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Homily on the Waters

ON THE WATERS AND ON HOLY BAPTISM

Having occupied my discourse yesterday with the prophets and patriarchs, I almost omitted the creations of God *** for all things are both washed and watered and cleansed by waters. And while the nature of waters is one, it is divided in many ways through created things: in a vine it becomes tart, in an olive mild; in a lily white, red in a rose; in grains nourishing, in woods growth-promoting; it waters the four-footed animals and rears the fish; it cleanses the bodies of men. As often as we live, through waters we live; as often as we are rich, <through waters we are rich>; as often as we rest, through waters we rest. Does then the power of waters seem small to you? But I pass over all these things because of the length of the discourse. For as often as we interpret, we omit the greater part; for human speech is not sufficient to explain accurately the much-praised grace of waters, just as it is not possible to measure the sea with words, nor how many good things of the sea waters have been apportioned to men from the wisdom of God. And again I will hasten to the new covenant—for having spoken much about waters I know not from where I thirsted, and swimming through the waters of the present I thirst again—but I will remember our savior Jesus Christ, preaching in the gospels and saying: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink; for he who believes in me, as the scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from his belly. Therefore let us run to him and let our thirst be healed, being watered with spiritual streams and irrigated with heavenly waters. Might I perhaps [be found carrying a river within myself] and, seeking only a river, be found possessing the entire spring? For the immortal possession of our souls is Jesus Christ and the heavenly spring. But where shall I run? Who is the one leading by the hand? Who is the one showing this cup of life? Lead me, the stranger, to the waters, guide me to the spring and river and streams [welling up] to heaven, gushing upwards and bubbling forth from there, and sending those who drink in faith to the kingdom of heaven; for we greatly desire to find salvation in such waters. Come, blessed of the apostles, John; call us to the Jordan. For having gone through many waters, we await the divine crown from you; for I know of prophets and patriarchs being saved through waters [symbolically] and all creation being washed by waters, but God the sinless one being baptized with water. He comes to the Jordan to be baptized and the great and paradoxical wonder to be amazed at, the only-begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, who was in the beginning with God, God, Word and Son of God, who is worshiped by the angels and glorified by the archangels, whom the Cherubim praise and the Seraphim glorify; having spread a great purification and gospel from the Jordan to the world, he teaches the race of men not to despise this heavenly grace. And the sinless one is baptized and he sanctifies the waters of the world.

For the Lord is upon many waters, but he informs those present who is being baptized; for the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, and the Father cried out from heaven above: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. True is the prophecy which says: The Lord is upon many waters. The God of glory has thundered. Who then after so much glory disbelieves? Who doubts concerning the

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Homilia in aquas

ΕΙΣ ΤΑ Υ∆ΑΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΑΓΙΟΝ ΒΑΠΤΙΣΜΑ

Τὸν λόγον χθὲς ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας καὶ πατριάρχας ἀπο σχολήσας, παρ' ὀλίγον κατέλιπον τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ δημιουργήματα *** πάντα γὰρ τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ λούεται καὶ ποτίζεται καὶ καθαρίζεται. καὶ μὲν τῶν ὑδάτων ἡ φύσις μία, πολυμερῶς δὲ διὰ τῶν κτισμάτων μερίζεται· ἐν ἀμπέλῳ γίνεται στυφόν, ἐν ἐλαίῳ προσηνόν· ἐν κρίνῳ λευκόν, ἐρυθρὸν ἐν ῥόδῳ· ἐν γενήμασι θρεπτικόν, ἐν ξύλοις αὐξητικόν· τὰ τετράποδα ποτίζεται καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας ἀνατρέφει· τὰ σώματα τῶν ἀνθρώπων καθαρίζει. ὁσάκις ἐὰν ζῶμεν, δι' ὑδάτων ζῶμεν· ὁσάκις ἐὰν πλουτῶμεν, <δι' ὑδάτων πλουτοῦμεν>· ὁσάκις ἐὰν ἀναπαυώμεθα, δι' ὑδάτων ἀναπαυόμεθα. ἄρα μὴ μικρά σοι φαίνεται ἡ τῶν ὑδάτων δύναμις; ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα παρατρέχω διὰ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ λόγου. καὶ γὰρ ὁσάκις ἐὰν ἑρμηνεύσωμεν, τὰ πλείονα παραλιμπάνομεν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπαρκεῖ ὁ λόγος ὁ ἀνθρώπινος τὴν πολυύμνητον τῶν ὑδάτων χάριν ἀκριβῶς ἐξηγήσασθαι, ὡς οὐδ' ἔστιν θάλασσαν τῷ λόγῳ μετρῆσαι, οὐδ' ὅσα τῶν θαλασσίων ὑδάτων ἀγαθὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας ἐπινενέμηται. καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν καινὴν σπεύσω μὲν διαθήκηνκαὶ γὰρ πολλὰ ὁμιλήσας περὶ ὑδάτων οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν ἐδίψησα καὶ ὕδασιν τοῦ παρόντος διανηχόμενος πάλιν διψῶἀλλὰ μνημονεύσω τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κηρύσσοντος ἐν εὐαγ γελίοις καὶ λέγοντος· ἐάν τις διψᾷ, ἐρχέσθω πρός με καὶ πινέ τω· ὁ γὰρ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. οὐκοῦν δράμωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ θεραπευθῶμεν ἡμῶν τὴν δίψαν, πνευματικοῖς νάμασι ποτιζόμενοι καὶ ἐπουρανίοις ὕδασιν ἀρδευόμενοι. μή πως ἆρα [καὶ ποταμὸν εὑρεθῶ περιφέρων ἐν ἐμαυτῷ] καὶ ποταμὸν μόνον ἐπιζητῶν ἅπασαν τὴν πηγὴν εὑρεθῶ κεκτημέ νος; τὸ γὰρ ἀθάνατον κτῆμα τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός ἐστιν καὶ ἐπουράνιος πηγή. ἀλλὰ ποῦ δράμω; τίς ὁ χειραγωγῶν; τίς ὁ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἐπιδεικνύμενος τῆς ζωῆς; χειραγω γήσατέ με, τὸν ξένον, ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα, ὁδηγήσατέ με πρὸς τὴν πηγὴν καὶ ποταμὸν καὶ νάματα πρὸς οὐρανὸν [ἀναβαλλόμενα] ἄνω πηγάζοντα κἀκεῖθεν ἀναβρύοντα, καὶ τοὺς πίστει πίνοντας εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν παραπέμποντα· πάνυ γὰρ ἐπιπο θοῦμεν τοιούτων ὑδάτων εὑρεῖν σωτηρίαν. ἐλθέ, μακάριε τῶν ἀποστόλων, Ἰωάννη· κάλεσον ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸν Ἰορδάνην. πολλὰ γὰρ περιελθόντες ὕδατα παρὰ σοῦ τὸν θεϊκὸν ἐκδεχόμεθα στέφανον· καὶ γὰρ οἶδα μὲν προφήτας καὶ πατριάρχας δι' ὑ δάτων [συμβολικῶς] σωζομένους καὶ τὴν κτίσιν ἅπασαν ὕδα σιν λουομένην, θεὸν δὲ τὸν ἀναμάρτητον ὕδατι βαπτιζόμενον. οὗτος παρὰ τὸν Ἰορδάνην παραγίνεται βαπτισθῆναι καὶ τὸ μέγα θαῦμα καὶ παράδοξον ἐκπλαγῆναι, ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς θεόν, θεός, λόγος καὶ θεοῦ υἱός, ὁ παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων προσκυνούμενος καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων δοξαζόμενος, ὃν ὑμνεῖ τὰ Χε ρουβὶμ καὶ δοξάζει τὰ Σεραφίμ· μέγα καθάρσιον καὶ εὐαγγέ λιον ἐκ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου τῷ κόσμῳ ἐφαπλώσας, διδάσκει τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων μὴ καταφρονεῖν τῆς ἐπουρανίου ταύτης χάριτος. καὶ βαπτίζεται ὁ ἀναμάρτητος καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὕδατα ἁγιάζει.

Κύριος γὰρ ἐπὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν, ἀλλὰ πληροφορεῖ τοὺς παρόντας τίς ὁ βαπτιζόμενος· καὶ γὰρ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπ' αὐτὸν κατέβαινεν ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἄ νωθεν ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἐβόα· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ ηὐδόκησα. ἀληθὴς ἡ προφητεία ἡ λέγουσα· Κύριος ἐπὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν. ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης ἐβρόντησεν. τίς ἄρα μετὰ τοσαύτην δόξαν ἀπιστεῖ; τίς ἀμφιβάλλει περὶ τῆς