1

Homilia ii de Hypapante (homilia 2)

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

1 Do you not know that the Spirit made Simeon a prophet and declared to him an oracle, “not to see death before seeing the Christ”? “Now you are releasing your servant, master, according to your word in peace.” Was it not, being provided by him, that he blessed Joseph and Mary? Was it not, being commanded by him, that he spoke to Mary: “Behold, this one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel”? Was it not through him that Anna was possessed as a prophetess? Was it not, being filled by him, that she announced the coming redemption through the infant?

2 It was necessary to weave for you the explanation of these things in detail, but perhaps the time has been spent and it was fitting to shorten the discourse out of consideration for your obedience. But if the word is not unbearable to you, since you are insatiable fellow banqueters at the table of the sacred oracles, from where the writer of the gospels began the story for you, from there it was fitting for us also, as far as possible, to shorten the interpretation, so that it may be both timely and suitable to your desire.

3 “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.” The Spirit wove no small encomium for this Simeon in the opening words; “For behold,” he says, “there was a man in Jerusalem,” whom the prophets had long sought and the law had desired, but grace found and having found, crowned with what followed. From where is the crown woven? Pay attention: “And this man was just and devout, awaiting the consolation for Israel.” It was fitting to emulate and bless Simeon because he was not only just but also devout, he abstained from all evil; and as “awaiting the consolation for Israel,” he neither grew numb laboring at virtues, nor grew weary abstaining from evil.

4 “And the Holy Spirit was upon him.” This too is wonderful and fitting to what was said before; for he was a temple, he had the bridal chamber of the flesh pure, and the bridal chamber of the soul was cleansed of every worldly spiderweb; from there he drew to himself the dwelling of the Spirit. “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.” Do you see how great a thing it is to be a temple of God; those who have practiced life in this way pass from life to life. Whence also to Simeon “it had been revealed not to see death before seeing the Lord's Christ,” that is, before he should see the one who abolishes death, before he should see the one who raises the dead, before he should see the one who changes tombs into a bridal chamber, before he should behold him who makes his departure from here without fear.

5 “And he came in the Spirit into the temple.” Nor is this worthy to pass over or to run by; for it is a proof that he acted according to the command of the indwelling Spirit and he undertook neither business in the marketplaces nor any actions at all without him; wherefore into the temple, not otherwise, but indeed he comes with him leading by the hand. “And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he too took him into his arms.” Who revealed to him the infant whom he did not know? But indeed it is clear that it was the Spirit dwelling in him and giving oracles and who surely said to Simeon: “Run, old man, run, hasten now, quickly seize the blessing, before the star appears, before the Magi arrive, lest we be insulted. For the light from me

1

Homilia ii de Hypapante (homilia 2)

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

1 Μὴ ἀγνοεῖτε ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμα προφήτην τὸν Συμεῶνα κατέστη σεν καὶ

χρηματισμὸν αὐτῷ «μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν ἰδεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν» προσεφώνησεν; «Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ.» Οὐχὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ χορηγηθεὶς τὸν Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Μαριὰμ εὐλόγησεν; Οὐ παρ' αὐτοῦ προσταχθεὶς τῇ Μαριὰμ προσεφώνησεν· «Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ»; Οὐ δι' αὐτοῦ κάτοχος ἡ Ἅννα ὡς προφῆτις ἐτύγχανεν; Οὐκ ἐξ αὐτοῦ μεστωθεῖσα τὴν ἐσομένην λύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ βρέφους κατήγγειλεν;

2 Τούτων ὑμῖν ἔδει κατὰ μέρος ὑφᾶναι τὴν ἐξήγησιν, ἀλλ' ἴσως ὁ καιρὸς δεδαπάνηται καὶ τὸν λόγον ἐπιτεμεῖν φειδοῖ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τῆς ὑμετέρας προσῆκεν. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν ὑμῖν τὸ ῥῆμα ἐπειδὴ συμποσιασταὶ τῆς τραπέζης ἐστὲ τῶν λογίων τῶν ἱερῶν ἀκόρεστοι, ὅθεν ὑμῖν ὁ τῶν εὐαγγελίων συγγραφεὺς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἤρξατο, ἐκεῖθεν ὡς ἔνι καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπιτεμεῖν τὴν ἑρμηνείαν προσῆκεν, ὥστε καὶ τῷ καιρῷ γενέσθαι καὶ τῷ πόθῳ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ τὰ πρόσφορα.

3 «Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ἦν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ᾧ ὄνομα Συμεών.» Οὐ μικρὸν ἐγκώμιον τὸ Πνεῦμα τούτῳ γε τῷ Συμεὼν ἐν προοιμίοις ὕφαινεν· «Ἰδοὺ γάρ, φησίν, ἄνθρωπος ἦν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ» ὃν πάλαι μὲν ἐζήτουν οἱ προφῆται καὶ ὁ νόμος ἐπόθει, εὗρεν δὲ ἡ χάρις καὶ εὑροῦσα τοῖς ἑξῆς ἐστεφάνωσεν. Ὁ στέφανος πόθεν πλέκεται; Πρόσεχε· «Καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβής, προσδεχόμενος παράκλησιν τῷ Ἰσραήλ.» Ζηλῶσαι τὸν Συ μεῶνα καὶ μακαρίσαι προσῆκεν ὅτι οὐ μόνον δίκαιος ἦν ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐλαβὴς κακίας πάσης ἀπείχετο· ὡς δὲ «προσδεχόμενος παρά κλησιν τῷ Ἰσραήλ», οὔτε περὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς κοπιῶν ἐνάρκα, οὐδὲ κακίας ἀπεχόμενος ἔκαμεν.

4 «Καὶ Πνεῦμα ἦν ἅγιον ἐπ' αὐτόν.» Θαυμαστὸν καὶ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένοις ἁρμόδιον· ναὸς γὰρ ὑπῆρχεν, κα θαρὸν εἶχεν τὸν νυμφῶνα τῆς σαρκός, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ παστὰς πάσης βιωτικῆς ἀράχνης ἐκαθάρευεν· ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν εἵλ κυσε τὴν κατοικίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος. «Καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ κεχρημα τισμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν ἰδεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν κυρίου.» Ὁρᾷς πηλίκον ἐστὶν εἶναι ναὸν θεοῦ· ἀπὸ ζωῆς εἰς ζωὴν οἱ τὸν βίον οὕτως ἀσκηθέντες μετέρ χονται. Ὅθεν καὶ τῷ Συμεὼν «κεχρηματισμένον ἦν μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν ἰδεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν κυρίου», τουτέστι πρὶν ἴδῃ τὸν καταργοῦντα τὸν θάνατον, πρὶν ἴδῃ τὸν τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐγείροντα, πρὶν ἴδῃ τὸν εἰς νυμφῶνα τοὺς τάφους μεταβάλλοντα, πρὶν ἐκεῖνον θεάσηται ὅστις ἄφοβον αὐτῷ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν ἐρ γάζεται.

5 «Καὶ ἦλθεν ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν.» Οὐδὲ τοῦτο παρελθεῖν ἢ παραδραμεῖν ἄξιον· ἀπόδειξις γὰρ ὅτι κατὰ πρόσταξιν τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος ἔπραττε καὶ οὔτε εἰς ἀγορὰς οὔτε τινὰς πράξεις χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ὅλως ἐνέβαλλεν· ὅπου γε εἰς τὸ ἱερόν, οὐκ ἄλλως, ἀλλὰ γὰρ αὐτοῦ χειραγωγοῦντος ἔρχεται. «Καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσαγαγεῖν τοὺς γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν τοῦ ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸ εἰθισμένον τῷ νόμῳ περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς ἀγκάλας.» Τίνος αὐτῷ τὸ βρέφος ὅπερ ἠγνόει μηνύσαντος; Ἀλ λὰ γὰρ δῆλον τοῦ κατοικοῦντος ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ χρηματίζοντος Πνεύματος καὶ πάντως που πρὸς τὸν Συμεῶνα λέγοντος· «∆ράμε, πρεσβῦτα, δράμε, σπεῦδε ἤδη, τάχος τὴν εὐλογίαν ἅρπασον, πρὶν ὁ ἀστὴρ φανῇ, πρὶν οἱ Μάγοι παραγένωνται, μή ποτε ὑβρισθῶ μεν. Τὸ γὰρ ἐξ ἐμοῦ φῶς