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In novam Dominicam

ORATION 44.

On New Sunday. Aʹ. To honor renewals is an ancient law, and a good one; or rather, to honor new things through renewals; and this, not once, but many times, as each revolution of the year brings around the same day, so that good things may not be effaced by time, nor flow away, darkened in the depths of forgetfulness. Islands are renewed for God, as we have read in Isaiah, which islands we must indeed suppose to be these: I mean the Churches from the Gentiles, recently established, and emerging from the salt sea of unbelief, and receiving a firm foundation in God. A wall of bronze is renewed, according to another prophet; I mean, a soul that is steadfast, and golden, and firm in piety. We are commanded to sing a new song to the Lord, whether we are those who were dragged down by sin into Babylon and its wicked confusion, and afterwards were saved and brought back to Jerusalem (for there we were not able to sing the divine hymn, as if on a foreign land, but here we establish a new hymn and way of life); or whether we are those who remained in goodness, and are making progress; and have already accomplished some things, and are accomplishing others, through the holy and renewing Spirit.

Βʹ. The tabernacle of witness is renewed, and very magnificently, which God showed, and Bezalel finished, and Moses set up. The kingdom of David is renewed, and not once, but being anointed the first time, proclaimed the second. And the Renewal was in Jerusalem, and it was winter, that of unbelief, and Jesus was present, who is God and temple, God eternal, temple recent, the one destroyed in a day, 36.609 and raised up in three days, and remaining for ever, so that I might be saved, and be recalled from the old fall, and become a new creation, being remolded through such love for mankind. And the divine David seeks a clean heart to be created in him, and a right spirit to be renewed in his inward parts; not as if he did not have it, (for who, if not David, so great a man?) but as recognizing as new that which is ever now being added. And what need have I of more renewals, when it is possible to recognize the present ones, and what we celebrate today, having drawn near to life after death? A Renewal, a Renewal is the festival, brethren. For let it be said many times for pleasure. And what are these? You who know, teach; and you who are ignorant, renew your hearing. Γʹ. God was Light inaccessible, and without successor, neither beginning, nor ceasing, nor being measured, ever-shining, thrice-shining, contemplated for what it is by few, or rather, I think, not even by a few. And there are secondary lights, effulgences of the first Light, the powers around him, and the ministering spirits. But this light among us not only began later, but is also cut by night, and cuts the night in equal measure, entrusted to sight, and poured into the air, and receiving what it gives. For it both makes it possible for sight to see, and is first seen by sight, and flowing around visible things, it grants them distinctness. For when God willed to establish this world, the one composed of things visible and invisible, the great and wonderful herald of his majesty, to the eternal things he himself is light, and no other; (for what need of a second light for those who have the greatest?) but for the things below and around us he first shines forth the power of this light. For it was fitting for the great light of creation to begin from light, by which he dispels the darkness, and the disorder and confusion that previously prevailed.

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In novam Dominicam

ΛΟΓΟΣ Μ∆ʹ.

Εἰς τὴν καινὴν Κυριακήν. Αʹ. Ἐγκαίνια τιμᾶσθαι, παλαιὸς νόμος, καὶ καλῶς ἔχων· μᾶλλον δὲ, τὰ νέα τιμᾶσθαι δι' Ἐγκαινίων· καὶ τοῦτο, οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις, ἑκά στης τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ περιτροπῆς τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμέραν ἐπαγούσης, ἵνα μὴ ἐξίτηλα τῷ χρόνῳ γένηται τὰ καλὰ, μηδὲ παραῤῥυῇ λήθης βυθοῖς ἀμαυρούμενα. Ἐγκαινίζονται μὲν πρὸς Θεὸν νῆσοι, τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ ὥσπερ ἀνέγνωμεν, ἅστινας δὴ τὰς νήσους ταύ τας ὑποληπτέον· οἶμαι δὲ τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας ἄρτι καθισταμένας, καὶ τῆς ἀλμυρᾶς ἀπιστίας ἀνακυπτούσας, καὶ πῆξιν λαμβανούσας, τῷ Θεῷ βάσιμον. Ἐγκαινίζεται δὲ τεῖχος χαλκοῦν, παρ' ἄλλῳ προφήτῃ· οἶμαι δὲ, ψυχὴ στεῤῥὰ, καὶ χρυσοει δὴς, καὶ ἀριπαγὴς εἰς εὐσέβειαν. Ἄδειν δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινὸν κελευόμεθα, εἴτε οἱ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα καὶ τὴν πονηρὰν σύγχυσιν κατασυρέντες ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἔπειτα πρὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀνασωθέντες (κακεῖ μὲν οὐ δυνάμενοι τὴν θείαν ᾄδειν ᾠδὴν, ὡς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας, ἐνταῦθα δὲ νέαν ᾠδὴν καὶ πολιτείαν ἱστάμενοι)· εἴτε οἱ μείναντες ἐν τῷ καλῷ, καὶ προκόπτοντες· καὶ τὸ μὲν κατωρθωκό τες ἤδη, τὸ δὲ κατορθοῦντες, παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ καινοποιοῦ Πνεύματος.

Βʹ. Ἐγκαινίζεται δὲ ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ λίαν πολυτελῶς, ἣν Θεὸς παρέδειξε, καὶ Βεσελεὴλ ἐτελείωσε, καὶ Μωσῆς ἐπήξατο. Ἐγκαινίζεται δὲ ἡ βασιλεία ∆αβὶδ, καὶ οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ χριομένου τὸ πρότερον, ἀναγορευομένου τὸ δεύτερον. Ἐγένετο δὲ τὰ Ἐγκαίνια ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ χειμὼν ἦν, ὁ τῆς ἀπιστίας, καὶ Ἰησοῦς παρῆν, ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ναὸς, Θεὸς αἰώνιος, ναὸς πρόσφατος, ὁ αὐθημε 36.609 ρὸν λυόμενος, καὶ τριήμερος ἀνιστάμενος, καὶ μένων εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἵν' ἐγὼ σωθῶ, καὶ τοῦ πα λαιοῦ πτώματος ἀνακληθῶ, καὶ γένωμαι και νὴ κτίσις, διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης φιλανθρωπίας ἀνα πλαττόμενος. Ἐπιζητεῖ δὲ ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ καρδίαν καθαρὰν ἐν ἑαυτῷ κτιζομένην, καὶ πνεῦμα εὐθὲς τοῖς ἐγκάτοις ἐγκαινιζόμενον· οὐχ ὡς οὐκ ἔχων, (τίς γὰρ, εἰ μὴ ∆αβὶδ ὁ τοσοῦτος;) ἀλλ' ὡς καινὸν γινώ σκων τὸ νῦν ἀεὶ προστιθέμενον. Καὶ τί δεῖ μοι πλειόνων Ἐγκαινίων, ἐνὸν τὰ παρόντα γνωρίσαι, καὶ ἃ σήμερον πανηγυρίζομεν, τῇ ζωῇ μετὰ θάνατον πλησιάσαντες; Ἐγκαίνια, Ἐγκαίνια ἡ πανήγυρις, ἀδελφοί. Λεγέσθω γὰρ πολλάκις ὑφ' ἡδονῆς. Καὶ τίνα ταῦτα; Οἱ μὲν εἰδότες, διδάξατε· οἱ δὲ ἀγνοοῦντες, τὴν ἀκοὴν ἐγκαινίζεσθε. Γʹ. Φῶς ἦν ἀπρόσιτον, καὶ ἀδιάδοχον, ὁ Θεὸς, οὔτε ἀρξάμενον, οὔτε παυσόμενον, οὔτε μετρούμενον, ἀειλαμπὲς, τριλαμπὲς, ὀλίγοις ὅσον ἐστὶ θεωρούμε νον, οἶμαι δὲ, οὐδὲ ὀλίγοις. Καὶ φῶτα δεύτερα, τοῦ πρώτου Φωτὸς ἀπαυγάσματα, αἱ περὶ αὐτὸν δυνάμεις, καὶ τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα. Τὸ δὲ παρ' ἡμῖν τοῦτο φῶς, οὐχ ὕστερον ἤρξατο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νυκτὶ τέ μνεται, καὶ τέμνει νύκτα ἰσομοιρίᾳ, ὄψει πι στευθὲν, καὶ ἀέρι χυθὲν, καὶ λαμβάνον ὃ δίδω σιν. Ὁρᾷν τε γὰρ ὄψει παρέχει, καὶ πρῶτον ὁρᾶται παρὰ τῆς ὄψεως, καὶ τοῖς ὁρατοῖς περιῤῥέον, παῤῥησίαν χαρίζεται. Βουληθεὶς γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τόνδε τὸν κόσμον συστήσασθαι, τὸν ἐξ ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων συνεστηκότα, τὸν μέγαν καὶ θαυμαστὸν τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτοῦ κήρυκα, τοῖς μὲν ἀϊδίοις αὐτός ἐστι φῶς, καὶ οὐκ ἄλλο· (τί γὰρ ἔδει φω τὸς δευτέρου τοῖς τὸ μέγιστον ἔχουσι;) τοῖς κάτω δὲ καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς πρώτην ἐκλάμπει τὴν τοῦ φωτὸς τούτου δύναμιν. Καὶ γὰρ ἔπρεπε τῷ μεγάλῳ φωτὶ τῆς δημιουργίας ἐκ φωτὸς ἄρξασθαι, ᾧ λύει τὸ σκότος, καὶ τὴν ἐπέχουσαν τέως ἀκοσμίαν καὶ ἀτα ξίαν.