Mystagogiae

FIRST MYSTAGOGY TO THE NEWLY BAPTIZED. And a reading from the first catholic epistle of Peter, from "Be sober, be vigilant," to the end of the epistle; of the same Cyril and John, bishop.

1.1 I have long been desiring for you, O true and most desired children of the Church, to discourse concerning these spiritual and heavenly mysteries. But since I knew clearly that sight is much more trustworthy than hearing, I awaited the present season, so that finding you more approachable to the things spoken of from this evening, I might lead you by the hand into the brighter and more fragrant meadow of this paradise. And besides, you have been made receptive of the more divine mysteries, of the divine and life-giving baptism. Since, therefore, it is now necessary to set before you the table of more perfect lessons, come, let us instruct you accurately in these things, so that you may know the import of what was done by you on that evening of baptism. 1.2 You entered first into the outer chamber of the baptistery, and standing towards the west you heard and were commanded to stretch out your hand, and as to one present you renounced Satan. It is necessary for you to know this, that this type is found in the ancient history. For when Pharaoh, that most bitter and cruel tyrant, was oppressing the free and noble people of the Hebrews, God sent Moses to lead them out from the wicked bondage of the Egyptians. And the doorposts were anointed with the blood of a lamb, so that the destroyer might flee from the houses having the sign of the blood, and the people of the Hebrews were miraculously set free. But when he pursued them even after they were freed, and miraculously saw the sea divided for them, he nevertheless went forward, joining track to track, and was immediately submerged, being drowned in the Red Sea. 1.3 Pass now with me, therefore, from the old to the new, from the type to the truth. There, Moses was sent from God into Egypt; here, Christ is sent from the Father into the world; there, that he might lead out a people oppressed from Egypt; here, Christ, that he might rescue those in the world who are overwhelmed by sin; there, the blood of a lamb was a warding off of the destroyer; here, the blood of the unblemished Lamb, Jesus Christ, has become the means of putting demons to flight. That tyrant pursued that ancient people as far as the sea, and this impudent, shameless, and primevally evil demon followed you even to the saving streams. That one is submerged in the sea, and this one vanishes in the saving water. 1.4 But nevertheless you are told to say with outstretched hand, as to one present: "I renounce you, Satan." I also wish to say why you stand facing the west; for it is necessary. Since the west is the region of visible darkness, and he, being darkness, also has his power in darkness; for this reason, symbolically looking towards the west, you renounce that dark and gloomy ruler. What then did each of you say while standing? I renounce you, Satan, you wicked and most cruel tyrant. No longer, you say, do I fear your strength. For Christ has destroyed it, by partaking with me of flesh and blood, that through these sufferings He might by death destroy death, so that I might not for all time be held liable to bondage. I renounce you, the deceitful and most cunning serpent. I renounce you who plots against others, and under the pretense of friendship worked all lawlessness, and brought about apostasy in our first parents. I renounce you, Satan, the author and accomplice of all evil. 1.5 Then, in a second phrase, you learn to say: "And all your works." And the works of Satan are,

Mystagogiae

ΜΥΣΤΑΓΩΓΙΑ ΠΡΩΤΗ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΝΕΟΦΩΤΙΣΤΟΥΣ Καὶ ἀνάγνωσις ἐκ τῆς Πέτρου ἐπιστολῆς αʹ καθολικῆς, ἀπὸ τοῦ· Νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε, ἕως τέλους τῆς ἐπιστολῆς· τοῦ αὐτοῦ Κυρίλλου καὶ Ἰωάννου ἐπισκόπου.

1.1 Ἐπόθουν ὑμῖν καὶ πάλαι, ὦ γνήσια καὶ ἐπιπόθητα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τέκνα, περὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν τούτων καὶ ἐπουρανίων διαλεχθῆναι μυστηρίων. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σαφῶς ἠπιστάμην ὄψιν ἀκοῆς πολλῷ πιστοτέραν εἶναι, ἀνέμενον τὸν παρόντα καιρόν, ὅπως εὐπροσαγωγοτέρους ὑμᾶς περὶ τῶν λεγομένων ἐκ ταύτης λαβὼν τῆς ἑσπέρας εἰς τὸν φωτεινότερον καὶ εὐωδέστερον λειμῶνα τοῦδε τοῦ παραδείσου χειραγωγήσω. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ χωρητικοὶ τῶν θειοτέρων κατέστητε μυστηρίων, τοῦ θείου καὶ ζωοποιοῦ βαπτίσματος. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν λοιπὸν τῶν ἐντελεστέρων δεῖ μαθημάτων παρατιθέναι τράπεζαν, φέρε ταῦτα ὑμᾶς ἀκριβῶς παιδεύσωμεν, ἵνα εἰδῆτε τὴν ἔμφασιν τὴν πρὸς ὑμῶν κατ' ἐκείνην γενομένην τοῦ βαπτίσματος τὴν ἑσπέραν. 1.2 Εἰσῄειτε πρῶτον εἰς τὸν προαύλιον τοῦ βαπτίσματος οἶκον, καὶ πρὸς τὰς δυσμὰς ἑστῶτες ἠκούετε καὶ προσετάττεσθε ἐκτείνειν τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ὡς παρόντι ἀπετάττεσθε τῷ Σατανᾷ. Χρὴ δὲ τοῦτο ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι ἐν παλαιᾷ ἱστορίᾳ οὗτος κεῖται ὁ τύπος. Ὅτε γὰρ Φαραώ, ὁ πικρότατος καὶ ὠμότατος τύραννος, κατέθλιβε τῶν Ἑβραίων τὸν ἐλεύθερον καὶ εὐγενῆ λαόν, ὁ Θεὸς ἀπέστειλε τὸν Μωϋσῆν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς πονηρᾶς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων δουλείας. Καὶ αἵματι μὲν ἀμνοῦ ἐχρίοντο αἱ φλιαί, ἵνα φύγῃ ὁ ὀλοθρεύων τοὺς τὸ σημεῖον ἔχοντας τοῦ αἵματος οἴκους, παραδόξως δὲ ἠλευθεροῦτο ὁ τῶν Ἑβραίων λαός. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἐλευθερωθέντας κατεδίωξε καὶ παραδόξως εἶδε τὴν θάλασσαν αὐτοῖς τεμνομένην, ὅμως ἐχώρει, ἴχνεσιν ἴχνη συμβάλλων, καὶ παραχρῆμα ὑποβρύχιος ἐγίνετο, καταποντούμενος ἐν θαλάσσῃ ἐρυθρᾷ. 1.3 Μετάβηθί μοι λοιπὸν ἀπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν ἐπὶ τὰ νέα, ἀπὸ τοῦ τύπου ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἐκεῖ Μωϋσῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς Αἴγυπτον πεμπόμενος, ἐνταῦθα Χριστὸς ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἀποστελλόμενος· ἐκεῖ, ἵνα ἐξαγάγῃ λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου θλιβόμενον, ὧδε Χριστός, ἵνα ῥύσηται τοὺς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καταπονουμένους· ἐκεῖ αἷμα ἀμνοῦ ὀλοθρευτοῦ ἦν ἀποτρόπαιον, ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Ἀμνοῦ τοῦ ἀμώμου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ αἷμα δαιμόνων καθέστηκε φυγαδευτήριον. Ἐκεῖνος ὁ τύραννος κατεδίωκεν ἕως θαλάσσης τὸν παλαιὸν ἐκεῖνον λαόν, καὶ σοὶ ὁ ἰταμός, ὁ ἀναίσχυντος καὶ ἀρχέκακος οὗτος δαίμων ἕως αὐτῶν ἠκολούθει τῶν σωτηρίων ναμάτων. Ἐκεῖνος ὑποβρύχιος ἐν θαλάσσῃ γίνεται, καὶ οὗτος ἐν τῷ σωτηρίῳ ὕδατι ἀφανίζεται. 1.4 Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀκούεις τεταμένῃ τῇ χειρὶ ὡς πρὸς παρόντα εἰπεῖν· "Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι, Σατανᾶ." Βούλομαι καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἵστασθε πρὸς δυσμὰς εἰπεῖν· ἀναγκαῖον γάρ. Ἐπειδὴ τοῦ φαινομένου σκότους τόπος αἱ δυσμαί, ἐκεῖνος δὲ σκότος τυγχάνων ἐν σκότῳ ἔχει καὶ τὸ κράτος· τούτου χάριν συμβολικῶς πρὸς δυσμὰς ἀποβλέποντες, ἀποτάσσεσθε τῷ σκοτεινῷ ἐκείνῳ καὶ ζοφερῷ ἄρχοντι. Τί οὖν ὑμῶν ἕκαστος ἑστὼς ἔλεγεν; Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι, Σατανᾶ, σοὶ τῷ πονηρῷ καὶ ὠμοτάτῳ τυράννῳ· οὐκέτι σου δέδοικα, λέγων, τὴν ἰσχύν. Κατέλυσε γὰρ ταύτην ὁ Χριστός, αἵματός μοι καὶ σαρκὸς κοινωνήσας, ἵνα διὰ τούτων τῶν παθημάτων καταργήσῃ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, ὅπως μὴ διὰ παντὸς ἔνοχος γένωμαι δουλείας. Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι τῷ δολερῷ καὶ πανουργοτάτῳ ὄφει. Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι ἐπιβούλῳ ὄντι, καὶ προσποιήσει φιλίας πράξαντι πᾶσαν ἀνομίαν, καὶ ἐμποιήσαντι τοῖς ἡμετέροις προγόνοις ἀποστασίαν. Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι, Σατανᾶ, τῷ πάσης κακίας δημιουργῷ καὶ συνεργῷ. 1.5 Εἶτα ἐν δευτέρᾳ λέξει μανθάνεις λέγειν· "Καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις σου." Ἔργα δὲ τοῦ Σατανᾶ,