικῶς, μυστήριον ὄψει καὶ δοξάσεις Θεόν. Τοῦ γεννητικοῦ μέλους ἦν ἡ περιτομή. Ἀπὸ γενέσεως εἶχες, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, κάλυμμα, ὅπερ ἔδει σε περιαιρεῖσθαι, ἵνα ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ θεωροίης ἀλήθειαν, καὶ μὴ κεκαλυμμένος τῷ σώματι καὶ γηΐνῳ καλύμματι περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀναβλεποίης.

Ὅταν γὰρ γυμνὸς γένῃ τοῦ σαρκικοῦ σώματος, ὡς πνεῦμα πρόσει πρὸς Χριστὸν, καὶ κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμα γενήσῃ, μετέχων τὴν ἱερὰν καὶ σωτήριον μετοχὴν, ἣν ἡ τῶν κρεῶν βρῶσις ἐμήνυσε. Περιτέμνου δὴ καὶ ἀπεκδύου τὸ σῶμα μετὰ Χριστὸν, κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα Παῦλον, ὅτι Περιετμήθητε περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος τῆς σαρκὸς ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ οὕτω περιτεμνόμενος ἅπασαν φιλοχρηματίαν, φιλοδοξίαν, φιληδονίαν, τῆς μὲν πρὸς Θεὸν ἐμπίπλασο τροφῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναγούσης, ἐλευθερούσης ἀπὸ πονηρῶν ἀρχόντων, λυούσης ἀπὸ πόνων χαλεπῶν, ἔνδοξον καὶ μακαρίαν σοι τὴν εἰς Θεὸν ἐπάνοδον χαριζόμενος, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.