being formed from us and proceeding unchangeably from the one according to nature towards our divisible nature, and through this beneficent love for humanity calling the human race to a participation of Himself and of His own good things, if indeed we might be united to His most divine life by our assimilation to it according to our ability, and by this we will be made in truth partakers of God and of divine things. <14> But having participated and imparted of the divine communion, he concludes in a sacred eucharist with all the sacred plenitude of the church. For participation precedes impartation, and the communion of the mysteries, the mystical distribution. For this is the universal good order and arrangement of divine things: first for the sacred leader to be in participation and fullness of those things which through him are to be given from God to others, and so also to impart to others. Wherefore also those who have rashly made use of the inspired teachings before the life and state according to them are unholy and altogether foreign to the sacred ordinance. For just as with the rays of the sun, the finer and more transparent substances, being first filled with the inflowing splendor, channel the light overflowing from all of themselves to those after them in a sunlike manner, so also in every divine thing, one must not presume to lead others who has not become most godlike according to his whole state and been shown to be fit by divine inspiration and judgment. <15> In these things the whole arrangement of the sacred rites, being hierarchically gathered together and having communed in the most divine things, concludes with a sacred eucharist, having recognized and hymned analogously the graces of the divine works. So that those who are without share and ignorant of divine things could not arrive at thanksgiving, although the most divine gifts are worthy of being given thanks for according to their own nature. But as I was saying, never even willing to look upon the divine gifts from their inclination toward worse things, they have remained ungrateful toward the countless graces of the divine works. But the oracles say, “Taste and see.” For by the sacred initiation into divine things, those being initiated will recognize their bounteous graces and, beholding their most divine height and magnitude in participation with all holiness, they will gratefully hymn the super-celestial benefactions of the Godhead. <IV.> Such are the things of the most holy synaxis, and so beautiful are the intelligible sights, hierarchically consecrating our communion and gathering toward the one, as we have often said. But there is another consecration of the same order as this; our leaders name it the rite of myron. Therefore, having observed its parts in order according to the sacred images, thus we shall be led up to its one through the parts by hierarchical contemplations. Mystery of the rite of myron. In the same manner as the synaxis, the orders of the uninitiated are dismissed, after there have preceded, that is, both the hierarchical carrying-around of the fragrant substance over the whole sanctuary and the psalm-based sacred utterance and the reading of the most divine oracles. Then the hierarch, having taken the myron, places it upon the divine altar, covered by twelve sacred wings, while all cry out with a most holy voice the sacred hymn of the inspiration of the God-inspired prophets, and having completed the prayer performed over it, he uses it in the most holy rites of consecration for almost every hierarchical consecration. Contemplation. <1> The introductory leading-up of this perfecting sacred action through the things sacredly done concerning the divine myron indicates this, I think: that the sacred and fragrant quality of divine men according to the mind is covered, which divinely commands sacred men not to have apparent

ἐξ ἡμῶν εἰδοποιούμενον καὶ πρὸς τὸ μεριστὸν ἡμῶν ἀναλλοιώτως ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἑνὸς προϊόντα καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγαθουργοῦ ταύτης φιλανθρωπίας εἰς μετουσίαν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἀγαθῶν καλοῦντα τὸ ἀνθρώπειον φῦλον, εἴπερ ἑνωθῶμεν αὐτοῦ τῇ θειοτάτῃ ζωῇ τῇ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἡμῶν κατὰ δύναμιν ἀφομοιώσει καὶ ταύτῃ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν κοινωνοὶ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν θείων ἀποτελεσθησόμεθα. <14> Μετασχὼν δὲ καὶ μεταδοὺς τῆς θεαρχικῆς κοινωνίας εἰς εὐχαριστίαν ἱερὰν καταλήγει μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἱεροῦ πληρώματος. Ἡ μετοχὴ γὰρ τῆς μεταδόσεως ἡγεῖται καὶ τῆς μυστικῆς διανεμήσεως ἡ τῶν μυστηρίων μετάληψις. Aὕτη γὰρ ἡ καθολικὴ τῶν θείων εὐκοσμία καὶ τάξις· πρῶτον ἐν μετουσίᾳ γενέσθαι καὶ ἀποπληρώσει τὸν ἱερὸν καθηγεμόνα τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ θεόθεν ἑτέροις δωρηθησομένων οὕτω τε καὶ ἄλλοις μεταδοῦναι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ταῖς ἐνθέοις διδασκαλίαις οἱ τολμηρῶς ἀποκεχρημένοι πρὸ τῆς κατ' αὐτὰς πολιτείας καὶ ἕξεως ἀνίεροι καὶ ἔκφυλοι πάντῃ τῆς ἱερᾶς εἰσι θεσμοθεσίας. Ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἡλιακῶν μαρμαρυγῶν αἱ λεπτότεραι καὶ διειδέστεραι τῶν οὐσιῶν πρῶται τῆς εἰσρεούσης αἴγλης ἀποπληρούμεναι τὸ κατὰ πᾶν ἑαυτῶν ὑπερχεόμενον φῶς εἰς τὰς μετ' αὐτὰς ἡλιοειδῶς ἐποχετεύουσιν, οὕτω καὶ θείου παντὸς οὐ τολμητέον ἑτέροις ἡγήσασθαι τὸν μὴ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἕξιν αὐτοῦ γεγονότα θεοειδέστατον καὶ πρὸς τῆς θείας ἐπιπνοίας καὶ κρίσεως ἁρμοστὴν ἀναδεδειγμένον. <15> Ἐν τούτοις ἡ πᾶσα τῶν ἱερῶν διακόσμησις ἱεραρχικῶς συναχθεῖσα καὶ τοῖς θειοτάτοις κοινωνήσασα μετ' εὐχαριστίας ἱερᾶς καταλήγει τὰς τῶν θεουργιῶν ἀναλόγως ἐπιγνοῦσα καὶ ὑμνήσασα χάριτας. Ὥστε οἱ τῶν θείων ἀμέτοχοι καὶ ἀγνῶτες οὐκ ἂν εἰς εὐχαριστίαν ἀφίκοιντο καίτοι κατ' οἰκείαν φύσιν ἀξίων οὐσῶν εὐχαριστεῖσθαι τῶν θειοτάτων δωρεῶν. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφην, οὐδὲ προσβλέψαι ποτὲ τοῖς θείοις δώροις ἐκ τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ χείρω νεύσεως ἐθελήσαντες ἀχάριστοι πρὸς τὰς ἀπείρους τῶν θεουργιῶν διαμεμενήκασι χάριτας. «Γεύσασθε» δέ φησι τὰ λόγια «καὶ ἴδετε». Τῇ γὰρ ἱερᾷ τῶν θείων μυήσει τὰς μεγαλοδώρους αὐτῶν οἱ μυούμενοι χάριτας ἐπιγνώσονται καὶ τὸ θειότατον αὐτῶν ὕψος καὶ μέγεθος ἐν τῇ μεθέξει πανιέρως ἐποπτεύοντες τὰς ὑπερουρανίας εὐχαρίστως ὑμνήσουσι τῆς θεαρχίας ἀγαθουργίας. <IV.> Τοσαῦτα τῆς ἁγιωτάτης συνάξεώς ἐστι καὶ οὕτω καλὰ τὰ νοητὰ θεάματα τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἓν ἡμῶν, ὡς πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, ἱεραρχικῶς ἱερουργοῦντα κοινωνίαν καὶ σύναξιν. Ἀλλ' ἔστι ταύτης ὁμοταγὴς ἑτέρα τελεσιουργία· μύρου τελετὴν αὐτὴν οἱ καθηγεμόνες ἡμῶν ὀνομάζουσιν. Τὰ μέρη τοίνυν αὐτῆς ἐν τάξει κατὰ τὰς ἱερὰς εἰκόνας ἐπισκοπήσαντες, οὕτω πρὸς τὸ ἓν αὐτῆς διὰ τῶν μερῶν ἱεραρχικαῖς θεωρίαις ἀναχθησόμεθα. Μυστήριον τελετῆς μύρου. Κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τῆς συνάξεως τρόπον αἱ τῶν ἀτελειώτων ἀπολύονται τάξεις προηγησαμένων δηλαδὴ τῆς τε ἱεραρχικῆς ἐπὶ πᾶν τὸ ἱερὸν εὐόσμου περιαγωγῆς καὶ τῆς ψαλμικῆς ἱερολογίας καὶ τῆς τῶν θειοτάτων λογίων ἀναγνώσεως. Eἶτα τὸ μύρον ὁ ἱεράρχης λαβὼν ἐπιτίθησι τῷ θείῳ θυσιαστηρίῳ περικεκαλυμμένον ὑπὸ δυοκαίδεκα πτέρυξιν ἱεραῖς ἀναβοώντων πάντων ἁγιωτάτῃ φωνῇ τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς τῶν θεολήπτων προφητῶν ἐπιπνοίας μελῴδημα, καὶ τὴν ἐπ' αὐτῷ τελουμένην εὐχὴν ἀποπληρώσας ἐν ταῖς ἁγιωτάταις τῶν ἀφιερουμένων τελεταῖς αὐτῷ χρῆται πρὸς πᾶσαν σχεδὸν ἱεραρχικὴν τελεσιουργίαν. Θεωρία. <1> Ἡ μὲν εἰσαγωγικὴ τῆς τελειωτικῆς ταύτης ἱερουργίας ἀναγωγὴ διὰ τῶν κατὰ τὸ θεῖον μύρον ἱερῶς δρωμένων ἐκεῖνο οἶμαι δηλοῖ· τὸ περικεκαλύφθαι τῶν θείων ἀνδρῶν τὸ κατὰ νοῦν ἱερὸν καὶ εὐῶδες, ἥτις ἐνθέως ἐγκελεύεται τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἀνδράσι μὴ φαινομένας ἔχειν