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Homily 1 on the Presentation (homily 1)

Of Hesychius, presbyter of Jerusalem, a discourse on the presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 The feast is called of purifications, which one would not err in calling a feast of feasts, a sabbath of sabbaths, naming it a holy of holies; for the whole mystery of the incarnation of Christ is recapitulated, the whole presentation of the only-begotten Son is described. In it Christ was carried as an infant and confessed as God, and he who sits as on a throne, the creator of our nature, was brought in arms, and offered a pair of rational turtledoves to Simeon and Anna. But let us interject, if you please, the very words of the gospel; for there we shall see the army of God. Thus, then, Luke set forth for us the history of the feast: “And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord that every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice, according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” It was necessary for him who served for our sake to offer purifications on our behalf, for him who did not spare his own blood not to spare a pair of turtledoves. Behold, therefore, according to the law, as a lawgiver he works above the law and, though he himself provides the freedom of the spirit, he nevertheless does not refuse the bondage of the letter; he does not set aside Moses, so that in due time he might become a trustworthy witness.

2 “And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled.” “Their”—whose? For Joseph was neither the father, nor liable for purifications, but neither did Mary, nor the infant need purifications; for it is said thus: “A woman, who if she is impregnated and bears a male, shall be unclean for seven days.” But Mary was not impregnated, therefore she did not need purifications. “A woman, who if she is impregnated and bears a male, shall be unclean for seven days.” Why? Because she has brought a second Adam into the world. “But if she bears a female, she shall be unclean for twice seven.” For what reason did he order the days to be doubled here? Because an Eve is again born from Eve, a woman is born, the rotten vessel, the weak container, the shattered pottery, the staff of deceit, the guide of disobedience, the counselor of the dragon. But just as you have heard the accusations against woman, come and learn also the virtuous deed from her. A woman introduced virginity to the world, she contained in her womb the God whom creation cannot contain, she bore in the flesh him who refashioned our race; she was the first to receive Jesus from the dead, the first to begin the proclamation of the resurrection, the first to announce the joy to the disciples. “A woman who,” it says, “if she is impregnated.” But the Theotokos was a woman, but did not suffer the things of women; for her womb did not receive the seed of a man, the field of Mary saw no plow, the virginal vineyard did not endure a mattock, so that the offering was not for her, but was for the whole race. For Christ is circumcised for our sake, and is baptized for our sake, and the purifications of the law are fulfilled for us. If he weeps, he cleanses nature; if he is struck, he frees our captivity; if he carries the cross, he lightens us of the yoke of sin; if he is spat upon, he delivers Adam from the spittle of the curse.

3 “When were fulfilled,” it says, “the days of their purification, they brought him up to Jerusalem, as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every male that opens

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Homilia i de Hypapante (homilia 1)

̔Ησυχίου, πρεσβυτέρου Ἱεροσολύμων, λόγος εἰς τὴν ὑπαπαντὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

1 Ἡ μὲν ἑορτὴ λέγεται καθαρσίων, ἣν οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι ἑορτῶν εἰπὼν

ἑορτήν, σαββάτων σάββατον, ἁγίων ἁγίαν προσα γορεύσας· ὅλον γὰρ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται τὸ τῆς σαρκώσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, ὅλην διαγράφεται τὴν τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ παράστασιν. Ἐν ᾗ βρέφος ὁ Χριστὸς ἐβαστάχθη καὶ θεὸς ὡμο λογήθη, καὶ ἐν ἀγκάλαις προσηνέχθη ὡς ἐπὶ θρόνου ὁ τῆς ἡμετέ ρας φύσεως ποιητὴς καθήμενος, καὶ ζεῦγος τρυγόνων λογικῶν τῷ Συμεὼν καὶ τῇ Ἅννᾳ προσέφερεν. Αὐταῖς δέ, εἰ δοκεῖ, ταῖς εὐαγγελικαῖς παρεμβάλωμεν λέξεσι· θεοῦ γὰρ ἐκεῖ παρεμβολὴν ὀψόμεθα. Οὕτω τοίνυν ἡμῖν τῆς ἑορτῆς ὁ Λουκᾶς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἐξέθετο· «Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωυσέως, ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα παρα στῆσαι τῷ κυρίῳ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου ὅτι πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ κυρίῳ κληθήσεται, καὶ τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν.» Ἐχρῆν τὸν δουλεύσαντα δι' ἡμᾶς προσφέρειν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καθάρσια, τὸν αἵματος οἰκείου μὴ φει σάμενον ζεύγους τρυγόνων μὴ φείσασθαι. Ἰδοὺ τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑπὲρ νόμον ὡς νομοθέτης ἐργάζεται καί, τὴν ἐλευθε ρίαν αὐτὸς παρέχων τοῦ πνεύματος, τὴν δουλείαν ὅμως οὐ παραιτεῖται τοῦ γράμματος· οὐκ ἀθετεῖ Μωυσέα, ἵνα κατὰ καιρὸν μάρτυς ἀξιόπιστος γένηται.

2 «Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωυσέως.» «Αὐτῶν», τίνων; Ἰωσὴφ μὲν γὰρ οὔτε πατὴρ ἦν, οὔτε ὑπεύθυνος καθαρσίων, ἀλλ' οὔτε Μαρία, οὔτε τὸ βρέφος τῶν καθαρσίων ἐδέοντο· λέγεται γὰρ οὕτως· «Γυνή, ἥ τις ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ καὶ τέκῃ ἄρσεν, ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται.» Ἀλλ' ἡ Μαρία οὐκ ἐσπερματίσθη, οὐκοῦν καθαρσίων οὐκ ἐδέετο. «Γυνή, ἥτις ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ καὶ τέ κῃ ἄρσεν, ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται.» ∆ιὰ τί; Ἐπειδὴ Ἀδὰμ δεύτερον εἰς τὸν βίον εἰσήγαγεν. «Ἐὰν δὲ τέκῃ θῆλυ, δὶς ἑπτὰ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται.» Τίνος χάριν ἐνταῦθα τὰς ἡμέρας διπλασίονας ἔταξεν; Ἐπειδὴ Εὔα πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς Εὔας τίκτε ται, γυνὴ γεννᾶται τὸ σαθρὸν σκεῦος, τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἀγγεῖον, τὸ συντετριμμένον κεράμιον, ἡ βακτηρία τῆς ἀπάτης, ἡ χειραγωγὸς τῆς παρακοῆς, ἡ τοῦ δράκοντος σύμβουλος. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἤκου σας γυναικὸς τὰ ἐγκλήματα, δεῦρο καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς κατόρθωμα μάνθανε. Γυνὴ παρθενίαν τῷ βίῳ εἰσήγαγεν, ἐχώρησεν ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τὸν θεὸν ὃν ἡ κτίσις χωρῆσαι οὐ δύναται, ἔτεκεν ἐν σαρκὶ τοῦτον ὅστις ἡμῶν τὸ γένος ἀνέπλασεν· πρώτη τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν ὑπεδέξατο, πρώτη τοῦ κηρύγματος τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἤρ ξατο, πρώτη τὴν χαρὰν τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐμήνυσεν. «Γυνὴ ἥτις», φησίν, «ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ.» Ἡ θεοτόκος δὲ γυνὴ μὲν ἦν, τὰ γυ ναικῶν δὲ οὐ πέπονθεν· σπέρμα γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἡ γαστὴρ οὐκ ἐδέ ξατο, οὐκ εἶδεν ἄροτρον ὁ τῆς Μαρίας ἀγρός, ὁ παρθενικὸς ἀμπε λὼν οὐχ ὑπέμεινε δίκελλαν, ὥστε οὐχ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἡ προσφορά, ὑπὲρ ὅλου δὲ τοῦ γένους ἐγένετο. Ἡμῶν γὰρ ἕνεκα περιτέμνε ται ὁ Χριστός, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ βαπτίζεται, ἐφ' ἡμῖν τελεῖται τὰ τοῦ νόμου καθάρσια. Ἐὰν δακρύσῃ, τὴν φύσιν ἐκπλύνει· ἐὰν ῥαπισθῇ, τὴν ἡμετέραν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἐλευθεροῖ· ἐὰν βαστά σῃ τὸν σταυρόν, ἡμᾶς κουφίζει τοῦ ζυγοῦ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· ἐὰν ἐμπτυσθῇ, τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπαλλάττει τοῦ τῆς κατάρας ἐμπτύσμα τος.

3 «Ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν», φησίν, «αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου, ὅτι πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον