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An exhortatory homily for holy baptism

HOMILY 13. Exhortatory for holy baptism.

The wise Solomon, dividing the seasons of the affairs of life, and setting apart for each of what happens the appropriate one, said: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter; a time to be born, and a time to die; but I, slightly altering the wise man's declaration, would say in preaching the saving message to you, that it is a time to die, and a time to be born. And what is the reason for the change? Because he, discussing the things of generation and decay, following physical nature, placed birth before death (for it is impossible for one not first born to experience death); but I, about to make my discourse on spiritual regeneration, place death before life. For through dying to the flesh, being born in the spirit comes about for us, just as the Lord also says: I will kill, and I will make alive. Let us die, therefore, that we may live. Let us put to death the mind of the flesh, which cannot be subject to the law of God, so that the mind of the spirit may be born strong in us, through which life and peace are naturally produced. Let us be buried with Christ who died for us, that we may also be raised with him who procured the resurrection for us. Therefore, there is one fitting time for some things, and another for others; a proper time for sleep, and a proper time for wakefulness; a proper time for war, and a proper time for peace; but the time for baptism is the whole of human life. For it is not possible for a body to live without breathing, nor for a soul to subsist without knowing its creator. For ignorance of God is the death of the soul.

But he who is not baptized is not enlightened. And without light, neither can the eye see its own objects, nor can the soul receive the vision of God. Every time, therefore, holds opportunity for salvation through baptism; whether you say night, or day, or hour, or a moment of time, or the very briefest instant. But it is surely much more likely that the more related time is the more suitable. What could be more akin to baptism than the day of Pascha? For the day is a memorial of the resurrection; and baptism is the power for the resurrection. On the day of the resurrection, therefore, let us receive the grace of the 31.425 resurrection. For this reason the Church from afar summons her nurslings with a high proclamation, so that those with whom she has long been in labor, she may then bring forth, and having weaned them from the words of catechesis, may give them a taste of the solid food of doctrine. John preached a baptism of repentance, and all Judea went out to him; The Lord preaches a baptism of adoption as sons; and who of those who have hoped in him will not obey? That baptism was introductory; this one is for perfection. That one was a withdrawal from sin; this one is reconciliation with God. The preaching was of one man, John, and it drew all to repentance; but you, being taught through the prophets: Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; being admonished through the psalms: Come to him, and be enlightened; being evangelized through the apostles: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the promise of the Holy Spirit; being received by the Lord himself, who says: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (for all these things came together today for the reading); do you hesitate and deliberate and delay? Having been catechized in the word from infancy, have you not yet assented to the truth?

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Homilia exhortatoria ad sanctum baptisma

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΓʹ. Προτρεπτικὴ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον βάπτισμα.

Ὁ μὲν σοφὸς Σολομὼν, τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον πρα γμάτων τοὺς καιροὺς

διαιρῶν, καὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν γινο μένων τὸν ἐπιτήδειον ἀφορίζων, ἔφη· Τοῖς πᾶσιν ὁ χρόνος, καὶ καιρὸς τῷ παντὶ πράγματι· καιρὸς τοῦ τεκεῖν, καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν· ἐγὼ δὲ, μι κρὸν τοῦ σοφοῦ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ὑπαλλάξας, εἴποιμι ἂν κηρύσσων ὑμῖν τὸ σωτήριον κήρυγμα, ὅτι καιρὸς τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ γεννηθῆναι. Τίς δὲ ὁ λό γος τῆς ἐναλλαγῆς; Ὅτι ὁ μὲν περὶ τῶν ἐν γε νέσει καὶ φθορᾷ διαλεγόμενος, τῇ σωματικῇ ἑπόμε νος φύσει, τὴν γένεσιν προέταξε τοῦ θανάτου (ἀδύνα τον γὰρ θανάτου πεῖραν λαβεῖν τὸν μὴ πρότερον γεν νηθέντα)· ἐγὼ δὲ, περὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἀναγεννήσεως τὸν λόγον ποιεῖσθαι μέλλων, τὸν θάνατον προτίθημι τῆς ζωῆς. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν τῇ σαρκὶ περιγίνεται ἡμῖν τὸ γεννηθῆναι τῷ πνεύματι, καθά φησι καὶ ὁ Κύριος· Ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ, καὶ ζῇν ποιήσω. Ἀποθάνωμεν οὖν, ἵνα ζήσωμεν. Ἀποκτείνωμεν τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς, τὸ μὴ δυνάμενον ὑποταγῆναι τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος ἰσχυρὸν ἡμῖν ἐγγένηται, δι' οὗ ζωὴ καὶ εἰρήνη περιγίνεσθαι πέφυκε. Συνταφῶμεν τῷ Χριστῷ τῷ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπο θανόντι, ἵνα καὶ συναναστῶμεν τῷ ἡμῖν τὴν ἀνάστασιν προξενήσαντι. Καιρὸς μὲν οὖν ἄλλοις ἄλλος ἐπιτήδειος· ἴδιος ὕπνου, καὶ ἴδιος ἐγρηγόρσεως· ἴδιος πολέμου, καὶ ἴδιος εἰρήνης· καιρὸς δὲ βαπτίσματος ἅπας ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος. Οὔτε γὰρ σώματι ζῇν μὴ ἀνα πνέοντι δυνατὸν, οὔτε ψυχῇ συνεστάναι, μὴ γνωρι ζούσῃ τὸν κτίσαντα. Θεοῦ γὰρ ἄγνοια θάνατός ἐστι ψυχῆς.

Ὁ δὲ μὴ βαπτισθεὶς οὐ πεφώτισται. Ἄνευ δὲ φωτὸς οὔτε ὀφθαλμὸς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ καθορᾷ, οὔτε ψυχὴ Θεοῦ δέξασθαι δύναται θεωρίαν. Πᾶς μὲν οὖν χρόνος εὐκαιρίαν ἔχει πρὸς τὴν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος σωτη ρίαν· κἂν νύκτα εἴπῃς, κἂν ἡμέραν, κἂν ὥραν, κἂν στιγμὴν χρόνου, κἄν τι βραχύτατον. Πολλῷ δὲ δήπου εἰκὸς ἐπιτηδειότερον εἶναι τὸν οἰκειότερον. Τί δ' ἂν γένοιτο τῆς ἡμέρας τοῦ Πάσχα συγγενέστερον πρὸς τὸ βάπτισμα; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἡμέρα μνημόσυνόν ἐστιν ἀναστάσεως· τὸ δὲ βάπτισμα δύναμίς ἐστι πρὸς τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Ἐν τοίνυν τῇ ἀναστασίμῳ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς 31.425 ἀναστάσεως τὴν χάριν ὑποδεξώμεθα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πόῤ ῥωθεν ἡ Ἐκκλησία τοὺς ἑαυτῆς τροφίμους ὑψηλῷ κηρύγματι συγκαλεῖ, ἵν' οὓς πάλαι ὤδινεν, ἀπο κυήσῃ τότε, καὶ ἀπογαλακτίσασα αὐτοὺς τῶν λόγων τῆς κατηχήσεως, γεύσῃ τῆς στερεᾶς τῶν δογμάτων τροφῆς. Ἰωάννης ἐκήρυσσε βάπτισμα μετανοίας, καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία· Κύριος κηρύσσει βάπτισμα υἱοθεσίας· καὶ τίς τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἠλπικότων οὐχ ὑπακούσεται; Ἐκεῖνο εἰσαγωγικὸν τὸ βάπτισμα· τοῦτο τελειωτικόν. Ἐκεῖνο ἁμαρτίας ἀναχώρησις· τοῦτο οἰκείωσις πρὸς Θεόν. Ἑνὸς ἀν δρὸς ἦν Ἰωάννου τὸ κήρυγμα, καὶ πάντας εἷλκε πρὸς τὴν μετάνοιαν· σὺ δὲ, διὰ προφητῶν διδασκόμενος· Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε· διὰ ψαλμῶν νουθε τούμενος· Προσέλθετε πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ φωτίσθητε· δι' ἀποστόλων εὐαγγελιζόμενος· Μετανοήσατε, καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, καὶ λήψεσθε τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύμα τος· ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου προσλαμβανόμενος, λέ γοντος· ∆εῦτε πρὸς μὲ, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς (ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα σήμερον συνέδραμε πρὸς τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν)· ὀκνεῖς καὶ βουλεύῃ καὶ διαμέλλεις; Ἐκ νηπίου τὸν λόγον κατηχούμενος, οὔπω συνέθου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ;