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God [called] the Magi by a star, calling them by their usual things, and shows a great and extraordinary star, so as to astonish them by its size and the beauty of its appearance, and by the manner of its course. When, therefore, He had led and guided and placed them before the manger, He no longer speaks to them by a star, but henceforth by an angel. And them indeed by a star and by an angel, but us He has deemed worthy to learn through the Only-Begotten Himself the high and secret things that surpass our understanding. Considering therefore the 63.832 greatness of such condescension, let us render to him worthy honor and recompense; but no recompense could be given from us to God, except only our salvation and that of our souls, and the care for virtue, and providence for our brothers. For there would be no such mark and characteristic of one who is faithful and loves Christ, as to care for the brothers, and to be concerned for their salvation; since Christ also pleased not Himself, but the many. Thus also Paul says: I seek not my own advantage, but that of the many, that they may be saved. Knowing these things, therefore, beloved, let us order our own life, and take great care of our brothers, and preserve unity with them. For to this that fearful and awesome sacrifice leads us, commanding us to approach it especially with concord and fervent love, and having become eagles from thence, thus to fly to heaven itself. For where the corpse is, he says, there also are the eagles; calling the body a corpse on account of death. For if he had not fallen, we would not have risen. And he calls them eagles, showing that he who approaches this body must be on high, and have nothing in common with the earth, nor be dragged down and crawl below, but always fly above, and gaze upon the sun of righteousness, and have the eye of the mind be sharp-sighted. For this is a table of eagles, not of jackdaws. These who now partake worthily will then also meet him descending from the heavens, just as those who partake unworthily will suffer the ultimate penalties. For if someone would not receive a king casually; why do I say a king? Indeed, one would not casually touch a royal garment with unclean hands, even if he were in a deserted place, even if he were alone, even if no one were present. And yet the garment is nothing other than threads of worms and moths; and if you admire the dye, it too is the blood of a dead fish; but still one would not presume to touch it with filthy hands. But if one would not dare to touch a human garment casually, how shall we receive with such insolence this Body of the God over all, the spotless, the pure, that was united with that divine nature, through which we are and we live, through which the gates of death were broken, and the vaults of heaven were opened? Let us not, I beseech you, slay ourselves through shamelessness, but let us approach it with all awe and purity, so that we may not endure a more grievous punishment. For by as much as we have received great benefits, by so much more are we punished more severely, when we appear unworthy of the benefaction. For the Magi revered this very body lying in a manger; and impious and barbarian men, leaving their country and their home, undertook a long journey, and having come, worshiped with great fear and trembling. Let us therefore, we the citizens of heaven, imitate at least the barbarians. For they, seeing him in a manger and in a hut, and seeing nothing such as you now see, approached with great awe; but you see him not in a manger, but on an altar, not a woman holding him, but a priest standing by, and the Spirit with great bounty hovering over the gifts set forth. You do not simply see this body itself, as they did, but you know its power and the whole economy, and you are ignorant of none of the things accomplished by it, having been initiated into all things with precision. Let us therefore rouse ourselves and tremble, and much more 63.833 than those barbarians

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δὲ τοὺς μάγους δι' ἀστέρος ὁ Θεὸς, διὰ τῶν συνήθων αὐτοὺς καλῶν, καὶ δείκνυσιν ἄστρον μέγα καὶ ἐξηλλαγμένον, ὥστε καὶ τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τῷ κάλλει τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοὺς ἐκπλῆξαι, καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς πορείας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤγαγε καὶ ἐχειραγώγησε καὶ πρὸς τὴν φάτνην ἔστησεν, οὐκέτι δι' ἀστέρος, ἀλλὰ δι' ἀγγέλου λοιπὸν αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται. Καὶ τούτους μὲν δι' ἀστέρος καὶ δι' ἀγγέλου, ἡμᾶς δὲ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὰ ὑψηλὰ καὶ ἀπόῤῥητα καὶ τὸν νοῦν ἡμῶν ὑπερβαίνοντα μαθεῖν κατηξίωσεν. Ἐννοοῦντες τοίνυν τῆς τοσαύτης συγκαταβάσεως τὸ 63.832 μέγεθος, ἀξίαν ἀποδῶμεν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν ἀμοιβήν· Θεῷ δὲ ἀμοιβὴ παρ' ἡμῶν οὐδεμία γένοιτ' ἂν, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ἡ σωτηρία ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν, καὶ ἡ περὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιμέλεια, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἡμετέρους πρόνοια. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω γνώρισμα καὶ χαρακτὴρ γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦ πιστοῦ καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν φιλοῦντος, ὡς τὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν κήδεσθαι, καὶ τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς ἐκείνων· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἤρεσεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Οὐ ζητῶ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ συμφέρον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἵνα σωθῶσι. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, ἀγαπητοὶ, τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον ῥυθμίζωμεν, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν φροντίδα τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν ποιώμεθα, καὶ τὴν ἑνότητα τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς διατηρῶμεν. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἡ θυσία ἐνάγει ἡ φοβερὰ ἐκείνη καὶ φρικώδης, κελεύουσα ἡμῖν μεθ' ὁμονοίας αὐτῇ μάλιστα προσιέναι καὶ θερμῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ ἀετοὺς γενομένους ἐντεῦθεν, οὕτω πρὸς αὐτὸν ἵπτασθαι τὸν οὐρανόν. Ὅπου γὰρ τὸ πτῶμα, φησὶν, ἐκεῖ καὶ οἱ ἀετοί· πτῶμα καλῶν τὸ σῶμα διὰ τὸν θάνατον. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἔπεσεν, ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἂν ἀνέστημεν. Ἀετοὺς δὲ καλεῖ, δεικνὺς, ὅτι καὶ ὑψηλὸν εἶναι δεῖ τὸν προσιόντα τῷ σώματι τούτῳ, καὶ μηδὲν πρὸς τὴν γῆν κοινὸν ἔχειν, μηδὲ κάτω σύρεσθαι καὶ ἕρπειν, ἀλλ' ἄνω πέτεσθαι διηνεκῶς, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐνορᾷν, καὶ ὀξυδερκὲς τὸ ὄμμα τῆς διανοίας ἔχειν Ἀετῶν γὰρ, οὐ κολοιῶν αὕτη ἡ τράπεζα. Οὗτοι καὶ τότε ἀπαντήσονται ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβαίνοντι, οἱ νῦν ἀξίως ἀπολαύοντες, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀναξίως τὰ ἔσχατα πείσονται. Εἰ γὰρ βασιλέα τις οὐκ ἂν ἁπλῶς δέξαιτο· τί λέγω βασιλέα; ἱματίου μὲν οὖν βασιλικοῦ οὐκ ἄν τις ἁπλῶς ἅψαιτο χερσὶν ἀκαθάρτοις, κἂν ἐπ' ἐρημίας ᾖ, κἂν μόνος ᾖ, κἂν μηδεὶς ὁ παρών. Καίτοι γε οὐδέν ἐστιν ἕτερον τὸ ἱμάτιον, ἢ σκωλήκων νήματα καὶ σητῶν· εἰ δὲ τὴν βαφὴν θαυμάζεις, καὶ αὐτὴ νεκρωθέντος ἰχθύος ἐστὶν αἷμα· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἄν τις ἕλοιτο ῥυπαραῖς αὐτοῦ κατατολμῆσαι χερσίν. Εἰ δὲ ἀνθρωπίνου ἱματίου οὐκ ἄν τις τολμήσειεν ἁπλῶς θίγειν, πῶς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεοῦ, τὸ ἄμωμον, τὸ καθαρὸν, τὸ τῇ θείᾳ ἐκείνῃ φύσει ὁμιλῆσαν, δι' οὗ ἐσμὲν καὶ ζῶμεν, δι' οὗ πύλαι θανάτου κατεκλάσθησαν, καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἁψῖδες ἀνεῴχθησαν, τοῦτο μετὰ τοσαύτης ὕβρεως ληψόμεθα; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ, μὴ κατασφάξωμεν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας, ἀλλὰ μετὰ φρίκης καὶ καθαρότητος ἁπάσης αὐτῷ προσίωμεν, ἵνα μὴ χαλεπωτέραν ὑπομείνωμεν τιμωρίαν. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν ὦμεν εὐηργετημένοι μεγάλα, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον κολαζόμεθα μειζόνως, ὅταν ἀνάξιοι τῆς εὐεργεσίας φανῶμεν. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἐπὶ φάτνης κείμενον ᾐδέσθησαν μάγοι, καὶ ἄνδρες ἀσεβεῖς καὶ βάρβαροι τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἀφέντες, καὶ ὁδὸν ἐστείλαντο μακρὰν, καὶ ἐλθόντες μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου πολλοῦ προσεκύνησαν. Μιμησώμεθα τοίνυν κἂν τοὺς βαρβάρους ἡμεῖς οἱ τῶν οὐρανῶν πολῖται. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ φάτνης ἰδόντες καὶ ἐν καλύβῃ, καὶ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἰδόντες, οἷον σὺ νῦν, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς φρίκης προσῄεσαν· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἐν φάτνῃ ὁρᾷς, ἀλλ' ἐν θυσιαστηρίῳ, οὐ γυναῖκα κατέχουσαν, ἀλλ' ἱερέα παρεστῶτα, καὶ πνεῦμα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δαψιλείας τοῖς προκειμένοις ἐφιπτάμενον. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ σῶμα ὁρᾷς, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλ' οἶσθα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἅπασαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀγνοεῖς τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ τελεσθέντων, μετὰ ἀκριβείας μυσταγωγηθεὶς ἅπαντα. ∆ιαναστήσωμεν τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ φρίξωμεν, καὶ πολλῷ τῶν 63.833 βαρβάρων ἐκείνων πλείονα