Athanasius of Alexandria, Sermon on meeting the Lord

Devout, awaiting the consolation of israel.” who could bring a more worthy praise to the man than these very brief words? “and behold, there was a man

O friendly old man, so that you may clearly see the outcomes of the wonders long ago revealed to you, and know of what things you were kept as an init

Did you then move the cherubim and seraphim, or bring the whole host of heavenly orders? were you then 'a great shaking, or a great and mighty wind br

Remained unchanged release me quickly release me, i pray. do not hold me for long, master lest i delay in bringing these joyful good tidings to the

You have obtained such glory, as to be known to be utterly beyond all earthly nature, you will be one untested by evil and impassible, and, as it were

Enclosed in a tomb, called a deceiver, bound with seals, guarded by watchmen. and in short, you will see every painful thing and every indication of d

To the lord, and spoke of him to all those who looked for redemption in jerusalem.” what is the reason 28.1000 that the evangelist made such a precise

Homily on the meeting of the Lord

A DISCOURSE OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS ATHANASIUS ON THE MEETING OF OUR LORD, AND GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

Let the evangelical trumpet sound forth the things of this present sacred festival; and let the mystical bride-leader Luke lead us by his word to the understanding of the good things in it, us who have presented ourselves in this virginal bridal-chamber with a sincere mind. For it is not pious, while he leads the choir of its events, for any other account to be introduced from without, which has no comeliness, but rather brings no small shame to it. For just as, when the sun is shining brightly, the glow of the lamp is vain and useless; so where Luke, or any other of the evangelists, resounds, every other word is idle, and offensive, and unprofitable. Let him then tell the marks of the feast, and show it to us who love feasts more than the trumpets show the battle-lines to the lovers of war. And he will certainly speak and show it most clearly, if we but offer a well-disposed ear. And indeed we must pay attention, and observe with all vigilance, lest we, by foolishly making our advocate an accuser and the celebrant a judge, should repent at the end, but in a way that is useless and unprofitable. “The parents brought up” the child Jesus “to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord.” What word could attain to the things being said? What mind can comprehend the wonder? What hearing will contain the majesty of the narrative? Oh, the awesome tidings! The pre 28.976 eternal is recent; the timeless is under time; the uncontainable is contained; the everlasting is an infant; greatest of all, the Son of God both becomes and is believed to be the Son of man. What is this strange thing, what is this paradox? What is this great condescension of the Word towards us? The parents brought up the child. What are you saying, O most excellent and wisest of the holy evangelists? What are you saying, O interpreter and teacher of the heavenly revelation? What are you saying, O mystical writer of the thoughts of the Spirit? You speak of God, and you mention a local transfer? You wish to proclaim to the ends of the earth the Son of God born of a Virgin, and you bring forward fleshly parents? And is there a parent of God on the earth at all? Or does God have parents? Or is God an infant? Or is God carried by parents? What is the meaning, what is the mystery? The parents brought up the child. With what palms then; with what arms did they carry him? The cherubim tremble, the seraphim turn away, angels shudder, archangels are astounded, and all the powers of the heavens cover their faces in fear; and you introduce material mortals carrying him, and moving him and carrying him about. What is the wonder? What is the matter? What is the secret? The parents brought up the child; for you said these things, narrating to us about the birth; for on account of this you also introduced the angels to the shepherds, pointing out and announcing both the birth and the place where it happened; and that heavenly multitude, crying out with a great voice, and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace;” and she who gave birth preserving all things with care, and pondering them with the seals of her virginity? Yes, he says, and do not look only at the wonder, but also at the economy. For God is not thus made a babe nakedly as he is by nature, and is not circumscribed by maternal arms, but having assumed mortal nature, or rather, having in truth become man himself apart from sin. How and in what manner? I cannot say, he says; unspeakable

Homilia in occursum domini

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΥΠΑΝΤΗΝ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ, ΚΑΙ ΘΕΟΥ, ΚΑΙ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ.

Τὰ τῆς παρούσης ἱερᾶς πανηγύρεως ἡ εὐαγγελικὴ σάλπιγξ περιηχείτω· καὶ τοὺς τῷ παρθενικῷ τῷδε νυμφῶνι ἐξ εἰλικρινοῦς διανοίας παραστάντας ἡμᾶς ὁ μυστικὸς νυμφοστόλος Λουκᾶς πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ καλῶν κατανόησιν τῷ λόγῳ χειραγωγείτω. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅσιον, αὐτοῦ χοροστατοῦντος τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν, ἕτερόν τινα λόγον ἔξωθεν παρεισάγεσθαι, μηδεμίαν μὲν εὐπρέπειαν, οὐκ ὀλίγον δὲ ταύτῃ τὸ αἶσχος περιποιούμενον. Ὡς γὰρ, ἡλίου καθαρῶς ἐπιλάμποντος, ματαίατις ἡ τοῦ λύχνου φαῦσις καὶ ἄχρηστος· οὕτως ἔνθα Λουκᾶς, ἢ ἄλλος τις τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν ἀπηχήσειε, πᾶς λόγος ἀργὸς, καὶ προσκορὴς, καὶ ἀνόνητος. Λεγέτω δὴ οὗτος τῆς ἑορ τῆς τὰ γνωρίσματα, καὶ δεικνύτω ταύτην μᾶλλον τοῖς φιλεόρτοις ἡμῖν ἢ τοῖς φιλοπολέμοις τὰς πα ρατάξεις αἱ σάλπιγγες. Λέξει δὲ πάντως καὶ δείξει μάλα τρανῶς, ἀκοὴν ἡμῶν ὑποτιθέντων εὐγνώμονα. Καὶ δὴ προσεκτέον, καὶ πάσῃ φυλακῇ τηρητέον, ἵνα μὴ, κατήγορον τὸν συνήγορον καὶ κριτὴν τὸν παν ηγυριστὴν παραφρόνως ἀπεργασάμενοι, μεταμελετῶ μεν ἐπ' ἐσχάτων, πλὴν ἀνωφελῆ καὶ ἀνόνητα. «Ἀνήγαγον» οἱ γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν «εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα παραστῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καθὼς γέγρα πται ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου.» Τίς ἂν ἐφίκοιτο λόγος τῶν λεγομένων; Ποῖος νοῦς ἐν περινοίᾳ τοῦ θαύματος περιγένηται; Ποία ἀκοὴ τὸ μεγαλεῖον χωρήσει τοῦ διηγήματος; Ὢ τῶν φοβερῶν ἀκουσμάτων! Ὁ προ 28.976 αιώνιος πρόσφατος· ὑπὸ χρόνον ὁ ἄχρονος· ἐν περι λήψει ὁ ἀπερίληπτος· ὁ ἀΐδιος νήπιος· τὸ μέγιστον, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου καὶ γίνεται καὶ πιστεύεται. Τί τὸ ξένον, τί τὸ παράδοξον; Τίς ἡ τοσαύτη τοῦ Λόγου περὶ ἡμᾶς συγκατάβασις; Ἀνήγαγον οἱ γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον. Τί λέγεις, ὦ τῶν ἱερῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν ἐξοχώτατε καὶ σοφώτατε; Τί λέ γεις, ὦ τῆς οὐρανίας ἐκφαντορίας ἐξηγητὰ καὶ διδάσκαλε; Τί λέγεις, ὦ μυστικὲ λογογράφε τῶν νοη μάτων τοῦ Πνεύματος; Περὶ Θεοῦ διαλέγῃ, καὶ τοπικῆς μεταβάσεως μέμνησαι; Υἱὸν Θεοῦ τὸν ἐκ Παρθένου τεχθέντα βούλει διατρανῶσαι τοῖς πέρασι, καὶ σαρκικοὺς εἰς μέσον παράγεις γονεῖς; Καὶ ἔστιν ὅλως Θεοῦ γονεὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; Ἢ ἔχει γονεῖς Θεός; Ἢνηπιάζει Θεός; Ἢ βαστάζεται ὑπὸ γονέων Θεός; Τίς ὁ λόγος, τί τὸ μυστήριον; Ἀνήγαγον οἱ γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον. Τίσιν ἄρα παλάμαις· ἀγκάλαις δὲ ποίαις τοῦτον βαστάζοντες; Τὰ χερουβὶμ τρέμει, τὰ σεραφὶμ ἀποστρέφεται, ἄγγελοι φρίττουσιν, ἀρχάγγελοι καταπλήττονται, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν φόβῳ τὰς ὄψεις κατακαλύπτουσι· καὶ σὺ βροτοὺς εἰσάγεις ἐνύλους βαστάζοντας τοῦτον, καὶ κι νοῦντας καὶ περιάγοντας. Τί τὸ θαῦμα; Τί τὸ πρᾶγμα; Τί τὸ ἀπόῤῥητον; Ἀνήγαγον οἱ γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον· ταῦτα γὰρ ἔλεγες, τὰ περὶ τὴν γέννησιν ἡμῖν ἱστορῶν· τούτου γὰρ χάριν καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους εἰσήγαγες τοῖς ποιμέσι τὸν τόκον ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐν ᾧ οὗτος ὑποδεικνύντας καὶ διαγγέλλοντας· τήν τε οὐρανίαν ἐκείνην πληθὺν, μεγαλοφώνως βοῶσαν, καὶ λέγουσαν· «∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰ ρήνη·» καὶ τὴν τεκοῦσαν πάντα μετ' ἐπιμελείας διατηροῦσαν, καὶ ταῖς τῆς παρθενίας σφραγῖσι συμβάλλουσαν; Ναὶ, φησὶ, καὶ μὴ πρὸς τὸ θαῦμα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀπόβλεπε. Οὐ γὰρ Θεὸς οὕτως, ὡς ἔφυ, γυμνὸς βρεφουργεῖται, καὶ μη τρικαῖς ὠλέναις ἐμπεριγράφεται, ἀλλὰ τὴν βρο τείαν φύσιν ὑπειλημμένος, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτόχρημα τῆς ἁμαρτίας χωρὶς κατὰ ἀλήθειαν γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος. Πῶς καὶ τίνα τρόπον; Οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν, φησίν· ἄῤ